[Healeys] door won't shut fully.

[Hank Leach]

Simon- Typically the body shop takes a 2x4 and bends the top of the
door inward-something that you may not want to tackle, but it is one
method of "adjusting" the door fit. If the gaps around the door are
equal you probably don't have the dreaded chassis sag but if the top
edge is a tighter gap than the bottom gap, Bob may have hit on the
issue. Additionally, the cockpit trim and swedge line would not line
up. If you have a good panel beater nearby, I would suggest a
visit...they have a good eye for that type of thing. I don't believe
that the striker or latch adjustment is the problem or the door would
stick out in the middle of the door edge.
Back in the good old days, Geoff Healey designed (engineered) the
metal for the floor pans and sills out of .015 ga. material. To save
$$ the Austin design team spec'd the metal to .018 and the body sagged
and the doors would not open. The factory had to go into each car and
weld in a new floor pan, stamped 100, out of heavier stock to remedy
the problem. This photo shows the factory "patch panel" in place. Hank

	-----------------------------------------From: "Bob Spidell" 
To: healeys at autox.team.net
Cc: 
Sent: Friday April 21 2023 6:17:14PM
Subject: Re: [Healeys] door won't shut fully.

 Hard to say without seeing it, but you may require some shims behind
the hinges (to compensate for a sagging chassis).

On 4/21/2023 1:09 PM, Simon Lachlan via Healeys wrote:

	The car is a 3000, MkII BT7 ie it does not have wind up windows. 

	Now, the door will shut but it sticks out about 7+mm at the top. One
closes the door which engages with the latch on the striker. The door
is firmly closed and will not open until one turns the interior or
exterior handle. BUT, once the door is shut and engaged, it moves out.
Doesn’t look good. 

	I tried moving the striker plate inwards, bit by bit. No change. 

	I thought/hoped that the catch mechanism had worn out and replaced
it. To be fair, the mechanism was pretty well worn out – it’s
old!! – but this made no difference. 

	I tried messing with the striker plate again. No change. It looked
pretty worn and shabby so I replaced that too…..No change. 

	The process seems simple enough in theory but, in practise, I’m
making no progress. Is it one of those situations, which I seem to
encounter all too often, where the cure is so counter-intuitive that
it never occurs to the inexperienced amateur?? I’m moving the plate
inwards….seems obvious, right? Should it be going outwards? Or
what?? 

	This has all been pretty frustrating. Getting the catch mechanism out
was a nightmare and the so-called escutcheon on the door handle was
solid so had to be sacrificed with a cold chisel….etcetc. 

	Any ideas would be very welcome. 

	Thanks, 

	Simon 


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