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MG TD TF 1500 - Help with door needed

I ran into a problem when I installed the RH door for a test fit. The door hits the body in the area indicated in the attached photo. This keeps the door out about an inch from closing without additional pressure. I can close the door with additional pressure. Are there any adjustments to the hinges? In the pictures that follow you cab see that the vertical gap along the rear door edge is pretty consistent. Also as seen in the third picture, the fitment of the front of the door against the body is pretty good (IMO). Any suggestions on how to remedy this problem would be greatly appreciated.

Tim
TD12524

TW Burchfield

Vertical gap along the rear edge of the door.

TW Burchfield

Door fitment against body when closed with additional pressure.

TW Burchfield

Hi Tim. I'm wrestling with exactly the same problem on my passenger door in exactly the same place. I've replaced the bottom door rail, the door lock stile & the sheet metal along the rear edge of the door, all of which I made myself. Altering the position of the hinge will affect the quirk when viewed from the rear (your second pic) so that's out of the question. I tested the extent of the binding by closing the door against a sheet of paper. Once I'd figured out the extent, I then resorted to placing a piece of 1/8" flat bar against the tub in that area & closing the door against that. This bent the edge of the door sufficiently to enable me to close it, without putting any pressure on the hinge. I now find that once the aluminium threshold is fitted I'm still binding in that area. I'll have to use the American screwdriver & give the corresponding surfaces on the door & the sill a whack or two & go from there. In all other respects the door fits beautifully in the opening & closes nicely against the front quarter panel, just like yours. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Tim, is the interference the horizontal part of the tub ( the threshold), or the vertical or outside of the tub?
Len Fanelli

Tim,

It looks like the body is off the frame. Am I right? If so further adjustment is a waste until the body is shimmed to the frame as one adjustment will change the other. It looks like it is plenty close and can be worked out later.


Best regards.

Jim Haskins 1953 TD
J M Haskins

I had exactly the same problem.
My body had been off the frame and rails replaced.
The ultimate solution was to use varying thickness of plastic sheet, inserted between the door lip and the body, and to close the door on them.
You are using the door as a lever to bend both the door lip out and the insure the body skin is next to the wooden rails.
I started with 1/16 and increased the number of sheets until the door closed properly.
You do need to insure that the door wood is properly secured at the joints.
I found my door wood to be loose. I would up installing brass screw nuts to bull it back together since the old wood screws would no longer hold.
I did this without removing the wood from the door.


In the attached picture, first frame, brass screw nut and FHMS.
Second frame, Hole machined through top wood of lap joint and screw nut inserted. (There is a step in the hole about 1/2 the thickness of the lap.
Third frame, Wooden insert glued into hole and FHMS inserted.
Jim B.


JA Benjamin

Len, the interference is between the door bottom and the outside skin of the tub, not the inside sill.

Peter, if you look at the second picture you can see the flat bar to do what you did. i didn't use much force because I wasn't sure if there was a simpler, less forceful way to adjust the bottom of the door. I'll have a go at it again.

Jim H, I'd have to agree with you. But the interference I'm having wouldn't be cleared up by shimming. It isn't a longitudinal or side to side issue. It's really a bent panel problem that hopefully will be corrected by using some of the suggestions provided. But of course any final adjustment will have to wait for the tub being on the frame.

Jim B, I plan on doing what you and Peter did as far as the massaging the door bottom (that sounds off color). And I'll look into the inserts.

Regards

Tim

TW Burchfield

Tim,
I also had similiar problems with my doors and decided that as long as my doors fitted the apertures of the door openings whilst the tub was off the frame then I should be able to finally fit them once I connected the frame to the tub.
To finally fit the doors it took me literally days until I was satisfied to what I have now (not quite 100% but pretty close.)Don't forget you can shim up the tub against the frame and it can also alter the fit.
John...Sydney
J Walton

Above all great ideas. You could also use an appropriate hammer or dolly and slightly tap the sheet metal on the tub in a little, and file a bit off of the door skin lip. Looks good elsewhere. Do make sure you leave plenty of space, as primer/paint will close up a small gap then it will chip/rub off. George
George Butz

Success! I continued to bend the bottom lip of the door out using a flat bar and a 3/4" board and now the door closes perfectly. Of course as mentioned, I may have to start all over again once the tub is back on the frame.

One thing that I did that may be helpful to others is to use a pocket screw to close up a gap in the wood door frame. The pocket screw pulled both pieces together perfectly. BTW that was on the LH door not the one I just fitted. Now on to try the LH side.

Thanks to everyone for the excellent advice.

Regards

Tim
TD12524
TW Burchfield

You really don't know where to start until the body is on the frame. Of course shimming shouldn't be done until you determine that there is no problem in the attachment of the the hinges regarding the wood holes.
Mike
Mike Hart

Mike, don't disagree at all. But the car came with out the doors being affixed and I wanted to trial fit them. As I said above, I may have to start all over with the alignment once the tub is back on the frame.

Tim
TW Burchfield

If I have said it once I have said it a thousand times. Do not do any bodywork on these cars unless they are fully assembled. No other options if you want your car to look good later.

Once you have everything fitting perfectly and the bodywork is done, then you can disassemble and refinish it. Then put it back together exactly as it was before you disassembled it (same pads in the same place, same nuts and bolts,washers etc). This applies to the doors and hinges too.

I learned this the hard way on my car (my first) which is far from perfect. The other 30+ T cars I restored/refinished went through this process.

BTW I do recommend finishing the doors with the hinges attached and then bolting the doors to the body after body has been put back on the frame. Some minor tweaking of pads may need to take place after, but rarely if it was checked and adjusted before disassembly.
Christopher Couper

This thread was discussed between 17/05/2016 and 18/05/2016

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