TR2/3/3A 1960 TR 3A Fender bead question

[Tinkerman]

The front fender beading has a longish galvanized sheet metal tab that gets screwed to the interior of the front fenders. What size and head type screw did any of you use to install them?

Thanks, Tinkerman

 

[Geo Hahn]

I used slotted panhead sheet metal screws -- but if correctness is critical do not rely on me. I just went with what looked right.

 

[bobhustead]

# 4 slotted sheet metal screws were, I believe, original. I used 1/8 pop rivets putting mine back together. You may find that the fastening tab needs to be cut in a couple places to get conformity to the shape of the fender.
Bob

 

[charleyf]

Oval head slotted sheet metal screws were what came off of my TR3. As to putting back on, I used the same head but I recall trying to reuse the same holes in the body. This caused me to have to use two different sizes to get the screws to hold, as the body holes on a few of them were enlarged. The length was about 5/16 to 3/8 inch. If you are drilling new holes in the body you won't have that problem.
Charley

 

[Geo Hahn]

Oval head slotted sheet metal screws were what came off of my TR3...

I would not have expected oval head to look right on there.

Oval head screws

Pan head screws

Round head screws

 

[Tinkerman]

Thanks folks. I had kinda thought that slotted panhead would be the item.
Gotta love the BCF!
Dick

 

[martx-5]

Being that you're messing with the fender beads, a little trick that I leaned from the forum is to pop rivet the those sliding tabs onto the outer wings. I makes it much easier to get fenders and apron into position without having to fight the fender beads. You will have to leave the screws loose holding the fenders in place onto the inner wings so you can spread the outer wings (fenders) enough to put the apron in place. Push them back into position after the apron is in place and tighten up the screws. I've had my apron off twice since the resto was finished, and this mod made the job very easy...along with putting never-sieze on all the screws.

 

[Tinkerman]

Thanks Art, is it worth taking the fenders back off to do that. I understand the reasoning behind but I hate do overs, heh.
Dick

 

[Marvin Gruber]

Dick
I wouldn't do it. You can get a better "bead coverage" of the fender/apron crack by having the beading slip fit in, you can work the beading over a little if its needed. It does help by having the hood/fender area fixed, you can put a spacer inbetween to move the beading out the close up the gap between the hood and fender.

Marv

 

[martx-5]

Thanks Art, is it worth taking the fenders back off to do that. I understand the reasoning behind but I hate do overs, heh.
Dick

I pop-riveted the beading while the fenders were in place before I put the apron on. Like I said, just leave the fender screws loose up to where you are putting in those oval head screws. Even with the beading pop-riveted on, it still can be shifted some if needed, but I didn't find it necessary.

 

[TS66693]

Anyone have any pictures of the pop-riveted fender bead installation? Are pop rivets installed on ALL of the finger tabs of the beading? This installation sounds like the way to go, like you said, to prevent fighting the wing, body and bonnet alignments all at the same time!

 

[TS66693]

Is the fender beading installed before or after the fender is painted? So, fit & drill where you want to install the pop rivets, then paint the fender, then put on the beading with pop rivets?

 

[martx-5]

Anyone have any pictures of the pop-riveted fender bead installation? Are pop rivets installed on ALL of the finger tabs of the beading? This installation sounds like the way to go, like you said, to prevent fighting the wing, body and bonnet alignments all at the same time!

I pop riveted the beading to the fenders. Best thing I ever did concerning those. I've had the front apron off twice since, and it's been a very easy, one man job. You have to loosen the screws up along the upper part of the front wings so you can spread them enough to allow the beads to clear the apron during removal and installation. I riveted all of the tabs to the wing spacing them fairly evenly. Not a great picture, but you can see whats going on. I put some tape on the ends of the tabs so the wouldn't scratch the paint with them...just in case, but probably unnecessary.

I painted the wings before hand. I put the wings loosely on the car without the apron on. Then I put the beading in place starting fom the top under the hood. I then drilled and pop riveted the tabs on one at a time, starting from the top tab, while you're pushing the bead against the wing. Piece of cake.



Disregard the attached thumbnail...I was having trouble uploading the image.

 

[DornTRoriginal]

That's interesting, non of the bead trim was ever fastened with screws or rivets on my dad's car when I took it all apart. Seemed to me that the fender held them in place. Go figure?

 

[Don Elliott]

Bob - If your strip needed to be cut (notched with tin-snips) to fit the roundness of the fender curve on your TR3A, it's because the ones you bought were for a TR4. I changed one of my beadings last year and the one I got was from Moss. The curve was correct for my TR3A.

BTW, my 1958 TR3A had 4 round head #4 screws to secure that strip to the fender. It's been like that since I bought it brand new in May, 1958.

 

[martx-5]

That's interesting, non of the bead trim was ever fastened with screws or rivets on my dad's car when I took it all apart. Seemed to me that the fender held them in place. Go figure?

That's true, but some of us rebels decided to make assembly and dis-assembly easier by pop riveting the beading in place. I know, absolute heresy. layful: