body shell is sagging, and becoming U-shaped fore-and-aft. The rocker
panels (sills) are box monocoques, which provide the stiffness to keep
the trunk from folding up to meet the bonnet. If the rockers have
deteriorated or been improperly repaired, this sagging will result.
Are the top edges of the doors rubbing against the rear of the door
openings?
The only repair for this is to jack up the center of the car, by
using a beam (4x4, etc) across under the middle of the floor, until
everything jigs up straight, and then rebuild the rocker panels. DO
NOT remove the body shell from the frame unless the rockers are
structurally sound. Even though the body rides on a frame, the rockers
provide the fore-and-aft rigidity for the body shell itself.
A hardtop or well-designed roll cage can also be installed to make
the body much more rigid. Victoria British may still stock a book
which is a compilation of Spitfire restoration articles from Practical
Classics Magazine, which shows a lot of bodywork repairs.
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