Depending how they removed the doors, with or without the hinges, it could be tricky to install them correctly after the repair… ask me how I know !!!
S2 Spider - how can I tell if the chassis is straight
Hi All,
I've recently acquired a 1976 UK Spec S2 Spider. I'm in the process of doing a full restoration on it, and have it fully stripped down. However before I start to spend serious money on it, I have some doubts as to the quality of previous repairs. 3 or 4 owners ago, the car had a lot of welding done - definitely new sills and a fair bit of other stuff. The car hasn't been on the road since this was done, and the quality of the work looks poor. I have some doubts about the chassis alignment - the fit of the doors is extremely poor (although this may be the doors themselves - which would be less of an issue). When test fitting the doors, the quarterlight seems too far back from the A Pillar, and also tilted too far inwards.
Does anyone have any reliable tips for ensuring that the chassis is straight? My main concern is that the sills were fitted without the chassis being braced.
The next step I am planning is to get the chassis pyrolytically striped, and I don't want to do this if I'm better off starting with a different car.
Many Thanks
RG
I've recently acquired a 1976 UK Spec S2 Spider. I'm in the process of doing a full restoration on it, and have it fully stripped down. However before I start to spend serious money on it, I have some doubts as to the quality of previous repairs. 3 or 4 owners ago, the car had a lot of welding done - definitely new sills and a fair bit of other stuff. The car hasn't been on the road since this was done, and the quality of the work looks poor. I have some doubts about the chassis alignment - the fit of the doors is extremely poor (although this may be the doors themselves - which would be less of an issue). When test fitting the doors, the quarterlight seems too far back from the A Pillar, and also tilted too far inwards.
Does anyone have any reliable tips for ensuring that the chassis is straight? My main concern is that the sills were fitted without the chassis being braced.
The next step I am planning is to get the chassis pyrolytically striped, and I don't want to do this if I'm better off starting with a different car.
Many Thanks
RG
1 - 9 of 9 Posts
I removed the doors. On the drivers door, I removed the door from the hinge, and the hinge from the car. On the passenger door, the hinge looks like it has been tack welded in place, so that hinge hasn't moved. I'm guessing that the captive bolts are missing / shot for that hinge - I'll have to look at that later.
I did manage to get the door bolted back on to the hinge - but it took a while. Getting your hand inside to manipulate the captive bolt seems to be the way forward. However, I'm not looking forward to repeating that trick on a newly painted car. I assume that as the hinge is fixed in place to the car, I'm missing one element of adjustment.
What I'm really hoping to be able to do is take some measurements, which will then tell me if everything is straight. I've seen the drawings on this site, but they're all about the bottom of the car (either that, or I can't interpret them correctly). I'm after measurements for top of A pillar to top of B pillar, or something like that.
Thanks
RG
I did manage to get the door bolted back on to the hinge - but it took a while. Getting your hand inside to manipulate the captive bolt seems to be the way forward. However, I'm not looking forward to repeating that trick on a newly painted car. I assume that as the hinge is fixed in place to the car, I'm missing one element of adjustment.
What I'm really hoping to be able to do is take some measurements, which will then tell me if everything is straight. I've seen the drawings on this site, but they're all about the bottom of the car (either that, or I can't interpret them correctly). I'm after measurements for top of A pillar to top of B pillar, or something like that.
Thanks
RG
Hard to tell if the car is not running. Otherwise, you can have someone else drive it and follow it down the street and see if it crabs. Take a tape measure and see if it measure diagonally between wheels and other points under the car.how can I tell if the chassis is straight
These cars were partially constructed by placing them in a jig and hand assembling them. So dimensions may vary between cars.
I was lucky and found a race car fabricator that was in the off season to check mine out. It was not expensive and he was happy to have the business.
Just think outside the box and you'll find a local solution.
Best of luck with the Spider.
RG, I had the same concern when I began my project. I didn't find official data but I took many measurements both sides of the car and compared these measurements.
For the doors, my point was even if the doors were perfect before removal, you could easily think that there is no way to have them correctly fitted now !!! My doors were perfects before removal and after many hours now trying to have these doors aligned it's still not perfect...
For the doors, my point was even if the doors were perfect before removal, you could easily think that there is no way to have them correctly fitted now !!! My doors were perfects before removal and after many hours now trying to have these doors aligned it's still not perfect...
You mentioned the angle of the quarterlights. These can be adjusted to some extent. They are attached inside the door and you can certainly adjust them to tilt in or out, I'm not so sure about angling them towards or away from the A pillar, though.
I'm getting the message that I just need to "man up" and get on with it. Thanks for that - I've been dithering on this for a few months - and I now think I'm over my reservations.
The other problem that I'm dealing with is a repair on the offside front wing. The wing was about 3/4" too high, and there was a wedge of filler on the scuttle panel to blend this in. I'm starting a welding class on 15th April - so that one should be fairly straightforward (eventually).
At least I'm comfortable with the mechanical side of things. Dismantling the suspension has actually been good fun.
Thanks for all the input.
RG
The other problem that I'm dealing with is a repair on the offside front wing. The wing was about 3/4" too high, and there was a wedge of filler on the scuttle panel to blend this in. I'm starting a welding class on 15th April - so that one should be fairly straightforward (eventually).
At least I'm comfortable with the mechanical side of things. Dismantling the suspension has actually been good fun.
Thanks for all the input.
RG
RG, here is the thread about my project. In the first page you will recognize many of the steps you're dealing with right now !
http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/spider-1966-up/154713-86-spider-complete-restoration-project.html
http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/spider-1966-up/154713-86-spider-complete-restoration-project.html
1 - 9 of 9 Posts
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