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TR2/3/3A Antenna hole?

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Jim_Stevens

Jim_Stevens

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We got the TR-3A body back from the sandblaster today, and along with the not-unexpected additional body work that needs to be done, there was a 1” hole for an antenna in the RH part of the cowl, right above the factory hole for the speaker.

A DPO had had a radio in it at some point. I’m wondering if the hole was a factory drill-out as well? Anybody have the same experience? It’ll be filled for sure (no radio for me) — just curious.
 
When I stripped mine for a respray I found a second antenna hole where you describe (already had another antenna hole in the top of the right wing).

No idea when that hole in the cowl had been filled, never would have known it was there except for a strip to bare metal.

I doubt it was 'factory' - I am not even sure if speaker holes were 'factory' (my 59 does not have them).
 
Almost certainly not factory. Original radios were dealer-installed for cars delivered in the US. Otherwise, they tended to go missing during shipment.

I've got a copy of the installation instructions, that shows the antenna hole centered 11-7/8" forward of the door seam. But I've seen cars with it in all sorts of places; so it appears that even the dealers didn't always follow directions.

PS, I believe the speaker holes were factory, but only on earlier cars. Deleted in June 1959 according to a memo I've got.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UWbjZoV3dbvb22umr6D4TFWOt5ox86jD
 
I have an early '59 and it has speaker holes on both sides but no antenna hole.
 
I have a hole in the cowl on the passenger side. 1961 TR3A.

I plan to fill it in as I will not have a radio.

David
 
TR3driver said:
I've got a copy of the installation instructions, that shows the antenna hole centered 11-7/8" forward of the door seam. But I've seen cars with it in all sorts of places; so it appears that even the dealers didn't always follow directions.
Click to expand...
At the dealership where I did a brief stint as a mechanic in the early 60's, radio installations were given to the lowest tier of mechanics (me) so about anything was possible.
Tom
 
I have seen that holes in the cowling before also. I thought maybe a mirror or one of those old school spot lights you can move around from inside.
 
TR3driver said:
...Deleted in June 1959 according to a memo I've got...
Click to expand...

Nevertheless, no speaker holes in my April 15, 1959 build:

8whQCzj.jpg
 
Seems like that is always the case with any change point. Some before the given point will get the change; some after won't get it.

Hard to say what happened here. The memo might be wrong, or perhaps your body got sped up somehow so it was finished (as a car) earlier than other bodies. Maybe there was an accident along the line, so the original body for your car was damaged, and they repaired it by grabbing a body from earlier in the normal process. Might be interesting to know how your "Mulliner's" number compares to other cars around that time.

If you read through Piggott's 'Original TR', he points out many other instances where changes didn't happen exactly as documented. For example, some pre-TS60K cars were built with the post-60K body. And vice versa!

So, I always take change points as being approximate. I quoted the memo more to show that there was a deliberate change (I believe) than because I trusted the date to be correct (especially in terms of being correct in all cases).
 
Quite true, e.g. mine has no blanking plate on the right side of the firewall but many cars after mine did get one. Ah, the mysteries of STC.
 
I have an August 59 build and it had the speaker holes but no right hand blanking plate. I had to cut a hole for the pedal box and steering column for the right hand steering conversion, all the other brackets and mounting points were allready in place.

Graham
 
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