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MG MGB Technical - Mk1 Door Repair

I am about to repair the passengers door on my roadster
Its an early Mk1 with pull out handle door handles.
I need to replace the door base and outer skin.
I am planing on using a 1/2 door skin since I cant get a full skin for the Mk1.
I have not bought the panels yet.
Before I start will the join under the chrome strip? and has anyone any words of wisdom before the grinder starts

Thanks Alan
A G Wright

Alan

It is no point in putting half the skin on as it is as easy to put the whole skin.

First weld up the holes in the new skin for the push button handle.

Set your skin up with the body and weld to frame when happy with fit.

Get out your files and open up the handle hole until you meet the strengthener hole behind it(as you can see in he photo attached).

Make sure the handle fits then drill the hole for the front grommet.

Next you need to open up the lock hole with a file again.

Job done.

Ste

Ste Brown

Yes the trim strip is a useful thing to hide a join, and I'd rather do a half-skin as the remainder would help to keep the carcass square, perhaps less important if you have got to replace the bottom of that as well. What I would say is to keep offering up the door to the aperture when tapping over the skin, I've heard of cases where this pushed the edge of the carcass in leaving a huge door-shut line that needed a fillet welding down the edge of the folded skin to ... fill it.
Paul Hunt

Thanks Ste & Paul, I will probably stick with the 1/2 skin method, good point about the trial fit as you go. Seeing you picture Ste it reminded me that I will need also to make 2 new lower window frame supports, mine are gone.

Thanks

Alan
A G Wright

There may be a change in plans, it appeares that the 1/2 skin is no longer available, looks like its Ste's method for the repair.

Alan
A G Wright

Ste -

That's a great photo, showing an aspect of my MGB I've not seen before. Thanks for posting.

Terrence
Terrence Goodell

When I got my '64 car the original doorskins both had 3/4 inch long "cracks of doom".

I dropped a big blob of weld on the new doorskins where the crack appears to try and stop it. I did this in 1982, and there is still no crack on either door, heck that's 27 years and well over 50k miles including some rough roads & rallying!

I conclude that this nasty problem is easily fixed by applying a bit more metal!

John.
Yorkshire, UK
JW Prewer

This thread was discussed between 15/11/2009 and 22/11/2009

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