Whilst the project is still in a phase of enforced procrastination until the weather clears up so I can put the roof on… I HAD TO DO SOMETHING….

The rear door needed the door hinges installed, so I dug them out of storage and got on with fitting them to the door.

The frame of the door is pre drilled to accept a middle hinge (as on a Defender) and as the rear door will have to endure the additional weight of a spare wheel, LGL with have 3 door hinges. Whilst the frame is manufactured with the middle hinge holes present, the skin of the door needed to be drilled. Typically Series 2 / 2a / 3 only had two door hinges.

All of the 6 holes in the galvanises door frame needed to be drilled through to remove the excess galvanising as a result of ponding of the molten zinc during the dipping process.

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Frame showing the lower and middle hinge bolt holes. These are steel sleeves welded into the frame box section. The frame won’t crush when everything is tightened down.

 

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Here you can see the skin of the door and the bolt sleeves. Skin needs to be drilled from the frame side, firstly to remove the excess zinc in the bolt holes and then to penetrate the aluminium door skin.

 

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Skin drilled for the additional middle hinge

 

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New kit of stainless steel rear door hinge bolts

 

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A short time later…. the 3 hinges are fitted. The upped and lower hinges are the originals, the middle is new Genuine Land Rover

 

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As I tightened one of the middle hing bolts, the spanner slipped off and I made a nice scratch in the paint. Annoying…. but this will be concealed by the spare wheel

 

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… and as I was bored, I quickly hung the door… just for for the fun of it. The bodywork needs to lined up correctly and I’m hoping this will all come together with the roof in place but was kind of cool to see the door (sort of) in place

 

Whilst I was in the garage, I also fitted the neat little aluminium badge that was supplied with the Rocky Mountain parabolic springs (next to the right hand reflector in the image above)

Earlier in the day I dropped off the newly sprayed spare rim, tyre and tube with British Classic Cars just up the road for them to fit them all together.