Call out to Colin Lindsay - Stainless Herald 1200 Bonnet adjustment brackets

[Colin]

Message to Colin Lindsay;

Colin, can you please issue me Pail Copeland's correct e-address (you have my private e-mail address if need be)?

I have an urgent need to purchase however many are needed to allow the guy finishing off my 1200's bodywork.The adjustment rods are at full stretch and he has no further play.

In the Club magazine, PC's e-address I think, was published incorrectly. I tried a variation, but no go . . . 

Thanks in advance.

Best, Colin Winn

[Colin Lindsay]

Done! I've sent you an e-mail.

Her's on eBay as Buyright777, a range of stainless stuff but no bonnet brackets listed. I've had a few enquiries about those so he should make another batch!

[Colin]

Hi Colin. I've retrieved my Herald from the 'restorer' after 10 months (pic to follow in e-mail - seems my mobile won't go to my photo gallery!). Looks good from a distance and the 10 months and his lack of enthusiasm (except for my money) at the end - exactly where matters of detail matter - have left me with doors and bonnet poorly aligned. I'm currently trying to put things right, item by item. In the end, he didn't use the stainless brackets you kindly helped me source - he seemed to have sorted it at my next visit. All a long story, but in the situation now is I think I'll try to rectify/improve matters myself. So returning to those front brackets (I have never even looked at these elements in my 35 years of ownership); once you have fitted the brackets (does the bonnet have to be removed? I'm a two hand only man) are the bolts tightened up on them? They must be, I'm thinking, or the bonnet would be free to shift forward/back otherwise. Even using the old brackets - they surely should be bolted up tight, shouldn't they? (Think he mentioned in passing they were loose - not checked as yet). And surely, there ought to be enough adjustment with those and the adjustment rods? 

I did however, whilst we were sorting out an indicator-earth problem he'd caused remove the rad and back flush to get that crystalline deposit issue at least partially sorted (you spotted it when I sent a pic of my old thermostat some time back) 

Thanks for the hand-holding! Have just had a go at outer door weatherstrip fitting. Inner strip much more challenging I found - I'd be interested to see the order of seals as originally fitted - it may not be possible any more due to lack of original parts? But at least slightly more weatherproof than was. And replaced original sunvisor nuts and now finished with domed chrome 1/4" UNF nuts! 

Cheers again.

Colin.

[Colin Lindsay]

Looking forward to e-mail.

The way I adjust the bonnet -  works for me, as a one-man job! - is to remove the front overriders, and if you need to, the front grille assembly. Lay an old bed quilt over the top of the engine so that it supports the bonnet top panel towards the front, with the rear edge of the bonnet resting on the bonnet cones or the sealing strip along the bulkhead. Close the bonnet down onto it, adjust the quilt packing under the top panel until it's sitting almost correctly, then loosen all of the bolts at the front brackets; you'll probably need to remove the adjustable bonnet stay rod at the bracket side. Move the bonnet until the gaps are perfect as can be; the quilt will move about so you can press it down, or adjust up as necessary, but the main thing is that the bonnet rests on it, padded up off the engine, and in roughly the correct place that it will end up. No damage to paintwork or any engine component. The bonnet will stay in place even if you remove the brackets completely and replace with longer. Once the gaps are good then tighten the bracket bolts; they tighten fully so the bolts through the slotted side cannot slide about. 

The alternative method is to put a jack under the bonnet tube where it curves down at the front under the chassis rail and support it from there, but you don't have the same free range of back and forth movement. The jack will support the bonnet to prevent it dropping at the front while you swap the brackets over, and it means you can adjust the height at the front, relevant to the door gaps and keeping them parallel, before you tighten up. The photo below shows my current 13/60 gaps with the bonnet too low at the front, which means it's wider at the top; simply raising at the front may straighten the gap, but also pull it out at the bottom and so widen the gap, so there needs to be that little bit of backwards movement too hence the need for longer bonnet brackets.

I replaced the brackets on the estate this way, then once the gaps were good I just tightened all up and adjusted the bonnet stay rods to fit the position of the bolts. I bought that last set of stainless brackets for the 13/60, too, so all three Heralds will have them.

[Colin]

Hi Colin! Very comprehensive - thanks. 

IF . . . here it comes . . . IF the doors are all wrong, too, which would you put 'right' first?? 

I can see arguments for either or, frankly . . .  

I'll e-mail pics soon.

Best,

Colin

[Colin Lindsay]

The factory manual says: fit bulkhead, gap bonnet to bulkhead, gap doors to bonnet, fit rear tub and gap that to the rest.

IF however you've got a complete car and don't want to move the bulkhead then gap the doors to the b-post, adjust the bonnet to fit, and hope there's enough backwards adjustment to get decent gaps. You can always move the quarterlight frames at the front, but how far backwards the bonnet goes is limited by the top edge along the bulkhead.

 

[Colin]

Hi Colin! Again:- Very helpful - thanks. Shame he couldn't commit his time to make this important aspect of the build right.

If you e-mail me now (think I've cleared a load of mails off this phone), I'll attach the pics (which DO sit on this phone! 

Cheers,

Best, C.