TR2/3/3A DOOR PANEL HELP NEEDED 1960 TR3 A post 60000 car

[Tinkerman]

Afternoon all. Going to be putting on door panels and dog leg panels and I have all the little screws and cup washers that go with them. My question of the day is: what size pilot hole do I need for those small body panel screws?

As always your thoughts and ideas greatly appreciated.

Cheers Tinkerman

 

[tomshobby]

You can use a caliper and measure across the minor diameter of the screws. Use a drill that size or very slightly smaller. Or drill a couple test holes in a scrap piece of material.

 

[Geo Hahn]

Drilling a test hole is a great idea. If you're looking for what to start with -- try 3/32"... and if you're like me, have a couple of them on hand.

 

[Tr3aguy]

Pictures would be nice!!! I concur with the previous.....

 

[Vila]

I hold a screw up next to the holes in my plastic drill gage to get an idea of what size drill I need, then like Geo said drill a test hole in a piece of scrap wood to test the size.

Start with a slightly smaller drill first and if the screw is to tight then I work my way up to a larger size drill if necessary. Also attempt to use a similar type of wood, since if you use a softer wood for the test you may not have a large enough hole.

Vila
1933 Chevrolet
1962 Triumph Tr4
1984 BMW 633 CSi

 

[CJD]

Aren't the holes already in the metal? I use an ice pick to punch through the outer panel and locate the previous holes. With a little practice you can find them every time. Then just thread the screws through the new pick holes into the old holes in the metal.