Side Curtain Color Question

[Tinkerman]

Just hauled my side curtains out of storage, ugh. My original car had black upholstery, and the side curtains are black. In looking through my archives of TR3 pictures, the few I have with side curtains seem to indicate that they were the same color as the upholstery. My car is a 1960 TR3A post 60000. So would that be correct for my car?
I scarfed up a link to the TRF side curtain rebuild site from an early post, thank you JDubois. TRF pictured the fabric on all parts of the frame, yet my frame has fabric only on the bottom. So should I follow what came with the car? Would make sense but just checking.
I am putting in tan upholstery (came with the car) should I try to match that color to paint the metal with or could I just paint the metal black and call it a day?
The TRA judging standards doesn't give much to go on with this question.

Your thoughts and comments greatly appreciated.

Tinkerman

 

[Twosheds]

Typically, the side curtains matched the color of the top and tonneau.

Join TRA and get a Build Record for your car to find out the original top/ tonneau color if you don't know it and want to keep the color original.

Or, if you have money to burn, you can always get a BMHIT Certificate!

Fabric goes all around the frame.

 

[Geo Hahn]

...my frame has fabric only on the bottom... should I try to match that color to paint the metal with or could I just paint the metal black and call it a day?

Not exactly sure what you mean by 'the metal'. If it is that the upper part of the frame is exposed metal then I think your side curtains are either not the original style or have been altered in some way.

The fabric (as you call it) is (I think) vinyl on mine, though not really the sort of vinyl you see on the tonneau and top.

 

[Moseso]

It sounds like you've got the AMCO side curtains.
For I.D. -- Do they have a rubber strip all around the top three edges - where they contact the windcsreen and the top?
(or post a picture...)

 

[Tinkerman]

Here is a picture of the side curtain. I noticed that the sliding panel does not have the handle on it.

Tinkerman

 

[Tinkerman]

More add-on info. There is no rubber on the outside of the exposed frames and the frames are all steel and the brackets are welded to the frame.

Cheers, Tinkerman

 

[martx-5]

On original side curtains, there should be no exposed frame. They are entirely covered by vinyl. The front window (very thin) should be sewed into place, with the rear movable, which should have a handle on it.

I've seen the Amco side curtains, and the frames are made from aluminum without any vinyl covering the top section.

Edit: If you are going to send them to TRF, they will do them as they are supposed to be. Just make sure that they fit your car correctly before you send them out, as it's difficult to adjust things after they are finished. I swapped a set with with Paul Bos from the forum (i needed Dzus, and he needed wedge), and had to tweak them a little to get them to fit. When I get the money, I'll send them to TRF.

 

[Geo Hahn]

Those look like original curtains to me though I don't see the little strap that snaps to the door (might have been removed, maybe not all had it?) and you say the handle on the slider is missing (could have broken off, was probably just a tab of plastic that curved away from the window).

IMO, the 'right' looking color for the side curtains is the same color as the top... i.e. black with black or white with white. That (the top) is more noticeable than the interior color when the side curtains are in use.

 

[DougF]

My black on black car came from the factory with a white hood and curtains. The dealer swapped black for white. A friend has a black with white top car. Beautiful car, but he regrets the white as the lighter colors are difficult to keep clean.

 

[Don Elliott]

When I bought the new beige top for my 1958 TR3A in 1988, I bought a Robbins top from Roadster Factory. When I had them re-build my sidecurtains (really it was Larry Learn who did them at that time), I specified the same Robbins vinyl and it matches my top perfectly. Here is my top in 2007 at VTR in Valley Forge PA. You can see the sidecurtains displayed as per TRA near the rear fenders.

 

[PSUTR3B]

I put a TRF tan interior (seats, door panels, dash etc) in my BRG TR3B and also got a tan top, tonneau and sidecurtains (done by TRF--a great job). I think the same color interior and top-sidecurtains-tonneau looks very good. Those colors were probably not available for the TR3B interior and weather pieces but I liked the combination. FWIW, I have no regrets.

Gary