Refitting Body; Refitting Doors; Refitting Painted Bonnet - Suffolk SS100 Build Manual

SS100 Build Manual (Export Edition)
withdrawing the brass hinge pins.
Remove the doors from the body and the hinges from the doors and body carefully marking all
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components so they are
shut lines.
The body can be made stable for transportation by bolting it to two 3" x 2" timbers 5 ft long. 4 angle
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brackets are needed which bolt to the 4 holes in the lower body flange under the passenger
compartment. The brackets in turn can be bolted to the timbers. The body shell can then easily be
transported on an average size trailer.
Most of the original SS100's had the interior surfaces of the bonnet painted.
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Note: While the body is away for painting is a good time to fill the engine and gearbox with oil. Refer to
Appendix 4 for the correct lubricants.
7.3.2

Refitting body

Upon receipt of the finished and painted body, refit it to the chassis and repeat all the relevant parts
of section 7. Remember that extra care is now needed to protect the final body finish. The following points
are worthy of thought.
Cover the running boards and front and rear wings with cotton for protection. New, unwashed
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material actually contains sharp fibres which can scratch the paintwork. Always put any material
through the washing machine first. This softens the fibres.
Do not use impervious material eg polythene directly in contact with the new paintwork, it can cause
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"sweating"and damage to the finish.
When using hand tools, particularly screwdrivers close to the bodywork, protect the surface either
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with the free hand or in some other way.
Rubber gaskets fitted between any metal surfaces fixed directly to the bodywork are not essential but
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will help protect the finished paintwork.
Get a small quantity of paint left over from the body shop. This will be needed for the windscreen
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pivot holes as well as any (hopefully none) scratches and chips that may occur.
7.3.3

Refitting doors

After the body has been painted and has been refitted using all your original spacers and bolts, check the
fitment of the doors again, due to the thickness of paint the door alignment may be affected. This can be
remedied by marking the positions of the hinges on the doors pillars before removing the doors and hinges,
you can then carefully file away the layer of paint (work towards the interior of the car to save splintering the
edge).
If the door is sitting down at the front, file the paint on the top hinge position, if the door is sitting high at the
front, file the paint from the bottom hinge position. If more adjustment is needed repeat the same procedure
on the door hinge position. If you have any issues with fit this must be sorted before fitting of the
floorboards.
7.3.4

Refitting painted bonnet

It helps to have an assistant to do this, lay the bonnet on a clean section of carpet or blanket before
lubricating the brass hinge pins with copper grease or WD40. Tap the pins gently into the joined hinges, it
can be easier to do the bottom panels once the top hinge and panels are fitted to the car.
Install the radiator shell with your chosen badge and dummy radiator cap and grille and fit a neoprene seal to
the bottom edge above the valance to save rubber the paint.
Reset the hoop, long stays and radiator shell to their original positions and loosely bolt the rear bonnet pin
mount to the bulkhead. Then lift the bonnet and insert the rear of the centre pin into the rear pin mount
before fixing the front end through the radiator shell and into the hoop (its easier to have help to do this). The
rear mount can then also be tightened.
The clearance gap at the front of the bonnet may need adjustment, this can be achieved at the top by
loosening the screws securing the front hinge mount then moving the radiator shell to suit, and at the bottom
end by loosening the 'Z' brackets moving them in their slotted holes or rotating the brackets around the
reassembled in exactly the same place. This is vital to maintain the door
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Rev 10 November 2013