ScootAcar doors.

[Bob Purton]

This is a question I have pondered for years. All the Mk1 Scootarcars I have ever seen including both that I have owned have had an badly fitting door, to be more precise they all appear to kick out at the bottom. Does anyone know if they came out of the factory like this or is it perhaps something that happens to the fibreglass, some sort of shrinkage over the years? Does anyone know?

[Stuart Cyphus]

 I think chances are its something in the nature of the fibreglass. the right-hand (normal) door on my Mini-Comtesse has quite a pronounced bow to it at the bottom.

[Dan Rodd]

just look at any reliant door(mine doesnt count as it has an ash frame!)always bowed out at the top or bottom,sometimes both.

[Grant Kearney]

When I restored my first Mk1 I was determined to get the door to fit. The problem of poorly fitting doors comes from the cantilever effect of the door on the aluminium door hinges.  The steel pins wears through the hinge quickly and thus free play develops which allows the door to sag further and the fit becomes worse.  The bottom of the door and 'sill' quickly wear down as the two areas rub together and soon the paint wears of exposing natural fibreglass.  
My door did fit very well for the first couple of years but not any more.  The hinges have worn despite fitting over sized pins.  The new hinges on my Mk2 have been fitted with sprung steel split dowels which are compressed into the two halves of the hinge.  As the hinge wears through use the split dowel expands and takes up the free play and so far so good.
Please note the correct terminology for a Hunslet produced vehicle 'ScootAcar' and not 'ScooERcar', one of my many pet hates!  

[Stuart Cyphus]

Please note the correct terminology for a Hunslet produced vehicle 'ScootAcar' and not 'ScooERcar', one of my many pet hates!   

  So are we all in Detention at 1.30 in Class 11b, or do we just take 100 lines?

 We must spell "Scootacar" properly
 We must spell "Scootacar" properly
 We must spell "Scootacar" properly
 Etc. Etc.
 Etc.           

 (I actully did that once, when I was given detention for something I didn't actully do. I was so peeved with the teacher I sat there, wrote the first five lines out longhand & just put "Etc" on the sixth line & spent the next 59 minites arms folded, silently daring the teacher to say just one word out of place to me about it. At the end of the hour, the teacher did what I knew full well he'd do, just picked the paper up & tore it up without even glancing at it. Needless to say, I never really got on with that teacher.) 

[Bob Purton]

Thanks scootacar for the comprehensive explanation, it all makes sence now. I must point out however that you have spelt the spelling mistake itself incorrectly and missed out the T. Now who's knit picking! These things do get ones goat though I agree, the one I cant stand is when people say Robin Reliant instead of Reliant Robin, its like saying how is your Cortina Ford! Another is the myth that bubblecars have no reverse gear, I could go on. Bye the way, have you seen Phil Bowlers Mk1 restoration, its a cracker!

[Bob Purton]

I have been thinking about that hinge problem and surely all that outward friction of a sprung split pin scrapeing the hole out every time the door is opened will just excelerate the problem. Would it not be better to bush the hinges with phosferrous bronze? I apologise for any spelling mistakes in advance.

[P50]

I was under the impression that people fit an unsuitable door seal which pushes the door out at the bottom. The latch in the middle keeps it tight there. And the ally frame does not flex as much as the fibreglass door at the bottom.

The correct original seal has a I think a red fabric edge and is a lot smaller in profile. It's NLA so one uses what one can get.

I could be wrong so please don't shoot me down in flames!!

P.S.

Phils Mk1 is the best in the universe. (unless there's a NOS Mk1 floating in space several light years away!!  Which is unlikely but given the universe is infinate it could occur! Err I think?!!) 

[Grant Kearney]

Like all good teachers I put an intentional spelling mistook in my last message just to see if anyone was reading it carefully.  Well done to those who noticed, a good star each I think 
P50 is also correct with regards to the door rubber.  The original was a narrow profile and the modern replacement is much chunkier which pushes the door out at the bottom.  The whole door is very flimsy hence why it won't compress the new type door seal and merely flexes its self under pressure.  This is the main reason for all ScootAcars leaking water.
I did try to fit bushes to my first set of hinges but the area were the pin goes is so small and weak (hence the number of original broken hinges and the demand for new Stephen Boyd ones) there was not enough