Front chassis cross tube. Original Colour. Red?

[iain]

Juts removed the front chassis cross tube in preparation for taking the engine out and respraying the engine bay. The chassis black applied by me (badly) 35 years ago is peeling to reveal bright red paint ....(nothing underneath it) Is this a usual finish for this part? Bright gloss red.

 

 

[Guest]

AFAIK black. However, I think that Stuart once wrote that Triumph sometimes used paint-left overs for the chassis. In so many words: not all chassis (chassea? ) were black when they left the factory.

 

Menno

[EdwinTiben]

I believe that Don's chassis was originalily painted in a light color.. So its not a 100% black ratio

[TomMull]

Same color as chassis, then, which was usually (normally) black?

Tom

[vivdownunder]

If the chassis was originally black, then you'd expect to see a black cross tube.

 

However, I've seen an original Signal Red chassis, so it's possible that after the engine was fitted, a spare red cross tube went into a black chassis. Such inconsistencies were less important than keeping the production line running.

 

Viv

[TR 2100]

Viv,

 

Just wondering at what stage the cross bar was fitted.

Could it have been after the chassis was painted?

Was the cross bar fabricated by the chassis manufacturer?

Or by someone else?

 

AlanR

[Graeme Robinson]

There was a previous post on this subject; the chassis on my 61 had pale blue paint under the black and was clearly the original colour as it was under the engine mounts and rear shock absorbers for instance. Interestingly my cross member also has red underneath the black so perhaps they were supplied by a different manufacturer?

[iain]

Interesting thoughts, I will check under the engine mounts when lift the engine at the weekend.

 

I suppose the question I now have to ask myself is it Red or Black when I reinstall everything?.....just the tube that is!

[stuart]

On some of the Standard Triumph films of the production lines for TR2/3`s you can clearly see white or light painted chassis going down the line amongst black or dark colour ones. (Black and White film so not easy to tell exactly the individual colours)

Stuart.

[Don Elliott]

Yes - The frame of my 1958 TR3A came in primrose yellow (even before S-T offered this colour on a TR3A). My TR3A is black and that cross support was painted black.

[vivdownunder]

Viv,

 

Just wondering at what stage the cross bar was fitted.

Could it have been after the chassis was painted?

Was the cross bar fabricated by the chassis manufacturer?

Or by someone else?

 

AlanR

 

Hi Alan,

 

Far as I know Sankeys made the cross tube as a component part of the chassis, but likely supplied as a loose item. The engine with attached fan had to be dropped in before the cross tube could be fitted.

 

If Sankey's painted the chassis you'd expect a consistent black finish. Given the various colours seen, it's more likely S-T applied the paint and if black ran out, on went whatever was on the shelf.

 

Rgds,

 

Viv.

[jdwtrxk]

Chassis frames were indeed often painted colors used in bodies. You would think the cross tube would be the same color but black might be possible in some cases. Being left loose would help assembly and might get in the way when the frames were stacked in transport and storage. Mine was Powder Blue on TS30690L and Signal Red on TS50190L. The latter car still had a pretty glossy red frame thirty odd years after being built. Other goofy combos that have been documented are;

Red on BRG and Black (seems like a lot of red frames on 59 cars in the early and mid 50K range but likely no significance

Powder blue on Silver Grey and Black (bunches of Powder Blue in the 30K range and late 50K and early 60K range but again as above)

Primrose yellow on black and Powder Blue

BRG on Powder Blue and Red

These are just a few from memory in a pinch - I've heard of plenty more.

Very unlikely that TR2 and early cars had this often but photos of TS141L has traces of what appears to be Geranium on the frame....was a black car.

 

Anyone have a white frame? Would be lovely on a red car but holy h--l to keep clean.

 

I'd paint the tube to match the chassis. Looks rather neat if it's a color other than black and does tend to draw a lot of questions at shows used to black frames.

Edited February 25, 2015 by jdwtrxk

[stuart]

I do know of one Italia that has a powder blue chassis and the car is green!

Stuart.

[bnw]

On some of the Standard Triumph films of the production lines for TR2/3`s you can clearly see white or light painted chassis going down the line amongst black or dark colour ones. (Black and White film so not easy to tell exactly the individual colours)

Stuart.

Stuart, is there internet access somewhere to those assembly films. I would love to see them.

[stuart]

Either a YouTube search or a British Pathe one should find them. Links to them have been posted on here over the years so a search may pull them up.

Stuart.

[Richardtr3a]

I have just collected my front panel from the garage store. The paint is peeling off the back and underneath is the same red paint which must be red primer as used in the blacksmith's trade for years.

 

I think that is the answer to the original question.

[TR 2100]

Richard -

 

I would have my doubts if that is original paint as yoiu

do NOT use red primer with red paint, and surely the

factory would follow recommendations and use light

grey primer.

 

AlanR

[stuart]

Richard -

 

I would have my doubts if that is original paint as yoiu

do NOT use red primer with red paint, and surely the

factory would follow recommendations and use light

grey primer.

 

AlanR

Nope if the factory used any primer and that was only on panels it was always a reddish brown.

Stuart.

[EdwinTiben]

Nope if the factory used any primer and that was only on panels it was always a reddish brown.

Stuart.

yes, the stuff is a real pain in the *** to remove.. when heated it looks like a burned plastic rubber..

[stuart]

True but we must count ourselves lucky that Triumph did use it at all otherwise we wouldnt have any panels left at all.

Stuart.

[vivdownunder]

The bodywork red priming coat was baked on at high temperature, so it's a struggle to strip it with heat.

 

Soda blasting gets it off. Sand blasting is usually too aggressive and the applied heat distorts panels. Acid dip can contaminate folds and hinder repainting. Flapper sanding discs work, but it's a long and dusty job.

 

Viv

[qim]

Just found this pic in https://www.flickr.com/photos/cheesepocket/sets/72157628639064911/

 

It seems that the chassis was the same colour as the body.

[Guest]

Great find! Well the whole flickr page is great. A few pics below a first: I hadn't seen the factory's blanking plate on the inlet manifold before.

 

Menno

[EdwinTiben]

Fantastic find Camilo !

 

have shared your find on the club triumph holland facvebook page thanks !

 

 

more chassis were painted in color, but not always body matching.. so green body, red chassis, or even yellow !

 

most of them black though..

[Motorsport Mickey]

I found the engine block liner retaining method interesting. A large gauge washer with a thickwall threaded turned boss (probably with a relief dia on the bottom so thread only at the top which screwed down the long studs holding the washer down.

With the boss being that long you could get a grip to screw it down by hand pressure (useful in a manufacturing capacity) without a mechanical means of tightening it (there's no flats or other grip methods on the boss). Puzzling that there's a block with short studs fitted in the same positions for retention, I guess whatever came to hand.

 

Mick Richards