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My recollection was the long bulge bonnet was early cars and the short, later tr4 and all 4A.

I've just seen  a long bulge bonnet on a late 4A, am I remebering this wrong, or has the car a non original bonnet?

 

John.

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Wrong John, Early TR4 had the short bulge later 4 and all 4a/5 had the long bulge.

Stuart.

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And either 6 or 7 versions of the bonnet from TR4 production through to the last TR5’s and TR250’s - quite a few detail differences under the skin, notwithstanding the badge holes

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44 minutes ago, TR4Tony VC said:

And either 6 or 7 versions of the bonnet from TR4 production through to the last TR5’s and TR250’s - quite a few detail differences under the skin, notwithstanding the badge holes

I thought it was 5 versions.

Stuart

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Depends if you count the ‘unbadged’ versions that came without holes for spares at the end of the 4a run and then similarly the later black BL stickered spares perhaps ? 
 

I think you’re right at 5 in terms of differences in the pressings and metalwork. I used to have one of each once upon a time! 

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Stuart / Tony

Any idea when the Long bonnet came in? 

I think that, from Archive photos, all the 'Works' TR4 had long bonnets bulges (LBB), which would appear to make the change pre April 1962, which is when they were registered. LNK, registered the following month, May 1962, currently with a LBB  !! 

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I seem to recall from somewhere the short bulge ceased in use about chassis numbers in the early 6000s - my TR4 is in the late 6000s and it has a long bulge but I knew this wasn't an original bonnet and I remember being relived that I didn't have to find a short bulge bonnet to be correct!

I'm sure someone will be along in a minute with exact info

cheers Rich 

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I'm sure the change to the 'long' bulge bonnet was CT6430?

Tom

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Hi all

The numbers above for the start of the long bulge bonnet might well be right, but the four works TR4 rally cars were commission numbers in the mid 5000’s and all had long bulge bonnets fitted from the start.
 

This may be because the bonnets were specifically made for the cars after they were drawn from the end of the production lines as complete cars. All four were later reclad with aluminium panels which were all made using production tools. I understand that this took some time to achieve and aluminium panels were made in gaps between steel panel production. Meanwhile, at least one car ran on press duty with fibreglass front wings until the aluminium ones arrived.
 

My assumption is that the new bonnet skins were pressed some months after the four cars were finished, so probably at the point after the ‘long bulge’ bonnet had come on stream for the main production line. Given that about 15,000 cars were being made per year, the ‘delay’ might only have been a matter of weeks. 
 

Im sure Graham R can tell us more on this as he probably saw the bonnets arrive in the workshop.

regards

Tony

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5 Variants ? ok I'm intrigued now 

Short bulge

Long Bulge TR4

Long Bulge TR4a

Long Bulge TR5 

What Am I missing ? ...............in the bonnet list department that is :D

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18 minutes ago, Graham said:

5 Variants ? ok I'm intrigued now 

Short bulge

Long Bulge TR4

Long Bulge TR4a

Long Bulge TR5 

What Am I missing ? ...............in the bonnet list department that is :D

As Tony stated they supplied an undrilled version which would then cover all but the early short bulge.

Stuart.

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8 minutes ago, stuart said:

As Tony stated they supplied an undrilled version which would then cover all but the early short bulge.

Stuart.

Ah sorry missed Tony's comment but thanks Stuart I can now sleep easy until the next time a bit of crucial information comes up:D

 

 

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49 minutes ago, Bfg said:

And now you can add bonnets with or without the buffer cups, unless having those was the 4A variant.

No thats already there.

Stuart.

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15 minutes ago, Bfg said:

And now you can add bonnets with or without the buffer cups, unless having those was the 4A variant.

 Pete - just to be clear, I think, the only bonnet which didn't have the "cups" were the TR4 ones where the corner supports were simply flat topped rubbers - these only supported the bonnet in a vertical plane - I'm not sure but I thought this arrangement was only on the early short bulge bonnets, not the later TR4 long bulge ones - no doubt someone with better knowledge than me will confirm - Stuart?

Cheers Rich

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4 minutes ago, rcreweread said:

 Pete - just to be clear, I think, the only bonnet which didn't have the "cups" were the TR4 ones where the corner supports were simply flat topped rubbers - these only supported the bonnet in a vertical plane - I'm not sure but I thought this arrangement was only on the early short bulge bonnets, not the later TR4 long bulge ones - no doubt someone with better knowledge than me will confirm - Stuart?

Cheers Rich

No the flat topped ones were used up to CT37689 long after short bulge finished at CT 6429

Stuart.

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Just now, stuart said:

No the flat topped ones were used up to CT37689 long after short bulge finished at CT 6429

Stuart.

Stuart - thanks for confirming  - now I know I've got the wrong bonnet!! If I could get the " cups" off, I could give them to Pete, but I suspect that would damage the paint, so I think I will have to live with it!

Cheers Rich

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Just now, rcreweread said:

Stuart - thanks for confirming  - now I know I've got the wrong bonnet!! If I could get the " cups" off, I could give them to Pete, but I suspect that would damage the paint, so I think I will have to live with it!

Cheers Rich

It would need a lot of spot welds drilling out, if you have it on a 4 I would keep it as they locate the bonnet a lot better at the back end.

Stuart.

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1 minute ago, stuart said:

It would need a lot of spot welds drilling out, if you have it on a 4 I would keep it as they locate the bonnet a lot better at the back end.

Stuart.

Stuart - agreed - sorry Pete!

cheers Rich

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38 minutes ago, stillp said:

Weren't there also long bulge bonnets that had the support strut parallel to the bonnet edges, not angled?

Pete

I thought all of them, only the TR5 having the angled support from front frame to rear cut out of the bonnet...unless I'm wrong ?

Mick Richards

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58 minutes ago, Motorsport Mickey said:

I thought all of them, only the TR5 having the angled support from front frame to rear cut out of the bonnet...unless I'm wrong ?

Mick Richards

No you are correct, only the 5 has the spar at an angle.

Stuart

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2 hours ago, stuart said:

No you are correct, only the 5 has the spar at an angle.

Stuart

Interesting - mines is a TR5 type then. A bit of a surprise as it came from a nearly new 4A, but it (the donor car) had had some front end damage repaired so perhaps the bonnet had been replaced with the later type.

Pete

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