TR2/3/3A Mounting the Wide Mouth Grill

[Tinkerman]

Doing the prep work on mounting the apron on my 1960 TR3A. I got the grill out of storage (new) and discovered that I dont't really know how that grill is to mount in the apron opening. I see screw holes in the lower border of the apron opening but none in the upper portion. Does the upper portion mount with spier nuts?
I did note the six holes on the right and left or the apron bottom for the fiber board air deflector. Should I mount that before I install the apron?

As always your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Tinkerman

 

[Kleykamp]

Dick, There should be holes in the upper area too, under the rolled lip. Those holes have a clip on spier nut and use a sheet metal type screw. The bottom holes have a machine screw and nut with lock washer. My understanding is that all of those screws were the only phillips head screws on the car. Counter sunk with oval head. I used stainless screws. Do you have a repro apron? Because those upper holes should be there unless they were missed on a repro or filled in a repair somehow.

 

[Tinkerman]

I suspect the holes were filled in by my paint and body man. I will have to drill new ones.Thanks for the info Joe.

Dick

 

[sp53]

Yeh that grill is a tough one; I hope it fits, but they are bendable. I bolt the apron on bare, so I can reach around in through the head light holes and grill mouth for those bolts that come through the inner fender. When there is bondo in the way I take a new sharp double pointed drill bit and turn it by hand so I can get through everything with minimal damage. You will feel it when you hit metal that way. Some people make a small half round deal to fill the curved spot on the lip of the grill, so they do not pull the sheet metal down too hard when they put in the screw and crack the paint or bondo. I sometime reach in through the head light hole and put a dab of something on the screw, permatex or paint, so it will not rattle lose. Moreover, I believe those screws are slotted and not phillips. I do not think there are any phillips screws on a tr3.

 

[Geo Hahn]

I think you've all cover the grille install well, I'll ass that I think the shroud has to go in and on after the apron is in place.

...I do not think there are any phillips screws on a tr3.

Possibly the screws for the under-dash supports were Phillips? Not sure though.

 

[Don Elliott]

Dick _ I'll tell you what I did. I took a piece of soft pine about 1/2" square and filed 2 of the corners round. Then I glued them up into the rolled curve of the valance where the grille attaches to the valance at the top The screws are the same #4 straight slotted screws we find for all the interior trimming etc. The screws are easy to screw into the soft pine and you can take them out any time you want in the future.

As for the 4 holes under the flat tray for the bottom of the grille, I used pieces of cork (as from a wine bottle) and glued them under the flat tray so I could use the original #4 screws with the cupped washers.

It's easy and works fine. No need for spire nuts.