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Spitfire Spitfire Gloveboxes - Support Rails

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dklawson

dklawson

Yoda
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I ordered new Spitfire gloveboxes from BP Northwest. I now have a couple of questions.

My '72 Spit arrived as the previous owner's unfinished project (in some pieces). I have been looking through the parts and it ppears that I am missing the Right-hand vinyl covered metal glovebox rail. Is the RH rail the mirror image of the LH rail or does it have a different length and curvature? I ask because I'm considering just making my own.

The second question is a picture request. Can one of you send a couple of detail shots of where the rails attach? I've got a general idea and I assume the assembly is very similar to our '67 GT6... but I'd like to be sure.

Thanks,
Doug L.
 
dklawson said:
Is the RH rail the mirror image of the LH rail...
Click to expand...
Yes, they are mirror image.

Sorry I can't send photos, because I haven't got around to installing new package trays myself. But as far as the rails go, on the inboard side they should mount to a sturdy bracket that extends behind the dash centre vertical support frame that holds the radio. On the outboard side, the rails mount on L-shaped brackets that attach to the body inside A-post. I believe the package trays themselves are attached to the rail with a rivet-on zip fastener that extends from the top down through the tray and through holes in the rail.

What do you think of the new trays? Are they good quality? My old ones are pretty ratty and I have been thinking I should just buy and install new.
 
Thanks for the reply Ross.

The new boxes are OK and from BP Northwest were about 1/2 what the other vendors charge. I can't get too excited about paying $25 for cardboard, but they look to be reasonably made and the pre-punched holes (at least for the LH side) appear to be in the right locations.

I think I'll just form a RH bar and make a profile piece for its front edge. The rails are available new from the vendors but they are quite expensive for what they are. I'll keep my eye on eBay also. I have lots of work to do so the dash rails can remain a back-burner thing that I can wait on.
 
I may have one in a Mk IV I am stripping parts from. I doubt it in very good condition, but it's yours if you want it.
 
Bill, having a part to recondition instead of making a rail from scratch would be great. I'll send you a PM about it.

Thanks,
Doug L.
 
dklawson said:
I can't get too excited about paying $25 for cardboard..
Click to expand...
Amen to that.

But better, as you say, than twice that amount. Like you, finishing these off has been a low priority for me. With the package trays out of the Spit you actually have a little more room. But I should get back to it.

I can't really see any nice way of tarting the old ones up again (how do you 'restore' cardboard?), so I guess I will just replace them. Sounds like BPNW's are decent and I like to deal with them.
 
You could use the old cardboard ones as a pattern to make them out of aluminum.
 
71MKIV said:
You could use the old cardboard ones as a pattern to make them out of aluminum.
Click to expand...

There was a thread in the NASS Yahoo group running about that. My problem was/is... I don't have any old gloveboxes to reverse-engineer.
 
The parcel shelves in my 80 Spitfire were good enough to be reused with a little sprucing up. My 64 had some really poorly homemade ones. When I get around to it, I'm going to make some new ones.
 
dklawson said:
71MKIV said:
You could use the old cardboard ones as a pattern to make them out of aluminum.
Click to expand...

There was a thread in the NASS Yahoo group running about that. My problem was/is... I don't have any old gloveboxes to reverse-engineer.
Click to expand...

Oh, shoot, you are too far away to come look at mine. They were done by the po, and didn't come out too bad. My problem is getting the time to sit down and make the measurements and the like.
 
Not sure if this helps but here goes

when I need to make exact copies of flat stock like cardboard and the such

I scan the pieces on my scanner on a 1 to 1 scale

if the whole piece does not fit I do it is sections then use the scissors to cut out

wah la exact match

hope this helps
 
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