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rsk289
MCR Member
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Posted: Thursday April 10th, 2008 10:12 pm |
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I'm mounting my new subframes to help with body panel alignment, and I'm not sure about the front mountings for the front subframe. I bought the car with the subframes removed, so I don't know what was there before dismantling. There's a gap of around 1/2 - 3/4" between the subframe and the front crossmember of the bodyshell. The parts book shows a shim to go in here - 'as required'. I don't have any shims, but unless they're very thick I'm going to need a lot of them! Is something amiss here? It's a '68 (hydrolastic) shell, never been hit, and a brand-new heritage front subframe (dry, pre-'76).
Thanks,
Roger
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Mk 3 S Meister
MCR Member
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Posted: Friday April 11th, 2008 07:17 am |
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| What sort of front panel do you have? Is it for the later rubber mounted subframe?
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PTN11F
Member
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Posted: Friday April 11th, 2008 07:51 am |
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Hi Roger
when I dismantled my 68 shell, there were a number of flat metal packing peices between the subframe and the front panel. The space was approx 1/4 in on one side and 1/8 in on the other.
The car had never been dismantled before (it came from New Zealand and has never had a panel replaced).
3/4 sounds a bit over manufacturing tolerances - do the holes on the front panel line up directly with the holes in the subframe?? On the later front panels these are offset to allow fitting of the rubber mounts, which would fill a 3/4 gap.
Alan
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rsk289
MCR Member
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Posted: Friday April 11th, 2008 12:35 pm |
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The car is a '68, never been mucked about with - still has the original front panel, never even been painted. The new subframe fits all points perfectly, except the front panel. The holes line up perfectly - there's just a gap! I wonder if either there's something missing (doesn't look like it) or if the subframe's different somehow (It's a pre-'76 new dry subframe from Mini Spares).
Back to the old story - it's better to dismantle the car yourself!
Roger
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rsk289
MCR Member
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Posted: Saturday April 12th, 2008 10:29 pm |
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I have done some further investigating, and I'm beginning to think the front panel may have been replaced. If so (and there's evidence of migging or arc welding on the internal flanges, front wings to front panel, below the headlamps) it must have been done early in the car's life as the paint change is not detectable, and there's no other colour underneath. But the front panel has a small theaded hole above the main hole, which I think is where a rubber mount may have been fixed.
I was going to try to repair and keep this front panel, as it has no side vents and I presumed it was original. Now, though, I might as well replace it with a M-machine MkII panel, and line everything up to the subframe as a jig for welding.
Roger
Edit, thinking: how come it has no side vent holes (either side of the grille) if it's a replacement (rubber mounted subframe - presumably post-'76) front panel??Last edited on Saturday April 12th, 2008 10:32 pm by rsk289 |
DaveShreeve
Administrator
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Posted: Sunday April 13th, 2008 12:05 am |
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rsk289 wrote: Edit, thinking: how come it has no side vent holes (either side of the grille) if it's a replacement (rubber mounted subframe - presumably post-'76) front panel??
Depends who made it. Sounds as though it's probably a straight off the shelf from the local motor factor with minimum mods carried out for fitting an existing panel onto the 'new' rubber mounts.
I've had similar problems with Range Rover inner wings in the past. £150/side from respected suppliers, £700/side from Land Rover. All looked great until all done and we tried to close the bonnet - then we found they hadn't picked up Land Rovers move of the bonnet safety catch to the inner wing! Not major but a real pain trying to modify once fitted and painted.
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rsk289
MCR Member
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Posted: Sunday April 13th, 2008 09:15 am |
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Well, as I'm now going to replace it as well (already planning to do the front wings, 'A' post/hinge panels, inner 'A' posts, flitch panels - so, whole front end, then), M-machine supply both MkII Cooper and Cooper 'S' panels. No immediate plan to fit an oil cooler, but is it worth going with the 'S' panel or sticking with original 998-type?
Haven't decided on the engine yet, although I have the original still. Difficult, this originality bit - I have no intention of using Hydrolastic.
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rodeo1968
Member
| Joined: | Wednesday November 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 81 |
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Posted: Tuesday April 15th, 2008 01:44 pm |
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| Well, you learn something every day on this site. I have a wet Mk2 and the front of the subframe is hung with teardrops which I now find were not used before 1976. But the front end has been rebuilt at some stage in the past. If you have a gap of 3/4 inch then it suggests it has been rebuilt for use with teardrops.
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rsk289
MCR Member
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Posted: Tuesday April 15th, 2008 01:59 pm |
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I think that's what happened to mine. There are threaded holes on the inside face of the front panel that must be the 'teardrop' mounts.
There's a dent in the panel anyway, so I'll change it.
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rodeo1968
Member
| Joined: | Wednesday November 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 81 |
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Posted: Tuesday April 15th, 2008 08:16 pm |
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| ... and there should be a locating pin hole further down which stops the teardrop from swinging sideways.
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rsk289
MCR Member
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Posted: Tuesday April 15th, 2008 10:32 pm |
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....have you been peeking at my front panel? Dead right!
Roger
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coopernick
Member
| Joined: | Sunday April 9th, 2006 |
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| Posts: | 64 |
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Posted: Friday April 18th, 2008 07:47 pm |
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a few years ago it was the only way you could do it if you wanted a genuine front panel as they did not make a early gen one till heritage stepped in, apparantly they modified the tooling as they did for the mpi a bit later which ment they could not make anything earlier than the model in production, all you can do now is to pack it out with a mount, a solid one would be best then you can paint it body colour to hide it,
nick
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rodeo1968
Member
| Joined: | Wednesday November 14th, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 81 |
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Posted: Friday April 18th, 2008 08:36 pm |
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| They aren't that visible, but I suppose the originality police would prosecute you.
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rsk289
MCR Member
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Posted: Friday April 18th, 2008 09:51 pm |
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rodeo1968 wrote:
They aren't that visible, but I suppose the originality police would prosecute you.
Not too bothered about originality police, as I believe that (within reason) a car develops throughout its lifetime, and that a period repair of many years ago is part of that life. Nevertheless, there's a hefty dent in the lower part of the front panel and I'm changing the front wings and flitch panels, so I might as well get a new, correct part to go back on.
Roger
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