Top of wing beads

[Mike 5 fan]

Can anyone advise regarding TR 5 wing top beads - should they be painted body colour or left stainless? Moss catalogue says painted but most seem to be stainless. 

Thanks, Mike.

[graeme]

Hi Mike,

For the TR5 and TR250, the factory painted the SS beads along with the bodyshell. A lot of people, me included, prefer the SS beads as fitted to the TR4A, hence why you see so many not painted.

Cheers

Graeme

 

 

[openroad]

Hi Mike , the Purists amongst us and the Concours Crew will say Painted body colour.

There are quite a few left as stainless,  my present car included.  But when I rebuilt one , i did paint them body colour .

Might be worth asking the Tr5 Registrar, Roger Ferris as to the why's and wherefores. 

Cheers,  Conrad.

[Harbottle]

Hi Mike, if you do a search you will see plenty of discussion on this already. Originally they were painted on the TR5 when introduced to the world at Earl’s Court. As Conrad says speak to Roger Ferris at the register as he can give you the full SP on them.

 

Paul

[Tim T]

I think that it is purely personal choice as to whether you choose original spec or what you prefer. However, I think that there is a practical element to this in that I seem to recall that the paint used to chip off the beading quite easily due to the fact that stainless is not the easiest base to key onto. Might be wrong but ...

Atb

Tim

[stuart]

The reason that they were painted is the shells were painted full assembled unlike the 4/4a which was only loosely assembled and beadings inserted afterwards. This also contributed to the 5s reputation for rotting out very quickly especially along the wing tops/deck edges.

The stainless beadings arent that difficult to paint, if you give them a good rub over with coarse grade Scotchbrite pads then prime with a coat of Bondarust or2k primer and then top coat they dont chip easily.

Stuart.

 

[DenisMc]

Hi There Mike,

I asked Roger Ferris this question when I started to look for a TR5 about 18 months ago. The answer he gave me was that with the factory cars it was difficult in those days to get good paint adhesion and it would easily chip off. As mentioned above, this can be overcome now but I do like the look of my Royal Blue paintwork with the stainless steel trims and as it happens chrome wire wheels! Looking at the photos of the restoration of the car done twenty years ago, the wings and the body shell were fully painted before the wings were bolted on and the trim then sandwiched in place, which has helped to keep it rust free. As a precaution I recently treated all of the joins from beneath with Waxoyl using the application tube.  I think if you are a purist and/or looking to create a concours car then they probably should be painted.

Regards,

Denis

[Mike 5 fan]

Thanks for all your knowledgeable replies. I've decided to leave them stripped. They were painted and a couple of folks had said they shouldn't be, so I stripped them, somewhat stupidly, before asking on here. I think I prefer them that way + think they're more robust + enough to to without repainting them. 

Just for information, I found that the tops of the tabs were the most rusty (so primed, painted and dipped in Waxoyl before installing new ones), such that quite a few snapped off as I pulled the bead from the loosened wings. This was probably because the wing joints had been well protected when the car was restored previously in 1996.