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Triumph TR3 - Weather Proofing Wings

While pulling back the front wings on my TR3A to remove the apron, I noticed there was no weather sealing between the wing and the mating surfaces. Bill Piggot recommends a substance called "dumdum." What is the recommended equivalent or alternative for this particular brand of goop, and what is advised for providing the best seal?

Dumdum...hmm...

Thanks.

Bill Stagg
1961 TR3A
Bill Stagg

When I took my fenders off for the first time in 1987, I undid all the bolts that would unbolt, then ground the captive boxes or the hex heads off all the others to remove the front fenders. It was then that I found that they were literally glued on, but not facing the valance. I had the valance off in 1964, so I may have forgotten. There was what I could best describe as gasket goo but like a black tar that was hard and solidly holding the fenders on along where there are 6 bolts visible from the top.

When I got it all off, I MIG welded all the places where the inner wings as well as the outer fenders needed welding. The painter who did the job, sand blasted the metal and did a beautiful paint job on them. There was no way I was ever going to go through that again, so the fenders are bolted on face to face dry. The valance too. The only protection I have is the paint on all the facing surfaces because I wanted him to paint everything off the car. Then I put in the beading strips and bolted the fenders on tightly.

I don't need any of this black tar for two reasons. The surfaces I have now are protected by the paint and my TR probably left the factory with bare steel and no other proctection for these face to face areas but this black goop. If someone was into hybrid electronics production, they might want to use this stuff as a hermetic seal around their electronics packaging.

The second reason is that in over 70,000 miles during the last 12 sumemers, I've only been in the rain about 3,000 miles. When I wash "TRusty", I use my Karscher power sprayer and keep all the mud off. I do this under the fenders twice a summer. I don't drive on gravel roads, so the paint is still like new and I don't have one blister after 12 summers. I store the TR in a warm dry garage for the winter, so I don't need to worry about salt corrosion any more.

After a good summer rain I get a stream of light sandy mud on the inside tops of my inner fenders, near the wiper motor on one side and in the same place on the other side. I bit of soapy water and it's like new again.

I would guess that my TR sees more water getting washed than driving in the rain. Rain under a well painted TR is no different that rain on the top exterior paint.

Paint your face to face surfaces with rust proof paint like Tremclad or POR-15, web-site :- http://porstore.com/index.htm

Lift the beading up out the way and tape it up till the paint is dry. Then bolt it back together. Use short lengths of duct tape the hold the tabs on the beading to hold it tightly down into place on the flange before you bolt the valance back in. Put the tabs with the duct tape as close to every bolt hole so tightening the bolt will hold the beading down flush and this will keep it from coming up again. Tighten the bolts in sequence from the top down to the bottom front so the beading will stay down flush. If you find the beading is a little too high in places, back off on the bolt and ask a friend to push down the beading so it is flush while you tighten it from underneath. Make sure the car is solid on jack stands too. Sometimes a rubber mallet can be used to tap the beading down flush if the bolts are a bit snug and you don't have a friend handy.

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

This thread was discussed on 08/03/2003

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