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 Posted: Nov 30, 2015 01:05PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 94touring

Unless you have skin bubbling from rust I'd just bent it back in place.  Regarding the latch problem, did it tweak the whole door or did the part the latch hooks into affixed to the body come loose?  If the door is tweaked simply man handle and bend it till it closes properly.

And a skin job takes about an hour.  Really not that hard unless you've never done it.  Most the time is spent taking trim and handles off.  I found the easiest way is to weaken the lip by grinding the skin perimeter till the metal is thin enough its folds back effortlessly.  Then you usually have a couple spot welds on the bottom to break and you cut the tops where it's welded and grind clean.  Use a good seam sealer on the bottom when you place the new skin on.  Hammer the lip over a fair amount, then without any fancy tooling you can take a piece of thick steel and vice grip to clamp the lip down tight.  Thick steel goes on the skin to prevent dents and teeth marks from the vice grips.  

 

Body shop agreed that it can most likly just be bent back.  The door geometry seems fine.  It can hear it almost latch and just the bent sheet metal is hitting the door frame before it can latch

'73 Innocenti Mini (non-export)

Morristown, NJ

 Posted: Nov 30, 2015 11:31AM
 Edited:  Nov 30, 2015 11:33AM
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US

Unless you have skin bubbling from rust I'd just bent it back in place.  Regarding the latch problem, did it tweak the whole door or did the part the latch hooks into affixed to the body come loose?  If the door is tweaked simply man handle and bend it till it closes properly.

And a skin job takes about an hour.  Really not that hard unless you've never done it.  Most the time is spent taking trim and handles off.  I found the easiest way is to weaken the lip by grinding the skin perimeter till the metal is thin enough its folds back effortlessly.  Then you usually have a couple spot welds on the bottom to break and you cut the tops where it's welded and grind clean.  Use a good seam sealer on the bottom when you place the new skin on.  Hammer the lip over a fair amount, then without any fancy tooling you can take a piece of thick steel and vice grip to clamp the lip down tight.  Thick steel goes on the skin to prevent dents and teeth marks from the vice grips.  

 

 Posted: Nov 30, 2015 09:06AM
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Another option, depending on cost for repair, is to get a cheap MK3 door that is in good shape and move your Inno windows and internal bits to that door.  You are already speaking about getting a re-spray so color matching does not matter at this point.

 

Ignorence is bliss til someone says you are wrong.

 Posted: Nov 30, 2015 07:47AM
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CA
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyinace2000
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spank

I think replacing the door skin is overkill. A skilled body person can fix what you've got. You won't get the $ / value back out of a full reskin, if that's part of your goal (maintaining or maximizing value). 

Reskinning a door is hours and hours and HOURS of work and it is over a larger area where more things can go wrong.

 

Thanks for the advice.  I'm going to go to the shop later, but i'd rather start the project mid december/january.  The door doesn't latch completely, can I use a set of pliers (or something) to bend the shape out a bit.  I just needs anohter 1/4 to close properly.

Before bending the latch side of the door, check the front gap and make sure it is right. Unless you can see the door is deformed where it impacted the Clubman, there could be deformation in the area of the hinges, either in the door shell or the jamb. If you have exterior hinges, they may have shifted, or if you have later hinges, where they are bolted onto the door and jamb may have been compressed. You may only need to shim or reposition the hinges.

Oh yeah.... don't do that again! (I've come close to the garage door frame doing the same thing!)

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Nov 30, 2015 07:37AM
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Obviously, I'm not there so don't know the whole picture-- so of course take all of my comments as some internet wahoo armchair quarterbacking and your best advice is from a professional who is there in person.

I think your second best bet is emailing Nick Upton or maybe Heritage Garage for their opinions on reskin vs fix what ya got.

That said, generally body repairs are "fixed" in the reverse order of damage, and ideally in the reverse direction of the forces of impact, so the first part to get dented in is the last to get pulled out. This is done to prevent excessive stretching of the metal. Yours and my habitual instinct is to want to pull or pound out the deepest part first. this can cause the shallow parts to go past level and then you have to push them back in ("excessive stretching").

If you feel you need to move some metal so you can latch the door, I'd say take some strips of 1x2 wood (or similar) and sandwich the metal lip and gently squeeze the wood and thereby the metal with channel locks or something just to get it moved the minimum amount you need to allow you to close the door, then leave well enough alone until a pro can give you proper advice on how to proceed with the final repair.

 Posted: Nov 30, 2015 05:33AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spank

I think replacing the door skin is overkill. A skilled body person can fix what you've got. You won't get the $ / value back out of a full reskin, if that's part of your goal (maintaining or maximizing value). 

Reskinning a door is hours and hours and HOURS of work and it is over a larger area where more things can go wrong.

 

Thanks for the advice.  I'm going to go to the shop later, but i'd rather start the project mid december/january.  The door doesn't latch completely, can I use a set of pliers (or something) to bend the shape out a bit.  I just needs anohter 1/4 to close properly.

'73 Innocenti Mini (non-export)

Morristown, NJ

 Posted: Nov 29, 2015 02:52PM
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I think replacing the door skin is overkill. A skilled body person can fix what you've got. You won't get the $ / value back out of a full reskin, if that's part of your goal (maintaining or maximizing value). 

Reskinning a door is hours and hours and HOURS of work and it is over a larger area where more things can go wrong.

 

 Posted: Nov 29, 2015 08:10AM
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Yeah its not that bad, but it just looks terrible and will kill resale value (which i was thinking about for the end of next summer).  

That being said the door does close fine and nothing is broken.  I can see the original paint under the respray, thats cool.  I did some searching and i think i just need "new" door skins.  Are the reproduction units any good?  

I've already got a body shop in town that I like for the work.  I'm gonn have him replace my front floor pans as well since they are currently held on w/ rivets. Anything special I need to know about Inncenti pans, they should be the same...right?

I'm gonna order new door cards from Newton and possibly new carpet.  My rear boot lid is in ok shape and might need to be replaced.  Metal ones are impossible to find, but I found a place in the UK that sells fiberglass replacments. (photos attached).  

'73 Innocenti Mini (non-export)

Morristown, NJ

 Posted: Nov 29, 2015 08:04AM
 Edited:  Nov 29, 2015 08:06AM
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Oh, that's not bad.

Bad is when I had my 76 Super Beetle and the driver door wouldn't stay latched.

I was being sent home from my job at the gas station because I was sick beyond belief.

While backing out of my spot, neck craned and torso twisted looking over my right shoulder, my door popped open and caught on the passenger front fender of a Little Red Expxress 

And I didn't get the car stopped until I was at exhaust stack.

That was probably the nicest thing my stepdad ever did for me: he found someone to fix the damage without having to go through the insurance company. The owner was ok with that arrangement, but he said "No Bodo" and "No panels made in China".

As for my Beetle, the door was folded all the way back up against the front wheel. I just banged on it and banged on it, stuck some wood in the hinge to gain leverage to pop back out until the door would sorta close and sorta latch.

 

 Posted: Nov 29, 2015 06:22AM
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Just damn.

"How can anything bigger be mini?"

 Posted: Nov 29, 2015 06:05AM
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Started the car to warm it up before going to C&C. I was rolling it back (with my foot out the door) and once i was out of the driveway the slop took the car quicker than the brakes could stop the car. Wasn't going that fast and the open door came to rest on the bumper of my Clubman. Clubman's paint wasn't even damaged.

Expensive **** up for the week, CHECK.

I've been considering a full re-spray anyway...i guess i have to do it now.

Photos

'73 Innocenti Mini (non-export)

Morristown, NJ