Mind the gap!! Gearbox tunnel and early floorpan problems

[Colin Lindsay]

Went to fit the gearbox tunnel last night and ran into a slight problem, namely that this car has an early bulkhead and the shape of the tunnel cutout is different.

  

The left is an early bulkhead that I've found on my 13/60; right is my 1200, and although it's from 1962 there's already a definite difference in the shape of the cutout, so I doubt if a suitable early tunnel cover would even be available. If I use a later tunnel cover I'll have an inch gap, maybe more, so I'll end up with watery footwells and a permanent breeze. The tunnel cover that came off has been bent into the required shape - for 'bent' read 'broken' - and cannot be reused even if I decided to. Any thoughts on a solution, or a seal?

[Pete Lewis]

could a strip of sorts be added to replicate  the later and make up the gap ?? 

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, Pete Lewis said:

could a strip of sorts be added to replicate  the later and make up the gap ?? 

Pete

I was thinking that, but time is short and it looks like this has killed the deadline for Saturday...  however adding bits on is less final than removing bits, so I can at least experiment and be no worse off. In true Triumph style I was thinking of.... wood. A shaped piece to mould to the inside but replicate the shape of the outer should work...

 

[ahebron]

I dont know if this is what Pete was meaning but a strip of metal fixed to the bulkhead trimmed to the correct shape then attach the cover to that would surely be an easy fix.

[Peter Truman]

Is I assume the later bulkhead common btwn models so it fitted Vitesse and Herald as the Vitesse starter is on the RHS, so is the aftermarket GT6 gearbox cover more suited?

like ahebron' s solution a semi permanent solution.

[PeteH]

Cut a profile to fit the gap, From (say) Hardboard, and G-F & mat to extend?.

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, PeteH said:

Cut a profile to fit the gap, From (say) Hardboard, and G-F & mat to extend?.

Pete

I looked at the option of using sheet metal (also heavy plastic sheet or plywood); but the problem then becomes that it's unsupported and would actually extend out over the footwell - is there a chance of toecaps being caught under it? similarly, there would be a gap behind it to the left of the pedals for feet to catch on and maybe break it off when driving. Building up the side of the floorpan to the later profile looks like an option. I think a solid wooden shape, cut and sanded to contour the floorpans as the base then coated in fibreglass (or even just Dodomat?) to level up and fill any gaps might be the solution. Keep the suggestions coming though, it's helping me think out loud.

[Pete Lewis]

ha  just change the baulkhead    !!!!!

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

If you'd told me that back in January...

Currently working on the problem, stinking of shaved and sanded wood but a former is coming along nicely. It seems a tidier solution than putting a sheet of metal across the gap and forever curling my toes in behind it as I drive along....

 

 

[mark powell]

I saw this coming when I built my pick-up. Bought a nice 948 bulkhead to replace the old 13/60 one.  Salvaged the part needed and stitched onto the 948 item. Both floor panels were replaced, so no mis-match there. Also swapped over the bonnet cone mounts. 

[Colin Lindsay]

Lovely job!! Wish I'd seen it before finishing everything else...

My job has been slightly cruder, spent yesterday morning shaping and contouring a wooden block to fit the floor pan profile, now roughly fixed in place and awaiting finishing. Invisible from inside, outside it'll get a few doses of Waxoyl up and under the tunnel cover.