I recently bought a 1958 Chevrolet apache pickup streetrod. The drivers door alignment is very good but you have to slam the door to get it to close which can’t be good for the internal door parts… any ideas on the correct adjustment?
If the door is part way open, if you lift at the rear edge of the door, does it move up? If so, you have a hinge or hinge pin problem.
I would mark the location of the striker plate with a couple pieces of masking tape for reference. Then pull the striker off and see if the door will push flush into the hole without excessive pressure. It could be the door rubbers are too stiff. The softness of those will vary greatly by brand. It’s also possible the door is adjusted in too much in the front, creating pressure at the cowl when the door is almost shut. Do the latches and striker plates look fresh? It’s hard to diagnose a problem like this, especially without detailed pictures.
All good suggestions above. On my '54 3100, I took about 3 hrs. to adjust both doors, going over the rubber bumpers, weather stripping and latch/striker plate, hinges. Lubed everything up well. Afterwards, I could (can) close either door with 2 fingers pressure. Bob
Our 58 Apache has crap for latches. We bought all new stuff and it still doesn’t latch all the great. It works but it’s not anything to brag about. I know there is an outfit making replacement bear claw style latches, but their name escapes me.
I have installed a few sets of the Altman EZ latch kits by Trique Mfg. Probably the ones you’re thinking of. They are not a “bear claw” style though. They are more like a modern latch where one plate circles the striker pin. I like them and they work well. They will make your doors latch easily, IF everything else is in order. They are not a magic fix if you have other issues as mentioned above.
That’s the ones. I haven’t researched them that much, I just saw them advertised. They look like a definite improvement.