hod stick color

Is there a correct or better hood stick/frame color? Mine appears to be original and is painted the same as the car, but I want to eventually change to a black hood and think that the sticks would be better black. I have to replace the webbing and am not sure about the color of that either.

body color would be correct, though I think later cars may have had black hoodstick frames. I went with a gloss black powdercoat on my frame, even though the body will be grey.

Sometime late in 3A production (possibly in the TS70000+ range), hoodsticks were painted "sandlewood beige" where they'd previously been body color.

I think the webbing was black (now faded to a shade of grey-brown) but by all means get a second opinion on that.

ekamm said:

Is there a correct or better hood stick/frame color? Mine appears to be original and is painted the same as the car, but I want to eventually change to a black hood and think that the sticks would be better black. I have to replace the webbing and am not sure about the color of that either.

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Eric: What looks good is a matter of opinion and you should restore your car to your liking. What is "correct" is also not always clear, but TRA have tried to establish the way these cars were produced and have published a Judging Guide. You can download a free copy here .

Here is their opinion on this subject:

<span style="font-weight: bold">Hoodsticks</span> - The hoodstick assemblies fitted to all cars were essentially the same, variations, if any, being
insignificant or unnoticeable. On nearly all cars, the hoodstick assemblies and hoodstick mounting screws were
painted the color of the body of the car. Some very late cars may have had their hoodsticks painted black, or a
buff (semi-gloss tan). <span style="text-decoration: underline">Do not deduct for very late cars with black or buff hoodstick assemblies.</span>
Most early cars seem to have had a strip of buff moquette (essentially furflex) glued across the top half of the
front hoodstick bow. This strip extends only across the center section of the bow, between the webbing. It is
uncertain when this was discontinued. Do not deduct for the absence of this strip.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Hoodstick Webbing</span> - Most cars had hoodstick webbing of a natural, or tan color, although part numbers are
listed for early cars to match the early top colors. The webbing on all cars was a cotton weave of varied detail.
<span style="text-decoration: underline">Do not deduct from cars fitted with cotton webbing dyed to match the top (early cars only), natural (tan), or on
later cars, black.</span> The hoodstick webbing attachment plates may be either painted black, or natural metal.

Good luck!

I'll second that. My car has the original tan webbing and black sticks to match the car.

My black 1958 TR3A came brand new with a "fawn" top (with the same colour for the interior for the top), tan webbing and black hood sticks. There are some repro tops which are black outside and inside. I seem to remember that tops which were black outside might have been tan (fawn or beige) inside.

If you're going for originality, check it out.

What about GT6es... ...are they late enough? Mines black, but am uncertain if thats original (exterior color originally green, but repainted white)

I had a 1958 (original) TR3A. The car was black; the interior was red; the top was black, both inside and out; the hood sticks were black; and the webbing straps were fawn.

(I suspect that, with what we know about Triumph assembly, they may have started out with set color schemes, but the first time they ran out of a webbing color, they grabbed the next color at hand and continued on.)

Now, about that rear main seal...

I still have the original paint on my TR4A hood frame. It's a funny tan/peach color. Definitely more tan than peach but there's a slight pinkish hue to it. The original webbing is rotting away but that was/is a natural vanilla color.

UmmYeahOk said:

What about GT6es... ...are they late enough? Mines black, but am uncertain if thats original (exterior color originally green, but repainted white)

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GT6's don't have the hood-sticks that they are talking about. They are referring to the metal bows that make up the frame to the soft top. In the vernacular, the "hood" covers the passenger compartment, the section of the body that covers the engine is the "bonnet", the trunk is instead the "boot". "Hood sticks" are very visible, with the top up or down, so the color is very important for the concours crowds.

UmmYeahOk said:

What about GT6es... ...are they late enough? Mines black, but am uncertain if thats original (exterior color originally green, but repainted white)

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I'm guessing you mean the headlining itself. To be honest, I've never been completely sure about which was when. According to the factory Spare Parts Catalogue, there was a white headlining for "Mk.1 cars up to KC50000" and a black one for "MK. II cars from KC50001...." The latter would be 1969 model year; seems to me that they went back to white by the 1970 models, as several cars of that vintage that have passed through my hands have had the white.

swift6 said:

GT6's don't have the hood-sticks that they are talking about. They are referring to the metal bows that make up the frame to the soft top. In the vernacular, the "hood" covers the passenger compartment, the section of the body that covers the engine is the "bonnet", the trunk is instead the "boot".

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I was assuming we were using the American version of "hood," not the British. My hood prop is black.

Andrew Mace said:

I'm guessing you mean the headlining itself. To be honest, I've never been completely sure about which was when. According to the factory Spare Partsheadlining for "Mk.1 cars up to KC50000" and a black one for "MK. II cars from KC50001...." The latter would be 1969 model year; seems to me that they went back to white by the 1970 models, as several cars of that vintage that have passed through my hands have had the white.

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Yeah, I was talking about the "bonnet" but I did kinda figured that mine came with a white headliner because my dome light plasticis white instead of black. Since I currently don't have a headliner I want to get a black one but am worried that they don't make the for mk1s

UmmYeahOk said:

I was assuming we were using the American version of "hood," not the British. My hood prop is black.

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Ahh... that's very different! Not that it matters all that much, but those prop rods were usually body color.