I'm in the process of getting my 850 ready for painting and one job is fixing up the external door hinges. I've pulled them apart and fitted new brass bushes and the pin that holds the 2 pieces together is quite tight to get in. I know the old ones took a lot of hammering to get out. I haven't assembled them yet though.

The question I have is how do I go about painting the hinges? I'm thinking that if I paint everything separately, I'll knock off the paint when I'm putting the pin in.

Do I assemble them first and then paint the completed unit? If so, how do I paint the inside bits of the hinge where they pivot?

I haven't tackled the boot hinges yet but I'm guessing I'll have the same thing there to deal with.

Cheers,

Rocky

Install the pin then paint the hinges ,make SURE you don't get the hinges mixed up .When you paint the car, paint under the hinges then install the hinges without the gasket using a thin washer under the studs to keep the hinges off the body, after the body is sprayed fit the gaskets. Doors should be fitted correctly before the body is sprayed.
Allen

Thanks Allen. Good tips. This is my 1st resto and I've got lots to learn.

I'm stripping the whole car back to bare metal and will do the hinges as well. Do I then etch prime and undercoat them before I put the pin in? I've labelled the hinges so I don't get them mixed up. The driver's door ones were buggered and I got hold of some of a later model and they have a stamp underneath them (where they bolt onto the door) with something like U and R for upper right. That helps identify them.

Rocky

I had mine zinc plated while they were in bits, to minimise future rust potential after painting the assembly.

I would re-pin them, rub and etch or epoxy then paint them in the closed positions or how they would be on the car. Then I would brush touch the hinge part in the open position / parts that paint couldn’t get to when hinges are on the car. I would have everything thing aligned nicely before priming pull apart then prime and paint apart. No masking required then. Then carefully with a mate fit panels. The less paint on the hinges the better I think. Less chance of chipping on pivot edges

I haven't tackled the boot hinges yet but I'm guessing I'll have the same thing there to deal with.

Cheers,

Rocky[/quote]

When the boot hinges are off the car, they are naturally sloppy. There are no pin and bush kits available. Once fitted that play goes because of the curvature of the body.
John Schmidt would verify this.

Thanks very much for the good info - much appreciated. My plan is that once I've got all the panels repaired and primed, I'll re-fit them onto the shell to make sure everything lines up. One thing I have noticed with the Mini is that panel fit is not quite as accurate as say a Ford or Holden from the same era. I'm making a few adjustments on one side of the bonnet to get it lined up with the front edge of the mudguard as it sticks out proud at the moment. Gaps all around it are good so a few tweaks here and there will make it look better.

Rocky

Gaps can be adjusted in most circumstances, etch primer is not used unless you are painting the car in acrylic. If you can, paint the panels with a 2 pac epoxy primer. then a 2 pac colour coat,
Allen

Thanks Allen - I'll go and get the right primer - and some more sandpaper to sand off the etch primer I've already put on a few panels. Only put a light coat on to stop it rusting after I stripped the old paint off and sanded the bare metal so shouldn't be too hard.

Rocky