That was a year that was..

[Bfg]

On 22/10/2023 at 04:35, ed.h said:

Even at the time of that blog post, I wasn't really happy with that logo on the air box.  It seemed too loud.  I've been through a couple of more sedate iterations since then.  This is where I am now, and even this one may not be the final answer.

Ed

👍  That looks very much better to my old and rather conservative eyes Ed.  Perhaps just a little heavier typeface ..but still a worthy echo of the car's badging. . .

[ed.h]

14 hours ago, Bfg said:

👍  That looks very much better to my old and rather conservative eyes Ed.  Perhaps just a little heavier typeface ..but still a worthy echo of the car's badging. . .

Yeah, I like it better, too.  It's a very close copy of a logo I found online.  One thing I found is that aftermarket badges have slightly different font weight than the originals.

Ed

[Bfg]

"Boing ! " said Zebedee ..

Children should look away because this week's episode sees Zebedee squeezing tightly into his black leather seats

Magic roundabout music plays joyfully out of tune.

"Once upon a time . . . Katie  had really quite ugly and uncomfortable TR4A seats in sweaty black plastic, but then a giant came along and uplifted those into ebay space and replaced them with Mazda seats.   Now said big friendly giant found these seats very much better, and relished the extra legroom he'd made for himself and equally the tilt backrest ('reclining' is a misnomer when there's no tilt space behind the seats). But to be honest he found then rather too firm and really not such good lateral support as he had hoped.  

But then along came a fine upstanding gentleman name Martin, who was offering to all the world a very nice pair of black leather TR6 seats. They are not quite standard insomuch as they had been professionally recovered with beautifully supple leather and their diaphragms and foam had also been replaced.  Alas, as the tale tells us.. it seemed as if very few others really appreciated them.  But then came along the most amicable Bfg    ..who carried them away and took them home to his Katie . . .

However before installing them, he had a few things to sort out, not least was whether they would fit as far back as the Mazda seats and equally if not more importantly whether the Bfg would still be able to get his big fat head into the car. . .

  

Aide memoire, you can see from the headrest just how far back these seats are placed. A measurement from the clutch pedal records 42-1/2". 

  

^ Side by side the TR6 seat look rather diminutive in comparison to those from the Mazda MX5 but, with a squarer backs, their width is very tight when pushed rearwards. Katie doesn't have the fibreglass cover over her drive-shaft tunnel but still it was all a little too tight for her., not least because the TR seat has a pokie-out-the-side tilt-locking mechanism.  On the runners its also sat high in the car, and the headroom already offered nothing to spare when occupied by a Bfg.  This was another one of those five minute jobs that wasn't going to be quite so quick.. Things would have to be re-thought.  

   

^ Firstly these seats tilt's locking mechanism would have to go - the TR4A never had such extravagances anyway. And the seat runners too ..to lower the seat by an inch or more.      ^^ That's better, over an inch further back, and now the Bfg can just about get his head in under the backlight frame.   There's such difference in style between the Triumph and Madza seats.  I do think the Mazda seats look fabulous, but on the other hand I'm content with the look of these TR6 seats in a 1967 sports car.  It's not everyone's choice, but for my use of the car ; adequate driver support together with a comfortable ride outweigh the styling.   

   

^ because Katie's chassis has additional structure (a cross beam aligned to the gearbox mount), which coincided with where I needed a seat fastening, I drilled and tapped into that beam's flange.  And on the underside of the flange I was still able to fit a nut.  The fixed brackets are very simple 90-degree upturned zinc plated steel plate, which allow the seat to pivot forward for easier access to the rear space than the Mazda seats offered.  That was a useful bonus because Katie's Surrey top lid is usually stowed back there.  Another worthwhile advantage is the far easier access for cleaning alongside and under the seat.   Those snozzcumber pips get everywhere. !

  

^ Job done, on the driver's side anyway.  The TR seat measures, from clutch-pedal to seat back, about 1" less than the Mazda MX5 seat, but its cushion gives that much more - so overall my way-back seating position is the same.  For my long legs, the TR seat gives a little better under-thigh support.  Dimensionally its front squab is just 1" higher but, perhaps because that support is further back, it seems more ..and more comfortable to sit in.  Lateral support feels very much better in the TR seat ..perhaps again because I'm now sitting into the upholstery rather than on it.  Getting in and out feels much the same but the 4" more space in front of the seat gives me more room to pull my size twelves back.

- - -

I've just been for a short test drive, avoiding on my way out dozens of little devils and all sorts of ghouls ..out in the evening air searching for tears of the timid and tooth-rotting substances, and found the driver's seat to be comfortable, less draughty around the small of my back, and offering better support when going fast around a broad roundabout. The door padding offers all the bracing I need on that side but a little more on left side, for right handers, might be welcome. So I'll try swinging the seat's left side mounting forward by half-an-inch and also up a little.  As hoped the TR's ride / comfort is improved through the seat's softer suspension (diaphragm) ..which is of course the way Triumph designed the car, but to my mind was compromised when I fitted the firmer MX5 seats.

Mx5 seats may be better than sliced white bread but I prefer crusty doorsteps of wholegrain.   Everyone to their own eh ?

I'll let you know again, after a hundred miles or so, how I get on..  Knowing me, I'm just as likely to swap 'em back again. 

Bidding you all a peaceful evening,

Bfg

p.s. for a further bonus point ; Both in leather, the Maxda seat weighs in at 17kg whereas the Tr6 seats (without runners) is just 11.5kg. Times this weight saving by two seats and its the same as a full week of scrumdiddlyumptious breakfasts at Buckingham Palace

 

 

Edited November 1, 2023 by Bfg

[Bfg]

t'other seat done today. . .

^ I also twisted / moved the driver's seat 1/2" further forward on its left side and up by 1/4" in the same front corner .. That may not seem much but first (static) impressions are that it's improved lateral support on the left side as well as a tad more support under that thigh. The task was easily done, but equally I think.. well worth doing. 

       

That doesn't look too shabby

 

Edited November 1, 2023 by Bfg

[Pete Lewis]

and you still  get the important headrests 

Pete

[Bfg]

On 02/11/2023 at 09:40, Pete Lewis said:

and you still  get the important headrests 

Pete

Unless you can barely see out of the windscreen., the headrests on the TR6 seats are too low to serve their intended function anyway.   Cosmetically I feel they add a little robotic humour to a car with a Surrey-top backlight ..but any car with its soft-top down (depending on one's preferences) may look better without them. 

Pete

Edited November 7, 2023 by Bfg

[Bfg]

Not much happening this week (aside from our local TSSC club meeting tonight at the Sorrel Horse, Barham, IP6 0PG and a breakfast meeting with the TR group at the weekend) but with classic cars it’s impossible not to notice how very insecure they are,  so in addition to my everyday Autolok  handbrake to gearbox lock ..for when the car is being left unattended in a more vulnerable location - I've just bought one of these. . .

This steering wheel immobiliser is the higher security Pro  model of the Stoplock range, which gets good reviews (NB. their Elite model of the same device has a deep offset for fatter steering wheels). After looking on-line, including for a second-hand one, I bought this new (with 2 keys) from Halfords. They presently have them with a £10 off RRP, and then another 10% off when buying on-line and free postage over certain order value. In total it cost just a few pence under £35 delivered.  

  

Either or both is of course only a deterrent, especially when steering wheels on classic cars may be wood rimmed with easily snipped through aluminium spokes, but it is quick n' easy to use, and an obvious nuisance to would be joy-riders, even though you may otherwise have an ignition immobiliser. 

^  It's universal fitment also means that I can use it on other cars. And who knows I might even configure it around the frame and through the spokes of my motorcycle.

Food for thought perhaps ..and a great price from Halfords. 

Pete 

p.s. I’m not telling the insurance company because they’ll insist it’s always on the car when parked.

Edited November 7, 2023 by Bfg

[daverclasper]

2 hours ago, Bfg said:

so in addition to my everyday Autolok  handbrake to gearbox lock

I have one, though if the gear knob is removed, then they appear to be easily removed?

[thescrapman]

12 hours ago, daverclasper said:

I have one, though if the gear knob is removed, then they appear to be easily removed?

There should be a small ring fitted round the gear stick and secured with a grub screw, which is then fully enclosed by the lock.

that way if gearknob is removed it still can’t be lifted off.

[Peter Truman]

Just pull the rotar button out!

[Bfg]

3 hours ago, thescrapman said:

There should be a small ring fitted round the gear stick and secured with a grub screw, which is then fully enclosed by the lock.

that way if gearknob is removed it still can’t be lifted off.

Thanks..   I'd forgotten they had those, and I bought the Autolok secondhand so didn't get the collar.   I'll have to make one, as otherwise the argument of removing it by just unscrewing the gearknob is almost valid.  As it is with the gear lever pushed forward - the angle up from the handbrake is not enough to get the lock off. 

Pete

[Bfg]

2 hours ago, Peter Truman said:

Just pull the rotar button out!

what's a rotar button please ?

[Peter Truman]

Rotar arm! under dist cap!

It's what dad used to remove from mums morrie when they went away from around 1960 to stop me taking it a spin aged around 14!

Didn't work I brought a replacement from the local garage which I still have today in my box of odds 63 years later.

[Bfg]

Thanks Peter, I now understand.. rotor arm.

I'd guess your father soon found out   ..but realising you had the noddle at 14 to work out his deterrant and fix it, thought you were probably wise enough to go for a spin anyway.

[AlanT]

On 31/10/2023 at 20:34, Bfg said:

"Boing ! " said Zebedee ..

Children should look away because this week's episode sees Zebedee squeezing tightly into his black leather seats

Magic roundabout music plays joyfully out of tune.

"Once upon a time . . . Katie  had really quite ugly and uncomfortable TR4A seats in sweaty black plastic, but then a giant came along and uplifted those into ebay space and replaced them with Mazda seats.   Now said big friendly giant found these seats very much better, and relished the extra legroom he'd made for himself and equally the tilt backrest ('reclining' is a misnomer when there's no tilt space behind the seats). But to be honest he found then rather too firm and really not such good lateral support as he had hoped.  

But then along came a fine upstanding gentleman name Martin, who was offering to all the world a very nice pair of black leather TR6 seats. They are not quite standard insomuch as they had been professionally recovered with beautifully supple leather and their diaphragms and foam had also been replaced.  Alas, as the tale tells us.. it seemed as if very few others really appreciated them.  But then came along the most amicable Bfg    ..who carried them away and took them home to his Katie . . .

However before installing them, he had a few things to sort out, not least was whether they would fit as far back as the Mazda seats and equally if not more importantly whether the Bfg would still be able to get his big fat head into the car. . .

  

Aide memoire, you can see from the headrest just how far back these seats are placed. A measurement from the clutch pedal records 42-1/2". 

  

^ Side by side the TR6 seat look rather diminutive in comparison to those from the Mazda MX5 but, with a squarer backs, their width is very tight when pushed rearwards. Katie doesn't have the fibreglass cover over her drive-shaft tunnel but still it was all a little too tight for her., not least because the TR seat has a pokie-out-the-side tilt-locking mechanism.  On the runners its also sat high in the car, and the headroom already offered nothing to spare when occupied by a Bfg.  This was another one of those five minute jobs that wasn't going to be quite so quick.. Things would have to be re-thought.  

   

^ Firstly these seats tilt's locking mechanism would have to go - the TR4A never had such extravagances anyway. And the seat runners too ..to lower the seat by an inch or more.      ^^ That's better, over an inch further back, and now the Bfg can just about get his head in under the backlight frame.   There's such difference in style between the Triumph and Madza seats.  I do think the Mazda seats look fabulous, but on the other hand I'm content with the look of these TR6 seats in a 1967 sports car.  It's not everyone's choice, but for my use of the car ; adequate driver support together with a comfortable ride outweigh the styling.   

   

^ because Katie's chassis has additional structure (a cross beam aligned to the gearbox mount), which coincided with where I needed a seat fastening, I drilled and tapped into that beam's flange.  And on the underside of the flange I was still able to fit a nut.  The fixed brackets are very simple 90-degree upturned zinc plated steel plate, which allow the seat to pivot forward for easier access to the rear space than the Mazda seats offered.  That was a useful bonus because Katie's Surrey top lid is usually stowed back there.  Another worthwhile advantage is the far easier access for cleaning alongside and under the seat.   Those snozzcumber pips get everywhere. !

  

^ Job done, on the driver's side anyway.  The TR seat measures, from clutch-pedal to seat back, about 1" less than the Mazda MX5 seat, but its cushion gives that much more - so overall my way-back seating position is the same.  For my long legs, the TR seat gives a little better under-thigh support.  Dimensionally its front squab is just 1" higher but, perhaps because that support is further back, it seems more ..and more comfortable to sit in.  Lateral support feels very much better in the TR seat ..perhaps again because I'm now sitting into the upholstery rather than on it.  Getting in and out feels much the same but the 4" more space in front of the seat gives me more room to pull my size twelves back.

- - -

I've just been for a short test drive, avoiding on my way out dozens of little devils and all sorts of ghouls ..out in the evening air searching for tears of the timid and tooth-rotting substances, and found the driver's seat to be comfortable, less draughty around the small of my back, and offering better support when going fast around a broad roundabout. The door padding offers all the bracing I need on that side but a little more on left side, for right handers, might be welcome. So I'll try swinging the seat's left side mounting forward by half-an-inch and also up a little.  As hoped the TR's ride / comfort is improved through the seat's softer suspension (diaphragm) ..which is of course the way Triumph designed the car, but to my mind was compromised when I fitted the firmer MX5 seats.

Mx5 seats may be better than sliced white bread but I prefer crusty doorsteps of wholegrain.   Everyone to their own eh ?

I'll let you know again, after a hundred miles or so, how I get on..  Knowing me, I'm just as likely to swap 'em back again. 

Bidding you all a peaceful evening,

Bfg

p.s. for a further bonus point ; Both in leather, the Maxda seat weighs in at 17kg whereas the Tr6 seats (without runners) is just 11.5kg. Times this weight saving by two seats and its the same as a full week of scrumdiddlyumptious breakfasts at Buckingham Palace

 

 

I’ve been looking at MX5 seats for my Morris project, but think I’ll use Alfa GTV seats. Slightly retro and very good to sit on.

[Bfg]

End of Season opportunity to enjoy clearer roads as yesterday I went back across to the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton, Suffolk, NR35 1NZ(which at this time of year is opened only on Sundays). From where I live it's some 35 across country miles away but, since moving home a few months ago, the route is different.

  

I love this museum because it’s a local one and that makes it unpretentious. It might be noted that it’s a volunteer-run museum charity, and lacking the glamorous and glossy exhibits of well funded museums, but perhaps because of that - it is fascinating. In many ways it’s more like an old workshop packed with minute details.

  

East Anglia was of course dotted with airfields throughout the 2nd WW, and the memorabilia and photographs reflects the true grit of it. More depth is found in the stories relayed by airmen, farm workers (who witnessed aircraft crashes of both friend n' foe) and of the air-sea rescued. These do take a time to read, but there’s humanity in there which isn’t reflected in the glossy paint of a restored museum exhibit, however awesome an aircraft style &/or its specs may be. My visiting on Sunday 12th, the day of the National Service of Remembrance, was poignant.

 

     

^ far right, yes behind the curtain in the anson is the .....

  

   

With so many artefacts found in gardens, along the coastline & esturies, and farmland across East Anglian counties - it may to the uninitiated seem to be filled with mangled pieces of metal, cloth or whatever, but to an engineering mind - those same objects are like cutaway illustrations ..or rather sculptures, revealing in life-scale the guts and the craftsmanship in engineering.

Pete

 

[Bfg]

I hadn't realised that it had been so long since I posted on here..    here's an update . . .

^ It's March and in anticipation of using the more frequently this summer ..I'm back at it..  This time working in the barn. Although too spacious and draughty to heat, it's a useful workspace surrounded by quiet and attractive Suffolk countryside.

^ Since the chassis swap I've never been happy with the springs and the suspension's ride height, I swapped them before from those M&T fitted and it helped but it still wasn't right.  Although good for country lane driving - the car has a tendency to float at high motorways speeds (as if the front wheels are lifting). So.., out with the springs also supplied by M&T and back in with the springs the car came with, as bought. . .

^ I seem to recall comparing the length and compression of the black springs when I fitted them.    I reasoned that the black ones, having a greater number of coils would have been softer, but that was not the case.   Using a pile of storage heater bricks to do that, they each compressed the same amount under the same load. 

^ After a 10 mile test drive the car looks to be sitting the same as it was before, but a high speed run down the A12 left me with the impression that it is now directionally more stable.  I checked the car's tracking and it was spot on.  I'll leave it as it is and see how i get on with it over a period of time. 

- - -

Moving on to the next task..

^ Some may recall my mentioning that I made the mistake of driving the car with the front (TR6) clamp of the Surrey top lid being undone.  This was back in November when I was running out in the car to try its different seats.  Tucked away under the sun visor I didn't notice the clamp was undone ..until  WHAM  the half lid suddenly opened as I was accelerating up to open dual-carriageway speeds and slammed down onto the boot lid.  The force was enough to bend the 1/4" screw, rear fastening, but thankfully despite the noise - the roof and boot lids were barely marked.  The fibreglass backlight frame however was ripped apart as it was twisted 180-degrees back on itself.  If the rear screen rubber had not been gooed in with some sort of structural black mastic - I guess the roof panel with this section fibreglass would have flown off to pose a threat to following traffic.   I was furious at myself at the time, but in retrospect can see how fortunate I was. 

^ This weekend, with my lid's T-bar first removed, I released the trim for access to the backlight's fastenings.

^  it's a long time since I last saw her topless.  

    

^ The barn is useful but it's also a 20 mile round trip from home, so I've brought the backlight home to work on it.  Although where I now live has an integral garage, I won't want to be grinding glassfibre in it. So my first task was to cut the lawn and then tidy and clear my garden shed / polytunnel as a workspace.  The lawn seemed the safest place to remove the glass.  Before doing anything else I indexed the distance (cut marks) either side of the damage with a hacksaw. 

     

^ The damage looks no better in the daylight !   I had to cut through the mastic to get the glass out.  It's now been set aside for safety.  I would not be at all chuffed if I were to drop it on a paving slab.

^ Moving to a more comfortable working height, the glassfibre now unsupported by the glass is only held in place by threads of vinyl trim on the inside and the black mastic which was used to hold and seal across the top of the glazing rubber.  

   

^Removing the vinyl was what I imagine skinning a snake would be like. The black mastic could only be cut away.  As you can see, even through the paint its bond was strong enough to rip the corner of the fibreglass out.  

  

^ The quality of fibreglassing is appalling, insomuch as the hard corners have no glass in them at all.   I think just clear gelcoat had been used to fill the corners of this frame ..which is not at all structural. Inside that is a very thin layer of fibreglass chopped strand mat.   I guess it did its job. Or at least it did after I fitted a T-bar ..to prevent it twisting, but for the price charged for these things I would have liked to have seen better.  

Unless someone has a backlight frame going ..that I might afford to buy - my task is now to try and fix it.  It'll be 'a challenge' to do it well ..sort of like trying to mend a broken and chipped vase.  Rainy weather yesterday and today is not helping motivation, but it needs to be done.   

Pete

 

 

[Bfg]

Minor but nevertheless useful progress this afternoon.

However it started like this ! . . .

Box of screws, tippled from the shelf above and I caught it just in time ..but for a few pots stacked on top of others. I have lots of pots of screws, some stainless, some countersunk, others raised, some cheese headed, wood screws and self tappers, cross head, straight cut, you name it I've probably got some, sorted out into individual pots. And then I have all sorts of bolts, nuts, set screws, .. many of different sizes and different treads, as well as locking washers, plain washers.  And of course I have pots of clips, and bleed nipples, springs and trim clips..  So I was really lucky that only these screws fell to the floor. The fact that they caught the rubbish bin was unfortunate but again not the end of the world as we know it..

Moving on. . .

..to the polytunnel and broken bits of fibreglass...

      

Before I can repair - I need to get rid of the mastic.  Five minute job ?  in your dreams.   The black goo had excellent adhesion and wonderful elasticity.. 

Fibreglass is an incredibly useful material for making things from, but it is not the easiest stuff to get clean once it's been painted and gooed.   The issue may be identified in its other common name 'glass reinforced plastic'  .. it's the plastic which prevents chemical cleaning or seriously abrasive techniques to be applied.  It's lightweight and not very tough to clamp down, so even holding it is less than easy.  Still with craft knife to slice and shave much of the mastic off, followed by a choice of scraper, followed by shaved wire-wool I finally got there.

      

^ The inside ..where the rear fastening for the surrey top lid goes through, was painted over.  This is commonly done by the fibreglassing business to 'finish' the raw mat so that it looks better value to the paying customer.  I power-wire-brushed that off to reveal the thin layer of glass-fibres and otherwise gel.  

So cleaned, this part was ready for the first stage of 'repair'  . . .

The end of this was cracked most of the way across, so I opened up the crack and spread it with polyester glass filler.  Which is like body filler but instead of filler-power it has very fine glass fibres.  Because those glass fibres are exceptionally strong in tension, this filler paste, if it adheres well is also very strong. The random alignment of those fibres means that it doesn't crack very easily in any direction. Where the gel had been inside against the cup for the lid's fastening, I spread some more as reinforcement.  Now all I needed to do was to hold it to the right shape  . . .

 

I'd dry run with the clamps.. in this instance a strategically placed car battery, (formerly in my Chrysler diesel) which itself was being held down by the wedge of grips under the wall shelves.   The clamp (sort used to secure the tarps over market traders stands) on the side holds the flange straight for that short section, with the slightly curved tail of it hanging off the side of the shelf.

That's it for tonight. As I said not a lot but still useful to have this piece strong enough to be glued back into place in the backlight frame. The essential thing at the moment is maintaining its shape and dimension.  If I'd let this end break off then the finished width of the backlight would have been very much more difficult to get right.

   

^ a close up of the work.  It looks pretty awful but it'll clean up.  You'll note on the left hand side a fine hairline crack. That is all the way through and was opened up to spread this adhesive inside. As you can see it's closed up nicely under the weight of the car battery and upper cabinet.   It'll be left to fully cure overnight.  

So..  time for a cuppa..

Bidding you a good evening,

Pete

[Bfg]

. . .  It's back together in one piece now and so, possibly tomorrow, I'll laminated another layer of glass inside it.  And once that has set I'll add a batten of timber, which I picked up from the boat on Monday and which has been in the dry since. 

^ Bonded back together and holding its shape once again.  Nb. the black you see is gel-coat. All the mastic has been cleaned off.

^ prising out the stress cracked gel and grinding  ..to then be filled with the glass-fibre filler paste.

^ taking shape, as I rebuild the moulded edges around the top of the rear screen.

Pete

 

[Bfg]

Life grinds me down sometimes, and there's not much worse than grinding fibreglass ..as its dust (minute glass fibres) gets in places you really don't like it to.   Nevertheless, like many an unpleasant task it has to be done, and done carefully and well.  Neither filler paste nor fibreglass resin will stick well unless you cut the crud off the surface and score it.  So that was my start for today

            ..fortunately the weather's turned for the better and I can now work in the garden.  

 

   

^ at the bottom front corners (the B-post) of this backlight frame is where the first, and arguably the most important fastening, goes. However the quality of production can be seen in the crack around it.  From the above ; it's apparent that someone was trying to bond onto the top of a polished moulding (not even keyed). From the underside it's not looking much better  . . .

   

^ here the bond is gel (not fibreglass) onto a extremely lightweight moulding.  When (carefully cleaning this corner out I broke through to the outside. The panel really is that thin.  Once clean, I masking tape on the other side, and prised the crack open to apply filler paste. ^^

The other side's front corner wasn't as bad,  but it was likewise cracked.  As I say these are the most critical mounts to hold the back window onto the car, so I've reinforced them with fibreglass laminate. . .

   

^ That same left hand side ..and then similarly ^^  the right hand side.  Each now has chopped strand mat + x2 layers of woven glassfibre mat.  Naturally, I'll need to redrill the holes and retrim the bottom edges once the resin has thoroughly cured.   Btw the row of clamp seen in the first photo are an attempt to straighten that bottom edge. They are pulling the fibreglass out to a steel ruler.

Irrespective of having no core to help prevent this frame from twisting, the thickness of the fibreglass leaves something to be desired. . .

     

^ Across the top of the frame - the fibreglass flange, which hold the rear window glass in is, with gelcoat + paint, about 1mm thick.  ^^  Around the rear bottom edge and inner and outer moulding together with its bonded brings that thickness to 3mm..  the glazing rubber is of course for the thicker dimension, which is presumably why it leaked and needed copious amounts of black mastic to seal. 

    

^ The depth of the seal to fit along that flange is 12mm deep.  ^^ The second photo shows that same depth relative to the flange itself.  This was why, when I first tried fitting this backlight with its fabric top - the glass kept pulling out at the top.  When I made my fibreglass surrey-top lid(s) I made a very stiff T-bar to hold the frame back to prevent the glass from popping out. 

Now I'll address these issues.

Lunch break over, that fibreglass should have cured by now, so it's again time for more fibreglass.

Pete 

 

[Bfg]

  

. . .

^ The nature of working with fibreglass is that I've deliberately extended the flange quite a bit more (that's seen as cyan blue ..as it's not cured yet). I trim it off when cured to the width required.  

^  I had hoped to do a bit more this evening, but the resin I had in stock is well passed its best.  I'll get out to buy some fresh tomorrow, as it'll make the task a dozen times easier than trying to wet out this old stuff.

Up the B-post section I've laminated x3 additional layers of 450g chopped-strand glass over the window-rubber flange. There's just one across the inside width. The flange facing into the car (seen here, facing towards the bottom clamp in the photo) isn't critical but I've reinforced over where the section of frame had ripped out.  The masking tape and weight is only there to stop the edge of that laminate from lifting, which glass fibres tends to do when bent over a 90 degree corner.

Finished early .. so it's time for a cuppa

Pete

 

 

[Bfg]

A quick pictorial update . . .

    

^  Fibreglassed underside to the frame, where I'd used masking tape to extend the flange.  As you can see the resultant extra width of that was 3 to 4mm and instead of being 1mm thick it is now around 3mm thick.   With the extra thickness the frame was much stiffer than it had been, so I opted to not fit wood, or other means to prevent it from twisting.  Despite my original intent, and Stuart's endorsement of doing so, the lid's T-bar worked well before to prevent twisting, and so I felt little motivation to change things. 

   

^ Having something more sturdy to work with, I got on with rebuilding the contours, and primed it.  With so many colours ; black of the moulding, grey of raw fibreglass, primrose yellow of the paintwork, and green of the fibre-filler it was difficult to see the shape.  Coating with primer added yet another colour but when first applied helped highlight flaws.  

   

^ I had considered painting the frame red, to match the car, but then because of the extent of rubber seals around all edges decided to go with gloss black.  Unfortunately, the reflections in that show up every wave and wobble in the fibreglass moulding.  I rubbed down and repainted it a couple of times but decided the odds were stacked against me.  If I were to insist on having good reflections - then this fibreglass moulding would need to be replaced with an aluminium backlight frame. 

^ If you don't take those reflections too seriously this the backlight looks acceptable for a driver's car.  I need to replace the glazing rubber's 'chrome' infill bead, as the one I have is broken and twisted.  The rubber itself I reused. Again it's far from perfect but usable.  At this stage I though the black looked good.

^ work in progress.  The backlight is now mostly refitted but it's glass has not yet 'settled'.  I could do with the heat of a closed car on a still n' sunny day to soften its glazing rubber.  There's no sealant or mastic holding the rubber in place yet, and as you can see the rear interior trim is still to be refitted.   Now on the car, I'm not so keen on the backlight being black. Perhaps it'll grow on me or else fade into the background.   We'll see.

^ Conversely, I liked the backlight being painted primrose yellow.. and its light tone disguised the moulding's numerous defects (..not only distortions but clearly its mould was chipped and at the end of its working life). 

That's all for this week, I bid you have a good weekend.

Pete

 

[Bfg]

After working through the build of my camping trailer..  a bit of a diversion today, as I try to fit a towing hitch to Katie, my TR4, the intended tow car (which in turn led to this trailer's diminutive size) . . .

The towing bracket was kindly donated by my friend Rich, from the TR Register's East Saxons group..  It is from a TR4 and actually came with fitting instructions  (oooh ! )  ..so I hoped fitting it onto Katie  would be a straightforward and  relatively quick task...

Perhaps not too unexpectedly with me.. it tossed a wide-ball at every turn.  Not least it seems - because my car is the later TR4A (with IRS) which has a different chassis. . .

 

    

^ the instruction advise 3 hour fitting time including the electrics.  Two afternoon's later . . .  

From the diagram you can see three pieces of angle iron and a number of flat clamping plates and their bolts. As the side profile of that diagram shows ; those plates clamp around two of the chassis' cross tube members.  Flat plates clamping to round cross tubes.  I should have taken this as an omen regarding its fit.  

Issue 1..  the TR4A doesn't have the second cross member (tucked just under the rear valance panel).  

Issue 2.. the instructions say to put the bolts through the clamping plates and hang them from the cross tube ..ready to take the angle iron legs.  The third photo shows that although one bolt can be fitted to the plate and that slipped between the cross tube member and the spare-wheel-well..  it is physically impossible to get the other bolt in.   Naturally, the bolts are way too long to go up from the underside, and they have long shanks so cannot be cut to size.   Alternatives had to be found.

   

Issue 3..  ^ the tow-bar is evidently second hand and has been previously fitted (to another car). The instructions also mention the angle-iron's flange has been cut away to clear the exhaust.  However as set up - the tow bar bracket aims directly at the the exhaust mount, and there's nowhere near enough clearance for that bracket to fit over the tail-pipe, despite its flange having been cut away. 

Never mind.., the ball end of this bracket is a bolted assembly.. I just need to undo those bolts and swivel the leg inboard of the exhaust bracket. Structurally it's not ideal, as it's best to be as close to the rear chassis rails as possible.  But as mine is just a lightweight trailer ..mounting it inboard should be okay.  The other side of the car doesn't have a tail-pipe, so that clamp can still be next to the chassis rail.   Oh no it can't ...because that moves the ball off centre ^ 2nd photo ^.   

Ah, I think "..if I shorten the leg on the left hand (tail pipe) side, then the ball will move across". . . 

   

^ Exhaust tail-pipe side, mark & redrill the pair of holes 1-1/4" further down the leg.  Wooh.. that steel is hard to drill.!  Oh did I mention working outside and crawling under the car while being pestered by rain showers ? ... Never-the-less success  

or not. . .

^ Pete you really are a dumb arse at times.  Never mind, drill the other side to be the same. And likewise bring that clamp inside the (unused) exhaust bracket so they match, is sitting square and centralised.  At least the ball will not stick out so far.      Again mounting that clamp part way down the cross tube is structurally less than ideal    .... oh sod it I now just wanted it done.!

 

    

^ I redrilled the off-side angle iron to the same dimensions as I'd done on the near-side, and although there's no tail pipe on this side there is a stub, which oddly enough is perfectly positioned to foul the (redrilled) tow-bar bracket.  Take it off again and cut it back (twice )..   Okay we are getting there. The bracket is now clamped to the chassis cross tube. But still there's nothing to bolt the ball end of the bracket onto.    Heavier rain stopped play.

Today, Monday. . .

   

^ just forward of the rear valance panel is where the TR4 has a second cross member but the later TR4A and subsequent models do not.   So I'll make & bolt one on then. I cleaned up a length of box section, left over from making the trailer's chassis and made a couple of end plates. . .

   

^ trial fit.  I made it precision fit to bolt onto the chassis rails on either side.  I still had to drill and tap into the side of the rail, but one of my modification for this car's replacement chassis was extra thickness inside these rails ..so I'd have enough steel to tap a thread into.   However, while laying under there considering the options - I realised., if I welded the end plates on - then I wouldn't be able to get this cross member into place, passed the rail's bottom flange.   I could have, but didn't want to weld the 2nd cross beam in - because it was wrong for this car.  Despite its individuality I do try to keep it so as to be mainly easily revertible to original spec.  

Revising the idea.. I could bend the plates I made to 90 degrees and drill and bolt those to both the chassis rails and this cross beam. 

Fitting this towing bracket was manifesting itself like a tacky soap opera with a poor cast.  I wanted out. 

I had previously considered bolting a block wood to the underside of the spare wheel well and through bolting the bracket to it.  15+ years ago I had a classic S-type Jaguar (1966 model) and I made a towing bracket for that. I emulated an established design ..which bolted the tow bar directly to its spare wheel well.  With twin exhausts on that car there was little option, but it worked fine.  Again my trailer at that time was lightweight.  Tired of piddling around with this one, I opted to do the same. . .

    

^ First find some bolts. Then, with a bit of manipulation involving packing spacers in the front cross tube mountings, two of the existing holes in the tow bar legs coincided with the ribs pressed into the spare wheel well.  I carefully drill the spare wheel well.  Next., cut a piece of timber, to be an interference fit between the chassis rails, and knock it into position. Through drill for the bolts. Pack the height with spacers to compensate for the block of wood being a little to shallow (necessary to physically get it in there) and job done .. at last .. almost . . .

Usefully, the timber is a fraction of the weight of a steel cross-beam, even though the piece I cut was a lightweight box-section.  And being a solid block, it works great as a spacer for the through bolts to convey ball hitch up n' down loads. Those forces are transmitted to the spare-wheel-well, which (when in good condition) is a surprisingly robust pressing. Indeed, it is plenty strong enough to take my 106kg weight bouncing on it.     ...It would be interesting to know what the neighbours think of such antics.. 

Of course, the clamps around the forward cross-tube are plenty strong enough to take the in-line towing loads of a light trailer (385kg gross). And the angle-iron's geometry  /\ triangulation mostly transfers the sideways forces from the ball hitch to the chassis  .. but because the timber beam is so tightly fitted across-wise - it and the through-bolts add substantially to the towing bracket's lateral rigidity. 

 

   

^ Said piece of timber removed and given a liberal coating of polyester resin, particularly its end grain end - to protect from moisture ingress.  The towing hitch will be removed inbetween most camping trips but still I'd prefer not to encourage either rust or rot on my cars.

 

And while I had resin mixed, I similarly sealed along the top edges of the trailer's body. 

That's it for today, and I'm glad to have now mostly done that 3 hour job.

Bidding you a good eve'ng

Pete.

 

 

Edited June 7 by Bfg

[Bfg]

Quick TR towing hitch update . . .

   

 ^ as was     ............................................      and as is  ^ ^

in short . . .

         

^ sanding linisher + power wire brush, then paint with rust converter ... ^ ^ wash off excess rust converter and dry. Paint with epoxy primer .... ^ ^ ^ cosmetic flash coat of signal red paint to match Katie.

   

^ details of the final fitting ..bolted through the timber cross beam (resin coated, epoxied primed and flash coat of colour) to the spare wheel well. The piece of black rubber is to prevent the rear valance edge from chafing (which from prior ownership ..was evident as a groove worn across the top of the angle iron).   And ^ ^ the cross beam clamps, with steel packer vertically placed between the tube and the forward bolt to minimise end float, as well as point loading / wear between the bolt and tube.  As you can see the exhaust silencer's stub is now clear by 1/4".

   

      

^ inside the boot ; spreader plates dished to the shape of the spare-wheel-well's pressing.   ^ ^ thick felt (from the Daimler) under the spare wheel, prevents those bolt heads from chafing against the tyre.  ^ ^ ^

    

^ That'll work.  

I've still to do the wiring and fit the trailer light connector, which I didn't want sticking out alongside the ball hitch.

That's all for now. Hopefully more later.

Pete 

 

 

[Bfg]

Yesterday I added the 7-pin wiring connector for the trailer's lights.  Apparently these connector plugs are known as 12N.  and as I said before I didn't want it it sticking out alongside the ball, not least because when not in use, il'l probably take the towing hitch off the car and that's quicker and easier if I don't also have to disconnect and pull the wiring out.

First thought was to have it the Vee of the towing bracket, but then without drilling the rear valance panel or the towing bracket there was nowhere convenient to bolt it to. So I looked into where the bumper brackets normally go.  I cannot get my hand in those holes so to connect the trailer plug into the socket would be awkward but further under the rear wheel arch I did this. . .

    

^ The chassis bracket is for the rear bumper's side stays, already drilled and with captive nuts. To this I added a simple 90-deg steel bracket (..from wherever in my scrap metal pot, which was also drilled and plated for the task.). And then, because the wiring connector-socket which came with the TR4 towing bracket was rough and without its cap, I used the one from my Chrysler Voyager ..which sadly went to the breakers a few months ago. This socket is in very good condition and I also knew it worked fine with both my own and a previously-borrowed trailer light-board.

Admittedly the socket's new location, under the rear wheel-arch, looks awkward, but in practice it's not so difficult to reach especially as there's direct eye line through the rear bumper holes in the valance ..and of course it isn't something that is connected or unconnected every five minutes. 

Naturally the wiring from the trailer needs to be 50cm longer, but that's hardly an issue when I've got to make that from scratch.  To me the connector socket being out of sight, and it not and its wiring not having to be removed when I take the towing bracket off are outweighing benefits.

There was a blank grommet through the body tub into the space under the petrol tank, which I've reused with a wiring grommet for the wires to be routed into the boot, where the car's real light connections are. . .

^ the 7-pin trailer wiring colour codes were found on the internet, which to my mind lack any logic.  The ex-Chrysler's socket was already wired and I'd taken the length of wire which had led to that car's wiring loom, so all I needed to do was to solder bullet-connectors onto their ends, appropriate to plug straight into the TR's wiring.  I labelled the wires so anyone in the future can follow which wire is for what. . .

    

^ The panel in the boot, which covers the fuel tank, needed to come out to firstly reach the grommet through the body shell, and also to run a wire across the car to the bullet-connector of the left hand indicator.  The other wires (brake, sidelights, earth and RH indicator were each on this side.  My TR nor the trailer have rear fog lamps but the wire's there in case.      ^ ^ Job done and checked to work correctly with the trailer board.  

This trailer board will not be used with the trailer-tent as that has fitted lights, but it is reassuring to know that the car's wiring is correct for whatever I might subsequently be towing ..for example if I were to borrow a small box trailer to transport something dirty.  And that my trailer tent's wiring will subsequently be wired 'as UK 7-pin standard'.

Pete