TR2/3/3A TR3A rocker panels?

[HerronScott]

All,

Can anyone offer any advice on replacement TR3A rocker panels? I see that there are a couple of vendors on eBay selling replacements. Sports and Classics is stating that theirs are the last of the NOS ones that are made correctly.

How does the sheet metal that TRF sells compare (also will need floors and inner sills)?

Thanks for any help you can give me!

Scott

 

[TR4nut]

Scott-

I have a set of uninstalled TRF ones that I can take measurements from if you need them. They are pretty thick gauge, my guess is 18 gauge until I can measure to confirm.

I think they have the same issue I suspect most of them have - they are just straight panels and don't have the small curve to them to match up with the doors. I'd be interested to know if the ones from Sports and Classics have that curvature.

Randy

 

[martx-5]

All of the replacementouter sills I've seen do not have the slight curvature. I installed them flat, and it's really hard to see they are lacking the curve. That said, they came in two lengths. Pre and post 60k. The earlier ones are a little longer then the later ones. Moss only shows the later ones. TRF shows theirs from TS4001 and up, so they may be the longer ones and if used on a post 60K car will have to be cut down. If you need the earlier ones, call TRF to verify what they have. I also have a pair of earlier outer sills (they are flat), and a pair of inner sills. PM me if interested.

 

[Don Elliott]

The inner sills and floor pans for a sidescreen TR are made correctly by Heritage in UK. The outer sills are not stamped but bent on a 90 degree brake press that is usually used for bending sheetmetal. As a result the outer sills are flat from one end to the other. Also the 90 deg. bend is more like 88 deg. so the flat surfaces are curved in (concave" a little bit. These need to be reworked. I have used a large rubber mallet to hammer them into the right curve to match the curve along the bottom of the door for my own TR3A. On another TR3A, I asked a sheetmetal shop which had a rooling wheel to get them right for me.

I bet you thought that the door and the outer sills were straight from front to back. Check them out. They have a slight outward curve. If you leave the new repro sills "flat" you will end up having to trowel on about 3/16" thick Bondo on the outer sills to match the curve along the bottom of the door.

Also, at the front end where the outer sill is welded to the bottom of the "A" post, there is a pressed "clearance" for the bottom front corner of the door, so that when you open the door fully, the "clearance" is to prevent your door from getting bent (pinched) outwards for about an inch along the bottom and up the front door gap.

This "clearance" is too small and you will have to re-work it to provide enough clearance. Clamp the outer sills into place, mount the door on its hinges, tighten the hinge screws and slowly open the door to check this out till you have enough clearance. Then you can weld it on.

Finally, the repro outer sills are too short and you will have to MIG weld in about 5/8" of new sheetmetal at the rear near to "B" post.

If you can find and buy correct NOS outer sills, then you should be able to save all this extra work. But the retro ones I bought 20 years ago were as described above and in my photo from 1989

 

[mallard]

I got a set of the sills from Sports and Classics and they needed to be reworked. The bottom edged needed to be flatened out then rebent beacause they were to wide. Also they were to long at the back and needed to be cut. They can be made to work but it will require some time on your part to make them fit, and they still won't have the correct curve. I don't think they were NOS. I did get a NOS outer sill on ebay some time back and it still needed to be worked some, but much less than the ones from Sports and Classics.

 

[GBRandy]

That picture answers a million question for me.....thanks.

 

[HerronScott]

Thanks to everyone that replied. Seems like no matter which option that they all need some type of work.

I asked both Sports and Classics and the other vendor for more details on their parts such as whether they had the curve on the top edge and what the lengths were on the outer edge and the top edge due to the information Don provided on them being 5/8" too short.

This was Sports and Classics response:

Dear herronscott,

the current reproductions are just made on a metal brake thats why they are straight , they are also hand made on a wood formto make the curvrs etc thats why they are so out of line. The rocker panels we are selling are from the 1970s and were made from a stamped steel press as the factory made them. I believe some of the early rocker panels may be slightly longer however we have been selling these since the 1970s and I just dont know about the length differences. We did have a fellow stop in to our store last year with his ruler and examine and purchase our rocker panels. He then ran out to hiscar to show us how terrible the other rocker panels were. The right and left sides were different widths. Im sure you ill be happy with our panels. I will say you will find none better. The only problem is once the existing stock is depleted there will be no more. thanks for your interest

- 512classics


Here was the response from the other vendor:

Dear herronscott,

30 3/8" x 5 1/4". You can check out feedbacks on these and ask a buyer. Thanks


- vintage-parts

Not very direct on the answers.

Scott

 

[MDCanaday]

The bottom line is that the sills and the rocker must be VERY carefully hand fitted and the door hung before any welding is done.If you are not a pro, find someone who has the experience to do this right or help you to get it just so!!
There is very little that can be done for a tr3 with badly hung doors. all the other panels have a fudge factor,but not the door.I suggest doing it on frame,and dont forget the body mount pads.....
MD(Mad dog)

 

[HerronScott]

Don,

What's the correct length of the rocker panel from A to B post?

Scott

 

[Don Elliott]

Both sides of the flat portion on top of the sills on my 1958 TR3A measure 28 and 7/8" where the top of the sill is welded from the "A" post to the "B" post along the inner sill. At the outside of the flat top of the sill, it also measures 28 and 7/8". I MIG welded the sills into place along the bottom of the "A" and "B" posts with a fillet weld about 1/8" radius.

But I checked my gaps etc. many times by bolting the floor pans with pads and the door hinges tightly into place before any welding. Once it was welded, I found I had to file about 1/8" off the back of the chromed door latches on the "B" posts where you can see it in the photo above.

Rememeber, my TR was in two pieces - totally separate. The front clip and the resr clip with no sills or floor pans between.

 

[Don Elliott]

See the front and rear are totally separate.

 

[Don Elliott]

And this is how it has looked for the last 102,000 miles since 1990.

 

[angelfj1]

MD's comments need too be taken very seriously. Even though done by an expert at fabrication and welding, the sheet metal work on our 3A was the most tedious and expensive part of the project. This work should not be taken on by the faint-hearted!

 

[HerronScott]

Don,

Thanks that roughly matches my crude measurement of around 29". Wanted to have a number in case I could get any of the vendors to actually give me that dimension on the rocker panels they have for sale. :frown:

Scott