Vitesse 1/4 Light Fitting Gaps

[Phil C]

Evening All,

Trial fitting drivers door today and given all my Lockdown Welding to the Bulkhead and Tub and the fact that the door came from another car it has gone reasonably well!  

However, some help with the 1/4 light would be appreciated. 

Can anybody help with what the gaps annotated below should be? My concern is the gap to the A-post is too big and currently I have no further adjustment but without the seals I can't be certain.

In addition, what should the height difference be with the screen?

Thanks again.

 

[Colin Lindsay]

Can't really tell as it's a case of making one adjustment here, you knock one out there... but if your b-post gaps allow, then your door can come forward slightly at the bottom of the quarterlight - there's still a good gap there between the door skin and the screen rain channel. The quarterlight can also be adjusted by loosening the mounting screws, so get your door gaps as good as can be both at the b-post and against the bonnet, then adjust the quarterlight against the screen angle - I can see a large gap at the bottom so angle it forwards.

It should be level to the top of the screen.

[johny]

Yes, noticeable on many cars is the door to bonnet clearance being too large so having the door forwards helps but of course has to be balanced with keeping the door lock mechanism fully engaged. Another point is that Ive found keeping the quarterlight close to the A pilar reduces the wind whistle produced in this area.... 

[Pete Lewis]

unusual  most have no gapas the A post gets pulled rearards

there should be a good deal of vent frame adjustment  form its oversize fixing holes  but without knowing what the bonnet fit is like i would suggest

adding packers to the front sets of baulkhead body mounts to tip the A post  rearwards into alignment 

Pete

[PeteH]

Looking at the pic. I think the door would raise?. To bring the top of the 1/4 light level with the "roofline", the front upper edge of the Door would come more in line with the scuttle, and the gap between 1/4 light and screen would narrow too.

The next issue (of course), would be the Door Cill gap!!.

I am currently (when it ain`t nithering cold!!) trying to juggle a "fit" on the passenger side door, of my 13/60.

Pete

[mark powell]

I have a similar problem, my doors line up perfectly and the gaps are good. However the tops of my quarterlights are way below the top of the A post.  In my case, I am putting it down to a total mix and match of panels... 948 bulkhead and Vitesse doors.   The car is a special, so I can live with it.  Strange, none the less. 

[Colin Lindsay]

The quarterlight is way down the list of adjustments when it comes to gaps.... fit bulkhead, adjust bonnet to bulkhead, adjust doors to bonnet, adjust rear tub to doors....and then adjust the quarterlights. Triumph must have allowed for plenty of movement in the quarterlight assembly to get the gaps right. The biggest problem I've found with them is when new skins are fitted and the fitter leaves too much metal at the join, or uses too much weld, so that the quarterlight won't fit sufficiently forward into the door, to close the gap against the pillar. Don't forget you can still fit the P-seal against the pillar to seal a large gap, if required - I know some owners omit them but they do close the gap nicely.

[Phil C]

Thanks all for your input.

Colin, your order of priority is the logic I am following and I was looking to move the door forward.

The wider picture below illustrates this is possible with a little re-shaping of the leading edge of the door at the top (a pinch point with bonnet!)

As you say the tub can then move forward to suit.

My concern is that because I have repaired the top front area of the door carcass I may have created the problem you describe, i.e.  not being able to move the 1/4 light forward to form the correct A-post gap. Its currently located at its max forward position within the door.

Looking at Marks's car I am not sure I would achieve the same gap just moving the door forward. I could move the bonnet forward to allow further movement but then the bonnet/scuttle gap would be too large 🤯. 

As PeteH suggested, raising the door could also help but would require the bonnet to be raised to match swage lines. This would then cause problem with the scuttle/bonnet alignment 🤯.  The Cill gap would not be a problem however as I am leaving the fitting of the door skin repair panel until everything else is ok and the I can align it to suit 😎.

Scaling from Mark's photos I would guess his gap around 6-8mm? Can anyone confirm this is what I should be aiming for as my gap is currently 15mm?

Tilting the bulkhead with packers to get the gap parallel is something I hadn't considered yet, thanks PeteL, I can add to this to my armoury as I imagine the final solution is going to be a combination of all of the above.

I am beginning to realise why a Herald/Vitesse with good panel gaps is a very rare sight!!!

 

 

[Don R]

I’m just refitting my quarterlights after a full rebuild.  I’ve just found Colin’s “ too much metal at the top of the door” issue, I’ve got a decent gap now but it took a lot of fiddling.

my issue is the other way, laterally across the car.  With the doors on and gapped the quarterlight on one side has 15mm ish gap to the windscreen flange (that the door seal clips onto).  But on the other side the gap is about 5mm, consistent from top of door to top of windscreen (so I can’t bend the quarterlight out).  Is that where Colin means use the p seal or omit it depending on the gap? If I omit it how do I get a seal down there?
 

thanks!

[Pete Lewis]

the P seal is just glued    there are better  more modern self adhesive tube section  seals about on flebay 

if you have a 15mm gap vent frame to A post youre unusual   most have no gap as the A post gets pulled rearwards 

is your gap a flush problem  ie the vent sticks out ???  rather than a  excessive  joint gap???

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

If the frame gaps outwards then shim the mountings at the bottom of the frame inside the door with washers, that will bring it back to a better angle. It's trial and error. 

The P-seal is meant to close the gap between the quarterlight frame and the screen pillar; some have it in a direct line with the frame, and on others I've seen it just squashed into the angle of the doorframe so that it fills the entire corner. The flat side is meant to stick to the inner face of the frame, not the screen pillar, so it needs either trimmed along the edge or else bend at right angles - depending on what room you have to allow the door to close - and in some cars it goes in behind the door seal. I think that's the factory fitting, but I've seen so many variations over the years that it comes down to what stays in place and lets the door close while sealing the gap.

[68vitesse]

When I did my Mk1 Vitesse found adjustments moved if you didn't set it up without weight in the car i.e. engine and car needs to be on its wheels also things settled after I started driving it. The chassis is quite flexible and hence the extra door catches fitted to convertibles otherwise you can get self opening doors.

Best wishes for a very frustrating job.

Regards

Paul

[Don R]

Thanks for all the replies, I think frustrating is the word- I suspected the doors would be a bit of a challenge.   Will have a go and report back.

still waiting for the bonnet back from the spray shop, really hoping it just drops on in the right place 😬