Dave,
BTDT on both counts. I tried fitting my repro stone guards (from Moss) with
terrible results. After a question to the list, it seems that most others
have had the same problem with the repro stone guards whether they came from
TRF or Moss. The preferred fitting method seems to be to carefully file the
edges of the guard, while frequently checking the fit. Don't try to bend
them, they are so thin you will leave thumb prints in the metal (ask me how
I know this). I ended sending the my weathered originals to Fred for powder
coating. They came back looking great. Not quite stock, but very very
close - don't forget that the originals were a "brushed" aluminum finish
from the factory, not polished as some do to the repros.
As a side note, both Moss and TRF claim all repro stone guards are made by
the same people, but I have heard reports that Sports & Classics has a
different source; I can't comment on that one the way or the other. Perhaps
someone on the list has purchased from S&C as well as Moss or TRF and can
verify.
On recovering the dash with vinyl, do yourself a favor and get a heat gun (I
borrowed one, but they aren't too expensive). You can just use a hair dryer,
but they don't get hot enough in my opinion - the trade-off is that you can
overheat and permanently misshape the vinyl with a heat gun (again, ask me
how I know this). I found the best way to do vinyl is to "pre-cut' the
piece to near the anticipated final finish size and contour, including the
"V" notches to go around corners such as the glove box opening. Do this
before applying any adhesive. Be sure to cut the overall piece larger than
you think you will need, and cut the notches smaller - you'll be surprised
how the vinyl moves as you heat and stretch. I have a couple of tiny
visible notch marks where I pre-cut the notches too deep; they kind of sneak
up on you. I found that vinyl covering was a lot easier as a two person
job. It went a lot easier when my wife to helped.
BTW, it's also a good idea to fit the grill prior to painting - that's
another easy-to scratch-the-paint fitting job. (Again, ask me how...)
Good luck,
Dennis (yeah, seems I made all the mistakes, I think) <g>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dave and Ann Smith [mailto:smithd@peak.org]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 1:03 PM
> To: triumphs@autox.team.net
> Subject: tr3 rock shield in front of rear fender
>
>
>
> I had my tr3 painted before realizing that the replacement
> rock shields in
> front of the rear fender (the small ones) don't even come
> close to fitting.
> What the bleep do I do at this point? When I attempt to bend them by
> pushing them into place, I am afraid of damaging the paint.
> Any ideas? My
> other current problem is recovering the dash. Whan I attempted to
> manipulate the vinyl into the area around the glove box opening, it
> wouldn't strech enough and tore, leaving a v shaped gap. As
> soon as I had
> ruined it, I tried cutting but that also leaves a v shaped
> gap. How is it
> done?
>
> Dave
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