envoycdx
North East
I need my Mojo back!
Posts: 245 
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Well, I currently have a battered Corsa B, nothing fancy and probably isn't really worth the time trying to repair - but it's been fairly good to me over the past 4 years.
It's was a category C, "bodged" and put back on the road with a VIC check about 8 years ago when my aunt bought it.
Anyhow, I'm in a position now where I want to try and straighten up the back end, and move the back door appature back to where it should be - I suspect it has been nudged in a forward and up type motion closing the lower half of the rear door in by about 2 mm.
Do I weld some tow eyelets in and try and pull it out?
Do I see if I can get it jigged straight then cut out the rot and damaged panels and whack nice clean ones in?
Do I simply not bother and chuck it in when it comes to MOT time in October?
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If it was bodged 8 years ago after a bump and has been ok since, why does it need fixing now? Is it worth it? Depends if you want something to do or not  Identify where the problem is (remove the rubbers around the door frames and compare the good side with the bumped side) 2 or 4 door? DIY fix - try 3 big levers / scaffold bars  cut a big bit of timber to fit upright on the front doorpost, another from there to the point that's been pushed in/up that's a couple of inches short, and use lever3 in the gap to lever the bits apart to make the gap bigger. Bring timber & call in for a brew if you want a quick demo See below for the poper way jaguarxjsresto.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/porta-power.html  |
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envoycdx
North East
I need my Mojo back!
Posts: 245
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Cheers Nomad, is it worth it? Probably not. It's just one of those things really, it was bodged before I got it, and I started looking into what maybe needed, got a bit "meh" about it, and left it at that till the other day.
Why do I want to do it now - the wind noise is getting on my nips. The door gap, I could probably deal with and re-profile the bottom of the door to make it look right. But the back end is where it bothers me the most.
My aunt learned to drive in it, and my granddad had it before giving up driving, so theres a little bit of sentimentality in there too I guess.
It's a 4 door B, I've been making do and mending over the past few years just to keep it on the road, you may have seen a multi coloured S plate B flying about (well, I say flying.. it's a wee 1.4 with about as much poke as a snail on superglu, but it's mine and it's grown on me).
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envoycdx
North East
I need my Mojo back!
Posts: 245
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Portapower looks fun, but I'm intruiged as to the timber / scaffold bar method too. |
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You could probably manage a one off using lumps of timber and a bottle jack to effect the same action as the porta power. You need to apply force in the opposite direction to which it was originally bumped - sounds simple but its often difficult in practise.
Have also seen rough repairs using a chain and JCB to pull with......they had the front of the van fastened to a tree to stop it being dragged back rather than straightened out
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envoycdx
North East
I need my Mojo back!
Posts: 245
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You could probably manage a one off using lumps of timber and a bottle jack to effect the same action as the porta power. You need to apply force in the opposite direction to which it was originally bumped - sounds simple but its often difficult in practise. Yeah, most things in life usually are. I doubt it would look any worse than it does currently. But will have to give it some serious thought before having a go. |
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Portapower looks fun, but I'm intruiged as to the timber / scaffold bar method too. see the bottom pic - imagine your problem was a dropped roof that needs to be lifted Fulcrum = a big bit of timber resting on the car sill point W = where you put on end of a strong bit of timber (other end goes up to lowest point of the roof) force or push = you lift the end of the lever up to force the roof up  If that all makes sense, turn everything 90* to lever the doorframe backwards |
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envoycdx
North East
I need my Mojo back!
Posts: 245
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Basically, using the strength of the shell to pull / push itself right again if I'm understanding that correctly. Bit of physics (something I never did too well at school with).
Still, the theory is sound. Just practice now I guess.
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cut a big bit of timber to fit upright on the front doorpost, another from there to the point that's been pushed in/up that's a couple of inches short, and use lever3 in the gap to lever the bits apart to make the gap bigger.
