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Steel Hard Top restoration


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Hi everyone,

 

I just joined the forum, and was really happy to find it! What a great resource! I own a 1960 TR3a and live in Huntington New York.

 

I'm visitng my daughter and son-in-law in the UK and would be interested in the opportunity to see a steel hardtop properly restored and installed, including the headliner. It would be particularly useful if someone could point me in the direction of any instructions on how to install the hardtop, and what the correct material for the headliner was. I'll be checking back here regularly and when I'm back in the US.

 

I look forward to making contact with you folks on the forum.

 

Cheers,

 

Ira

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Hello Ira, A very warm welcome to the Forum. I do hope you will keep in touch via the forum when you get back to New York. As I understand that provided you already have the steel hardtop, all of the fittings and rear screen are available with the exception of the aluminium drip channel attached to the hardtop that goes around the upper and rear edge of the sidescreen opening on each side. I am also unsure as to whether the material used to line the interior of the hard top is still available, nor if the original lining was always the same material. Could you tell me what part of UK you are visiting ie the nearest city. I will at least then be able to tell you where the nearest TR supplier is situated in case they have any cars with hard tops for sale in stock that you could look at. It would also give anyone else reading this an idea if they know of a car relatively local to wherever you may be visiting.

I hope you are having an enjoyable visit.

Kind Regards

Trevor.

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Welcome and I hope you make new friends. Installing the hardop is relatively straight forward and you will need help lifting, holding, and pushing on it to make the screen edge and the rear edge fit neatly enough for the bolts to fit. The chrome windscreen brackets may strip their thread if they are old. I fact the seal is very poor along the top of the windscreen and the rain will come in. I gave up on the headlining and lined mine with black felt, but kept the central retaining strip just for the look of it. You must be very careful with the rear window. I have lost two which were sucked out at high speeed . I have had some brackets made that clamp the plexiglass and the metal, and tighten up with a very neat bolt through the centre. No more trouble since then.

 

When installing I start at the middle and and make sure a helper pushes from outside on the 4 corners. I think that the profile goes out of shape in the garage over the summer. Good luck

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