The "Panel Gaps" Thread

[Anthony]

Maybe some

In the picture above, the console is positioned so that the holes on the left hand side line up correctly
The overhang visible on the right hand side would therefore be half of what you can see if the console was centred

[JensH]

Make sure the body tub has been centred on the frame - there is an amazing amount of adjustment in this, and it affect the panel gap at the bonnet/doors.

[lancepar]

Aren’t the captive nuts for the brace in the chassis on this model? And if they are, isn’t this where the brace should fit correctly, first of all?
  
Ant, do the holes in the bracket not line up with either the chassis fixing nuts or the holes in the floor panel?

8)

[Anthony]

I woudl guess the bracket lines up with the chassis, but haven't checked yet
I'll have to remove the body again to be certain

The bracket doesn't line up with the floor plans (as the pictures show) and the bracket overhangs the floor a bit



It looks as though the body could have been turned on its side and the weight of it pushed the transmission tunnel together - But I've measured the distance from one sill to the other, and I'm spot on

[Anthony]

Should be able to give my car a looking at again tomorrow

I'm planning to get the centre console fitted through the floorpans and get my door gaps sorted

Anybody know what the ideal panel gaps around the doors, wings, and bulkhead are meant to be?

[JensH]

Found this one from an old resto.
Original floor pans on a late mk 3 (FD79xxx something).

[JensH]

And from inner sill to middle.

[Anthony]

Thanks for the pics mate

Todays weather meant I didn't get chance to do as much as I wanted to

I'll take those measurements on my car tomorrow and see where I'm at

[bob dunn]

i have a big gap drivers door to bonnet  not sure were to start,

[drofgum]

Bob,
Are all other gaps good?
                      Cheers,
                      Paul

[bob dunn]

it looks like the other gaps will not be too bad , i wondered were to start .

[Anthony]

i've replaced the rear wings, boot floor, and valance............but i now realise i need to fit the rear wing inner repair sections (where the bumper brackets bolt to)

Can I do this without messing around with my newly fitted panels?

[drofgum]

Bob,
It is unusual to have only one gap that is not right. In the case of your car, the best you are going to be able to do is to make the gap at the back of the door equal to the gap at the front by loosening the hinge to bulkhead bolts and shifting the door forward. The risk is that you will have either no more adjustment available, or you will put the door out of adjustment vertically in doing the horizontal adjustment.
                                                                                                                         Good luck,
                                                                                                                           Paul

[Anthony]

Bob - is the body mounted on the chassis correctly?

Perhaps the body isn't straight/centred?

[bob dunn]

it looks like the bonnet will adjust but wondered if there was a good way to do same.

[molten]

Hi Bob
Paul's comment above is pretty accurate regarding the unusual one-off gap. Moving the door too far forward on some cars can bring the door into contact with the top of the sill when open.
Check the other door gaps and see if you have any opposing measurements. Ie small gap on b-post of drivers door / bigger gap on b-post of passenger door. If both doors are at their max adjustment - just take a closer look at the bonnet pivot boxes and their dimensions in relation to chassis. Reason for checking these would indicate if the car has had a 'hit' at the front/quater and the chassis is slightly off centre at the pivot boxes - indicating a possible 'it' at the front at some point in its life. If you can confirm that this is not so then all's well.

Has your bonnet & bulkhead got the seals present?
As you say earlier - has the bonnet been correctly adjusted (height & front-to-back and level)?
And the list goes on...

[GT6Craig]

This thread really does re-iterate the importance of buying a car with sound body work. In comparison, mechanical problems are so unbelievably easy to fix.

Setting the panel gaps on my project is the steepest learning curve I have followed, but I am getting results but still not perfect – although it pays at the early stage not to be afraid of using a hammer!

But someone please tell me, is there any point in trying to achieve a satisfying clunk when the door shuts, or is it always going to be so earth shattering?  :-/

[thescrapman]

184 wrote:

But someone please tell me, is there any point in trying to achieve a satisfying clunk when the door shuts, or is it always going to be so earth shattering?  :-/

All Triumph doors should close with a satisfying clunk, and with minimal force. Well not sure about the Acclaim.

The ultimate are the big saloon, push with your finger... click... click.

The amount of trouble I have getting people to not slam the doors on my cars.

It is all adjustment, just take your time.

I even think the machanisms on some of teh car were patented and were part of the sales pitch.

Cheers

Colin

[Bainzy]

Where the hell would you start with this one?

http://www.simoncars.co.uk/triumph/slides/u_Triumph%20Spitfire%20MkIV%201500%201977%20side.jpg

Aside from this misaligned door, the car is practically concours. Observations include:

• front edge of door, gap too narrow at the top, too wide at the bottom
• rear edge of door, gap too wide at the top, too narrow at the bottom
• door kicks out at the bottom, would probably bang the bottom rear corner against the bodywork IF you were able to get it fitting flush
• it's almost like the sill is too narrow as almost the entire length of the door-bottom sticks out wider than the sill

It'd seem such a shame to take the sill off and redo it considering there isn't a spec of rust on the car, however I guess its a blessing in one way as it gives an incentive to drive the bloody thing without caring about preserving the sills, as you can then eventually have an excuse to redo them.

The sills aren't heritage as they don't appear to have that curved lip round the front. Also, the rear wing has a repair patch that is rectangular in section and is fitted at the bottom, ahead of the rear wheel. Its height is in line with the top of the sill, you can kind of make it out in the photo.

I'm guessing the bulkhead has sagged due to inadequate bracing when the floor and sills were replaced. The a-post bottom corner patch is original, as is the entire door assembly and most of the rear wing.

How would you guys tackle this? I'd be tempted to replace the entire outer rear wing panel with a heritage one as well as getting heritage sills, but then again changing the rear wing may bring more problems than it solves?

[molten]

1381 wrote:

Where the hell would you start with this one?

http://www.simoncars.co.uk/triumph/slides/u_Triumph%20Spitfire%20MkIV%201500%201977%20side.jpg

Aside from this misaligned door, the car is practically concours. Observations include:

• front edge of door, gap too narrow at the top, too wide at the bottom
• rear edge of door, gap too wide at the top, too narrow at the bottom
• door kicks out at the bottom, would probably bang the bottom rear corner against the bodywork IF you were able to get it fitting flush
• it's almost like the sill is too narrow as almost the entire length of the door-bottom sticks out wider than the sill

It'd seem such a shame to take the sill off and redo it considering there isn't a spec of rust on the car, however I guess its a blessing in one way as it gives an incentive to drive the bloody thing without caring about preserving the sills, as you can then eventually have an excuse to redo them.

The sills aren't heritage as they don't appear to have that curved lip round the front. Also, the rear wing has a repair patch that is rectangular in section and is fitted at the bottom, ahead of the rear wheel. Its height is in line with the top of the sill, you can kind of make it out in the photo.

I'm guessing the bulkhead has sagged due to inadequate bracing when the floor and sills were replaced. The a-post bottom corner patch is original, as is the entire door assembly and most of the rear wing.

How would you guys tackle this? I'd be tempted to replace the entire outer rear wing panel with a heritage one as well as getting heritage sills, but then again changing the rear wing may bring more problems than it solves?

That Sill looks like it could be a 'tad' too far to the rear - looking at the gap between sill radius and door. May be lack of bracing as you say. Difficult to say from that pic alone. Honestly I would live with it until I had to replace sill. But if I were picky - as I am at times, I would  probably look to see if I could remove enough metal (a cut) from the underside of the inner door panel enough to close the bottom of the door skin inward  closer to sill/rear wing. But that would open a load of problems if you changed the sill in future (the door would apear 'sunken' at the bottom). The front of the sill may be sticking out further than the bonnet/wings - indicating poor sill repair. As I say cant tell from one side-on photo. Looks like the door bottom has been worked and could be biggest factor.
If you have bought this car and it still looks like that now - just drive it and enjoy it until you have to change the metalwork.
Cheers

[Bainzy]

2597 wrote:

The front of the sill may be sticking out further than the bonnet/wings - indicating poor sill repair.

It does, and the bonnet arch seems to have a bit of trouble staying straight - you have to pull the bottom corner of the (new heritage) bonnet assembly outwards to properly close the catch.

I got this car knowing its slight fault, but it was still a great deal and just what I was after. When you're 20 and its your first car, who cares about panel gaps when the cars likely to get damaged anyway? But I'm thinking years ahead for how this will eventually be sorted, as the only thing this car has left to teach me about cars is how to weld! So when that time comes I'll be a bit nit picky about gaps and such.

Clearly the door gaps at the front and back were caused by lack of proper bracing, but do you think using non-heritage sills used may have affected the gap under the doors? Could it be 'tub spread'?

[bob dunn]

i painted my car a dark colour partly because i thought the panel gaps would be poor , my car was in bits when i got it stripped to the chassis,with doors and bonnet that most people would have binned. my plan was to make a solid car out of poor parts and in time if the car found use ,get a set of doors and bonnet later .

[Anthony]

Does anyone know the answer to my question about the inner rear wing repair sections?

I've replaced the boot floor, rear valance, and rear wings, but now realise I needto fit the inner rear wing repair sections

Can these pieces be fitted without messing with the recently fitted panels?

I see there is a seam which sticks up on the boot floor
Does the repair panel fix to this, or does it fit in between the boot floor and outer rear wing?

[MarkB]

Its sandwiched between the rear wing and boot floor. But you should be able to repair it with the new panels in place. It usually rots at this point where it joins to the boot floor. If this is solid then join it at this point. In reality the seam should be sealed with seam sealer so will cover any welds if done neatly. You would make yourself a lot of work if you have already welded the rear wing to the boot floor and then try to undo it to insert the new repair.

Cheers

Blue

[Anthony]

Ok - I've sorted out the radio console issue


I took the body off the chassis, and fitted the console directly to the chassis

The console was wider than the chassis bolt holes, meaning they didn't align properly

I "squeezed" the console until the holes lined up

So, I then put the body back on the chassis and checked the console............fitted perfectly  :) yeyy