Drainage holes behind front wings on a sidescreen car?

[Ian Vincent]

Yesterday I started the process of adding reinforcing fillets behind the top hinges of my TR3a in an effort to reduce the amount that the doors drop when the sidescreens are fitted.

When I removed the three bolts at the bottom of the LH wing about a cupful of water drained out.  Fortunately it wasn’t rust coloured, in fact it was remarkably clear.  So once the wing was completely off I could see that although I have a drainage channel installed to catch the water running down from the top, some water is getting past and collecting at the bottom and because of the amount of anti rust wax I pumped in there before I sealed it all up, it has nowhere to go.

My immediate thought is to introduce a couple of 1/2 inch drainage holes at the bottom of the wing.  Has anyone else done that or is there a better solution?

Rgds Ian

[Ralph Whitaker]

Yes, I did just that.  And in the outer sills too and used those holes to spray waxoyl inside the sills. The holes are close to the inner sills and care must be taken that the waxoyl does not block them.

Ralph

[stuart]

There should be a drain hole in the bottom return of the wing anyway, problem is that the bottom of the wing fits fairly close to the inner sill so only about half the hole does anything so it’s quite easy for it to get blocked 

Stuart

[Ian Vincent]

Ok, I’ll drill some holes. When I rebuilt my car I had to refabricate the bottom of the front wings which is why there are no holes now.

Many thanks. 

Rgds Ian

[Ian Vincent]

PS. Question for the originality experts, how many holes should there be, where exactly and what size?

Rgds Ian

[RogerH]

Here is an idea.

The red sieve comes from a wine bottle

 

Roger

[ianc]

Roger - a wine bottle made of that material would little, if any, wine!

Ian Cornish

[Richardtr3a]

Some years ago when I overhauled my TR3A I fitted a flexible tube inside the front wing. It ran  from the gutter outlet at the back of the bonnet down inside  the wheel arch. I tried the low edge of the front wing but it was  too narrow and the holes would soon block up with debris and small leaves etc. My new pipe discharges through a decent hole in the wheel arch, just above the cill and  is covered by a rubber circular flap retained by one s/s screw so that it acts like a flap door. on the outside. This allows rain water to flow out but no splashes etc. to enter into the wing space. 

This has worked well for 30 years but is seldom tested. I hose the body down sometimes and the outlet  is always clear. This should prevent any rust damage to the lower inside  part of the front wing in the future. I also sealed the empty void with a spray of Bilt Hamber rustproofing kit. 

It is hard to get rid of water in a closed wing.

Good luck Richard & B

[Ian Vincent]

Roger, you clearly have a load of pics from Fireman Tom’s car (or maybe you have bought the car?).  I already have the drainage channels but clearly some water has managed to get past them a run to the bottom.

Rgds Ian

[RogerH]

Hi Ian,

just performing a helpful deed for a friend.

 

Roger

[Ian Vincent]

The wine bottle mesh may help but my drainage channel holes (which look about the same size on the ones on Tom’s car) we’re blocked with crud from foliage and the like. 

Rgds Ian 

[Hamish]

33 minutes ago, RogerH said:

Hi Ian,

just performing a helpful deed for a friend.

 

Roger

Nice Roger, nice.

[stuart]

21 hours ago, Ian Vincent said:

PS. Question for the originality experts, how many holes should there be, where exactly and what size?

Rgds Ian

Originally one, same as the rear wing.

Stuart.

[Keith Wigglesworth]

This is what a standard wing looks like from below. One hole and an assembly gap. 
Keith

[Ian Vincent]

Ideal. Thanks Keith. 

Rgds Ian