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TR2/3/3A Body to frame tr3

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sp53

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Hi tr3 people has anyone found a suitable replacement for the old canvas packing that goes between the frame and the body? Or has anyone bought some recently from one of the big three. The stuff looks kinda good for fifty or so years under a car. If I could find some of that exact stuff I would be happy; however, I have often been disappointed with after market products. Is it not just burlap or canvas? In addition, does anyone know why some of the bolts that hold the body to the frame on the outriggers are actually a machine screw with a special washer? It just does not make any sense. They that have a how can endure any why.

George
 
Hi,

For my TR4 I got a body installation kit from TRF and was happy with it. Some of the shims or packing materials were reinforced rubber, assorted circular and rectangular ones, with sort of a canvassy material in them, if that's what you mean. Particularly at the outriggers, more or less of those packing shims can be used to help align the doors.

I don't know about TR3 outriggers, but on TR4 the body bolts down with a standard 5/16 NF bolt and a rather thick and oversized washer.

BTW, when removing the body from the TR4, I cursed to find a previous owner had removed all the washers on the passenger's side outrigger bolts.... I have no idea why!

Anyway, for a while I really struggled trying to get the bolts out, since they had pulled into the rubber shim packing and were recessed into the holes in the body... Then it dawned on me! This was not one of my finer automotive engineering moments! D'oh! Those 8 bolts weren't holding anything, they'd already pulled through the body holes and I didn't even have to remove them to lift off the body! Geez... All that cursing for nothing! Removed all the other bolts from the various mounting points, lifted the body and later removed the washerless bolts easily, once I could get a socket or wrench on the heads.

By the way, the TR4 shop manual shows some sort of body seam sealer used under those outrigger washers. Probably would be a good idea to use a bit of it on any TR body to frame mounting points. If nothgin else, it might help keep the bolts from rusting and make them easier to remove the next time you restore the car, say in 25 years or so.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
I also got shims and packing pieces (some aluminum, some thick canvas like for outriggers at A & B posts and some round of different thickness) from TRF. They were very similar to the original piece that were with the car when I got it and worked just fine. As I recall almost all of the fastners wer bolts to captive nuts with the exception of two that were on the floor board one on each side of the tunnel at about the back of where each seat will be mounted. I cannot remember if I actually used them or thought I needed them.
Gary
 
Yes thanks Gary and Allen for your input. I am trying to put this car together with all original hardware and could not remember where those two dished washers went. After reading what Gary said, I think they might be the two that go towards the back (kinda behind the seats) and not in the out riggers as I thought. That would make more sense because they would act like a fender washer and grab a little more of the sheet metal on the tub. Thanks for the tip on the seam sealer Allan. If nothing else it with keep some of the moister out, and it looks like the factory use something perhaps a tar kinda stuff. I am probably going to order the packing from Moss the stuff is inexpensive and precut and drilled. In addition, I can buy as needed and A/R.
George
 
I have used cloth impregnated rubber on other projects that I got from local junk yards for song. However, I just purchased the "body mounting kit" from TRF and am initially pleased--if I can just recall where it all fits??
 
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