48 replies to this topic

[pete l]

Hi all,
Picked up a mini mpi in kit form on Saturday and have been checking it over and decided to try the doors. Right hand side is fine. Left hand side is very tight. Looks like the front has been pushed back, scuttle height. It's one centimeter shorter than the other side. No signs of accident damage so I don't know what's happened.
Can this be straightened out ?
Pete.

[sonikk4]

Are the doors the original or second hand?? And yes if the frame is slightly out a portapower should do the job. My guess is if the car is straight then door will be the issue.

[cal844]

Yes it can. Is the car a bare shell? If so you'd need a porta power to tweak the shell

 

A rather crude method we used last year was on my 1275... I'd crashed the car, knocked the A panel back so it was touching the door frame, we tugged the car by wrapping a rope around the light and indicator holes(they were bent anyway!

 

Give me 5 mins I need to link pics up ;)

[cal844]

 

Look at the inner wing! A small tug with my dads jeep fixes this... As eplained below!

The rope was attached to my father's Landcriuser, a small tug with me sitting in the mini holding it on the brakes;).  

 

Yes I know the wheel is off and on the floor, I was checking the suspension alignment 

 

We then removed the headlamp bowl and indicator unit... And some further tugging produced this!

 

 

We decided to replace all the panels anyway

 

2x half inner wings

2x wings

Front panel

Grille

Arches

Dizzy cap and arm

 

Plus paint lol(which is just materials for us)

Edited by cal844, 02 February 2016 - 10:23 PM.

[midridge2]

If the shell has been pushed back making the door to Apex panel tight its no good using a porta power to tweak the gap.
The shell will have deformed from the inner wing back, pushing the A post forward will only make the door gap bigger but will not push the inner wing forward, it would need pulling forward from the inner wing/wing to pull everything forward.
Basic Panel Beating.
 
My guess is that the Apex panel has been welded on too far back.
 

[pete l]

Here's a couple of photos

 

 

 WP_20160202_003.jpg   38.86K   47 downloads

 

 WP_20160202_004.jpg   49.81K   39 downloads

 

In fact, these photos don't really show up the problem, i'll do some at lunch time.

Edited by pete l, 03 February 2016 - 10:00 AM.

[pete l]

The door is originale, I'll get some better photos when I get home, the door skin is touching the body on the left and right sides

[pete l]

If the shell has been pushed back making the door to Apex panel tight its no good using a porta power to tweak the gap.
The shell will have deformed from the inner wing back, pushing the A post forward will only make the door gap bigger but will not push the inner wing forward, it would need pulling forward from the inner wing/wing to pull everything forward.
Basic Panel Beating.
 
My guess is that the Apex panel has been welded on too far back.

 

 

 

The thing is, every panel is original, there is no sign damage. It's not the A panel it's the A frame that has been pushed back and I think up slightly.

Edited by pete l, 03 February 2016 - 09:59 AM.

[pete l]

Had a better look at lunchtime and i have found what is wrong, just don't know how to deal with it

When I got it, the left side had been scraped down the side, dented wing, A panel and door. It seems that it was a pretty hard knock. I have sonce removed the wing and A panel.

 

 WP_20160203_012.jpg   38.8K   29 downloads    WP_20160203_013.jpg   39.17K   34 downloads

 

 WP_20160203_011.jpg   40.84K   21 downloads    WP_20160203_010.jpg   34.09K   17 downloads

 

 WP_20160203_004.jpg   21.76K   18 downloads

[pete l]

Had a good look at it last night, and took some measurements and compared them to the other side.

 

The A pillar is pushed back by 1 cm where the impact is, near the top hinge, this has pushed the roof up by 1/2 cm, top of the A pillar.

 

I tried to push it back using a hydraulic jack and blocks of wood, and I have reduces it slightly, it is definately better but still not where it should be.

 

I don't have a porta power thing so how else can I do it ?

 

Pete.

Edited by pete l, 04 February 2016 - 08:57 AM.

[midridge2]

Ok, Stop.
Before you start doing more damage by jacking the frame, lets have a good look at the problem.
We need pictures of the door fitted showing the gaps at the front and back and the gap along the bottom.
We need to see if the door just needs adjusting first.

[sonikk4]

Just to add here, some doors do have a bad gap on top of the door frame. Seen this a few times now and I mean quite a large gap as well.

As Midridge2 has said you can adjust the door and quite a bit so refit the door properly and take a picture of it full closed

[pete l]

It's not the door, it's the A pilar that has been pushed back,

 

Look at my earlier photos, there is one where i've circled a part of the inner wing near the top door hinge, i've circled a crease !!!

 

The bottom of the door is perfectly aligned with the doorstep.

 

The rear of the door is aligned with the rear wing, its just that it is touching the rear wing. Too close.

 

I will take a photo of the inside where you will be able to see the A frame is too far in.

 

I am missing 1 cm in width and I've gained 1/2 cm in height.

 

It needs pushing back out. Don't know what to do about the crease though !!

[pete l]

 WP_20160203_002.jpg   26.78K   27 downloads

[midridge2]

If you show the pictures that I asked for we can then look at the door gaps and decide what you need to do next. 

You first said there was no signs of damage now you say it was scraped along the side when you got it. the damage to the inner wing/flitch panel suggests the A post has moved in at the top towards the centre of the car, this would not affect the door frame at the top.  
 With the pictures I asked for we can suggest ways of correcting the damage without jacking.