TR2/3/3A TR3A Front Hood Rain Flap fitting

[71TR6]

I’m having a heck of a time getting the flap on the front of the hood I purchased from Rimmer to fit underneath the LTD fasteners. It appears the studs on the windscreen are too short.

Am I doing something wrong here?

Ron

 

[charleyf]

I’m having a heck of a time getting the flap on the front of the hood I purchased from Rimmer to fit underneath the LTD fasteners. It appears the studs on the windscreen are too short.

Am I doing something wrong here?

Ron
I have only used Robbins tops. Do not know what company Rimmer gets its tops from.

The idea of the rain flap is to have a large enough hole in it to not imped the top fastener from fully getting to the stud on the windshield. I use a hole at least 1/2" in that flap. Align that flap hole over the stud then put the top fastener over the stud.
Charley

View attachment 99160

 

[CJD]

+1. It looks like your holes are about the right size, but you will need to pull the hole to center over the stud before trying to lock the tenax. If centering still doesn't work, then try to open up the hole until it does.

 

[mrv8q]

I’ve got an original cover that has been tried once in 20 years. Each hole is 3/8 inch across. From up in the rafters:

 

[mctriumph]

The rain flap should be removed carefully and discarded IMHO. I have installed at least 30 tops over the years
and these things are superfluous to start with, and the padding renders them hellish to fit. The snaps on the windscreen
are fragile as the frame is brass, dont risk stripping it out!
Lets face the truth, a perfectly fitted"hood"(top here) can leak in a fog let alone actual rain!!
When you are caught out in a shower, you dont need to fight a "rain flap" trying to get the thing affixed for an
extra 5 minutes.
Mad dog

 

[71TR6]

Thanks everyone. I'll open the holes to 1/2" and see how it works. The Rimmer design is pretty bad- the close proximity of the flap seam and the outer hood seam results in a significant bulge when the flap is folded forward. Add that to the top windshield rubber seal and its just too much in a small space. My old hood had a 2" flap that didnt have this interference.

Once I make the change, if it results in a continuing struggle to get the hood to install properly, I'm going to just leave the flap folded toward the rear of the car where it's out of the way and go on with life. I'm getting burnt out fighting my way through the restoration of this car and just want it to be done and on the road.

Thanks again for the suggestions!

 

[JHaydon]

Silly question, but -- your top isn't under tension, is it? The photo kind of looks like it's being pulled backwards a little bit.

The one and only time I've put the top on my 3A, I struggled mightily until I read (on this forum, thanks everyone) not to do it that way. IIRC my best results were to raise the hood sticks just to support the weight of the top, then fasten the front edge, then drop the sticks to fasten the rear, then raise the sticks.

 

[CJD]

Well...sort of.

The sticks have the "break" at the rear bows, to drop the tension. The windscreen is always the most difficult, so raise the sticks, but have the tension section popped to the loose side. Install the front windscreen tenax first, all the way across. Then do the rear dots, starting at the center and working outward. Finally when all the tenax and dots are installed, push the tensioners backward to place the top in tension. This usually takes a LOT of force!

On many old cars the tensioners are locked by corrosion. You may have to lubricate them and work them back and forth to get them loosened up.