Two questions, doors alignment and sill sealant.

[Yatesy350i]

Hi All

I'm nearly there now. Should be back on its wheels tonight.

First question is I have poor door alignment on the passenger side. Not the normal pin stripe not lining up, it's more the verticle alignment of the handles side of the door when closed. The top of the door sits proud slightly. And the bottom of the door is in to far so you can see about 6mm of the rear body panel? I thought it may have been a bad body repair initially, but can't see any signs of this.

I've read all the bits I can find about doors, but can't find anything about this problem. It as if the door panel needs to twist slightly?

Second reattaching the sills/skirts. I was going to use a sealant called Sikaflex, it's used on kit cars and caravans etc. it's a good bond but remains flexible. The tube I have has gone off so I need to get some more. Is this stuff ok or is there something better? Will also be using rivets and that dodgy split pin arrangement at the front.

Jobs remaining (Although I do seem to find more every time I look at it)

Rewire positive cable to fuel pump, temp one thrown in looks like there's a break in the original.

Top steering joint UJ. looks like the bulkhead bearing mod has already been done.

Centre consol veneer.

Cheers Karl.

[barrington]

If you have some way of holding the sill in place until the sikaflex goes of you proberly won't need to use rivets

[Yatesy350i]

barrington said:

If you have some way of holding the sill in place until the sikaflex goes of you proberly won't need to use rivets

We're they only originally bonded on then? Mine had about 12 x 4mm rivets each side.

Cheers Karl.

[The Hatter]

Mine were riveted and bonded, with the mad split pin thing going on at the front. I wouldn't overdo the sealant or you'll have a problem if you want to get them off again at some point!

[Danny Hoffman]

I replaced mine with self tapping screws and no sealant. From memory, to replace the split pin I just fitted a screw part way into the body and the protruding head held the front of the sill in place

[wooly350i]

As I like to take my sills off regularly I used two big big headed self toppers screwed into underside of body then made some holes in the sill to slip over the heads then slots running to the holes so I can fit sill up to the heads then slide it along if you et what I'm saying. Finished it off with silicone sealant,paint sprayers hate the stuff. The first hole at the front I slot it in then slide it forwards,then the one at the back slot it in and slide it inwards,just gotta be accurate with the positioning of everything but once done hayho you'll be taking em off every day for a peek. Wooly.

[barrington]

Yatesy350i said:

We're they only originally bonded on then? Mine had about 12 x 4mm rivets each side.

Cheers Karl.

my 350 had rivets aswell but I used sikaflex at the front of the sill instead of the bloody pin arrangement but as others have said if you want to take the sills of its not easy when they have been bonded on

[RCK974X]

Doors...

On my 280, the doors are a shell which bolts onto a steel frame, so you CAN 'twist' the shell a little bit on those bolts - check the steel frame isn't bent (mine was, I reckon it had a bump and door is new shell....so I straightened frame with a vice, levers and lots of sweat)

There is a bolt above and below the lock mechanism, and two welded bolts at hinge end, nuts undo from INSIDE the door, so a bit of a struggle, but then shell can be manouvered a little.

(I reckon you may have to file out the holes a little, but it's only GRP...)

Also, you might want to look at the striker plate, is it adjustable in/out ?

[Yatesy350i]

RCK974X said:

Doors...

On my 280, the doors are a shell which bolts onto a steel frame, so you CAN 'twist' the shell a little bit on those bolts - check the steel frame isn't bent (mine was, I reckon it had a bump and door is new shell....so I straightened frame with a vice, levers and lots of sweat)

There is a bolt above and below the lock mechanism, and two welded bolts at hinge end, nuts undo from INSIDE the door, so a bit of a struggle, but then shell can be manouvered a little.

(I reckon you may have to file out the holes a little, but it's only GRP...)

Also, you might want to look at the striker plate, is it adjustable in/out ?

Thanks mate

I think it may even be a dodgy repair some time in the past, as the bottom of what would normally be the B post is not flat compared with the drivers side. So the sill doesn't line up very well.

I'm going to wait until I find someone local with one or get to one of the events to have a look what it should be like before I start messing.

Cheers Karl