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TR2/3/3A TR 3A door panels

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Tinkerman

Tinkerman

Darth Vader
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Anyone out there come upon a fool proof way to hit the existing holes in the door with the door panel mounting screws? Or am I tilting at windmills here?

Appreciate your thoughts, Tinkerman
 
I hit them all by just using an ice pick. Pull the panel back just enough to see the existing hole, line up the pick, then lay the panel back and poke the pick through. I only missed twice...out of 40 some odd screws. The pic makes such a small hole in the vinyl that the extra hole closes right back and is not visible. In fact, if I remember right, I was close enough that the washers covered the misses.
 
Sounds good to me John, however, My vinyl is stapled to a very thin plywood base which I will haver to drill through. Your method may work just the same,
I guess I will have to give it a closer look. I could probably use a sheet of paper and make a hole pattern out of that THEN ice pick and drill. Something to do on a slow Sunday afternoon. Got some beef ribs on the smoker so I need to stick close to them.

Cheers, Dick
 
Not going to hurt if you drill a new hole the metal, it makes the car lighter. How many times you pull a panel anyway? Position the screw where you want it and keep on going.

Marv
 
Marvin Gruber said:
Not going to hurt if you drill a new hole the metal, it makes the car lighter. How many times you pull a panel anyway? Position the screw where you want it and keep on going.

Marv
Click to expand...

Just be sure to vacuum out all those drill curls to optimize the weight savings!
 
What you don't want to do is drill through the panel and have the bit get wound up on the thin padding under the covering. It makes for a mess. I've experienced it first hand.
 
I made a hole finder with an old hack saw blade. Let me see if I can describe it. I cut the blade in half and then bolted and brazed (at one end) the two pieces together one on top of the other so you have something that resembles tweezers. On half "A" I brazed a small pointed wire about 1/4" long at the tip of the blade. This will be used to find the screw hole in the door/body. On half "B" I drilled a hole exactly opposite of brazed wire in half "A". Now when you look the hole half "B" you will see the back side of the piece of wire in half "A". Now you put your panel in between the "tweezers", find the hole in the body and insert the piece of wire of half "A" and you mark the panel through the hole in half "B". Works every time. Hope this helps and have good day!

John
 
Thanks for all the info folks. I know that the weight is always an issue so i'll keep that in mind, heh.

Very clever riggin John!

Thanks, Dick
 
Great little tool idea!

I got a bit distracted from the main thread thinking about those smoked ribs :-)

Cheers, Mike
 
Me too!
 
One more thought to add: The very first screw (with beauty ring) that I installed made a 'cookie cutter' hole in the door panel the size of the ring....Those beauty rings are sharp!
I ended up installing all door panel screws lightly, then going back later to r&r them with the rings....but lightly!

Thom
1959 TR3
TS34909L (O)
 
Thanks for the heads up Thom. I will be very careful with them!
Dick
 
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