TR3A cubby box

[PhilJane]

Hi Guys,

Not a very technical question I am afraid, but I am looking for any hints and advise on fitting the cubby box on my right hand drive TR3A. The previous owner had the dash retrimmed in vinyl and had the door refitted, but passed the actuall cubby box itself to my hand! Am not sure if it a case of the trimmer didn't "do" cubby boxes or that there might be more to fitting the cubby box (ie a bit of time)than meets the eye.

Would appreciate hearing from any members with their advise and experiences.

Thanks,Phil.

[foster461]

Hi Guys,

Not a very technical question I am afraid, but I am looking for any hints and advise on fitting the cubby box on my right hand drive TR3A. The previous owner had the dash retrimmed in vinyl and had the door refitted, but passed the actuall cubby box itself to my hand! Am not sure if it a case of the trimmer didn't "do" cubby boxes or that there might be more to fitting the cubby box (ie a bit of time)than meets the eye.

Would appreciate hearing from any members with their advise and experiences.

Thanks,Phil.

 

 

Phil, my cubby box was just fitted loose behind the dash and had no hardware to secure it so I spent an hour with Google finding info and pictures which I pasted into a Word doc for future reference when I come to fit the box.

If you PM me an email address I'll send you the doc.

 

Stan

[PhilJane]

Phil, my cubby box was just fitted loose behind the dash and had no hardware to secure it so I spent an hour with Google finding info and pictures which I pasted into a Word doc for future reference when I come to fit the box.

If you PM me an email address I'll send you the doc.

 

Stan

 

Stan,

Many thanks for your info and the photos. Helps show where all the fixings go. Best regards, Phil.

[Guest ntc]

Any chance of a copy Stan?

[Andrew Smith]

Any chance of a copy Stan?

Likewise - PM with email address sent.

 

Cheers

Andrew

[Don Elliott]

Here are some photos of mine. There are truss-head screws with a straight slot that fit up under the lower lip of the dashboard with spire clips inside the cubby box to secure it all together. I know there is a special inverted bracket that goes somewhere at the top back end shaped like an inverted "L" with a 1/2" long stud on one leg, but I could never make it fit. So I made a 2-piece bracket out of sheetmetal and used an existing hole through the firewall (scuttle).

 

During it's first life, I ralled my TR3A extensively - from 1959 to 1965 - and with anything heavier in the cubby box than a pair of gloves it would sag towards the back deep end. Then when it was loaded during a rough rally, the weight pulled it right out and down onto the legs of my navigator.

 

When I restored my 1958 TR3A from 1987 to 1990, I bought a new interior complete from Jim Hawkins in Witney west of Oxford. The kit included a new cubey box, but it was only a year ago that I finally got around to installing it.

[Guest ntc]

Thanks Stan

[BrianC]

Stan,

To save emailing it to the World and his dog, why not submit it to TRaction?

 

Mine was fitted by A.N.Other when last rebuilt, but it will probably have to come out sometime for some under-dash work/improvements and it would be nice to know what may, or may not, be holding it in. When I originally fitted it (in the late 70s or early 80s from Jim Hawkins as Don's) I had no previous cubby box or fittings to work from (or proper dash for that matter!), so fitted it as best I could. I doubt there are many which are correctly (or should I say 'as originally') fitted by now except by the most meticulous and fastidious restorers.

[angelfj]

Hi Guys,

Not a very technical question I am afraid, but I am looking for any hints and advise on fitting the cubby box on my right hand drive TR3A. The previous owner had the dash retrimmed in vinyl and had the door refitted, but passed the actuall cubby box itself to my hand! Am not sure if it a case of the trimmer didn't "do" cubby boxes or that there might be more to fitting the cubby box (ie a bit of time)than meets the eye.

Would appreciate hearing from any members with their advise and experiences.

Thanks,Phil.

 

 

 

Here's a little trick I use. The new fiberboard cubby boxes come from the fabricator in a free form shape, sort of oval and you need four hands to hold it in place, whilst fitting. Do you have an extra fascia (dash)? If you have one or can borrow one here's the trick. Moisten (do not soak) the outside of the new (or old out of shape one) cubby box and fit it to the extra dash. I used painters tape, so that it would not tear the surface of the box when removed. Put it in the corner, in a warm dry place for about 3 years. Just kidding, several days to a fortnight should be sufficient. When you remove the box from the donar dash, the perimeter of the box opening (e.g. the lip) will be perfectly molded to the proper shape. Works very well. I also brush a few coats of orange shellac to the outside of the box for extra moisture protection. The original factory boxes soaked up moisture like a sponge.

 

Additional comments from the others are very good and accurate as far as I can tell.

 

Good luck!

[foster461]

Stan,

To save emailing it to the World and his dog, why not submit it to TRaction?

 

 

 

Brian, I dont own any of the content. The images and the text were all pulled from different web sites and forums in an attempt to get the full description of how the cubby box fits and is fastened to the dash and the rear bracket. It is not even a coherent description, just snippets of text that I knitted together. Perhaps someone that is about to do this project could re-write the installation info using their own pictures and words as it seems to be a topic of interest. I wont get to this project on my car for some time (hopefully months not years)

 

Stan