Major body damage - repair

Where serious damage has occurred or large areas need renewal due to neglect, it means that completely new sections or panels will need welding in, and this is best left to professionals. If the damage is due to impact, it will also be necessary to completely check the alignment of the bodyshell structure. Due to the principle of construction, the strength and shape of the whole car can be affected by damage to one part. In such instances the service of a dealer with specialist checking jigs are essential. If a body is left misaligned, it is first of all dangerous, as the car will not handle properly, and secondly uneven stresses will be imposed on the steering, engine and transmission, causing abnormal wear or complete failure. Tyre wear may also be excessive.

    See also:

    Carburettor (Weber 2V type) - fast idle speed adjustment
    1 This procedure does not apply to models fitted with a carburettor stepper motor, for which no adjustment is possible. 2 Check the idle speed and mixture. The idle speed must be correct before at ...

    Steering gear bellows - renewal
    1 At the first indication of a split or grease leakage from the bellows, renew them. 2 Loosen off the roadwheel bolts, raise the front of the vehicle and support it on stands (see “Jacking and Veh ...

    Engine - refitting (automatic transmission in vehicle)
    1 Reverse the procedure described in Section 9, noting the following points. 2 Check that the engine adapter plate is correctly positioned on its locating dowels. 3 As the torque converter is only ...