Tuning Canterbury 695

[the hobbler]

I found it a lot easier to do this job with the doors off the car--especially if you are fitting "pattern" doors. My wife was very wise and said to me "why don't you do it on the spare bed". It was the perfect answer as (a) it is flat and therefore easier to work on and, (b) if you are fitting "pattern" door you will discover that not all the holes line up as they should--a fair bit of fettling is often required!---much easier to do in the comfort of the house with the door flat in front of you. One extra tip--once you have it 'dry-fitted' remove the bolts (I used 'button-head' Allen bolts) one-by-one and refit them with a touch of 'loc-tite'. The last thing you need is to hear a rattle in the door due to a bolt coming loose. The procedure is exactly as 'Vitesse' stated, but he is right, take it gently and be prepared to 'jiggle' parts into place.

 

[fiat500]

Vaguely on a similar theme to yours Andrew. and being used in the way I would love to stretch a 500.
I can't rule out future car looking something like this, which just popped up on Facebook.
500 snow by Peter Thompson, on Flickr:

 

[AndrewHarvey]

That is exactly what I'm finishing - just with bolt on arches
Mine will be driven with the same vigour hopefully....

 

[Bleeding Knuckles]

Vaguely on a similar theme to yours Andrew. and being used in the way I would love to stretch a 500.
I can't rule out future car looking something like this, which just popped up on Facebook.
500 snow by Peter Thompson, on Flickr:

Now that's a sporting 500! must be great fun being a giant killer. wonderful action pic! No Video????

Ian.

 

[AndrewHarvey]

A dab of oppo and some wheelspin - what's not to like?
Mines so nearly finished.....

 

[fiat500]

Now that's a sporting 500! must be great fun being a giant killer. wonderful action pic! No Video????

Ian.

Good point so I searched but didn't find.
I'm now going to be guilty of posting random pictures that I did find, such as this one of Andrew, before he fitted the spotlights

226fbf5f94f5678b84e891c6aed53215 by Peter Thompson, on Flickr

 

[AndrewHarvey]

Now thats awesome and it's a Giannini like mine!

 

[fiat500]

You may possibly like this:
32d84706e5f2bca5f2ac9134759d04aa by Peter Thompson, on Flickr

But I prefer this:
4d6ef7476479827c7c21c2eb6deca173 by Peter Thompson, on Flickr

I'm definitely having a hold-down strap on the bonnet as my next mod.

 

[AndrewHarvey]

Oh Yes!!

 

[AndrewHarvey]

Finally the wheels are back!

The car looks completely wrong with the standard wheels it currently sits on...the offset of the Borrani wheels is the reason for the bolt on arches - so without them the stance is very under whelming.
I haven't seen the car with the arches and wheels - so there's something to look forward to.......

 

[AndrewHarvey]

Spent the afternoon working on the car and I have a question please guys
I have fitted the quarter light and it now fouls on the aluminum trim and will not open
Is this a problem anyone else has experienced?

 

[Franko500]

Oh yes, they can be very difficult to line up.

 

[the hobbler]

Don't we just love the world of 'pattern' parts? I ran into this problem--the cause was the rivets holding the top 1/4 light hinge onto the frame were protruding to much--the glass was therefore not going 'forward' into its frame enough---result? it fouled the outer frame (at the back) and would not shut. The only way to get round the problem was to remove the 1/4 light glass and frame and then (VERY carefully) remove the glass from its frame. When you have the bare glass frame, with the careful use of a couple of drifts (and 2 pairs of hands) flatten the protruding parts of the rivets. I found the best way was to hold one of the drifts (a 'flat-head' drift) in the vice, lay the frame upside down on the drift so that the top of the rivet(s) is on the drift and the flatten the protruding part of the rivet (s) with the other drift--this is why you need 2 pairs of hands. It is tedious--has anybody else got a better method?

 

[fiat500]

Maybe a stupid question, but are you sure that the alloy trim is fully located?
In the tight curve at the front I wouldn't trust the curvature as supplied to be perfect. Some gentle (it crinkles easily) manipulation with a rubber hammer (eg. the one nicked from the kids' "Whack-a-Mouse game), might help.

 

[AndrewHarvey]

Its not the aluminum trim its the frame - I wish I'd left the original to be honest but it's too late now
The first door rebuild was such an unpleasant experience that I left it half finished for three weeks - I was too embarrassed to ask for help at this late stage of build. I
I even had the joy of opening the quarter light half fitted and using my palm to encourage it into place - bent the vertical aluminum bar into a v......my entire family were left in no doubt how I felt!!!
I have hated building the doors easily the worst part of my build.
And even now the driver side won't clear the trim to open.....

 

[fiat500]

I see; you know it crinkles easily.
Tom is going to be right then, and that procedure of his sounds likely to create more bad language.:bang:
I wish the stuff was more easily removeable because the original stuff is better with a slightly different profile and wider to conceal the clips better.
Deep breaths Andrew.

 

[AndrewHarvey]

Which way do the internal door handles face on a 500 L - hinge towards the front?
(Picture if poss please)

 

[fiat500]

From earlier on your thread!
https://www.fiatforum.com/500-classic/421005-canterbury-695-a-9.html
Good job it's not an F you were asking about...what a can of worms?Ahhhh

 

[AndrewHarvey]

Thanks!

 

[AndrewHarvey]

Well wouldn't you just credit it.....
Three weeks for one door as it was so horrid - and tonight built the other one from scratch in two hours
The quarter light frame is still rubbish - but this can wait.....I need doors !