Plucking Up Courage!

[Smudge310]

Hi All…

Well I bought 'Dusty' (Reg No. 321), a 1971 RHD Dormobile a couple of years ago and have worked on the engine (now got a sweet 1776), gearbox, brake callipers and drive shafts.. basically anything to stall me looking at the bodywork…where Im a complete novice (go to learn somewhere)

Anyway I have now cleared the garage as its been used as storage when we were looking at selling our home (hide all the clutter) and have started to look at the bodywork… but where to start??!

You see I bought it off ebay 'thinking' a lot of the bodywork had been done. I talked to the seller and had further photos taken and everything seemed fine. I know it would have paid me to view it but it was too far away… Well it was delivered and I got all excited, as you can appreciate, then I looks at the body! :shock:
The PO had cut a lot of the old paneling away and replace with new, just not very well.. for example the body panels have been lap welded, but all he did was to lay the new on old and welded….

I have a few photos below of some of the areas I was looking at today…..


I tried the door and as you can see, something isn't right! its seems like door hinges have been set forward as the door also rubs the A-Panel. The top looks like this…



Im not sure whats gone on in this area as the drivers step looks like this, with a gap (approx 10mm). At first I thought this was causing the door to be out but measuring the A to B Panel on both the drivers and passengers side, they are the same (give or take a few mm)


Another area is the roof… I have been told I will need a new roof as it would be easier to repair. what it seems the PO did was just weld on gutter repair panels but did do anything else so the underside of the gutters look like this…..



While the top looks like this…

Good eh??
Another area is the rear Tailgate… the bottom of the tailgate was repaired… I use that term very lightly! again as you can see the panels have just been laid on the existing…

at the top of the door doesnt look too healthy either..! bit of a gap??


and finally the sliding door. the bottom has been repaired (again that word!!) but it just looks a but out.. it slides and closes its just the panel is flat so no curve so it looks out of place….


So all in all I have my work cut out! any advice would be great and Ill try and add photos as to my progress (or not!)

 

[Smudge310]

Well, I've been out this morning to check measurements of the doors. The passenger door fits great, I just have an issue with the drivers door (see above)..

Anyway on measuring the drivers A to B Post distances and comparing to the passenger side, the top is spot on, so is the distance from mid post also matches.. Its just the base. Its 10mm out (too big) which would make this about right. The below picture shows the gap that I have to bring the bottom of the post back. Is it just a case of cutting the welds an pulling it back the base of the post??

 

[davidoft]

I would say you drivers door is to low and the arch is fitted incorrectly, lift the door so the front top corner is in the correct place, pull the rear of the door so the top is level with the roof, then look at arch alignment, the front pillar is near impossible to move

 

[Smudge310]

Hi David,
I hear what your saying as I was wondering how to move it! the issue is, I measured the top of the door frame to the arch and both the passenger and the drivers and they are the same.

I have a 10mm difference between the bottom of the A & B Panels…I alter the arch by bringing in forward 10mm I will still have the discrepancy between pillars, won't I?? Arrgh…. my head! :?

 

[davidoft]

Measure to the top and bottom hinges, measure diagonals too

 

[Smudge310]

Well Ive measured them and here are the results below.. :?

 

[sparkywig]

It's only metal. Cut it out and do it again properly.
Looks like the arch was added after the floor and A pillar were repaired and without the door being hung.

 

[davidoft]

The arch is to low, the pillar is correct until the bottom, probably the bottom that's out where is been repaired, if the pillars were in the wrong place they would be wrong all the way, the middle is the same