TR2/3/3A TR3 Interior [mostly] Done

[martx-5]

I've got a few things to tidy up like the wiring harness and put in the glove box and door, but all the rest of the interior is done...well, I still have the doors to do, but those shouldn't present too much of a problem. At times it was a fight, but now I can go rest for the remainder of the day. :thumbsup:

Edit: Man, I got to get a better camera. The pics I post are never really sharp. They seemed to be much better when I first got it. Does that little thingie you stick in there that records the pics ever get "tired"?? Maybe I need a new one of those.

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Looks great, Art!

Reminds me of when I did mine - same shade of red with white piping, but with Pearl White (cream) body.

I know you're proud of it - rightly so!

(Those elbows behind the doors were a BEAR, weren't they?!)

Mickey

 

[Don Elliott]

Art - SUPER ! The holes for the two shiny screws you have at the top of the interior dog-leg are for securing the hood stick assembly with painted screws.

Also turn your gas filler cap so that the flipper is pointed towards the driver's side - not straight down. If you leave it like it is you, (or someone else) will lift the trunk lid too high and that pointer will put a dent in the trunk lid. For LH drive TRs, the flick opener should be to the driver's side for his ease of opening it when filling the tank with that rich stuff we used to call gasoline.

 

[angelfj1]

Art:

Your work looks beautiful. I know how tedious this is and the older I get the less patience I have. Actually, my wife did the interior of the TR250 back in 1985. She is so detail oriented and has the patience of Job. Maybe I can persuade her to do the 3A.

I have a few questions. I have been told that in order to cover the dash and door tops, which are leather, some people actually boil the leather to make it more pliable. Did you do this? I’m a little hesitant about doing this because I waited for several months for the trim kit to be made and shipped from England. I don't want to damage the leather!

What kind of glue or adhesive did you use? Same for leather and for the vinyl trim (dog legs)?


Concerning photography, your pics aren’t that bad. Unless you have color matched the camera, computer monitor and printer, don’t expect to get a faithful reproduction. Also lighting conditions are critical and flash can cause more problems than you would imagine. You might want to get a photo editing software to adjust your shots to look correct on your monitor. Resolution can also be critical when trying to photograph details in these cars. Let me give you an example. This first photo was shot in 1999 with a Sony Mavica , which at that time was state of the art with just under 1 million pixels, or 1 MP. I have adjusted the photo so that it is exactly 2 inches across and 72 pixels per inch. If you try to blow this up, it will just pixelate and all detail will be lost.

The second shot was taken today with a Sony CyberShot, 12.1MP camera. This is the same, but restored gauge and again I re-sized the photo to be 2 inches wide and 72 pixels per inch. However, now the entire frame consists of the word OIL and symbols for pounds per square inch. Also, because of the enhanced resolution you could blow this up further if necessary.

I'm not suggesting that you need a 12.1mp camera because you can get more than adequate results with 7 or 8mp. The 12.1 can be purchased for about $300 and the 7 mp unit is $100 less.
In 1999 the Mavica cost $999.00 for 1MP. The CyberShot was $300. and 12 times the resolution! Isn't technology wonderful.

Good luck, Frank

 

[martx-5]

Art - SUPER ! The holes for the two shiny screws you have at the top of the interior dog-leg are for securing the hood stick assembly with painted screws...

Yeah, those are just in there for know until I reweb the hood sticks. And I'll turn the fuel filler.

 

[Brosky]

Art, that is beautiful work.

There is just something about red and sports cars, especially TR-3's.

We never got that really nice red interior option for the TR6's.

 

[martx-5]

...

I have a few questions. I have been told that in order to cover the dash and door tops, which are leather, some people actually boil the leather to make it more pliable. Did you do this? I’m a little hesitant about doing this because I waited for several months for the trim kit to be made and shipped from England. I don't want to damage the leather!

What kind of glue or adhesive did you use? Same for leather and for the vinyl trim (dog legs)?...

I used 3M #90 spray adhesive for a lot of the areas that I could use the spray. On the tighter areas I used Weldwood contactact adhesive. Make sure you give the Welwood enough time to dry off. The bottle says twenty minutes minimum. If you don't the stuff work adhere as well.

I used leather for the entire process. I didn't boil the leather for anything, but I did soak it in water for twenty minutes or so and used a heat gun when doing the doglegs. I used heat on some areas of the dash. Although I never worked with vinyl, I actually think the leather is more forgiving and easier to stretch and work with.

Oh, and thanks for the info on the cameras. I have a Canon PowerShot A520 that is 4.0 MegaPixels.

 

[Tinkerman]

Art, looks great! Hope mine come out as well. think your camera did a fine job also!

Good Job, tinkerman

 

[angelfj1]

Thanks Art. I've saved the photos to use as an example of a GREAT job!

 

[NickMorgan]

Art,
Your car looks great. That looks like a nice carpet set. I think I found the interior trim the most satisfying bit of rebuilding my first TR3.
Your photos look great, too. I have often wondered if digital camera capture things wear out. I would love to know.
Nick