TR2/3/3A TR3 Front Wing Beading

[Hatman]

My TR3 came to me without front fender wing beading. The gaps aren't filled with bondo or anything, but there's no beading as you can see in the photo. Or you can go to www.woundedduc.net/TR3 to see a larger photo.

With much of the front end apart, it seems like a good time to install the beading. What I can't seem to find anywhere is what that installation entails. Anybody care to share their experience? Must the fenders be removed? If so, how difficult is that (and getting them back on and aligned properly?)

Thanks in advance.

 

[TR3driver]

I just loosened the fender bolts, positioned the tabs next to the bolts and pushed the tabs into place between the fender and the body/apron. With a little gentle encouragement from a rubber mallet where necessary. If you have existing holes for the screws along the bonnet opening, you'll want to put those in before tightening the fender bolts.

Easier IMO to do it with the apron in place.

 

[19_again]

Hatman,
I did a search in the archives and came up with the following. In the event the link won't work, the post was from sept 08. I used Beading as the search title older than 1 month newer than 2 years,.
Mike
https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/u...ding#Post498410

 

[Don Elliott]

You can see the beading on the carb side of the engine bay where the curved side strip is secured to the inner vertical flat of the fender with 4 round-head screws. When I ordered my wing beading in 1988 when I was doing the restoration, I don't know if the beadings they shipped were for a TR4 with a different curve or if they were for a TR3 and they just had the wrong curve. So I had to slide out the original ones, sand off the rust, re-spray them aluminium colour and slide them onto the newly purchased ones. The one you see on the far side is the original one, now over 50 years old from new. The same on this closer side.

 

[NickMorgan]

Don,
I don't know if things have improved in recent years, but about 10 to 15 years ago the beading for the TR3A did have the wrong curvature along the bonnet opening. The only option, if you didn't have your original one to hand, was to cut slots in the galvanised blade. Hopefully the ones available these days are a better fit.

Mark,
If you have weather anything like we do here in Scotland, I would recommend pouring liberal quantities of anti-rust wax into the seams before slotting the beading in.
Nick

 

[Don Elliott]

Nick - The beading I bought about 2004 for the BRG TR3A that I restored had the correct curve for those side strips. I have seen several very nicely restored TRs where the restorer merely sniped the side strip and it looked horrible.