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TR2/3/3A TR3 hardtop installation

tomnanney

Jedi Hopeful
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Does anyone have any pictures of the rear attachment points and on the TR3 hardtop. I have a metal hardtop that has 4 attachment points along the bottom of the top, but I don't see where it attaches to the car. They may be covered up as the trim pieces have been recovered. I can see where it attaches to the windscreen, but not in the back The car is a 1961 TR 3A
thanks
 
If it's a factory hard top, there should be 5 attachment points, one on each side and 3 along the back. Sorry, I don't have any photos, beyond what is in the workshop manual. (The book talks about fiberglass, but the attachment points were the same for the steel version)
 
Wow, has Photobucket completely effed up their site!
 
Oops, forgot I had this. I believe it was originally taken by Doug Bach. Shows the 3 connections across the back. The two on the side are similar, but the chrome capping around the hole in the elbow rail is larger on the sides than on the back.

 
Are you not able to see the manual page I linked to? Seems to still work for me. If it isn't working for others, I can post somewhere else. Or, here is a link to the whole manual on Google Docs
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2H2NJt34OffYWZiN2VlZGMtNTkxMi00NGUzLWE4NzMtMGRkODRkYzU3MDU1

(I'm still working on scans, this is just a temporary version.)

Sorry, Randall, I see it just fine. I was trying to post a couple of pics of my car and the hardtop mounting points I had on Photobuxket. They have completely messed up their site in that regard.

Well, I see you can post pics!
 
Well, I see you can post pics!

I've had trouble with them from time to time; but usually it gets better in a few hours. Not always though. Few days ago, I had a folder that claimed to have 6 files in it, but none of them would show when I opened the folder. To top it off, when I tried to delete the malfunctioning folder, it tried to actually delete the parent folder! I finally got it straightened out, but things were seriously weird there for awhile.

But it's free, so I can't complain too much
reptile%20dysfunction.jpg~original
 
I'm working from an iPad, so that mught be the problem. Usually I use PB from a desktop, where it's wonky but workable.

Many of my pics on BCF still link to PB, so I'd hate to delete it, but it's gotten progressively worse over those 10 years.
 
It is a factory top. It's been hanging on the wall for a long time, but I looked a little closer and I am missing the center back bracket. it looks like it just screws in. If anyone has an extra I would be happy to buy it. I don't know if they are available from anyone?
Also the below pictures from Randall tell a lot. I have several manuals, but it's hard for me to tell from the manual what to do. I think I will have to take the trim off to see if the mounting plates are missing or just covered up. Thanks for every ones help!
 
Yes there are 5 in the bottom on the car side and 5 screwed in the back of hardtop frame to match those, and 3 chrome ones in the front top. Yes the trim needs to come off. You might be able to make the back ones for the car and for the hard top, all 10-- plus they might be available. It is just some mild steel with 2 – 90, degree bends for a screw to hold it in the back ,and all 5 bottom ones are the same.

There are 2 types that fit on the top for the back upper and they are all 90 degree L shaped. The 3 along the back are smaller than the 2 that go next to the door above the B post, but they are all similar 90 degree and easy to make.

You have to drill the windshield frame for the chrome top ones it is made of chrome plated brass.

One thing I learned the hard way was that with the hard top on the car, the side-curtains sit about an inch lower and have to fit in the hard top frame opening or the door will not close.

Steve
 
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IMG_0379.jpg


Here are a couple pics that might be helpful...
IMG_0780.jpg

IMG_0781.jpg
 
Thanks for all the pictures. I took the trim off this morning and the only brackets I have are mounted on the windscreen. There are three there, but nothing for the back at all. I did contact TRF andthey will sell me a kit or the individual parts. Kind of strange that they are not in the back, but on the windscreen, however, who knows what had happened in the first part of my cars life!
Thanks for all the help!
 
Hi Tom,

I know that the fixing kit is quite expensive. If you want to have a go at making the bridging pieces, it may save you some money. These pics were posted on another forum by "Les". Nice pics with dimensions. Looks like two different sized bridging pieces but I think the TRF Kit supplies all 5 bridge pieces the same size as the one in the right side of the photo.

image.jpeg

You can see all the other bits in this diagram...

image.jpg

Cheers
Tush
 
My hard top is hanging in rafters or I would try and get some picks, but it probably would not help much because the brackets are under the interior. Somebody probably put a different windshield on your car, and if your car is early; they slid off with the Dzus.

It sounds like you have the expensive 3 that go on the windshield. I would price out how much the chrome screws are that go down into the windshield brackets that you have and the 5 chrome screws that hold down on the back bottom because they are special. Then see how much that costs to a whole kit.
 
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