Cat Flap - let’s see.

congo181 said:

I’m getting some interference between the top of the door frame and the bottom of the gutter as the door is opened, but only on the off-side. My tiny brain cannot work out the required adjustment. I could just lower the door (when closed) but that would adversely affect the shut lines.
Anyone good at adjusting these type of hinged doors?

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Is their a difference in your hinges somewhere ??
Offset hinges are how I used to get a gate to open “uphill” so they didn’t bottom out when swung open. It doesn’t take much to throw it off

congo181 said:

Been working on the latching mechanism this morning. Fabricated a fixture that receives the locking bolt, that mimics the original series design. Seems to work ok, but needs some movement built in for adjustment. Got to make the opposing one now it works.
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You're just showing off now! Top work that man

meego said:

Is their a difference in your hinges somewhere ??
Offset hinges are how I used to get a gate to open “uphill” so they didn’t bottom out when swung open. It doesn’t take much to throw it off

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+1 - it’s about all that can cause it in my mind guessing the NS offset is greater, so no issue…

Disco1BFG said:

+1 - it’s about all that can cause it in my mind guessing the NS offset is greater, so no issue…

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The two hinges were welded together when bent up to make them exactly the same. I suppose it’s possible there’s some differences elsewhere, like the pin centres?
I’ll take it all apart again and make some careful measurements. Luckily nothings finally fixed yet.

Bit of progress on the cat flap.
The upper hinge brackets are now riveted to the roof and seem very solid. I managed to adjust the door fit with some packing and now all clears the roof gutter ok.
This afternoon I refitted the outer skins to the door frame after a good prime to the inner faces to slow down the corrosion. The skins had a bit of polyurethane adhesive for good measure to try and stop water ingress.
I also fettled the drop arms a bit for aesthetics and then painted them with G90 cold galv spray which I quite like.

Drilled the bottom edge for the genuine galvanised drip edge sourced from eBay. Couldn’t think of a better way than this solution for water in the bottom and found some NOS ones for sale at a good price.
I might look at adding some kind of rubber seal on the bottom edge of the door in the future.

Fitted the gas strut today which works well.
Unfortunately, when closed, the strut compresses the hinge arm which then causes the flap to foul the gutter again on opening. More fettling required. Looking good though.

I’m soon going to paint the cat flap white, but I can’t decide if the galvanised drip strip should be white or unpainted. There’s a couple of other galv parts on the back panel already. My fear is that running the white line down below the roof sides will look odd.
What do you all think?

Leave galv

Shouldn't the drip strip be on the back of the lower lip rather than the front?
Surely that will trap water.

Cracking job though.

J

marjon said:

Shouldn't the drip strip be on the back of the lower lip rather than the front?
Surely that will trap water.

Cracking job though.

J

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How would the top open??
(You would have to drop the tail gate otherwise)

Hicap phill said:

How would the top open??
(You would have to drop the tail gate otherwise)

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Back of the lower lip of the top flap maybe would have been better words
the drip strip would stick out the gap and still be over the top of the lower.

Have since had a quick goggle and it seems that's how they are So apart from saying I think that's silly and will trap water.

I guess its a landy, so I will just continue to watch the progress in silence.

J

marjon said:

Back of the lower lip of the top flap maybe would have been better words
the drip strip would stick out the gap and still be over the top of the lower.

Have since had a quick goggle and it seems that's how they are So apart from saying I think that's silly and will trap water.

I guess its a landy, so I will just continue to watch the progress in silence.

J

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I do see your point, and yes, your suggestion makes sense, but like you, I googled the original and they’re on the front surface.
I’ll put a bead of polyurethane behind it and in the holes pre-riveting just in case, or maybe even make a rubber gasket. I’m more concerned about the drips not getting inside than the seepage I guess.
I might just offer it up the the back and see how it looks now…
edit: managed to get a coat of 2K primer on the frame when it cooled down this evening. That’s good.

I also think leave it galv

congo181 said:

I’m soon going to paint the cat flap white, but I can’t decide if the galvanised drip strip should be white or unpainted. There’s a couple of other galv parts on the back panel already. My fear is that running the white line down below the roof sides will look odd.
What do you all think?
View attachment 269274

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leave it galv definitely, and at the same time remove the paint from the capping's so they are plain galv as well, like they should be

marjon said:

So apart from saying I think that's silly and will trap water

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it depends how much tiger seal has been used to glue it together to prevent the water getting trapped

EDIT

congo181 said:

I’ll put a bead of polyurethane behind it and in the holes pre-riveting just in case, or maybe even make a rubber gasket.

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seems @congo181 is already all over it, I would recommend rubber rather than something that is actually sticky, a piece form an old inner tube would be ideal imo

dag019 said:

leave it galv definitely, and at the same time remove the paint from the capping's so they are plain galv as well, like they should be

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Were the defenders not all painted then? I know the series all had galv cappings but I though after that they were all painted. Mines a 1987 110 which had been painted yellow post factory but I thought the caps were all factory painted.

congo181 said:

Were the defenders not all painted then? I know the series all had galv cappings but I though after that they were all painted. Mines a 1987 110 which had been painted yellow post factory but I thought the caps were all factory painted.

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I do not know the exact change over point, the early 90/110's were still galv capping's but certainly all the defenders (pedantically post tdi introduction when they were actually called defenders) were painted. I assume the painting them coincided with stopping galvanising them sometime in the '80s. Because you have got the series look limestone sides my preference would certainly be galv cappings. Again I may be wrong but I would have though by the time the cappings were painted the sides would have been body coloured with just the roof as white.

dag019 said:

I do not know the exact change over point, the early 90/110's were still galv capping's but certainly all the defenders (pedantically post tdi introduction when they were actually called defenders) were painted. I assume the painting them coincided with stopping galvanising them sometime in the '80s. Because you have got the series look limestone sides my preference would certainly be galv cappings. Again I may be wrong but I would have though by the time the cappings were painted the sides would have been body coloured with just the roof as white.

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Interesting info.
The body is quite a bitsa, with the sides and roof coming from two different donor vehicles (eBay is your friend). The tub is original, but as I say, had been (badly) painted post-factory, and pre-me so I don’t have the original spec.
I haven’t gone for a concourse finish as it’s all so very original - at 34 years she should have a few dents. Also, the paint was my first attempt at auto spraying, so it’s by no means perfect.
If the tub had been a lot worse I’d probably have removed the cappings, but it’s all too late now
Talking of paint….

That’s the last bit of the job painted just now. Yay.

congo181 said:

I haven’t gone for a concourse finish as it’s all so very original - at 34 years she should have a few dents.

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that is as it should be, the do not look right if you make them perfect. I have done the same with both of mine although I didn't bother learning or trying to spray them, i used a gloss roller!