Ok guys, I give up. Ive been here all morning trying to refit the front doors. They gave a struggle coming off, but with restoration required I wasn't that careful and got them off eventually. Now, they're in good shape, I don't want to damage them. I can't seem to fit with the hinges on the doors or with the hinges fitted to the body. The manual is far from helpful. I dread to think how it's going to be when they are freshly painted. So, what's the trick that you guys have not let me know about?

 

Are the hinges attached to the doors? We had hinges attached to the doors shims & all & then used the right combination of shims to align the doors to body with an Impact screw driver. You can also loosen the Door bolts/shims for slight movement.

I don't quite understand the problem you are having. Presume you have the hinges in the correct location. Final adjustment is done by shimming & movement before tightening fasteners.

It's not a one man job.

Does Lin's blog help? Read the detail.

https://valvechatter.com/?cat=790

https://forums.jag-lovers.com/t/salo...stment/33386/4

 

I always have the threads cleaned and oiled so I can thread the bolts with my fingers.

Voucher Boy, are you trying to fit the doors loaded or just the skins and window frames ?

If I had to do it myself I would at least use blocks of wood and packing blankets _ a dolly with wheels would be my next thought.

 

"...not a one man job" or a two man unless one is very strong. I'd definitely take some of the weight on ropes and a winch to the workshop roof.

 

Yes Peter. We did it with 3 people per door. One doing the shimming & bolting/screwing & 2 holding the door in location & taking instructions. The things built up glass & all are bloody heavy. We also had the door strikers roughly in place.

If you don't align the doors at full weight you just have to do it all over again as they will sag slightly. These are strong cars but not stiff cars like the modern car is.

 

Hi Guys,

Thank you all for your advice. I did manage it in the end (on my own), but it was a struggle to be honest, and there's no way I'll tackle it alone when the paint is on. I learned a lot from today, but I still have a couple of hinge-to-door bolts yet to fit, so I need to practice a bit before the doors are painted. There are enough to hold secure for the paint prep though. The door were bare Jeff, and I think if they were fitted with the windows and door furniture, I would have failed. It would have been far too much of a handful. Thanks for the links Glyn. I do have Lin's website bookmarked, but I always forget about it. It's a massive reference and more useful than the workshop manual on most occasions. So, time for a beer and relax now. Project is starting to look a bit more car-like again which is encouraging and makes me want to crack on.