The latching mechanism on a bugeye is very different. In fact I'm
guessing that
Patricia's problem is that the slotted peg that is mounted to the body
at the rear
of the door opening (and passes into the circular hole in the door) is
simply worn.
They are supposed to look like (sorta) tapered cylinders with a
hemispherical
cap and an asymmetric V cut in the side of the cylinder (top surface
is perpendicular
to the axis of the cylinder, the lower surafce at say 45 degrees).
They wear out because people just push the door closed without holding
down the
latch. You are supposed to hold down the lever, close the door,
release the lever.
You then, over time, wear away the side of the peg so that you have a
'ramp' b/n
the slot and the top of the hemisphere. (Hint there is not supposed to
be any flat
surface on the outside oif the peg!)
Thankfully the solution is *very* simple. Just get a replacement peg!
For the
"we tight" brigade, just use a mig welder to add a blob of material to
the worn area
and a file to make it the right shape (done that!)
cheers, Mike
----- Original Message -----
From "Ulix Goettsch" <ulix at u.washington.edu>
To: "Patricia Sauthoff" <Patricia.Sauthoff@blvdmedia.com>;
<spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, October 21, 2000 8:46 AM
Subject: Re: adventures in driving
> Patricia,
>
> I've had this happen often a couple of years ago. I kept realigning
the
> door until I found that the problem was lack of lubrication! I had
had the
> doors and door latches off the car and cleaned the latches really
well so
> that there was no grease in there at all. As soon as I lubed the
latch, it
> stopped happening. Of course my '67 has very different latches than
your
> '59.
>
> But I think you might have to align the door or latch or lube it.
>
> Ulix
>
> on 10/20/00 15:05, Patricia Sauthoff at
Patricia.Sauthoff@blvdmedia.com
> wrote:
>
> > Just a bit ago I was driving to work when I heard a loud noise.
Turned out
> > my drivers side door had popped open for no apparent reason! My
leg was
> > against the leather strap holding the door to the car, but I can't
imagine
> > that would have had any effect on the latch? Any brilliant ideas
from you
> > brilliant people? I suppose I could either take the doors off
like a frat
> > boy in a Wrangler, or weld the doors shut and pretend like I'm a
racecar
> > driver, <G> but I'd like a more realistic solution before going to
extremes!
> > I closed the door up just fine, going a cool 65ish, and it did
stay shut,
> > but I don't really like wondering if this is going to continue.
It did it
> > one time before, so I'm thinking it was driver error!
> >
> > Thanks all
> > Patricia
> > '59 Bugeye
> >
>
> Ulix __/__,__
___/__|\__
>
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/...
> http://www.mirafiori.com/~ulix/ '67 Sprite '74
X1/9
>
>
>
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