Door problems

[Richardtr3a]

How much clearance do most people have between the bottom of the door and the top of the cill on the TR3? Any help would be much apreciated. Currently I have none at all and I am considering trimming the door down a bit. This might be easier than altering the cill itself.

Richard tr3A

[stuart]

Richard the gap is usually only about 1/8"to 1/4" most problems occur with the repro sills being the wrong profile. Does the rest of the door line up and does the swage line follow into the rear quarter panel ok. If not then get the lines correct first. If so then if you are good at panel work then carefully open up the bottom of the door skin and trim a bit off the frame and then refold the skin to suit. Not an easy job. Dont just grind off the bottom of the door because you will wind up with a flapping bottom (nasty!) that needs welding with the associated warping problems with the heat involved. Its sometimes easier to replace the sill and when fitting have the door in place to get the correct lines.

Stuart.

Edited March 9, 2007 by stuart

[Richardtr3a]

The door fits well and the lines are all good.I wanted to prise up the edge of the skin and cut out a section of the frame and then refold the skin back into the original position. Is this an answer? Will the skin be ruined and would it be better to order up a new skin, which may not fit as well as my original skin. What do you think?

 

Cheers Richard

[Richardtr3a]

The door fits well and the lines are all good.I wanted to prise up the edge of the skin and cut out a section of the frame and then refold the skin back into the original position. Is this an answer? Will the skin be ruined and would it be better to order up a new skin, which may not fit as well as my original skin. What do you think?

 

Cheers Richard

[Don Elliott]

The new skins are flat and the original door has a long curve in it. Take a straight-edge and check the curve on your existing door along the bottom from the hinge end to the latch end.

[Kiwifrog]

If you have the space on the top front of the door where it curves under the scuttle could you not make the hinge mounting holes slightly oval and lift the door slightly? Reskinning a door is not the easiest exercise in the world I have done it once in my life on a TR2 and it took a large number of hours to get right.

 

Failing that I would be more tempted to adjust the sills if they are repro items, for me that would be better than attacking a good origonal door skin. If you look at the some of the period photos of our cars and some of the press shots the panel alignment and gaps were far from perfect from the factory.

[Don Elliott]

Following on from Alan's idea about the hinges, maybe the square nuts in the captive boxes behind the "A" posts could be moved upwards a bit, possibly by slotting the round holes in the "A" posts upwards to allow you to raise the hinge screws. With the front wing off, you could hammer upwards on the captive boxes from the bottom, you might get even more of the lift you need.

[stuart]

Richard just do what i suggested and you were thinking about , namely unpick the skin and grind a bit off the frame and refold the skin with a hammer and dolly doing a small angle at a time until you get the whole length re folded.

Picture here of NDM skin fitted to TR2 and then lead filled to take up the gaps as the skin was small all round.

Stuart.

Edited March 10, 2007 by stuart

[Richardtr3a]

Richard just do what i suggested and you were thinking about , namely unpick the skin and grind a bit off the frame and refold the skin with a hammer and dolly doing a small angle at a time until you get the whole length re folded.

Picture here of NDM skin fitted to TR2 and then lead filled to take up the gaps as the skin was small all round.

Stuart.

Thank you for your help. I have no room at all to move the door because it fits like a glove now, except the door is fouling the sill. If only this was timber we could pull out the plane amd rehang the door in 20 minutes. Thank you Richard