How To Bend The A-panel Lip Around Without The Right Tools.

excellant, very helpfull

Thankyou

The A-panel fitting technique also works a treat when fitting replacement door skin too.

hmmmm......forgive my confusion but when you guys say "Mole grips" are you referring to the Vice Grips? Anyhow, is this just a cosmetic upgrade or does this really serve a purpose? I ask cause I'll be starting my first Mini project in a month or so and I haven't had the luxury of growing up with Minis in my life as many of you guys have. When I called my Mom to tell her I got a 1982 Austin Mini she said "What is that? Is it a small car?" I said "Yes Mom, it's a MINI!....you know a Mini?". She replied (still not really understanding what a Mini is) "If you wrecked in one of those it would be like a crumpled beer can!"

Anyhow, I don't know much at all about these cars. I'm a pretty good mechanic so that aspect doesn't scare me....none of the project scares me. I just can't look at a mini and tell you if something isn't where it should be like you guys can. So, is this a necessary "mod"?

This isn't a modification - it's how the panels are attached!

There is a lip on the A-panel that needs to be bend round and then spotwelded to hold it on! - effectively sandwiching the hinge panel. This is how the car is built.

Any grips'll do the trick - you can see how they work.

This isn't a modification - it's how the panels are attached!

There is a lip on the A-panel that needs to be bend round and then spotwelded to hold it on! - effectively sandwiching the hinge panel. This is how the car is built.

Any grips'll do the trick - you can see how they work.

Oh, ok. The Mini I bought comes with a TON of Haynes Manuals and other books...hopefully they will address in one of these books how to assemble body panels. The car is in quite a few pieces at the moment and as I said I really can't look at it and think "Well this goes on like this....that is supposed to look like that etc..etc..". I have been in the UK for a year now and this is the first Mini I have actually seen up close and personal. We just don't have them in the states like you guys do here, we have plenty of BMW Minis. I have done a couple restos before (1947 WDX Dodge Power Wagon, 1985 Chevy Astro, a few Chevy S-10's) and all of them I was exposed to the vehicles enough growing up that I knew quite a bit about them. With this Mini its a work in progress and I have to look at what the previous owner started on and go from there. In the coming months when I start a thread about restoring it I am REALLY going to need you guys to guide me along! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction Retro 10's!!!!

you can also use an rubber hammer, iam a panel beater/ spraypainter...

are they just tack welded at the top and bottom or do you have to drill a hole in panel n put a spot weld in the middle of it.
glad i found this thread as i will be doing A panels some time this week.
thank you very much

i was actually about to try find a thread refering how to put on an a-panel lol, very helpful, thankyou, but as i think someone else has said do you have to plug weld the bent lip or something?

They usually have three or four spot welds onto the hinge pillar. There is one spot weld at the bottom onto the sill/doorstep. From the factory they were actually braised across the top and then there is a row of spot welds where they meet the wing.

For most peole who don't have access to a spot welder substitute "spot-weld" with "plug weld". I also usually MIG across the top - just need to be a bit careful and you need something like a die grinder or dremel to dress the weld off afterwards to make it look pretty as you can't get an angle grinder in as you can with the plug welds on the outer face. That said I treated myself to a TIG set over Christmas so next time I do a set they will likely be either braised or I'll just fuse the edges of the panel to the A-post but again we're getting into equipment that most people won't have at home.

Iain

Edited by ibrooks, 31 January 2011 - 12:08 PM.

grrrr started doing this an got it all clamped n started crimping it. got half way n have stopped for the night now i think. will put the plug welds in tommorow i didnt know they had them the panel.

very usefull tips! i normally just use a big hammer and bash the lip almost flat off the car (on a piece of old carpet), but leave enough gap for it to slot over the flitch lip, then crimp it up with mole grips (vice grips) and any slight imperfections are sorted with a small skim of filler to tidy it up

what is the hole for at the bottom on the lip

i had to grind this bit off to make it sit right

grrrr started doing this an got it all clamped n started crimping it. got half way n have stopped for the night now i think. will put the plug welds in tommorow i didnt know they had them the panel.

Where you have already folded the lip over use a very small drill bit 1/8" will do and very carefully drill through the A panel skin then progress up to a 1/4" then plug weld. This can be done just be careful. You could wrap a piece of masking tape or use a drill stop to prevent drilling through.

You will make contact with the A post but as long as you have not been pressing too hard you shouldn't have gone all the way through

thank you
got it clamped up at mo

does anyone kknow what the small hole is for on the lip that you have to fold over