It's not easy being green - 1971 TC

[Dilkris]

My wife managed to hit my bright carnival red one in our driveway !!!

 

[Cheguava]

Made a bit more progress today, helped by the (eventual) arrival of the corded electric impact wrench, which undid the offside lower seatbelt mount bolt that no amount of conventional leverage could shift. However, the nearside mount was a rather different affair. As can be seen from the picture, structural integrity had departed.  Thanks to EuropaTC aka Brian for his tip about the ugga dugga gun, and also for advising to check out the mounting plates for corrosion - slightly concerning to wonder what the result would have been in an accident.

Top seatbelt mounts sorted too, so now just the door pins and steering rack to do.  I've established that the door pins do have a thread at the bottom and managed to get a bolt screwed into one. Couldn't get the pin to shift though - I've removed the split pin, should that release it? Next step is presumably a slide hammer to persuade it to move downwards?

[dakazman]

My wife managed to hit my bright carnival red one in our driveway !!!

 

   OH S^%$$#^&
    Okay How bad?
Dakazman

[Kendo]

Cheguava, have you looked inside the door at the hinge pin? If it's at all rusty, you won't be able to slide it down. OTOH, with access, you can sand down the rust by your favorite method.

[Dilkris]

I just couldn't win with mine and ended up cutting them out - I cut them with a Z saw through the lower section - with this cut the upper section pulled free.
Be careful, the doors are quite heavy, (can't remember if you have already stripped them) 
Photo's show what I ended up with. I will replace with Banks hinges.
Lots of historical data on the forum regarding these - many many people have been along this journey - good luck.   

[Kendo]

I cut mine out, too. I did it with cuts above and below the door, then with the door on a work table, managed to remove the pins and the rest of the hardware. Replaced with Banks hinges, too.

[GavinT]

Couldn't get the pin to shift though - I've removed the split pin, should that release it? Next step is presumably a slide hammer to persuade it to move downwards?

If that works, you should buy yourself a lottery ticket.

I had to cut mine out.

If all else fails, I'd suggest:
1. Cut the pin inside the door with an angry grinder in two places so as to remove a section. Be careful it doesn't jump and put a slit in the door because there's not much room to swing it about. A reciprocating saw may be better.
2. With a section of the pin removed, it's possible to wedge the door upwards to expose the pin below the door itself.
3. Cut the pin below the door. I used a hacksaw blade in a handle because I didn't have a reciprocating version at the time.
4. Cut the pin above the door similarly and remove the door to the healing bench.

[EuropaTC]

I've established that the door pins do have a thread at the bottom and managed to get a bolt screwed into one. Couldn't get the pin to shift though - I've removed the split pin, should that release it? Next step is presumably a slide hammer to persuade it to move downwards?

The first job is to get the pin to rotate in the door bush by holding the pin with mole grips and opening/closing the door. From the photos earlier, your car is in much better condition than mine was and usually the photos I've seen are a completely rusted up pin. If you can leave them with penetrating oil and then give it some effort with mole grips/door leverage then with any luck you'll get them moving.

Then it's the slide hammer, but no point trying that until the pins rotate in the door bushes, without the pin being free you'll just make a lot of noise and get upset. If you can't rotate the pin then give up and cut them out. It will take ages but that's Lotus Life.

As for the seat belt mounts, well, that's another "TADTS" - They All Do That Sir.  - just a matter of time 

If you haven't seen the thread, I replaced mine ages ago when I changed the seat belts to inertia reel. Joji sent me pictures of his federal car set-up and it helped a lot in making the change although I suppose you could work it out from the parts manual.  Definitely something to consider when you're putting the car back together, it stops you sitting on the belt when you get in, closing the door when the metal bit has decided to rest on the sill, etc.

https://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=883.msg6539#msg6539

[4129R]

My wife managed to hit my bright carnival red one in our driveway !!!

 

   OH S^%$$#^&
    Okay How bad?
Dakazman

[EuropaTC]

hummph, nobbut a scratch....   

a bit of T-Cut and you'll polish that out in no time....   

[Cheguava]

I've established that the door pins do have a thread at the bottom and managed to get a bolt screwed into one. Couldn't get the pin to shift though - I've removed the split pin, should that release it? Next step is presumably a slide hammer to persuade it to move downwards?

The first job is to get the pin to rotate in the door bush by holding the pin with mole grips and opening/closing the door. From the photos earlier, your car is in much better condition than mine was and usually the photos I've seen are a completely rusted up pin. If you can leave them with penetrating oil and then give it some effort with mole grips/door leverage then with any luck you'll get them moving.

Then it's the slide hammer, but no point trying that until the pins rotate in the door bushes, without the pin being free you'll just make a lot of noise and get upset. If you can't rotate the pin then give up and cut them out. It will take ages but that's Lotus Life.

As for the seat belt mounts, well, that's another "TADTS" - They All Do That Sir.  - just a matter of time 

If you haven't seen the thread, I replaced mine ages ago when I changed the seat belts to inertia reel. Joji sent me pictures of his federal car set-up and it helped a lot in making the change although I suppose you could work it out from the parts manual.  Definitely something to consider when you're putting the car back together, it stops you sitting on the belt when you get in, closing the door when the metal bit has decided to rest on the sill, etc.

https://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=883.msg6539#msg6539

Thanks for this - I don't think I really understood how the door hinges worked until this point. One side does rotate, so I'll have a go at that, and see if I can move the other side with mole grips. Sounds like it'll be a saw job though, which is not the end of the world given the cost of new pins.

It was your post about the seat belt mount plate that alerted me to what might be going on in the sill, so thanks again!  I think I'm going to retain the static belts (with new webbing) as I don't think I can sacrifice any rearward seat travel, I may well change my mind later but that's the current thinking.

[EuropaTC]

If you mount the inertia reels as they were originally then I think (note "think" ) they were slightly higher than mine are so you wouldn't lose any seat movement. Mine ended up where they are because it was fairly simple to install and I was certain they'd retract/lock at that angle.  Unless you're already used to a car with static belts it's worth considering, especially if you live in an area where you need to use that apology for a handbrake on hill starts !

[Cheguava]

Back to putting a bit of effort into getting the last bits done before separating body and chassis. So, first door finally off. Absolutely nothing worked to free the door hinge pin, so hack sawed through the top and bottom. Bottom of the pin fell into sill, but top of pin in door frame and top and bottom of the door are still well and truly stuck. Am I best drilling these out now? Or is there any other way? Presumably the bolts inside the door are for door adjustment only?

Secondly, the steering pinch bolt to release the lower steering column. Having managed to get a ratchet spanner on the nut, with immense effort managed to get it to turn, but of course that was the bolt turning too.    I can't see a way of getting a second spanner on the bolt head due to the lack of room.

So I moved to undo the steering rack from the T section. Bolts rounded off, and nuts turning with the bolt. Got angry and cut off the bolt heads and nuts. Still not wanting to move, even with persuasion.

I'll be able to get a further crack at the steering rack when I get the body off, but for now I I think my best options to get the steering column off are to use a hacksaw on a handle to cut the nut off the pinch bolt, or if there's room even cut down the middle of it. Am I missing something here? Or is this a complete nightmare? Seems crackers to have so much stuff disappearing into a closed box section...

[4129R]

Back to putting a bit of effort into getting the last bits done before separating body and chassis. So, first door finally off. Absolutely nothing worked to free the door hinge pin, so hack sawed through the top and bottom. Bottom of the pin fell into sill, but top of pin in door frame and top and bottom of the door are still well and truly stuck. Am I best drilling these out now? Or is there any other way? Presumably the bolts inside the door are for door adjustment only?

I have had to drill a hole in each fibreglass wing, and literally punch the 1/2" rod out of the housing in the body.

Secondly, the steering pinch bolt to release the lower steering column. Having managed to get a ratchet spanner on the nut, with immense effort managed to get it to turn, but of course that was the bolt turning too.    I can't see a way of getting a second spanner on the bolt head due to the lack of room.

I use a bent C shaped 1/2" ring spanner, like for the bolts holding the rack to the chassis. You have to rotate the steering wheel to get the right position to access top and bottom. 

So I moved to undo the steering rack from the T section. Bolts rounded off, and nuts turning with the bolt. Got angry and cut off the bolt heads and nuts. Still not wanting to move, even with persuasion.

I'll be able to get a further crack at the steering rack when I get the body off, but for now I I think my best options to get the steering column off are to use a hacksaw on a handle to cut the nut off the pinch bolt, or if there's room even cut down the middle of it. Am I missing something here? Or is this a complete nightmare? Seems crackers to have so much stuff disappearing into a closed box section...

Much easier to access everything when the body is off.

[Kendo]

Have you removed the more or less teardrop shaped closing panel at the rear of the front wheel well? It’s held on with 5-7 large rivets and probably undercoating. With that removed, you can reach in and pick up the lower piece of hinge pin. And you can touch the top of the upper section of pin. Maybe some penetrating oil would obviate the need to drill through the fiberglass wing. (Makes me reconsider why there was a patch in the fiberglass there on my car’s body.)