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Triumph TR6 - TR6 Door Gaps

I'm in the process of doing body and paintwork on my '72 TR6 and have found the passenger side door gaps to be excessive. It appears I need to bring the gap in a bit over a quarter of an inch.

I tried putting a couple of extra metal shims in the rear of the car where the tub meets the frame and this didn't really help much. I also removed a shim from where the upper rear shock mount attaches to the tub and this didn't really help either. My frame is rust-free however my floorboards are not.

I am thinking I might need to get a porta power with a pull back ram and somehow bend/pull the rear door post forward by the required amount. The gap, from what I can measure, seems to be because the top of the rear door post is sitting back a quarter of an inch more than the driver's side. The gap at the bottom seems to be O.K.

Does anyone else have experience playing with door gaps and know of any other tricks to make them look presentable? I've seen many TR6's with obnoxious door gaps and I am wondering if the gaps were not all that close when the cars were new. I'd hate to put a lot of effort into getting the car restored and still have door gaps that look marginal.

Also, any other advice on how to fabricate braces, etc. when pulling and pushing on body panels with a porta power would be appreciated. I don't have a pulling tower or any such thing so will probably need to fabricate some 2X4 wood bracing so that only the right panels are pushed or pulled. Has anyone been able to push or pull panels with something other than a porta power? Anyone know where to get the proper door opening dimensions and other car dimensions so as to take proper measurments?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Scott
scott

Scott,
don't waste the effort. TR6's were badly fitted for the
most part when brand new. Personally I spent weeks
trying to get mine into proper shape and gave up.
Unless you want to add metal or filler to close that
gap accept it. You will see other TR's from time to time at car show that look tight, they are the lucky
ones. I took establishing photos of my car before the
restoration. Had the frame chemical dipped, the body
brought down to the metal, worked, new shims ,bolts,
and as I said weeks of free time spent trying evrey
thing to close the gaps. When I look at the finshed
car now and the establishing photos before I started
work I see the same gap in both doors.
Not acceptable these days but very common then.
Christopher Trace

Hi Scott

The Tr6 never had perfect door openings new. Its a roadster. After 30 years sitting on a 16 gauge frame that flexes and cracks under engine torque? Frame flexes so does the body.

You don't need a porta-power a come along will do fine. $30 to $50 or half that on sale in Canada. Get some aluminum wedge body shims from auto body supply.

You want the car sitting on the wheel center points jackstands or ramps. So you can get under.

Look at all your gaps fenders to hood trunk etc. all around first. And your lines. Loosen all back mounts ? turns floppy loose including spare tire center 5 total and bolts on rear floor passenger side just barely loose.

Hook up come along between inside A post and B post close to top and just snug. You want the doors on and closed. This part is kind of tricky you want a strait pull without twisting. Bolts nuts tightened to the holes first work if carefull.

Heres the expensive part you need a large buddy to come over and sit in passengers seat. While you fiddle and get beers. 2 are better aproximates driver and passenger.

I use sandblasting sandbags for weight they don't get up and go for a pee at the worst time. Whatever works for you?

Now check your gaps again "allover". If top is still out check for tight bolts loosen give come along one notch and look run around car and look etc. etc.

Get your wedges and tap them in as required to just snug except at floor. Tighten 2 turns Crawl out and look. Tighten 2 turns each and crawl out and look. Add or remove as required but get them tight.

Now at the very last tighten floor bolts carefully. You have to have the weight in car or doors gaps can get too close. Last thing you need is Bubba sitting down and closing the door to a funny noise on your new paint job?

On a roadster panels will flex. Metal under stress will try to stay where it is for a time and then flex where you want it. Don't rush it.

From your decription of floors. Sills may not be better off so you might want to check? They hold the bottoms of a/b posts in place. Surface rust won't matter ratty won't cut it.

Don't know how fussy you are but thats the way I do it. As I mentioned in past I am better at doing than explaining ask.

Bill














Bill Brayford

Porta-power?
come along?

Is this Newfie slang? please explain
Steven

Hi Steven

Porta-power is a hydraulic device like a jack with many extensions and attachements used in the auto body trade and others for pushing and pulling.

Come along is a hand winch type of device using wire rope. Sold in various grades 1 ton 2 ton used for pulling heavy items.

Those are proper generic trade names for both.

Bill
Bill Brayford

Meant to get back on here and thank everyone for the input. I did some pulling with a come along and probably managed to close the gap perhaps a sixteenth to an eighth. I'm afraid to do much more pulling as I'd hate to screw up some other gaps elsewhere.

I have new floorboards for both sides and an inner sill for the driver's side. Think I'll get them installed and perhaps try to do some more gap reduction during that process. The passenger side floor is really not bad but does have some pinhole size holes and other small areas in the process of going all the way through.

The weird part is that the driver's door gap is quite respectable but the driver's side floorboard and inner sill are bad. The floor has a lot of cancer and would suit Fred Flintstone just fine.

The car I'm working on has needed just about everything done to it as it was deteriorating in the backyard of a farm house in Texas for 10 years. However, it's a factory overdrive car with a hardtop so I figure it's worth the effort. The car was originally purchased in England by a US soldier and shipped back to the states. The invoice reads the car cost 1194 pounds and an extra 59.25 pounds for the overdrive option. Invoice is dated 7/12/72. Invoice does not mention the hardtop so that might have been purchased at a later time.

scott

Scott

Please pay attention!


If you have the original paperwork and history on that car. Numbers match etc. And the car is in fairly original condition. Not reworked at another time?

Do not lose or abuse that paperwork. Make copies and put in bank storage. If the car is restored right those papers are worth $20,000 US by themselves to the right person. Its called "original" documented history.

Be very carefull on your restoration work! You sound as if you know your stuff. Get some expert advice. Do not throw away any part! Not even the bolts. If the car was pretty original many parts may be original. Hang on to everything even if it looks like junk now and mark even if you replace.

Create your own log book. What you did and how you did it.

You may be intent on building a daily driver and thats OK. Its your car. Just get some good advice.

40 some years ago a couple of young hot rodders. Bought an old 30s car that was just perfect for Rodding $35.00 sitting in a barn. Started stripping all the crap off it. Great big tall wood spoke wheels, funny old rad etc. Junk won't do for the Olds going in her.

Old fella used to come around and offer advice and every once in awhile P/U the junk we weren't gonna use. Gave us $10.00 for the wheels. Where we happy.

Dumb old guy? Old Saskatchewan farmer. When Studebaker quit. He started buying up all the old cars and trucks cheap kept them in an old barn.

Held onto them wheels for about 6 months and sold them for $200.00 a piece he told me years later.

My Uncle is now 91 and still going strong sold off the last of the Studes to some fella's in the states for $65 thats grand US about 10 years ago.

If that car is pretty much original but a little rough to look at take my advice and get some.

May be a diamond in the rough.

Bill







Bill Brayford

This thread was discussed between 16/05/2003 and 05/06/2003

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