Pick up Restoration (Part 2)

[davidmiles]

I heated the track rod end up for ages, and still it wouldn't budge, I let it cool down and tried to unscrew it with a stilson, no dice, I re heated it again and this time bingo...[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

putting lots of pressure on the track rod end with the stilson while a spanner held the track rod from turning it finally broke the seal and suddenly I could unscrew it by hand.[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

Some copper slip on the threads after they had cooled down, then the replacing of the new track rod end was dead easy. I jacked up the king pin from the bottom and attached the track rod to the steering arm, Screwed up the bolt and job done,[frame][/frame]

[RobMoore]

[davidmiles]

Sanding out the last imperfections in the paint layer of the cab roof top surface, soon be time for a re-spray, there's a few more rubbing down jobs still to go. But I'm thinking now of getting some spray painting equipment, I'm going for HVLP due to reduced overspray and increased saving in paint useage, but its the reduction in overspray that is the clincher in my limited work space. I've got my eye on a few items in Machine mart and Halfords, but can anyone help me out with where to get a tin of Morris minor Cumulus Grey.[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

Getting the front panel to bolt up on all holes was a challenge, the bottom front of the offside wing just wouldn't budge inward so I could line up the holes. So I coaxed it in using timber and a car jack,worked well, it gradually lined up the holes, but there is a problem someone mentioned earlier...[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

The wing to panel gap was nice and even after I had spent some time today adjusting the holes and remounting it, but when I coaxed in the front wing to join the front panel its pushed the rear of the wing out of alignment.[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

Now Ive got a new problem thats developed at the bottom joint between door and wing, I'll have to undo and adjust the bottom mounting bolts to get this all squared away, then hopefully when they are re tightened, It'll hold an even gap.
[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

Then maybe I can remove the bonnet and correct the adjustments there, at the moment its catching the wing tops when its swung down into position.[frame][/frame]

[MarkyB]

I wouldn't worry about applying force to panel etc, to make them fit together nicely.
I saw an interesting clip on You tube of bodywork fettling in a car plant Lada or something similar I think.
Anyway it was quite an education, crow bars, hammers and blocks of wood all came into the equation.
Although it looked brutal you could tell they knew what they were doing as they applied what ever treatment, then tried the fit, and if needed applied it again but more gently.

[davidmiles]

With the bonnet hinges disconnected from the bonnet Ive got some play. The end of the bonnet edges seem to be too wide for the front end of the wings. I wonder if my inner wings are too close together by a couple of milimetres. Serious head scratching time.
[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

the wing rear bottom edge was an easier, less vexing fix, just need to adjust the sill finisher up by a few mil and thats looking ok.[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

Back to the bonnet, this time the hinge end, the fits seems ok on the left side (offside)[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

The nearside doesn't appear to match the fit of the offside. Or is it supposed to look like this?[frame][/frame]

[RobMoore]

David, it looks as though you have to hinges the same, there should be a left and right side

[davidmiles]

Can't be Rob, they taper to the bonnet at different angles, here's a shot of them, do they look different? Thanks for that tip Marky B, I'll look that up on "you tube" might learn something that will help me solve my bonnet puzzle.

[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

I may have found that factory clip you mentioned Marky, quite an education watching this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRX7E0yZxh0

[chickenjohn]

With the bonnet hinges disconnected from the bonnet Ive got some play. The end of the bonnet edges seem to be too wide for the front end of the wings. I wonder if my inner wings are too close together by a couple of milimetres. Serious head scratching time.

[frame][/frame]

Problem here is no cowl panel fitted!

Fit the cowl panel that the radiator bolts to and if you bolt it to the inner wings either side with two bolts each side then the cowl panel will space the inner wings apart by the right amount. I always repair the front inner wings with the cowl panel bolted on to ensure the inner wings are in the right place during welded repairs.

[davidmiles]

I'm hoping that having the front panel bolted on without the radiator panel will help things settle a bit and allow me to bolt up, when I eventually fit them all together with the rad panel in place. I hope the steel in the wings has enough elasticity in them to form the correct shape.

[chickenjohn]

The outer wings do not have enough give in them, they are not the cause of the problem.

If you think about it, the inner wings WILL spring in a little with nothing to space them apart. When the cowl panel (radiator panel) is bolted in place to the inner wings, this is what holds the inner wing flitches in the correct position. If you try and fit everything (and even cut and weld the panels to fit) without the cowl panel bolted up then you may have serious panel fit issues when the time comes to fit everything together.

Why is the cowl panel missing? Do you not have one? If not, try and beg, borrow etc a cowl panel or just buy one!

The missing cowl panel is the cause of your poorly fitting bonnet. Fit the cowl panel, the inner wing flitches will have the correct spacing and then the bonnet will shut neatly between the outer wings.

This is a case where Jonothan is sorely missed again! As I'm the first one to spot the cause of your panel fit issues then on this site we are clearly lacking the professional knowledge we used to benefit from.