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BN-1 to Bn-2 Transmisstion Tunnel Help

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T

TodE

Jedi Hopeful
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Ok, here's my problem! 3-4 years ago I bought a Wilton wool carpet kit from a "well known "Upholstery" company" in Washington state for my 1955 Austin Healey BN-1 about 4 years ago. Along the way I changed over to the 4 speed from the three speed. I also bought from this company, leather seat covers, foams, (which I sent my seat frames to them to get the best fit) kick panels and Armorcord trunk and rear kit. Spent a Whole Bunch of Money with them!!

So now that I am in the final stages of the restoration of course the carpet for the larger transmission tunnel does not fit.(Which I knew it would not.) No problem right, contact my good old buddies at the upholstery company to send me the BN-2 tunnel carpet. Did I mention that I spent a Whole Bunch of Money with them! I am aware that the dye lots will be off some.

I was told from this well known upholstery company that the kits are computerized and I could not buy just the carpet for the tunnel, but for $785.00 I could purchase a whole kit. Ok, I know that I can be a little slow on the uptake, but you mean you can't tell that computer to cut the 2 pieces that I need or I know do something that was done before computers, CUT IT BY HAND!!

Wow, long winded. So what I am forced to do was buy Wilton wool from World Upholstery and Trim in California (Very nice people to work with. I highly recommend them.) I will use a local upholstery company to cut and sew the tunnel cover.

I need some pictures of a BN-2 transmission tunnel so I can have them make it. I especially need close ups of the shift lever to show the vinyl sewn around the hole.
Any help would be greatly appreciated, as I have a show in 2 weeks!

Thank you,
Tod
 
I am in the same boat as you with a BN1 that has a BN2 box. My 4 speed was installed back in the 60's by a long distant PO. I can not vouch for the accuracy of these, but here are some photos that I have picked up over the months from the web.
$_57 (12).jpg$_57 (44).jpg18042_ad96dee157_low_res.jpg18043_d1d4bf4703_low_res.jpg
 
Another question! After looking at some BN-2 transmission tunnel pictures, does the tunnel go down first then the flat panel that fits up to the firewall, go over the tunnel flange or does the tunnel flange butt up to the firewall panel?
 
Both surfaces of the flange on the tunnel is covered in vinyl and the forward (raw) edge of the carpet covering of the rest of the tunnel buts up against the flange where the bend is. That's the vinyl on the flange you see peaking out at the joint between the tunnel and the firewall panel in the photo I posted. It's my experience that the flanges get deformed by PO's a lot. It may need the be shaped and trimmed so that the amount you see in the photo is exposed and no more.
 
OK! That helps greatly! My tunnel is a fiberglass one and the flange mush be 2 inches wide. So I am guessing that I need to cut all but about a 1/2 off ? One last question (I hope) Is the vinyl just glued to the flange or sewn to the carpet and then glued?
I have a friend who swears that the carpet from the flat panel screwed to the firewall comes down over the flange. Not the panel, but just the carpet. He is wrong, correct? Ok 2 questions!!!!!!
Thank you AH100M you have been a great help. Huntington NY, not too far from Delaware, why don't you drive your car to our Lewes Delaware car show May 2? 20th year "The British are coming ......Again" It's a nice show. About 100 cars, all British.
 
What I suggest you do is test fit the carpeting, butting up against the flange, to see how much of the vinyl would be exposed above the carpeting (would depend upon the the thickness of the carpeting and the insulation - jute if original). There should be no more than 1/2" or so of the vinyl -trimmed flange left exposed.

The vinyl is glued (wrapped around) the flange - no sewing to the carpet. Your friend is wrong about the carpeting but don't blame him. This area of the interior is not the most elegantly engineered part of the car.

I can't drive the car to Delaware - I sold it at auction two weeks ago (see my long posts starting about 20 March). Thanks for the invite though.
 
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