bruce_phipps@my-deja.com
01-21-2005, 03:18 AM
Just had a Homer Simpson "doh" moment...
A month ago my N reg Micra was involved in a prang. As I had only 3rd
party insurance, to keep repair costs down I bought a replacement wing,
headlamp and bumper from a scrapyard. I then got the parts fitted at
short notice by an el-cheapo, back street, "cash only" motor
repair/scrap yard.
All was well until, depending on the weather, the driver door began to
scrape the newly-fitted wing when at the extent of its opening travel.
Paint was eventually being scraped off the door at the wing-side edge.
I tried to fix this by loosening/tightening the nut fastening the wing
panel, and bashing in the wing slightly with my palm, with no success.
Until this morning.
Aah, Eureka, I thought! "The contact twixt door and wing panel is only
very slight. Obviously it needs just a millimetre or so gap opening up.
A miss is as good as a mile."
I took a piece of thin card, folded it a couple of times. Popped it in
the gap between the door and wing panel. And slammed the door.
The wing panel did not "budge over" as I expected. The door edge did
not "budge back" a millimeter as I expected.
Instead, the door skin bowed out at the wing-side, making the hinges
visible when closed.
And on opening the door just a quarter of the way, the door starts to
scrape the wing panel. Getting in the car involves the door crunching
into the wing panel, slicing into it like a can opener. In fact the
door will only open half-way.
Doh! My first task is to flatten the bow in the door panel back a bit.
It won't go back by hand, by knee or by kicking it. I guess a rubber
mallett is the right tool for this, but I don't have one.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Bruce
A month ago my N reg Micra was involved in a prang. As I had only 3rd
party insurance, to keep repair costs down I bought a replacement wing,
headlamp and bumper from a scrapyard. I then got the parts fitted at
short notice by an el-cheapo, back street, "cash only" motor
repair/scrap yard.
All was well until, depending on the weather, the driver door began to
scrape the newly-fitted wing when at the extent of its opening travel.
Paint was eventually being scraped off the door at the wing-side edge.
I tried to fix this by loosening/tightening the nut fastening the wing
panel, and bashing in the wing slightly with my palm, with no success.
Until this morning.
Aah, Eureka, I thought! "The contact twixt door and wing panel is only
very slight. Obviously it needs just a millimetre or so gap opening up.
A miss is as good as a mile."
I took a piece of thin card, folded it a couple of times. Popped it in
the gap between the door and wing panel. And slammed the door.
The wing panel did not "budge over" as I expected. The door edge did
not "budge back" a millimeter as I expected.
Instead, the door skin bowed out at the wing-side, making the hinges
visible when closed.
And on opening the door just a quarter of the way, the door starts to
scrape the wing panel. Getting in the car involves the door crunching
into the wing panel, slicing into it like a can opener. In fact the
door will only open half-way.
Doh! My first task is to flatten the bow in the door panel back a bit.
It won't go back by hand, by knee or by kicking it. I guess a rubber
mallett is the right tool for this, but I don't have one.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Bruce