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TR4/4A On or off frame when welding in body panels

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Rut

Rut

Obi Wan
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Just started poking around on my 4 and I have some body welding to do...is it best to weld in new sheet metal while the body is on of off the frame? Looking at boot floor, partial driver side floor, partial outer sill, etc. My Bugeye is a unit body and it's fairly straight forward with the bracing and welding, but this is my first 'frame' car. Sources for sheet metal would be nice to know as well.
Thanks, Rut
 

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I would think it's to your benefit to leave the body in place; that way, the chassis serves as somewhat of a jig to help keep things aligned. I've heard enough stories of sheet metal replacement of a body while off the chassis...followed by lots of screaming, anger and work to be redone when it was discovered that the door opening was now 1" too short, etc., etc., etc. :(
 
Andrew Mace said:
I would think it's to your benefit to leave the body in place; that way, the chassis serves as somewhat of a jig to help keep things aligned. I've heard enough stories of sheet metal replacement of a body while off the chassis...followed by lots of screaming, anger and work to be redone when it was discovered that the door opening was now 1" too short, etc., etc., etc. :(
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+1
 
Thanks guys! I'll leave it on the frame until I replace the rusted sheet metal...now, where to get said sheet metal?
Rut
 
Rut said:
..., where to get said sheet metal?
Rut
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Moss Motors would be one place to start. I've bought sheet metal from them for my TR3, and have been satisfied with quality and fit.
 
Thanks, I've bought body panels from Moss before and they have been a variety of manufacturers...Ashley Hinton, Steelcraft, BMH, etc. and decided to go to the source for some Bugeye panels this last time. Even with shipping from the UK the cost was about half of the Moss price and since I was low on funds that was very attractive to me. The Triumph panels look to be much more costly than either Spridget or MGB and I'm trying to keep cost down while doing a good job.
Thanks, Rut
 
The other major source is The Roadster Factory. I have noticed that the panels from Moss did not come with the blind nuts in place while the ones from TRF did. So you may be paying a bit more at the start but you get more. TRF has also tried very hard to make sure that the parts they have FIT.
I agree with welding the panels on while on the frame. Just watch out for the frame getting in the way while cutting and welding. You do also have fuel and brake lines running under those panels if you are removing partial panels.
Charley
 
Charley,
Thanks for the additional information! VB is having a sale on a lot of Triumph parts and two of those are the gas tank and boot/trunk floor. I ordered both for less than half of what I would have normally paid and while I'm just a fair welder, I'm a great grinder!
Rut
 
Rut,
I quit buying from VB because I determined that you get what you pay for. This is especially true when dealing with parts that need to FIT. Let us know how the fit is on the parts that you get. I am not a good welder either and I am a slow learner. But I have realized that when the parts fit properly the fabrication and welding job is a whole lot easier.
Charley
 
Marvin,
After I dig deeper I'll plan a trip north on a sunny day for a change! The gas tank was on sale for $169 and the boot floor for a tick less than 2 bills so it was hard to pass up.
Thanks, Rut
 
Couple things to note, before starting to cut and weld inspect the frame. If you find any kinks or dips or it otherwise doesn't match specs, fix those first so the underpinnings are straight. Otherwise you could find that fixing those issues later could mean redoing bodywork because it no longer completely lines up. And depending on how much you need to cut you may want to have some braces in place to ensure parts of the tub don't sag a bit and cause fit problem down the road.
 
Mike and Tom,
The car will be stripped before I attempt any panel replacement/patching. That's great advice regarding the frame and I'll double check the measurements before I go any further. I'll definately heed your advice as far as grounding and welding are concerned...don't need to screw anything up!
Rut
 
I have a set of braces that go in the door openings, from A post to B post that hold the tub from shifting. I used them when I pulled the 250 body. I can show you them next time you are here.

Marv
 
Marvin,
Thanks, I have some braces from my Bugeye and might be able to use parts of them.
Rut
 
Gas tank and trunk floor arrived today and both appear to be of good quality. I've been cutting, welding and grinding as I finish the sheet metal replacement on my Bugeye and watching the Blue Angels practice...hard to get anything done when you have F-18s buzzing your house!
Rut
 
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