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Fitted the tub today. It shows that the doors are both a mile out. The one with the twist is twisted the wrong way so its about 12mm out top to bottom at the rear. The one that is relatively straight is only about 4mm out. I shall have a go at twisting them tomorrow but I suspect the one that is 12mm out will be a problem.
I almost committed my biggest fohpar so far though. I thought I would drill the hole for the fuel filler - a have a nice hole saw that is the right size and Marlin conveniently have marked the spot of the tub (moulded pip). Then common sense kicked in so I just drilled a tiny hole first. Good job I did as the spot marked on the tub by Marlin is a HUGE way out - about 25mm. What I want to know is why mark the ***** spot if it is completely in the wrong place! Grr....
Robin,
bad luck with the doors. I'd make sure the tub is in it's final location before bending those doors.
I used the short piece of filler hose to mark the position on the inside of the tub before drilling the filler hole.
My filler hose spot was about 5cm by the time I relocated the tank further up! I had to chop a load off the bottom of the tub where it sits down behind the doors to get it sitting correctly. I also used bolts to pull the tub backwards a bit away from the doors. Also spacers stuck in between the chassis and the tub to move it more in-line with the doors.
The only pre marked holes I've found to be pretty much in the right place are those on the nose cone (the nose cone itself is miles off being straight)
EDIT I will add adjusting the tub was (next to the bonnet) the biggest PITA job on the car. I spent a hell of along time making small adjustments over many weeks. I'm still 100% happy but there's only so much I able to do!
Robin,
like Patrick says, you fix the back of the tub by inserting the bumpers through the holes. Then keep trimming the lower edge of the front of the body tub until the shut line is parallel with the door. (Door is parallel with the chassis by placing it on hardboard strip.)
You can see it trimmed in this photo........... http://www.flickr.com/photos/peters-bmwmarlin/506513837/in/set-72157600024149736/
You can bend the vertical 'wings' that are left after you cut the old striker plates off to pull the body tub inwards towards the centre of the car. (Wack them with a club hammer to bend them in until the body fits snug against the chassis above the wheel arches.) You can also move the body back until the door gaps are correct. I must have moved mine on and off about 20 times!
This picture shows the final position... http://www.flickr.com/photos/peters-bmwmarlin/506484334/in/set-72157600024149736/
Once your happy with the fit, you can then fit the striker plates so that they fit snug up behind the body, and then drill the holes.
The only pre marked holes I've found to be pretty much in the right place are those on the nose cone (the nose cone itself is miles off being straight)
EDIT I will add adjusting the tub was (next to the bonnet) the biggest PITA job on the car. I spent a hell of along time making small adjustments over many weeks. I'm still 100% happy but there's only so much I able to do!
Yeah, my nose cone is wonky and makes the bumpers look wrong but the are perfectly lined up with the chassis. I once read an article by that Nigel Dean chap that writes in Kit Car, that it is better to line things up by eye than a tape measure and spirit level because you can make it look right. (He was talking about fitting a Cobra body to the chassis, so its not just Marlin.)
I have yet to tackle the bonnet fitting, I need to build up the courage to have a go!
Yeah, my nose cone is wonky and makes the bumpers look wrong but the are perfectly lined up with the chassis. I once read an article by that Nigel Dean chap that writes in Kit Car, that it is better to line things up by eye than a tape measure and spirit level because you can make it look right. (He was talking about fitting a Cobra body to the chassis, so its not just Marlin.)
I have yet to tackle the bonnet fitting, I need to build up the courage to have a go!
I stopped using a tape measure quite some time ago. My oil cooler is in the middle of the nose cone, yet it looks very much off to one side, doh!
(the nose cone itself is miles off being straight)
I stopped using a tape measure quite some time ago. My oil cooler is in the middle of the nose cone, yet it looks very much off to one side, doh!