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MG TD TF 1500 - Front Quart Panel question

Hi guys

I bought a pair of quarter panels from a Oz supplier.

They were close to fitting. I started rasping timber to help them fit when I realised the door sill and opening edges were at 90° to the skin. They also did not have the 2 cuts in front edge (as indicated on attached photo - cut from Dave Braun's great photo gallery/site)

Why are they cut out of the metal.

TIA

Stuart

Stuart Duncan

Stuart. They are cut out to make way for the rubber door buffers. The buffers prevent the door from contacting the painted door opening and tension the door lock against the striker wedge.
When fitting the door,the leading edge should rest against the buffers this will ensure that the door edge margin is parallel to the door opening. You can adjust the door hinges as required to achieve a good result.
This is worth doing properly as it the difference between a good and sub standard restoration.
Regards
Wayne TD1864 / Y6668
W Routley

Once the cuts are made the panel is very weak and easily damaged if off the car. I made my own panels and finished the cutouts to size on the car.
You could make a smaller cut-out and then file them up to suit the timber with the panel fitted.
You may be able to fix the 90 degree problem by tapping the flange to open it up a bit. a pity when you buy these parts and come across problems like this. Can you post an image of your panels and the originals that show the problem fit.
Max Irvine

In fitting these you will need more clamps than any normal person should have.
The panels should be rough finished before fastening.
Also be sure the bottom of the bottom rail has a goodly roundover. If not the paint will crack.

Finally, when fitting start in the middle and work out to both ends. The panels need to be formed and this reduces the amount of metal that needs to be moved.

JA Benjamin

JA, your clamp up reminds me of when my friend was building his airplane. Everything was held together with Cleco pins to ensure fit before final permanent riviting. The fuselage looked like a metal sculpture of a porky-pine.

Jud

J K Chapin

Max

Attached are 2 photos - one showing old and new L/H panels and the other the angle difference between the timber (as indicated by the bevel gauge)and the new panel.

Stuart

Stuart Duncan

Stuart,
You can give me a call 0447 504037. It might help to talk over the phone. I can't really see the panels too clearly from your images.

I made a 12 mm plywood template of the quarter panel which I clamped up the panel to the car. I did this while I turned the edges of the panel over that I made but it could also help you to get your panel fitted without putting clamp marks in it.
Max Irvine

That is why I had to use all those clamps. Your task is to make the panels fit the frame. DO NOT make the frame fit the panels. That is unless you have changed the wood.
Start in the the door opening. around the lower large bend. Using clamps and a dead blow hammer (I used a small plastic headed one) form the metal to fit the timber. Work up and down, little by little. be sure to clamp the metal so that it is pulled into the frame in two axises.
You must also be sure the metal fits the rail and is not tilted up at the end. But you cannot tighten the metal on the rail.

Keep you eyes on the amount of metal at the front by the firewall. This will need to be bent over. It is a good guide as to how well the metal is fitting on the wood.
I made two wooden blocks that were form fits on the timbers at the upper and lower curves in the door opening. I used these with clamps to draw the metal in. The top one is in the picture attached. In the first frame you can see that the metal has not been folded over the timber yet. You will need to get a good fit over the front of the door opening before you fold and nail anything

Also note that there should be tabs welded to the underside of the Q-Panels at the rear of the door opening. Mine did not have them The Rear Q-Panels lap over these tabs.

There is a video showing how the repro bodies are made today. You should watch that first.

I dont have a link but perhaps another member does.

Jim B.

JA Benjamin

Max & Jim
Thank you for your replies. Sorry for the quality of the images, but they were taken late afternoon (yesterday) with the sun shining into my shed.

Max I like the idea of a 12mm ply template to clamp on the outside of q-panels.

Jim, all my timber is new and I already have over 20 G-clamps of various sizes. I also like the idea of making timber templates representing the door edge to clamp and pull the metal onto the timber edges.

The q-panels already have the edge bent over to wrap around the firewall timbers and tabs for rear q-panels to lap over. There is enough metal to wrap around all timber.

Jim, I believe the video you speak of, is produced by Hudson Motor Company and is titled "mg td Body Build" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEqpqZj8FPw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Max, I will give you a ring later today. Are you a member of ATA? I was talked into writing a history of my restoration for their next magazine - ended up about 8 A5 pages.

Stuart
Stuart Duncan

Bought and cut a sheet of 9mm ply to fit q-panel.

Clamped panel between ply and other timber and bent the edges to approximate angle of timber. Refitted the q-panel to tub timber and it fits well, just needs some minor adjustment to do as the panel is a bit loose on the timber.

Stuart
Stuart Duncan

This thread was discussed between 21/08/2013 and 23/08/2013

MG TD TF 1500 index

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