General description

The body is of welded steel construction available in 3 or 5-door Hatchback, 3 or 5- door Estate, soft-top Cabriolet, or Van configurations.

The body is of monocoque construction and is of energy-absorbing design.

Rust and corrosion protection is applied to all new vehicles and includes zinc phosphate dipping and wax injection of box sections and door interiors.

All body panels are welded, including the front wings, so it is recommended that major body damage repairs are left to your dealer.

    See also:

    Choke control cable - removal, refitting and adjustment
    Pre-1986 models Removal 1 Disconnect the battery earth lead. 2 For improved access, remove the air cleaner unit (Section 2). 3 At the carburettor end of the cable, loosen the cable clamp bolt, d ...

    Compression test
    1 When engine performance is poor, or if misfiring occurs which cannot be attributed to the ignition or fuel system, a compression test can provide diagnostic clues. If the test is performed regul ...

    Rear brake backplate (drum brakes) - removal and refitting
    Caution: Refer to the precautions in Section 1. Saloon, Hatchback and Estate models 1 Remove the rear brake shoes. 2 Disconnect the handbrake cable from the backplate by extracting the U-clip. ...