Stand behind your car with the top down and sight down the centerline of the
car. Use the center of the spare tire (or the wire wheel attachment wing
nut) and the center of the dash, the horn button is a good reference, as
sights. Then follow these sightlines out to the chrome hinge that is the
centerline of the bonnet. Note whether the chrome hinge goes off to the
right or the left. It should be exactly straight and in line with the horn
button and the center of the spare tire. If it is not the bodywork to bent
and out of alighnment. NOTE, the frame can be straight and the body still
be bent! Often the frame is straight and the valence panels are bent of to
theright or left. Since the fenders mount on the valences, if the valences
are out of alighnment the fenders and nose will be out of alighnment.
Repairing this kind of damage is a MAJOR production. As the fenders and
valences go to the right, for example, the right fender will drop at the
wing lamp and the left fender will get to high. To realign the front body
you must start with the frame , then the valences, then the fenders and the
nose and the bonnets.
Regards, Greg Solow
-----Original Message-----
From: Christian Ness <cqness@worldnet.att.net>
To: Morgans@autox.team.net <Morgans@autox.team.net>
Date: Saturday, April 24, 1999 11:27 AM
Subject: Re: Alignment of the bonnet halfs.
>I have a similar situation on my '61 Plus 4. The starboard bonnet front
>lower corner has made a hole in the radiator shroud from flapping against
>it. It had a rubber triangle protecting it until recently but I lost it on
>the road. Is the rubber triangle original equipment? Also the rear gap is
>larger on that side than the other, better fitting, side. I can't quite
>work out what the source of the problem is but have two candidates. There
>is a very subtle bend in the right part of the front bumper that is not
>matched by the left and there is a crack in the starboard wing where the
>running light mounts and no corresponding damage in the port wing. These
>might be evidence of a collision or damage in the past (not on my watch)
but
>the bumper could have been caused by a minor brush with something, and the
>fender crack I understand to be a normal sort of aging process in Morgans.
>More importantly, the car tracks straight and there is absolutely no
>evidence of misalignment in the area of the frame or suspension. Could the
>radiator shroud be mounted slightly off or the cut of the bonnet sheet
metal
>be that far off correct? Both are original, I believe, and don't look as
>though any poorly done work was performed.
>
>My second candidate is the rather well made and attractive wind box and
air
>filter arrangement the previous owner fabricated from aluminum (or is it
>alumin-i-um on a Morgan?) for the SU's...I can open and close the starboard
>bonnet half easily so I don't feel it is hitting. But perhaps the
>'stretching' or moving out of position necessary to accomodate this has
>already happened.
>
>Chris Ness
>1961 Plus 4
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jeff Webster <carfindr@tiac.net>
>To: Morgans@autox.team.net <Morgans@autox.team.net>
>Date: Saturday, April 24, 1999 10:08 AM
>Subject: Re: Alignment of the bonnet halfs.
>
>
>>Hi Gang,
>>Are there any tips you can offer when it comes to adjusting the bonnets on
>>Morgans? One side seems to fit pretty good - the other is horrible. It is
>>the original bonnet - so at this time I am convinced it's just a matter of
>>adjustment. The bonnet was removed by the PO for a paint job, and I
presume
>>not put back right. Where is the best place to start - the top bulkhead
>>hinge pin, the cowl hinge pin, should I loosen/remove the cowl, get the
>>bonnet right and then sort the cowl out last?
>>
>>Comments/suggestions please,'
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>Jeff
>>
>>
>
>
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