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TR2/3/3A driver door problem

sp53

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I have been fighting this driver door for some time. I covered the car up for a few months and had life happen, and know I am back at for a while. Anyways, the door is too tight in the hole and the lower trailing bottom edge of door needs to be re-done because the door hits the outer tub and does not come in the jamb as the door should. This thing has moved on me few times, and now I want to give it some wiggle room by either grinding the door bottom or grinding out some of the factory lead or (perhaps old body shop lead filler) to get it the way I want it. I have bent hinges back and forth and used all the bad language I have and this is where I am at!!!!!


My questions are I have a couple of base coats of a product called OMNI or MAE Acrylic Enamel with Hardener, no clear coat. So if I grind out the door jamb right on the edge, can I paint right over the lead with acrylic enamel or do i need primer and all the stuff—I think I can keep the area very small or just paint or I can and primer and paint by primmering that little spot in jamb and do it like I was doing a larger area. I think I can get in there and not make a big mess (God Willing) and not involve a big area. Can I grind the door edge of an 1/8 of an inch for about 2 inches on the bottom outer edge without making a new problem? Or a combination of the 2, by grinding the door edge and grinding the jamb. The door protrudes out at the bottom and so does the jamb. Ideas please
 

CJD

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Hey Steve...glad you're back to work! I've been waiting for news from you, Tush and David.

Can you take a pic of the front door edges, high and low? I'm hoping there is a way around this without having to mess up your new paint.
 

Brinkerhoff

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Depending on how picky you are is going to determine how you approach this type of thing. Painting a car with a metallic paint in panels then putting it together is a no-no, as you'll probably see slight panel differences when assembled even if you used the same paint. You should fix the fitment of the door and plan to spray the entire side at one time if you want the best job, so it doesn't matter if you fix the door or the rear "dogleg".
 

DavidApp

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Have you had the body off the frame?

My TR had been worked over by the PO with the body off the frame. The drivers door would not fit by about 1/4". It took a lot of work to get it back in the hole. I now have the body braced in preparation to lift the body back off the frame.

David
 
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sp53

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I need a better camera that one is like me old, cheap, and dropped too much. Those pics of the bottom of the door jamb show lead that was rolled over into the jamb in a unfinished and uneven way, which is the problem.


The outer edge of the door at the A post is tight and even, so tipping up or down with shims in-behind the hinge will only make the outer door gap uneven. The door and fender are still in primmer and the fender has that guide coat all over it, so it looks odd. By the way, I do not like that guide coat stuff, but it seems everybody else does and says it is the only way to go, I must be using it wrong.


The actual problem is the lead filler at the bottom of B post area is un- even and not a true vertical line. The last 2 inches drifts inwards not allowing the door to enter the jamb. I am convinced the only remedy is to cut some of the lead out and make the line vertical and straight. I did it a little once, but did not remove enough material. Anyways I am going to paint the tub over with a final top coat.


I guess my problem is with priming over the acrylic enamel (if necessary) and then painting over that primmer again. Is that something permitted in bodywork? Plus the area in question is only 2 inches long and turns inward into the jamb at 90 degree corner coming into the door. If I am very careful, I should not show my cut visibly with the door closed. I plan on using a very small fine grade sanding disk on a right angle die grinder.

No Metallic paint and yes the body has been moved around too much and now I am looking to get a little more wiggle room for that problem.
 

CJD

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Now that you show the top, that is a good bit of lead. Lead is pretty easy to work, though. Just get the coarsest rasp file you have and start working it off in long strokes. Grinders work too, but may cut too fast at the stage you are at now.

Your edges are looking really good!

I haven’t worked with enamel in a good many years, so I am not up on what will spray over it without causing lifting problems. I think you would be good with more enamel or also epoxy primers. Whenever I am in doubt I google what I can get off the net from the manufacturer, and then go talk to my paint guy if I still have questions.
 
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sp53

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Yeh I am kinda there John, but around here all the body shop suppliers are working in one build. They either got bought out or sold out, and I am having trust issues with them. The compatibility problems they will answer, but in a safe ambiguous way. Plus I kinda trusted them on the paint, and now after I read the sheets and understand more, it talks about economy minded shops with the paint I bought and purchasing additional gloss to add to the paint. I really think some of the guys there have never actually painted a whole car.
 

Got_All_4

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Your always going to use a primer direct to metal first. Going over lead as stated earlier with an epoxy primer would be best. As far as the paint you have OMNI is PPGs economy line. Nothing wrong with it but I don't think you can blend it like a base coat clear coat. You may have to panel paint.
As far as the guide coat I agree with you if it's the powder type. It's messy and gets into everything. I always used a satin or a flat black paint. No acrylics! lacquer base is best. If you don't completely sand off the acrylic it can eventually spot through the paint. Just spray a light dusting over the surface you want to sand so there are thousands of tinny little dots. Sand until everything is flat when the dots go away. Almost drys instantly.

Remember your going to have your car for a long time. So make the best proper repair you can make. Or every time you look at it you eyes will be draw to the poor job. Just ran into that with my TR3 doors. Couldn't get my doors to fit ether. Passenger side was hitting the fender and no room to move forward. Took it to a professional repairer and it's a beautiful job. Cost me $1600 but it's done right.
 

Brinkerhoff

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As long as the enamel was sprayed with a catalyst you won't have a problem with spraying epoxy primer over it and sealing your repair . If not , the hotter epoxy will cause the enamel to lift.
 
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sp53

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Well I removed the lead from the door Jamb without any damage to the visible tub, not too much, yet anyway. One concern I had was that I would break through to an open seem of sheet metal by removing the lead and that is one reason why I did not take off too much the first time I was in there. However, after moving the tub around and shuffling this, I lost the questionable door fit that I had. I probably needed that guy John talked about with the big mallet at the assembly line end of Detroit or just John here with his mallet. I am carpenter and fitting doors is a big part of the job whether they are metal or wood. If they fit to studs, we put them in from scratch after we built the wall. I must say a tr3 door puts up a good fight.


Anyways, I guess there are a couple of ways to go with the primmer. I can just rattle can that small area with self-etching primmer or actually put a thin layer of glazing because these paint guys are saying I can paint with the stuff I have right over the glazing without primmer. There are a couple of other areas I might fix also before I put the final top coat on. One of those little door stop holders on the A post was broken, and I just welded a washer on top of what was left there, and it would function, but now I want to replace it with a whole new one. Years ago one of the guys on the forum made one and should how he did it. I do not think it was John, but that sounds like him. Anyways, I am going to give that try.


The problem now is the closer I get to the end the more I want to fix the little things I let slid. All knowledge belongs to the past or I get better with my mistakes or something like that.

I put the picture of the 2 mouths there to feel morepositive about what I am doing because crawling around and fixing an old sportscar asks many questions.

peaceout
 

CJD

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It's looking very nice, Steve! These cars always amaze me how you can have perfect fit...then remove a door and it won't go back the same. Just strange.

Keep the updates coming!
 

martx-5

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.... Years ago one of the guys on the forum made one and should how he did it. I do not think it was John, but that sounds like him. Anyways, I am going to give that try...

I made one way back when. Here's a link that explains and shows a couple of pics.
Basically, I removed the old piece by drilling out the spot welds and then wrapping some paper around it, cut it close to the bracket and used that as a template to cut out a new piece.

See post #10

https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf...1960-TR3-A-Door-Check-Assembly&highlight=door

 
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sp53

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That is it Art, and thanks plus what a clever way to build one. I like, and with steal it, but will give credit where it is deserved.
steve
 
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