8 replies to this topic

[mickthefitter]

Hi. Has anyone else experienced a Mk1 or Mk2 Mini (or Elf or Hornet) with sliding windows and external door hinges where the doors compress the weather seal rubbers at the bottom, but not at the top, when the door closes? It took me a while to realise why water fills up my door bins in my summer-use-only Hornet when I wash it. You can sit in the seats and look round the window frame and see that the frame isn't touching the rubbers. I can't imagine that they left the factory that way. My car was restored way back in 1997 by somebody in Wales. Most of the front end was replaced including A panels. There is evidence of iffy panel fit where the wing meets the front panel on one side, but the A panels look like they line up okay. I had thought of trying to bend the door frames inwards (according to records one door is original, another was re-skinned) but I think the frame is too tough for that, and it would probably break the paint and maybe even the welding. Looks to me if the hinges were shimmed out at the bottom, you would use a lot of shimming, then the bottom of the door skin would stick out! Yesterday I got a flyer from Frosts Auto Restoration and they sell a self adhesive weather seal that compresses down to 5mm. I might try some of that but it will have to be glued to the door window frame on the inside i.e. very visible when the door is opened. I just wondered if anyone else has come across this sort of door gap. 

 

Cheers,

Mick. 

Edited by mickthefitter, 01 April 2015 - 08:25 AM.

[Ethel]

I'd remove the rubber so you can get a better look at the actual gap and judge if the door is just skew to the frame or they are different shapes. Because of the length of the door, relative to distance between the hinge pins a small amount of adjustment at the hinges can do a lot. A jack and stout bits of timber allow more subtle persuading of panel fit

[mickthefitter]

I was afraid that jacks and stout bits of timber might be involved! :) Okay, thanks for the suggestion about removing the rubber. I will take a look at the weekend in the sunshine if we get any. I'd already glanced at the postings about panel gaps but they seemed mostly concerned with vehicles currently undergoing restoration, tidying things up with the use of welding rods and grinders to make gaps more uniform. I am afraid my welding days are behind me and back then it was stick welding 1/4" plate and angle iron mostly (or gas welding things like machine guards, out of metal thicker than body panels). Taking the rubbers off may give a better idea of how far things are out. Cheers. 

[Dr s]

There was a guide from the factory posted up recently might be worth a search. It's big timber time though!

[Ethel]

If you do resort to the jack  try to seat your packing on both hinges to keep them pivoting on the same axis.

[midridge2]

A door top is easy bent in but why not bend the top flange that the rubber fits on, outwards.
Regards shims, or adjusting the hinges, the external hinges will only move the door up or down and backwards or forwards, not move the door top in or out.

[Daz1968]

The top frame bends easily but you must be careful as the paint also cracks when you do it. Suggestion above of bending inner flange maybe easier, also maybe the seals are flat and new ones needed although this can give problems in itself as new ones can throw it out in other areas.

[mickthefitter]

A door top is easy bent in but why not bend the top flange that the rubber fits on, outwards.
Regards shims, or adjusting the hinges, the external hinges will only move the door up or down and backwards or forwards, not move the door top in or out.

I don't think the flange will move far enough to fill the gaps I've got. The passenger side is the worst but the drivers side seal doesn't touch either. On the outside, the passenger side window frame is about 6mm proud of the B pillar at its upper outer edge. The driver's side at least sits below the B pillar. 

[mickthefitter]

The top frame bends easily but you must be careful as the paint also cracks when you do it. Suggestion above of bending inner flange maybe easier, also maybe the seals are flat and new ones needed although this can give problems in itself as new ones can throw it out in other areas.

Somehow I didn't think there's be an easy answer! Probably why I assume its been left like this since the 1997 restoration. The seals look okay actually. I will search out the guide on this forum to see if it can be of any help. Thanks for the responses :)