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Triumph TR3 - Body braces

I am ready to remove a TR 3 body for restoration. Any one have body braces they previously fabricated that they no longer need and want to sell?
Jerry Barone

Jerry - When I did my total body off restoration from 1987 to 1990, I had the car in 15,000 pieces. As for the tub (that's what they call the bare center body when it's off the frame with nothing attached), I had to weld in new inner and outer sills, weld in new "B" posts and new floors and repair lots of holes too.

The tub with all new metal was strong enough to lift and take to the paint shop without any reinforcing bars. It went on perfectly.

You can see what I mean by looking at my pics on the Montreal TR Club site:-

http://www.rucompatible.com/triumphmtl

Then click on Member Cars as well as Member Profiles.

It all depends on how solid your "tub" is. Others have made supports with simple steel angle about 1" or 1 and 1/2" angle (or angle iron as some poeple call it). You get about 4 or 5 pieces and cut them to length with a hack saw. Then you drill holes in the angle where you need them. Join 2 angles from the front hood hinge holes to the rear hinge holes or somewhere else like that. Then brace one to the other with an angle from one of the first braces to the other diagonally. Drill holes and bolt them together.

I've heard of people putting two others across the tops of the door openings after having taken the doors off. If you can't find holes that are there, drill some holes in the inner wall sheetmetal in front of the hinge points where they will be hiddden after by the wall carpets. Others cut the angles and bend the ends with a hammer at 90 degrees at each end to attach the front end to the door hinge holes on the "A" post and the rear in the same way to the holes for the chromed striker plate on the "B" post where the door latch is. This will keep your car from sagging if you think the tub is too weak and you don't want it to sag.

My thought is that if you think or can see that the tub will sag, then the tub is too weak and probably need to have new floors and sills like mine.

Come back and let us know what you decide.

Don Elliott, Original Owner, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

Thanks. I am following Williams restoration guide and they really stressed the body braces. I am the third person to take up this project and the first person welded in new sills and floors so I think it should be fairly stiff.

Thanks again for the help.
Jerry
Jerry Barone

This thread was discussed between 20/04/2003 and 21/04/2003

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