Door gaps

[Brendan The Spit]

Right, this is the first of I imagine many messages as I slowly get to grips with this Thing.

The very first thing I noticed about my Spit - which meant I nearly didn't buy it but everything else checked out so well - was the gaps between the bonnet and the front of the doors.

The gap is constant - that is, not wider at the top or bottom, and is the same on both doors - and is about the width of an index finger. That is, slide your finger in, and it'll stop at the knuckle. That wide.

There is a gap along the top of the bonnet too but very slightly smaller.

Now, this doesn't necessarily concern me but it's the main thing that I don't like aesthetically about the car. I see pictures of other Spits and their panels all meet up nicely.

I'm going to get my local Triumph-trained mechanic to take a look at it sometime but before I do, any ideas what the fix would be? It's almost as if I should be able to 'shift' the bonnet back an inch or so to close the gaps, bearing in mind the gap along the top is slightly smaller so I would never be able to get them to meet up perfectly, and that of course I'd need to make sure I could open and close the bonnet and doors without chipping the paint.

Or is it something I should just leave well alone and stop fretting about?

Any ideas?

Cheers
Brendan

[TimW]

2875 wrote:

Right, this is the first of I imagine many messages as I slowly get to grips with this Thing.

The very first thing I noticed about my Spit - which meant I nearly didn't buy it but everything else checked out so well - was the gaps between the bonnet and the front of the doors.

The gap is constant - that is, not wider at the top or bottom, and is the same on both doors - and is about the width of an index finger. That is, slide your finger in, and it'll stop at the knuckle. That wide.

There is a gap along the top of the bonnet too but very slightly smaller.

Now, this doesn't necessarily concern me but it's the main thing that I don't like aesthetically about the car. I see pictures of other Spits and their panels all meet up nicely.

I'm going to get my local Triumph-trained mechanic to take a look at it sometime but before I do, any ideas what the fix would be? It's almost as if I should be able to 'shift' the bonnet back an inch or so to close the gaps, bearing in mind the gap along the top is slightly smaller so I would never be able to get them to meet up perfectly, and that of course I'd need to make sure I could open and close the bonnet and doors without chipping the paint.

Or is it something I should just leave well alone and stop fretting about?

Any ideas?

Cheers
Brendan

The bonnet is adjustable in 4 directions.  Remove the plastic overriders and you can adjust the bonnet on the hinges.  Buy a Triumph workshop manual for a full description of how to do it.

[Brendan The Spit]

Outstanding! I'm guessing it's a two-person job though, right? I can't exactly hold the thing up with one hand while I adjust it with the other?

[TimW]

you can adjust it with it closed.  In fact i found it easier to do it this way.

[Brendan The Spit]

Interesting. Not sure how that's possible (!) but I will get the manual out and take a look!

Again, thanks for the help,

Cheers
Brendan

[TimW]

just undo the hinge bolts and push the bonnet back or pull forward.  There are 2 more bolts on each hinge to adjust the up/down. undo these and lift or lower the front of the bonnet.   Make sure the bonnet catches are open when you try to adjust it.  How else would you be able to see what effect the adjustments your making are having if the bonnets open?

[Brendan The Spit]

Good point. I was honestly thinking it would be a case of 'open bonnet, fiddle, close it to see how it's fitting, repeat' ad nauseam. Thanks for the advice.