Adjusting the Bonnet and the Bumper

[pjsmetana]

My Spitfire was restored about a year or so ago (according to the PO), and it wasn't perfect. The gap where the bonnet meets the doors has about a 1/4 of an inch difference and my front bumper (yes those silly big black ones) is sitting about a 1/2 an inch low on the front... Kinda like someone was sitting on it.

So how do I adjust these? I suppose it would be easier to do with a 2nd person around... and since my wife is a bit impatient, I would like to have some direction before I loosen a bunch of bolts and play with it.

Thanks guys/gals!

 

[tdskip]

It should just be a matter of loosening up the bolts and spending a bunch of time fiddling with the alignment. Sometimes shims are necessary. The last time I pulled and replaced a fender it was just a matter of spending lots of time, patience assisted by a beer, getting it right.

I'd get some other opinions from the guys here before tearing into it.

 

[69tr]

I had a similar problem on my TR6. If I remember correctly you can get to the bonnet bolts while it is closed if you can get the car off of the ground.

This is what I did with my '6. Removed the grill so I could get to the hood mounting bolts and removed the hood latch so I could move the hood and closed the hood. I then loosened all of the hood mounting bolts and moved the hood around until all of the seams were pretty close and tightened everything up. It took me a few tries before I got it to this point. I did this working alone and had no problems.

Don't know if this will work on the Spitfire.

Hope this helps, Pete

 

[pjsmetana]

... loosen a bunch of bolts and play with it...

... loosening up the bolts and spending a bunch of time fiddling with the alignment...

... loosened all of the hood mounting bolts and moved the hood around...

Roger that... Loosen and Fiddle.

 

[DNK]

Hey Pete- ya just need to loosen and fiddle

 

[NickMorgan]

Yes, loosen and fiddle. However, the bonnet is very heavy and notoriously difficult to adjust. If it is like a Herald, there are two or three bolts on the front hinges alone. By adjusting them all, it is possible to raise or lower the bonnet and move it back and forth. You may be able to adjust the bonnet to get the gap right with the bumper. The gap between door and bonnet is always a little wide.
There was a good article in last month's Triumph World magazine about adjusting Herald bonnets.