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:

    Cylinder head - removal and refitting
    Removal Note: On HCS engines, cylinder head bolts may be used a total of three times (including initial fit) and must be suitably marked to indicate each removal operation. A new cylinder head ga ...

    Rear tie-bar (Saloon and Estate models) - removal and refitting
    Removal 1 Before attempting to remove a tie-bar, note the location of all washers and bushes. These control the rear wheel alignment and they must be returned to their original locations. 2 Raise ...

    Engine/manual gearbox assembly - reconnection and refitting
    1 Reverse the procedure described in Section 11, noting the following points. 2 Before attempting to reconnect the engine to the gearbox, check that the clutch friction disc is centralised. This i ...