Hinge pillar issue with BT7

[BoyRacer]

I need to move my hinge pillar forward 1/4". Car suffered front corner damage and frame was bent. Frame was professionally straightened... I'm told...and new front cross-member was welded in. Everything looks really good. I got the car in pieces over 10 years ago. I am finally, getting it all back together. Front fender tabs fit tight against the hinge pillar but fender is 1/4" short of matching the headlight opening on the shroud. Gap fit between front edge of door and rear of front fender is perfect. There is no gap at rear of door. I need everything moved forward 1/4" to get a good gap at rear of door and have front fender match the shroud.

Does anyone have a good solution?

 

[healeyblue]

Can you use a porta-power hydraulic system to push the opening forward? Put pressure, then use of a large hammer to move things. Take lots of measurements along the way so you know if and how much things are moving. All you really need to move is the surface where the doors bolt to and the outer flange that the fender screws to. The inner welded corner (which is most of your strength) can stay where it is.

 

[Brinkerhoff]

Check to see if the A pillar (hinge) isn't cocked back slightly which would cause that to happen. Removal of the brace and pushing the hinge plate forward may get you there without cutting it off , which would lead to major surgery.

 

[Brinkerhoff]

" All you really need to move is the surface where the doors bolt to and the outer flange that the fender screws to."

 

[HealeyRick]

If you move the hinge pillar forward 1/4" your door gap at the rear will open up 1/4" also which means you'll have to add metal at the rear of the door. How about lengthening the front fender by adding the 1/4" at the rear of the fender?

 

[Brinkerhoff]

Sorry , I didn't "reply with quote " properly. What I meant to reply was: while using a porta power might sound like a great idea , I remember trying this very thing and finding that since both the A and B pillars are angled its hard to find anything to push off of. The A pillar is pretty strongly braced and you could cause secondary damage . Just a thought . Better to just damage one panel is what I'd be trying for. Or you could just cut the brace up through the holes move the pillar and re weld. That way you need not drill out spot welds .

 

[johnea]

I would put the frame on axle stands and take accurate measurements explained in section R in the workshop manual and try to figure out exactly where the problem sits . . .Maybe it's just an outrigger that needs some additional attention to bring it all back to specs.

 

[Randy Forbes]

Porta Power is effective, as Jim says, but these__or similar__would give you more control, and have the ability "lift & separate" (much like a Playtex bra...).

The jack-screws are paired with RH/LH threads, so turning them extends/retracts the end points. They'll also, raise/lower in relation to each other. I built them up to use when replacing floors, sills and rockers on Healeys, MGBs & Triumphs; super easy to "set" the swage-line height, and lock them down (doors still fit & close with them fitted).

Remainder of pictures, details here: https://www.spcarsplus.com/gallery3/index.php/Bic-Healey-Deluca-s/door_opening_fixtures

 

[roscoe]

Some might call it cheating and if you have the means, doing it right is always best but door gaps can be made to perfection by trimming or extending the edge of the door. A cut, a welded in piece of welding wire for the new edge and some filler make the door gap what ever you want. I think the number of times a door could be adjusted this way is large. If it was a matter of doing major frame work to a frame that was not sagging or somehow otherwise in need of work this might be an "easy out" to have nice door gaps.

 

[Barryp]

Hi Richard,

I had a similar issue when trying to trial fit mine back together. New to this car frt shroud, rt frt fender needed to move forward about a 1/4" also. I kinda felt I was cheating but here's what I did: cut the "tab" that screws to the hinge pillar loose and made the fender fit the shroud, then screwed the "tab/flange" to the hinge pillar and re-profiled to fit the fender and re-spot welded. Of course the frt door gap was then too big, so as mention above welded some 3/16" RG45 (it's dead soft and grinds or files easily) welding rod the the frt edge of the door and ground to get the gap right. Ended up looking pretty good.

Barry