Body to Bulkhead

[Ray White]

Can someone tell me if the bottom holes in the bulkhead are sometimes left unused? I have yet to drill any holes through the wood frame but in a trial fit of my new body tub it seems impossible to install bolts in the bottom bulkhead holes without coming up against the body irons on the other side.

Even if I can raise the body enough for the bolts to clear the metal, I still don't think there is enough space to fit the nuts.

What's the solution, please?

[antijam]

Not sure I understand your problem. Is this the bolt you mean?

Capture.JPG (63.22 KiB) Viewed 1197 times

[Ray White]

Yes, that is the one. I have been informed that the bolt needs to be at a downward angle to avoid the metalwork on the other side. I suppose I could always thread a coach screw into the wood but not going right through. Either way it is not ideal.

[antijam]

Have you bolted the scuttle to the bulkhead support brackets attached to the chassis? If so I suggest you fit the radiator and shell with the body tub on the chassis and then fit the bonnet to check the alignment of the sides with both the rad shell and the side of the body. There is no built in adjustment to get this correct other than packing up the front of the tub or raising the radiator to get the angle correct, or shifting the tub fore and aft to get the size right - you don't want to be having to trim the bonnet to fit as the factory allegedly did! If tub packing is necessary this may alter the mounting of the scuttle to the tub or - as I found in my case with a new tub - require redrilling the attachment holes for the support brackets in the chassis.

This piccie shows the packing I needed with my tub....

[Ray White]

So, I have offered up the bonnet to the scuttle. The off side seems O.K. but it's a long way out on the near side. There is a pronounced taper; widest at the top. At the moment I can't see any way Other than to trim the bonnet but I am not in a rush so will continue to meddle with it.

When I clamp the bulkhead to the frame the problems multiply.!

I have also had to take a round file to the mounting holes in the angle iron to get the body straight and evenly located within the perimeter of the bulkhead flange.

[antijam]

Getting everything adjusted for best fit and alignment can seem like an endless PITA at times! Marrying assorted new parts, or new with old parts to achieve the original lines of the car without some modification is practically impossible. I can offer no more practical advice than to keep tweaking and if packing or trimming is found necessary, try to ensure that it can be made in an area with minimum effort. Eventually you will achieve a workable compromise