Seam Sealer on the Fire Wall

[JohnnyMead]

I'm cleaning up the body panels under the hood, getting ready to paint. I've knocked off some pitch-like material that looks like it was sealing metal seams in the fire wall. Was that original stuff?
John
TR3A 75605L

 

[Moseso]

Yes.
I knocked a bunch of that stuff out of mine during the repaint -- and then replaced it with a (hopefully) non-hardening compound on reassembly. Unlike the factory, I didn't want to paint over it.

 

[JohnnyMead]

Thanks. As I clean up the engine area I'm discovering it in several areas.

 

[TDHoward]

NOt to hikack the thread, but...
The body I used as a replacement on my Spitfire was a late body from an 1980 model. Rather than normal "dummy" type seam sealer, it has what looks like an expanding foam type over the metal to metal seams.

It was painted over with the original color. This is a first for me, but I believe it to be from the factory.

In the late cars did BL use this dense yellow foam sealer? or was this added later? It seems to have held up very well.

Any ideas, input?

 

[tr8todd]

That is the stuff they used on the TR7 and 8s. It comes off nicely with a drill mounted wire brush. It also burns so if you are welding onto a panel, you have to make sure there isn't any of that stuff on the back side of the panel. Makes welding in roll bars an adventure.