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TR2/3/3A tr3- body guru's - HELP

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hermanmaire

Jedi Hopeful
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I have encountered a problem on my tr3a that is probably going to send me to the loony bin

I bought this car with all the major metal work already done, ( floors-rockers - rear arches ect.. ) I had the paint done and car assembled. When the paint work was done, all the panels were fitted, just to make sure all the gaps would be nice. I will be the first to say that the metal work that was done left a lot to be desired but the body did bolt of to the frame in all the correct places so I cant see anything being that off.

Well, that was not enough. I am having a MAJOR problems with the doors. The doors fit and work very nice when no locking hardware is installed BUT when I installed the door locking hardware, this is where the problems started. The doors both stick out 1.5 inches and there is not enough adjustment to fix this.

The hinge area seems OK. The problem has to be in the lock post area OR I dont have the correct doors but I dont think the doors changed.

I have a bunch of pictures but there all over the 100kb limit. Is there any other options
 
If you're not a subscribing member (hint hint), you can upload your pictures to a site like Photobucket or Flickr; they're both free.

Then just add a link to each picture to your posts here at BCF. You'll add the url of the individual picture (not the page), between brackets with the "img" tag.

Tom
 
Hi Tom,

I just renewed my subscription but it still does not let me post large format pictures.

I uploaded them to photobucket, I hope the link works - https://s920.photobucket.com/albums/ad44/hermanmaire/

I am also having trouble with the centre vent, I cant for the life of get that thing bolted up. There is a picture of that also if anybody can see a problem.

Thanks
 
Looks to me like the door is too close to the B-post for some reason. Could the hinges be wrong, or bent? I think you should have the later steel hinges, perhaps you can deliberately bend them to move the door forward a bit.

Another cheat might be to drive the latch plate area into the B post a bit. I once saw a fellow in a (cheap) body shop lay a piece of 2x4 in the jam and slam the door on it to get just a bit more clearance.
 
Your car looks to be a post-TS600001 car, so the doors should be all-steel (save for small blocks of wood behind where the sidescreen holders screw in). When all the metalwork was done, was the body "cut in half" as is often done during such work? I ask only because of the frustrating experience of another TR3A owner some years back (the gory details are a little more than halfway down the page). Hopefully this is NOT your fate!
 
Can't tell a lot from your pictures. You say you have good door alignment with the latches off. That hints to me that the doors have been swapped, possibly the hinges as well. Take a couple more pictures. Hinges and door fit ww/o the latches on.

Marv
 
IMG_4532.jpg


IMG_4530.jpg
 
Thank you everybody for your help on this. The car is filthy since it has been sitting since this past spring
when I discovered the door issue.

TD skip, thanks for posting the pictures.

I was probably not the clearest in explaining the situation.

In the lower picture that tdskip posted, I am holding the door striker latch ( these are brand new, purchased at the roadster factory) when these are NOT installed the doors close very nicely and the gaps are very nice.

Once these NEW striker post latches are installed the most I can close the door is in the 1st picture TDskip posted. Its about a good 1.5 inches that the door sticks out.

In one of the pictures, I placed a measuring tape from the passenger side ( top of striker post) to drivers side ( top of striker post) . Does somebody know if that is the correct distance?

I just dont know where the fault is as all the gaps are very good , The hinge area of the door fits very well with the cowl and front fenders.

All the floor bolting locations match up to the frame.

Thanks again for all the help on this boring topic.
 
Have you tried it with the door hinge screws loose so you can get some adjustment to and fro? Just an idea. Also, how does it fit using the old strikers?
 
hermanmaire said:
Thanks again for all the help on this boring topic.
Click to expand...

Not boring at all - these types of postings are invaluable for those who will come after you (me for example). I will check mine (which is close to the going for paint) and advise. My doors are clearing well now, but I have not fitted the latches (also new from TRF) yet.

Dumb question - any chance the latch is on backwards?
 
I am having the same issue on 1961 tr3 and have not had time to fix it yet because I just moved. My friends who do body work for a living tell me that I have too many shims in the front. This makes sense because if you jack a tr3 up in the front the doors will start to bind. I would suggest being cautious and putting some weak sticking tape around were the doors contact the fender and post. What I am going to do is start by jacking the vehicle up with the doors gently taped open with some rags put in to keep them from closing. Then I will lift the body up in the front just enough to get at the shims and see what happens. If you are on good terms with the shop, you might try seeing if they will do it
Steve
 
hermanmaire said:
I am also having trouble with the centre vent, I cant for the life of get that thing bolted up. There is a picture of that also if anybody can see a problem.Thanks
Click to expand...

I'm not at that point yet, but someone told me it's easier to first assmeble the entire mechanism and bolt it in as 1 piece.
 
I had to file about 1/8" off the back of the original chrome strikers that are secured to the "B" posts when I restored my 1958 TR3A. I also had to bend and fit the top and bottom "wings" on the latch plate as shown in tdskip's top photo above - so the "wings would slide into the space between the back of the the striker plates and the "B" posts.

The original "B" posts have a 1/2" recess (stamped into the vertical part of the post where the striker is secured. This is what Randall's suggestion might do with the block of wood and heavy hammer. The repro posts that I put in mine are flat and I think it is this fact which caused my problem.

Since then (1990), the doors "click" closed.
 
Steve and Luke,
I havent final fitted my body and had asked about standard procedures.However after long hours of starring,I would think if the vertical gaps are even,asdjusting front shims wouldnt help,since the sill length is fixed.If the gaps were open more closed on top than bottom,I think that would be a sign of jacked up to much in front.
I like your planned procedures,as I will now fit with doors and all latches in place prior to final bolt down.
Thanks
Tom
 
If you measure the door opening top and bottom I will measure mine for you so you can compare. If the top opening is too small, you may have to adjust the body to frame shimming. Your body could be in a U shape seen from the side instead of a straight line.
 
I spent some time today taking some measurements, I uploaded a few more pictures.
https://s920.photobucket.com/home/hermanmaire/index

The problem is for sure with the lock post area.

I took a measurement from the striker post (the new chrome latch that I got from the roadsterfactory) to the outside of the body and I get 1inch at the start where the door pin clips into the chrome latch (trying my best to describe this stuff) The pictures will better explain what I am trying to explain.

Then I checked the door lock mechanism. I measured from the door skin ( the exterior of the door)
to the door lock mechanism pin ( the part that clips into the chrome striker post latch) I get about 1 3/4 inch.

That is why my door is sticking out 3/4inch.

can somebody measure there striker post for me the same way I did?

A picture would be great also as there are no other tr3's in my area.

Any opinions on this or other measurements I can take?

Either way... I have a feeling this will not be a easy fix. The idiots that did the metal work did something very wrong.

Thanks again
 
I believe that the first latching point you are referring to is a safety catch but not where the lock should stop.....in order for the door to fully close it needs the pass the second lip and latch behind that. It will mate up with the ramp shape of the lock guide and strike plate. So something is stopping from traveling that far in......With the strike off of the car will it fully travel into the lock mechanism to reach the second lip?
 
Herman,

Where in Canada are you located.

Cheers,
M. Pied Lourd
 
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