Front panel fitting

[Richardtr3a]

I have moved my front panel on the TR3A to a new safe place in the garden shed. I kept all the fixings in separate small boxes so that they would be easy to refit.  My friend was able to fit my overhauled steering column and box in only three hours. After he finished I was left with fitting the front panel back in position at a later date. I started the project a few weeks ago and then the rain started so I could not be out in the garden

Today there was no rain and  I was left with the RHS wing and panel to be fitted.   I had already fitted the LHS. I started after lunch because the rain was holding off and it was a quiet afternoon. I started at about 1.30 and it was very difficult to make the captive nuts stay in the best lined up position. I tried lining them up with a short length of wire but the curve on the wing was slightly different to the front panel. It did line up before but I remember that it needed some leverage to make it fit. So today I had to use a 6ft length of 4"x2" and some old scaffolding to make the panel move a small amount. I had to move the trim tabs and use a small wedge to make the gap between panel and wing slightly bigger so that the trim would push down. I finally managed to tighten all the bolts using copper ease and a very small ratchet spanner. The trim is pushed down and sits OK on the panel and the wing. It is not perfect but looks OK.

I finally fitted the wheel back on and let the car off the hydraulic jack. The job was done and I felt better. But it was nearly 5.00 and I had to get to the local Vet for pills for my dog. I though that they were open until 5.00 but Wednesday is early closing at 4.00. 

So it was a lucky afternoon and the car looks as if it will be out on the road quite soon.

Tomorrow is the front bumper.

Richard & B

[Ian Vincent]

As I think I said in an earlier post it makes refitting the front shroud easier if you pop rivet the trim to the front wing with some very small stainless rivets. Then you know the trim is in the right place and you only have to persuade the shroud to align with the wings instead of fighting two things at once.

But well done anyway  

Rgds Ian

[Lebro]

Well done Richard it's never an easy job.

Bob 

[stuart]

Always a fun job to do and never the easiest to get everything to line back up the way it was in the first place. Many years ago at Malvern after a very drunken night a bunch of us had bet Phil Tucker that he couldnt remove his front panel n half an hour, he did it in the main arena and sure enough he did it in 29 minutes but it took him ages to get it back together and definitely chipped the paint in several places!

Stuart.