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Question regarding BJ7 Subframe

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me61ic

me61ic

Senior Member
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I am currently restoring my BJ7, and I know at some time during its life the car had a front accident. There were lots of bondo in the Front Shroud and it was bent. Now I have removed all outer panels and I was wondering if the Front Cross Brace Panel should have the outer edges bent the way they are or if they should be straight, I am including a picture. Should this panel keep the yelow line or is it the way it is now?



Thanks in advance for the help
 
Those braces should be Reasonably straight, however, realize that the body panels were commonly fit with the extensive aid of a hammer.

A long while back when I totally deconstructed my Healey, one of the things I did after removing the outer shell components (fenders, shrouds, etc.) was to make sure everything was straight and true. Although this seemed correct at the time, nothing fit when it cam to test fitting the components prior to final assembly and refinishing. It turns out that the bends were originally installed during manufacturing and original assembly and needed to be reinstalled before things went back together properly.

Not saying this is your problem in this instance but just be aware of how these cars were hand built and why I used the term Reasonably.

Good luck,
Ray (64BJ8P1)
 
Just had a look at mine, the engine is out but the shroud is still on. - as far as I can tell it should be straight across. :cheers: Bob
 
I wonder if those were pushed in so the tires wouldn't rub on the inner fenders in a hard turn. The treads in your photo look modern, are the tires wider than original?
 
Should I just then forget about it as the part is not visible once the car is restored? My car was perfectly OK in terms of body fitment, but I have just noticed these bents once I've taken the front shroud out of the car. I know the car was involved in a front accident during its life, but I just don't know how bad that accident was. The front shroud was torn apart in their lower attachments to the chasis braces, and the parts between the lights and the radiator were full of bondo.

Now the front shroud has been repaired while in the car, so it should fit straight away once repainted, so I do not know how good would be to straighten that front cross brace panel. The wheel arches don't look distorted or bent in any way which seems strange to me if those bents happened because of an accident.

Picture of how the car was before starting the restoration:


and the front shroud with the paint off and lower damage:


 
Most AH had some damage to the lower part of the shroud, that's why you can purchase just the lower part of the shroud. If the accident was very severe you'd have damage all the way up and around the headlights. I'd say leave it alone.
BTW your car looks pretty nice already judging from that photo.
 
I went out and looked at my BJ7 but couldn't see behind the air vent hoses. I did measure from the radiator out to the inside of the frame, not the shroud, and found it to be 2 1/2". That would be just to the right of the yellow line on your photo. The measurement was pretty consistent all the way across. What's your measurement? And is it consistent?
 
Bob_Spidell said:
I just checked my BJ8--the cross brace has slight bends inward on either side then straightens back out (see: https://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=28952&SortOrder=140). Looks like yours has been seriously manipulated.
Click to expand...

Well Bob, to tell you the truth it does not look that obvious as if it has been manipulated, you can certainly tell it has been bent when looking from the top, but there is no "accident damage" around that bent, and it does not look that obvious when looking from the sides or front.



 
Johnny said:
...BTW your car looks pretty nice already judging from that photo.
Click to expand...
Well it does not look that good anymore... Now it is in more "naked state" although it can still run...



Johnny said:
I went out and looked at my BJ7 but couldn't see behind the air vent hoses. I did measure from the radiator out to the inside of the frame, not the shroud, and found it to be 2 1/2". That would be just to the right of the yellow line on your photo. The measurement was pretty consistent all the way across. What's your measurement? And is it consistent?
Click to expand...

Thanks, I keep the car at my parents, as soon as I get back there I'll measure it
 
You're right--I can only see this brace from the underside, and mine is straight at the bottom, as yours appear to be. The curve at the top of the panel is required to clear the 'valley's of the front shroud inside the headlights. My BJ8 seems to have an extra panel at the front between the front panel and the wheel wells that I don't see in your photos; in fact, it appears substantially different. Maybe there's a difference between BJ7 and BJ8.
 
It looks to me like the left (driver's) side is correct, but the right side has been pushed in a bit. I recall on mine, which is back together, that the top of the panel is curved as described by Bob.
 
quote_icon.png
Originally Posted by Bob Hughes
Just had a look at mine, the engine is out but the shroud is still on. - as far as I can tell it should be straight across.
cheers.gif
Bob



Nope. Eventually, I'll paint it and do an engine rebuild, but it should need a full resto.
 
Bob_Spidell said:
... My BJ8 seems to have an extra panel at the front between the front panel and the wheel wells that I don't see in your photos; in fact, it appears substantially different. Maybe there's a difference between BJ7 and BJ8.
Click to expand...

There are extra panels that need to be taken away which I did, those look to be there to point the air towards the radiator and to avoid splashs of water from the wheel wells into the radiator-front grille. My car was only missing those to avoid splashs from the drivers side (or maybe the pass I don't quite remember) as it can be seen in the pic:

 
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