109 bulkhead

So I thought while I was waiting for the clutch parts to arrive I would start on the bulkhead. I ran the wires into the dash area and put on the fly screens and the windscreen holddowns. I then tried to figure out which instrument panel I wanted to install. I have 2 different ones. One is stock and the other has had a combi oil/water temp guage in it. I decided on the stock one so I did a test fit. Of course it wouldn't fit. The bottom of the parcel tray had been dented inwards by about 3/8in. Now the mounting holes wouldn't line up.

The opening is too small for a bottle jack to fit and I didn't want to scratch up the paint by useing my Hi-Lift jack. What I devised over a couple of days thinking was; I bought a 2in 5/8 fine thread bolt and nut and 2 hardened 5/8 washers, plus a 3/4in connector nut. The 5/8 bolt fit into the 3/4 connector nut hole. By threading the 5/8 nut on the bolt and then putting the 2 washers between the nut and the 3/4 nut I then had a screw jack with fine control.

I put a 1/4in flat steel plate on the bottom dent of the parcel tray and then the long 3/4 connector nut. This was topped by the 2 washers and the nut threaded on the 5/8 bolt. Over that I had a 1/4in thick aluminum angle and between that and the top of the parcel shelf a piece of wood for cushion. The alli would spread the load on the wood.

By using 2 wrenches I could force the bottom of the parcel tray away from the top and flatten it somewhat. The end result actually turned out to be convex(?). The holes eventually lined up and in the last picture you can see the trial fitting with all screws in place.