1965 TR4A progress and restoration

[Jase]

Just bought new letters, a badge and the rubbers for the wings, next step is to finish top coating this week.

Edited March 31 by Jase

[rvwp]

Hi Jase,

Having a TR4A, your bonnet looks like a TR4 bonnet as the reinforcing bar is parallel. My TR4A was also fitted with a similar bonnet until it was pointed out to me by Stuart that the reason why this bar was making contact with the top of the radiator, was because the TR4A reinforcing bar is angled to prevent this. Seems my car had had a TR4 bonnet, although long hump, fitted at some time? I had to drill out spot welds and move the bar over and repaint.

Worth checking before painting.

Rich

[Motorsport Mickey]

Shows how much I know (or don't), I thought the angled skin support was only on the TR5.

Mick Richards

[Jase]

That looks a superb job, ironically I don’t have any issues with the bonnet catching anything but I will check. I’m pretty sure this is the original bonnet as well as it was still in the original conifer underneath. It seems to have had a front end shunt at some point though as the grille panel is clearly a secondhand replacement along with the TR5 windscreen surround so a bonnet in the same colour may have been sourced? I did think about drilling out and cleaning behind but I’m keen to get the car on the road asap.

[stuart]

It can depend on how the body is fitted (Amount of shims) as to whether it will touch or not , my overflow pipe just rubs on the front cross re-enforcer on my car because its a water pipe to the header tank unlike a thin overflow pipe, not enough to worry about but theres a definite rub mark.

Stuart.

[rvwp]

Yeh, well it was definitely touching the left hand side of the top of the radiator, even with it at its lowest position and as close to the engine as possible. So changing to the later spec was a good solution for me and well worth doing. 

Not sure when the angled reinforcing bar came in then. TR4A or TR5?

Rich

[qkingston]

My early 4a bonnet is an angled bar

David 

[rvwp]

Hi David,

That's good to hear. My car is a 66, first registered 1st Feb 1966 as shown in the original green log book.  

The Moss cataloge shows three numbers, only the latest is available which my car number CT64206 falls into. I assume this is the later version with the offset reinforcing bar?

Anyway, all good for me.

Rich

[Jase]

Mine is a 65 car with Strombergs, not sure if that makes a difference, too late to change now for me.

[tim hunt]

10 hours ago, qkingston said:

My early 4a bonnet is an angled bar

David 

My 4A was built on 17/10/66 and had the angled bonnet support from new.

Tim

[rvwp]

Thanks, David, that confirms that it should have had an angled bar. Possibly bonnet had been changed pre-1972 when the car was last on the road.

Rich

[Jase]

I notice the top of my bonnet where the cones are is a slightly different shape to both of these, it's flat and doesn't have the raised section.

Another question and I couldn't find this in the Moss catalogue. Is there a gasket between the bonnet hinges and the bonnet? Or metal to metal?

Thanks

J

[stuart]

32 minutes ago, Jase said:

I notice the top of my bonnet where the cones are is a slightly different shape to both of these, it's flat and doesn't have the raised section.

Another question and I couldn't find this in the Moss catalogue. Is there a gasket between the bonnet hinges and the bonnet? Or metal to metal?

Thanks

J

If you dont have the raised section then you definitely have a TR4 bonnet which has the different flat topped support rubbers at the rear corners, The raised sections with the plunged centres were introduced to stop the bonnet moving around which is what youve been encountering.. There is no gasket between the hinges and the bonnet frame.

Stuart.

[Jase]

Thanks

[rvwp]

 

Morning Jase,

Well done with your restoration so far. Who cares if your car has a 4 bonnet as long as it doesn't foul anything under the bonnet, I guess your not going to be into concours judging. It looks the same from the top anyway.

Obviously, as Stuart says use the correct 4 corner support rubbers.

Rich

[Jase]

Thanks Rich, definitely not concours and will remain a working car for me. Good call on the correct rubbers, I'm currently using bonnet cones from a spitfire.

[Jase]

Going to re-paint the original emblem using 1 shot enamel, will need to mix the blue down though. New one to keep me going.

Edited April 4 by Jase

[Jase]

Quite pleased with the colour:

 

[Jase]

Just been reviewing the O/S front inner wing which seems to have had a number of very poor repairs along with lots of pop rivets and I think the best solution would be to replace the inner wing. Any recommendations for suppliers? Guessing these are all BMH remanufactured panels?

Thanks again.

Edited April 4 by Jase

[PodOne]

On 4/4/2024 at 6:31 PM, Jase said:

Just been reviewing the O/S front inner wing which seems to have had a number of very poor repairs along with lots of pop rivets and I think the best solution would be to replace the inner wing. Any recommendations for suppliers? Guessing these are all BMH remanufactured panels?

Thanks again.

If the replacement repro panel are as poor as those for the TR6 I would suggest you repair what you have. I ended up going this way when I couldn't make the repro fit after which I simply cut it  up to repair the original.

Andy

[Jase]

Couple of coats of primer, aiming to flat back this weekend and re-coat.

[rvwp]

Hi Jase,

If you need a replacement wing, look up 'The Flying Englishman' (Mark), he has lots of new original panels ex US stock. Also fully repaired original UK panels for sale.

Rich

[Jase]

Thanks Rich, I’ll do that. I won’t be doing anymore to the car now that warmer weather is on the way. I’ll probably tackle the bootlid next and then the front wings.

 

[Jase]

Taking forever, but all in the prep, almost there.

 

[stuart]

37 minutes ago, Jase said:

Taking forever, but all in the prep, almost there.

 

Prep is everything

Stuart.