TR2/3/3A TR3A Door

[mcguijo]

I've just had the doors to my TR3A soda blasted and ready for the body shop. One door is obviously not original (different color) and both seem to need work. One needs a tremendous amount of work. If I could figure out how to post images on this new forum I do it..but can't figure it out. First question; does $150-250 to fix and prime one door seem unreasonable? Second question, the really damaged door has been beat up on the outer shell and has a heavy concave look to it. I'd like to use the not so banged up door as a guide for the shape. However, I'm not convinced the not so banged up door doesn't have damage. In particular, area running near the door handle hole moving in the line towards the hinges seems flat. Should this area be more convex? I'm probably not making good sense. Can anyone take a picture of a TR3A door with the view being along the outer shell from the door latch looking toward the hinges? HELP

 

[TRTEL]

I just happened to have my big straight edge handy and placed it against the door parallel to the ground just above the door handle. The straight edge stays in contact with the door surface until just about three inches in front of the handle and then curves back until there is about a 3/16" separation at the back edge of the door. Personally unless you're in a big hurry, doors are always showing up on ebay and decent ones often go for maybe $50-75.
Tom Lains
TS8651 & 58107

 

[martx-5]

I agree. Decent doors always show up at reasonable prices. Since yor profile shows a pre 60000 car, you should have the square bottom doors. (Square corners on the bottom inside). I believe I have a pair that are decent. If you want, I'll send you some pics. I'm doing a post 60000 car, so I won't need them.

 

[YankeeTR]

Theres a few on ebay right now...and there's also a TR guy around Birmingham who sells stuff like this on ebay pretty often.

 

[NutmegCT]

Here's a pic of the left door of my TS47527 (April 1959)

https://www.mgexperience.net/journal/pictures/view/1832 Driver Door

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[mcguijo]

I'm not sure if I understand the square door idea..but its late. One thing I did notice is that in the forementioned picture there is a raised area where the door handle fits onto. Mine are flat. Is this correct door for my car?

 

[TRTEL]

When the design switched to the external handle at TS22014 the sheet metal should always have that 'bumped out' platform. If yours is flat then either someone hammered it flat or more likely fitted an exterior handle to a pre 22014 door, which is certainly doable.
Tom Lains
TS8651 & 58107

Forgot to add that the round corner Art talks about is just below the lock assembly.

 

[mcguijo]

I am interested. Please send me pictures. mcguijo@auburn.edu

I'm beginning to think my one door that is in the best shape is, in fact, not the appropriate door for my commission #.

 

[mcguijo]

It does not look like it was hammered flat. I'll buy that holes were drilled. arggh. Its always one thing or the other.

I'll see if I can figure out how to post pictures of the doors on the web and let you all see what I'm dealing with.

Didn't you used to be able to upload pictures directly from your computer onto this forum?

 

[Don Elliott]

When Triumph introduced the hardtop option sometime during the TR2 or TR3 period (which had no external door handles) they had to add door handles to these cars before they left the factory. There was no way of getting in with the hardtop on the car. With the soft-top cars, handles were not needed outside because the owners could un-zip the zipper on the sidecurtain and open the door by reaching inside through the un-zipped opening. Hence the flat part under the door handle. When the TR3A was introduced with its door handles, the doors were produced with the raised bit under the door handle.

I believe that the door with the flat portion under the door handle is from a TR2 or a TR3 that originally had a hard-top.

As for square corners or round corners, TRs before TS 60000 had doors where the 2 bottom corners were square. They also had wood inserts along the top of the doors under the vinyl covered interior trim. TRs after TS 60000 have a curved shape on the 2 bottom corners and no wood in the doors.

 

[Andrew Mace]

I agree. Decent doors always show up at reasonable prices. Since yor profile shows a pre 60000 car, you should have the square bottom doors. (Square corners on the bottom inside). I believe I have a pair that are decent. If you want, I'll send you some pics. I'm doing a post 60000 car, so I won't need them.

You beat me to this. I was going to make a similar offer, since I'm pretty sure I've still got a couple of "handled" pre-TS60001 doors lurking around my barn. IF I don't sell off my TR3As, both are post-60001, so I also have no need of earlier doors.... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[Twosheds]

When the design switched to the external handle at TS22014 the sheet metal should always have that 'bumped out' platform. If yours is flat then either someone hammered it flat or more likely fitted an exterior handle to a pre 22014 door, which is certainly doable.
Tom Lains
TS8651 & 58107

Tom:

TS 33212 has door handles on "plinthless" doors. I don't know for certain, but I think they are the original doors. I think that Triumph sometimes used outdated parts if they ran out of the new style. This would be better than holding up the line waiting for the new style part. I don't think they cared that it would befuddle TR owners in the future. Maybe mcguijo has an early widemouth with smallmouth doors, too.

Don:

You can still open the handleless doors on early cars from the outside by opening the zipper in the side curtain no matter if the soft or hardtop is fitted. It's still the same sidecurtain!

 

[mcguijo]

OK. I think I've uploaded.

First picture..door with minimal damage. Is this an early door with holes drilled in it for handle?
link here

Second picture...very damaged door (cost to repair $250)
link here

Same door different view showing all sorts of damage
link here

 

[mcguijo]

You all teased me a few weeks ago with talk of having extra TR3A doors in your shops (in better shape then the ones I have--see links in previous message). Does the offer to part with the doors still stand? --note I haven't seen anything on ebay in the last couple of weeks worth a darn.

 

[Geo Hahn]

...You can still open the handleless doors on early cars from the outside by opening the zipper in the side curtain no matter if the soft or hardtop is fitted. It's still the same sidecurtain!

I think the optional exterior handles were fitted to the hardtop version to create a 'GT' package. If I recall correctly, a certain number of GTs had to be produced to make the TR3 eligible to compete in certain classes/races.

 

[martx-5]

You all teased me a few weeks ago with talk of having extra TR3A doors in your shops (in better shape then the ones I have--see links in previous message). Does the offer to part with the doors still stand? --note I haven't seen anything on ebay in the last couple of weeks worth a darn.

I sent you a PM on March 30 explaining the condition of the doors that I had and asked if you wanted me to send you some pics. I never got a reply, so I thought it was a dead issue.

 

[mcguijo]

Aha...I did not receive said PM. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif I am very much still interested. Please try another PM.

 

[martx-5]

Aha...I did not receive said PM. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif I am very much still interested. Please try another PM.

OK, I re-sent the PM.

EDIT: Also, let me know which door(s) you are interested in.