To Hole or Not to Hole? To Space or Not to Space?

[Guest]

Hey Folks,

I posted this same post to TR-Register, but I want to give you a little background. All the work done on my car was done 12 years ago, including a complete rebuild of the side curtains. They look good. However, neither of the last two owners ever installed them on the car!

So, here is where I come in. Twisting and squeezing and tapping has gotten a side curtain on, and fitting in the brackets. Here is my question:

<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #CC0000">IS THERE A HOLE IN THE DOOR PANEL, BEHIND EACH DZUS BRACKET?</span></span> This hole would allow space for the catch to grab the wire and make connection.

The reason I ask: my brackets are installed flatly against the door panel. This puts the "wire" in the bracket TIGHTLY up against the panel. There is no "give" in this panel, so the "catch" part of the connector has no place to go when I push against it with the t-handle. So, it cannot grab onto the wire.

So, I took off the bracket and did several attempts at adding spacers behind the bracket, to pull it further off of the panel. Finally, after about a quarter-of-an-inch of spacers, my Dzus catch will grab the wire and hold on tight. The only problems: (1) the bracket is sitting out 1/4 from the panel, and (2) this puts alot more strain on the connection between the connecting bars and the side curtain, as the space has widened 1/4-inch.

So, it seems that there are only two solutions to this problem. Put spacers behind all four brackets, or cut a round hole in the panel, behind each bracket.

What do YOUR Dzus brackets look like? Are there holes? Are there spacers?

I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks in advance.

 

[Adrio]

I don't have one installed yet to tell you what is there, but what about there being a hole in the panel but NOT the cover material. Would that allow you to make the connection but without cutting the leather/vinyl?

I don't have this on my car yet because it came to me with DZus side curtains (with no DZus screws) and wedge mount sockets on the doors. Worked OK for years then I made a trade of the wedge sockets for the proper DZus sockets and have never gotten around to painting the new sockets, buying the screws and installing the whole thing.

 

[Moseso]

I've never seen spacers under the brackets nor holes in the door panel. Can't say I know exactly how, but my Dzus mount side curtains work just fine this way. The original panels are just fiberboard covered with vinyl over a <span style="font-style: italic">tiny</span> bit of cotton batting (or something) for padding. Can't say I've ever noticed that the Dzus fastener even makes a mark in the vinyl cover.

 

[M_Pied_Lourd]

Hi George,

I am going to post some pics, but there are "cut outs" in the panels behind my Dzus brackets.

Just downloading the photos and will post again in a few minutes.

Cheers

M. Pied Lourd

 

[M_Pied_Lourd]

George,

As promised

Hope that they help

Cheers,
M. Pied Lourd

 

[TR3driver]

with Pied. In addition, on the earlier cars with wood in the doors, there is a circular notch in the wood for even more clearance for the end of the Dzus button.

 

[Guest]

Adrio, you hit the nail on the head! I was working on the passenger side, and there clearly were no holes behind the brackets. Then, I checked the driver's side. Voilà!! Holes behind both brackets.

This makes sense, as the PPO told me, when he bought the car, it was a basket case, with some interior panels missing, MG seats, etc, etc. So, it appears that he had to install a new passenger side door panel, but not the driver's side.

I got the holes drilled, managing to save the upholstery, using an "+" cut across the pilot hole. The trouble is that the holes/brackets don't line up perfectly with the bars on the rebuilt side curtains. I had to make the holes where the bracket "holes" were, which was a little scary. After about 2 hours - in a 100º garage - of fiddling with the two brackets, I finally got both catches to fasten. I am going to let them sit there for a week or so, hoping that they will develop a "memory" of how they are supposed to fit. So, one side down and one to go. I will tackle the other side tomorrow. It should be easier, as the holes are already there. Famous last words.

One maddening thing: three of the four door brackets have adjustable holes, giving about 1/4" play on each side. The fourth bracket, one that I worked on today, had no adjustable holes.

Epilog: now I know how the coach-builders at Rolls-Royce feel. (Yes, I said Rolls-Royce and Triumph in the same sentence.) I saw a documentary on TV, about 40 years ago, of a coach-fitter putting the last touches on the driver's door adjustment. He closed the door, got up real close to it with his ear, ran his fingers up and down the fit, then opened the door, made a miniscule adjustment to a hinge screw, then closed the door, did it again, did it again. My Dad and I just laughed, and said, "[censored], they're making this piece for us Americans!" We got a good laugh out of that old man and his screwdriver, but I had to pull the same shenanigans to get these two Dzus connections to match up.

 

[PeterK]

Mine is an early 3A with dzus. There is an indentation in the wood door and my panels have a single hole in ther center for the dzus connector. I think my panel set is old Amco so not original. But that's how mine is.

 

[angelfj1]

like this

 

[Guest]

Thanks, M (do you mind if I call you by your first name?)

I do have questions though. How did you attach the pockets to the door panels? Are those staples? If so, how did you bend the ends in, and cover them up so that they don't tear thru the upholstery? If you used glue, what type of glue? The original bifurcated (I had to go to the dictionary on that one) rivets aren't made anymore, and I don't know how to rivet anyway. I would probably end up shooting a hole thru my gas tank. Or the neighbor's dog.

Any help will be greatly appreciated, as I hope my pockets arrive this week.

Thanks again,

George

 

[M_Pied_Lourd]

Hi George,

I just went down to the basement and took another look at mine.

Mine is stapled in two rows on the bottom and on both side to the backing board.

The PO did this. Having said that, I believe the proper way to do it would be by riveting the door pocket onto the backing panel before the covering material was applied. I can see that I have locating holes drilled in the back panel that correspond with holes along the door pocket flanges on both the bottom and side. Looks like the sides take three rivets and the bottom takes four.

The staples that are used on mine are in the backing board very shallow and do not penetrate through to the other side. I would say that there was special care taken not to put the staples in too deep...

I would say that a good contact cement on the flanges would be sufficient to hold the door pockets on.

I am sure that others will jump in here as well.

Sorry that I can't be more help

Cheers,
M. Pied Lourd

 

[PeterK]

Mine are held on with contact cement and holding well (for years.)