door adjustment

[BSAA10Richard]

on my 1953 convertible which arrived Friday evening, I have been tinkering with different niggly problems, the wipers now work, the drivers seat has been moved to the rear fixing holes to allow for my stomach to fit behind the wheel , however the drivers door is a problem, I have tried for a couple of hours to adjust the hinges, I packed out the bottom hinge using two washers between the body and the hinge on the fixing bolts, the hinges only move in and out but not up and down, as you can see from the pictures it is not lining up correctley and when shutting it the sill is actually lifting the door slightky. the locating pin reciever has been left, I do have them in the box of spares, off as it will not fit in the hole no matter what i adjust.
Does anyone have the answer?

[BSAA10Richard]

The first picture is the door top is when it is just open and the second showing the door shut where it has been lifted by the sill

[Mercmancdi]

Mine is a 69 model but perhaps yours is different but there’s movement in my hinges all around. If yours has backing plate inside door pillar and door frame there are a pain to get bolts in and some people spot weld the plates into place so that leaves really no adjustment. When I take my bolts from door piller hinge side my plate drops to bottom of door but I can reach it with door panel off / on the door piller side you don’t want to drop that plate as it drops too and is a pain. So as said that’s way mine is and as said some people weld them in place then there’s no adjustment. ( mines a 69 mod )
Someone knows more than me will probably come along and advise better for your problem.

[BSAA10Richard]

The plates that take the hinges bolts are not welded, they move side to side along the slotted holes but there is no way for the hinges bolts to go up on the pillar which is what the door needs to do

[les]

I’m wondering if the hinge pillar has been replaced at some time, and welded in the wrong position. The gaps in other areas look excessive.

[Mercmancdi]

Agree as looking at photo if the door was up would the bottom be correct with the sill / also what about other side is it as far off hard to tell in photos.

[les]

Regarding the other side, measure from any given point to the centre of one of the hinge bolt holes. Using the same datum points compare the measurement on the drivers side. The given point should be somewhere that you feel has not been messed with.

[BSAA10Richard]

unfortunately both sides are out of alignment, I just spent another 30 minutes trying to adjust it without any success, all the hinge bolt plates are moving I am at a loss as what to do next, I do not know of any specialist repair places around the Malmesbury area to take it too, although without major cutting and rewelding then paint repair I doubt they can rectify it unless i am missing a trick as to how to raise the hinges on the pillar

[les]

With alignment problems, you really need to find out the cause, I know that sounds pretty obvious and is easy to say but finding a way round it without doing that would likely throw up other issues. Two wrongs don’t make a right, as they say. It a pity you didn’t notice the door fit earlier. However something may occur to you on further inspection, I hope so.

[MM1949]

Is it an original convertible or converted.

Looking at the pictures it seems the door lines up quite well with the windscreen pillar and the wing, so you may need to look at the alignment of the B post. It maybe that the floor and/or the sills or cross member has been replaced and the alignment was lost.

[philthehill]

As well as the doors that bonnet does not look to be sitting right which emphasises the difference heights of the coach line.
If the door hinges are not worn I would suggest that you try and shim out the bottom hinge which will raise the rear of the door.
https://www.morrisminorspares.com/body- ... ge-p828218

If all else fails use a piece of wood as they did in the Morris factory.

[Peted7202]

Just had a similar problem. The bottom hinge was worn so fitted a new one but alignment still out. Door low at the B post. Spent a few hours slacking off and manoeuvring. It's hard work on your own so I suggest you get a helper.

Eventually by slacking off both top and bottom hinges, having to make and fit 2.7mm of shims for the bottom, using a hydraulic jack with packing to lift and hold the door and then refastening. Lastly adjusting the door catches. Did this a number of times before a satisfactory setting.

I used long 5/16 bsf bolts with the heads cut off to retain the door pillar plates

This then revealed that the front wing needed adjusting due to excessive gap at the bottom.

When both hinges are slacked off the whole door can be moved vertically or tilted laterally and moved in and out or tilted vertically. The amount of movement may or may not be sufficient if the A and B pillars and/or sills are out so it's about a happy medium.

[BSAA10Richard]

Peted7202 Thank you for your input, I have been measuring today and compared to he other side all seems as near as dammit the same, I have slackened the door hinges and lifted the door as high as it will go and packed the lower hinge with two washers, any more and the gap difference is massive. but still not high enough, and I cannot get enough adjustment from the door striker plate or locating pin, however I think the passenger door which is also slightly lower will adjust ok. The right hand wing looks as if it needs to come up on the rear a tad and I am hopeful that I can get enough movement on the bolts, To add to my problems the nearside front is nearly 2" lower than the offside, I presume I can adjust that on the torsion bar, which hopefully correct the slight difference on the back ride height. Bought in haste comes to mind, but I am sure with help I can get it sorted.

[Bill_qaz]

Is it a genuine convertible or a chop job?

[MM1949]

Good question

[Bill_qaz]

I'm sure one of the more knowledgeable will comment but I think factory has bracing at ends of dash panel area.

[ManyMinors]

I'm sure one of the more knowledgeable will comment but I think factory has bracing at ends of dash panel area.

Those bracing panels come in the conversion kit too, so not much of a guide

[Peted7202]

Bracing panels sometimes identified by weld. Originals were spot welded.

[simmitc]

The simplest way to tell is the chassis number. The first few characters will confirm whether 2-door saloon or tourer. Apart from that, look under the rear shelf below the folded hood. Loads of spot welds show where the roof was fitted before being cut off; plain metal with no welds = original tourer. There are small differences along the top of the windscreen, easier to show by comparison than describe. Original convertibles did not have an interior light, converted saloons will probably still have the switches on the door pillars.

[BSAA10Richard]

to all thank you, I had someone out today and his thoughts are that the alignment has been lost when the sills and A post were replaced, so hopefully it will go into the workshops in November and be rectified, along with the front off side wing which needs to be removed the inner wing fitted with the missing nuts to bolt and reposition the wing, not only are the doors out of alignment, but the sills are not inline with the body hence the gap at the bottom between the sill and the bottom edge of the door.
Other problems that have come to light after taking it out for a spin is the clutch is slipping under load, the speedo needle does not stay still on any given speed, I get a soot mark on the ground when stationary when blipping the throttle, exhaust fumes in the cab and the brakes are just too hard with no feel to them.
To answer the questions to is it a genuine convertible, there are no signs of welds at the back at hood level, and the vin number starts FCA11/ which is Morris minor-convertible-black RHD. Synthetic