• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

I'm winding down on

Share this page

E

emmett1010

Jedi Hopeful
Country flag
Offline
Hi guys:
I'm finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.
After 13 months of very intensive work, Im beginning to block sand TS16951, and hope to have it at the paint shop next week.
The original trunk lid had budget locks on each side, but I've ended up with a truck lid with the latch handle in the muddle sic.
It's the only TR3A part on the car, but its very straight, and the handle has the original keys!
My question is how does the latch work? All I have to go by is the handle shaft.
Does ths shaft have a rod that extends to the side latches, or does it just swing down and latch in the middle?
I've not seen any pictures of the underside of the truck lid that would show this.
Will this even work, and what needs to be done/bought?
Thanks, Emmett :banana:
 
Speaking of pictures Emmett, do you have any progress pics to show us?

Sorry, but I can't help on the TR3 latch info that you need, but Randall, Tom or Don will be in soon to help out.
 
I hope he does post some pictures. I saw Emmett's car right after Christmas. It's going to be one fine solid car.
 
That Commission # would make it a a 1957 and a build of around July. The budjet lock you refer to are standard to a 57 and earlier cars. The center handle came on sometime in late 57 for the TR3A.
 
Emmett-

Can't say if you can get this to work, but just confirming that the center lock only latches in the middle, no extra linkage takes it out to the sides.

Randy
 
thanks guys;
then i need a swing arm with a square hole to mount to the handle, and a ledge/bracket bolted/welded to the rear apron.
If i have to weld, i need to do it before painting.
i've got some neat pictures but my work computer filters out many of the photo services. many of the forum pictures i cant see (access).
I need to send my pictures home, and use dial up to post them. i've just been to busy sanding.
i know one thing-i'm ready to ride! enough work
emmett
 
There is a small ledge on the later bodies for the latch/lock lever to ride against; that as I recall was not present on the earlier bodies. It's not much, just an L-shaped piece of metal perhaps 1.5" long and .75" wide. I can probably post a picture Saturday if you want.

But are you really sure you want to go down this route? I know from experience that you will forever more be having people gleefully tell you that your car is "wrong". Surely someone has a straight early lid that they would trade for your later one?

Also, please be sure the lid is from a pre-TS60000 3A. The later ones have a built-up section where the hinges attach, that ensures they do not mount properly to the earlier bodies.
 
No Randall, I really don't want to use the tr3a trunk lid.
Everything else is correct(98%) my battery ground goes to the starter, my fuel shut off valve is hardware store brass valve, my brake switch has lucar connections, ect. small things

The idea behind this car to me is in the riding, although it needs to look nice, and be dependable.
Before teaching, i was in the retail automobile busness. Sometimes I wouldn't repair a defective part on a used car ie tires, no radio, or a broken one, just so customers would focus on one problem, and not look for others. Works too!

But yes: if someone has a nice pre 22xxx trunk lid for sale or swap, I have a perfect,refinished primed front and back tr3a lid, with the chrome handle and 2 original keys!
If anyone can help, I'd very much appreciate it.
Emmett
 
Emmett - My April 59 TR3(A) has the single center latch on the boot lid. Hook on the bottom of the turnable handle pin slides under the raised edge Randall refers to.

As Randall says, the old/new boot lid change occurs at TS60000. I *think* (not at all sure) there may be a difference in the liftable support brace configuration on the right.

Edit: per Piggott, at TS60001, "raised platforms for the bonnet and boot hinges ... boot aperture given a wider rim to enable a better, more leak proof seal, spare wheel compartment deepened so that a wider spare tyre could be more easily inserted, with a consequent change to the boot floor pressing."

Piggott has several pages of info (!) on boot lid latch details and changes over the TR2/3/3A years; let me know if you want me to scan them for you. If I recall, you bought your TR "in boxes".

Tom
 
Different subject. On the block sanding, I am not very good at feeling highs and lows with my bare hands. But found that with an old t shirt or other light weight material between my hand and the panel, I was able to detect so many more imperfections.
It made for more work, but was worth it in the end.
 
Tom:
That would be great if you could scan the latch details.
My tr3a lid has the flat hinge mounts, and seems to mount ok.
Perhaps I can weld a ledge in the apron for now, and still change it over later on when/if i find the correct lid.
Doug; Only someone who has block sanded an entire car with 3 or 4 progressively finer grits can understand the perfection and patience involved.
I'll try the tshirt idea, but I'm almost to the "its good enough" stage.
Someone told me that you never get it perfect, but get to a good enough point!
And yes. This car was completely disassembled, for 12-15 years
Thanks guys, Emmett
 
That's one we learned in the wood shop many years ago -- except we used a piece of paper under the fingers. The theory is that it removes the sensations of sliding along a surface from your fingertips, as the paper is stationary, riding along with your fingers. One set of sensations instead of two = less "confusion." It works!

As a guy who does guitar refinishing, I knew I'd drive myself completely crazy painting a car, which is 1) SO much bigger than a guitar and, 2) can't possibly be brought to the level of "perfection" that we have to produce on a guitar.
 
Emmett
If you need any pictures I can pop out and take some of my car. Having said that, it is a post 60,000 car so has the different boot seal arrangement.
Nick
 
Emmett - I've emailed the pictures and book scans to you. Let us know if you need anything else.

Tom
 
Emmet,
I have to agree with Randall about getting the "right" lid now, but I'm sure you are getting real excited about driving the car ASAP. Here is a picture taken from inside my trunk. This car has the non-raised trunk/hood hinges, single handle in center of trunk lid and the square rear edge moulding as well as the 'channell' (vs, 'rods') on the under side of the trunk lid. As you can see, there seems to be a added plate that the latch sits under.

Hope this helps,
Jerry
 
Back
Top