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TR2/3/3A 1960 TR-3A Hood to Apron Fitment

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Tinkerman

Tinkerman

Darth Vader
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Afternoon, still working on my TR3A getting very close but keep finding new and baffling road blocks! I am doing a frame off restoration. When I got to the right point I put all of the body parts on and took it to the painter. He did a great job, when I got it back in my shop I took all the body panels off because I still had a bunch of assembly to do. SO, I am doing what I hope to be the final assembly. I have the apron and the fenders on. I figure the hood should go on next. That way I might be able to drive it around the block, YEA. NO! Not yet! I put the hinges on the hood, set the hood on the body lightly tighten the hinge mounting bolts and it doesn't fit! It overlaps the apron about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch ! Near as I can see that should not be happening! I had the Apron lightly snugged down.
What's wrong here? None of the parts involved got stretched or deformed in any way.
Your thoughts and ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks, Tinkerman
 
Dick -

We're finally in the house and things have settled down a bit. High time that I get over to Crossville for a visit. Shoot me a PM/email and we'll set something up.

Mickey
 
My wife came down to the shop this afternoon and was looking at my problem and said "I think you have the hood stay rod latch mounted backwards!" You know what, she was right! I must be getting to old for this stuff, sigh...............
Tinkerman
 
Is the car on jack stands, or sitting on the ground? The frame may flex some closing all the gaps if you have the cars frame resting on stands, especially if the stands are way to the front and back. Also the apron may need to be rotated down in the front.
 
Thanks for the post Keith. I'm still having trouble with the fitting and I don't see how I can move the Apron very much. The apron has a sguare tube mounted on the underside that fit into fittings welded to the inner fender, so that is pretty much where it has to be. It has some marginal play but not much. I will fiddle with it and see what I can come up with. I am very close with it now so perhaps I can get it wiggled into place. Your post helped a bunch I thought I was going to have to shoot the green critter!

Thanks, Tinkerman
 
How big is the gap at the back of the hood? Do you have the same number of shims for the body mounting to the chassis? I would loosen all the bolts holding the fenders to the shell, and then remove or put a thinner shim under the forward most body mount pulling the inner fenders down. That may move the cross brace mounting brackets forward some. If I understand correctly the car was painted with all the body panels on the car.
 
Keith the body was painted with all of the panels off. They were put back on, I trailered it home and the body panels were taken off and put into storage. Every thing else fit very well so I'm beginning to think that my problem is the apron. I will take it off this afternoon and reinstall it with the hood in place. I will also loosen every bolt and screw in the front end.
The body has been up on blocks for about 6 months. Before I started this project I got it off the blocks so it is now sitting on the road wheels

Thanks for your help, Dick
 
Hey, This may sound silly or obvious, but you do realize that the hinge holes in the hood, and the holes in the cowl are supposed to be oval shaped to allow the hood to slide forward, or backward. Often while at the paint shop, these holes get filled with filler and paint, and they need to be opened up. The square bar does fit across the front, and positions the apron, but it may have been put back on 180 degrees out from the last time -if it has a slight curve to it. I know I had to bend the heck out of mine. You should be able to tell, because of the extra holes on one side for the spring/latch.

Good luck, take your time, it'll all go back together better than new.
Jer
 
The wings can be adjusted forward too, if everything else runs out of adjustment range
 
I have round holes in the cowling and I thought about elongating them however, the hood is back against the cowling so there is no further way to go there. I don't lack much and feel that I can open it up by loosening the body hold down bolts and perhaps adding or subtracting the spacers. MY question then becomes what point s do I choose for doing that.

Anyone have a thought on that please join the conversation.

Thanks, Tinkerman
 
Hi Dick,

Any way you can post some pictures?

Cheers
Tush
 
There are four bolts in the engine compartment that have thick spacers between the tub and frame. I would start there then check and see what the two in the front look like.
 
Morning:
Posting pictures was my next step Tush. However, yesterday afternoon I got all the body mounting bolts loose and the spacers out from the four spots in the engine compartment, plus loosening the steering column support, the bonnet decided it was time to close! Yea! One final check is the number of spacers on the outrigger arms. Factory manual says four, can't remember if I put four or not. Kind of figure those spacers would be real critical Will check today. I also need to mount the doors and check their alignment. Once I get the doors on I will take some pics and post them.
Thanks to all of you for your input,
Dick
 
Glad to hear that you are making progress.

Cheers
Tush
 
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