Tim,
Very common problem with doors having pulls. An expected characteristic of
the Morris Minors, caused just as you suggest, by the flex of the door skin
when pulled shut by the strap. Bugeyes do it just above the door pocket
panel, my Austin A35 does it at the front edge of the window channel,
Morris' do it at the same place. Its a mark of authenticity like the misfit
of bugeye bonnets on the left side. I've MIG welded my A35 and its held for
now. The stress riser is at a fairly small area and a good deep weld may
last for some time. A nicely shaped bit of 18ga reinforcing steel MIG'ed to
the backside might be a tougher fix, but I have no idea how you would do the
welds. For the bugeye, I've resolved to only pull the door shut by the top
edge. Fat chance I'll actually remember to do it that way more than once.
Glen
> Hi Folks,
> I have found that both doors of my '66 Sprite have cracks on the top of
> the
> doors that radiate from the window slots. There is one crack in front of
> the slot and one in the rear. They both radiate from the window slot
> inward
> on top of the door. It is apparent that closing the door with the door
> pull
> causes the inside door sheet metal to flex. Over time the crack developed.
> I have two other doors from a parts car with the same problem.
>
> I can weld (MIG or gas) or braze the cracks. I am thinking that if welded,
> the crack will probably just move over along side the weld after a short
> period of time. Brazing would add a little filler material over a larger
> area so should last longer - at least that is what I am thinking. I
> suppose
> I could insert a reinforcing piece too, but that seems like more work than
> is necessary. However, I though I would ask the group:
>
> 1) if others have noticed this problem?
> 2) how did you go about fixing the problem?
>
> The other alternative is to not use the door pulls, but rather grasp the
> top of the door and slam it shut. Welding the doors shut is not an option
> for me. <G>.
>
> Tim Collins
> Dollar Bay, MI
> 1966 AH Sprite
|