ShipWrights Disease
It was a simple enough request...a Triumph eMail list member was
compiling data on small mouth TR3s. I had already sent the
commission number and was asked if I had a mulliner's plate? If
so what was the number?
The mulliner's plate is a small brass plate located on the firewall
above the battery. I looked...I had one. But...it was covered with
paint...(shark music in the background). This would be simple just
unscrew it, clean it, maybe even polish it...(shark music gets
louder)
As I removed the last screw it was still stuck to the firewall
with some paint, so I barely touched it with the screwdriver only to
note with horror that it came loose and slipped down behind the
battery box liner..."oh my goodness", I exclaimed, "it makes me so
unhappy when something like that occurs" or words to that affect
which cannot be mentioned here.
Pulling the battery box liner out only made the da&* thing fall
further down. Well no getting around it the Battery, and liner will
have to come out...(shark music reaches a crescendo) ShipWrights
Disease has Struck.
With the battery and liner out it was a simple matter to retrieve
the offending plate, but now the bottom of the battery compartment
was exposed...OMG...Rust!!! Holes!!! Now ShipWrights is in full
swing, vacuum cleaner takes care of the loose stuff, some
careful wire brush brushing shows it is not good to proceed like
that. I have a spare replacement battery compartment in the attic
but that will require cutting and welding, neither of which I am
proficient at...( read that don't no nuthing)
I could cover the holes and pour in epoxy...hmm no epoxy...but I
do have a couple of rolls of aluminum tape, good stuff, so I put
in two overlapping layers, looks good. But that battery box liner
still looks crummy, outside it goes for three coats of Gloss
Black paint. While that is drying, let's have a look at that
elusive Mulliner's plate ... covered with several coats of paint.
Out comes the paint stripper, off comes the paint...yup ... brass
alright. A coat of polish, a trip to the buffing wheel and that
sucker shines like gold.
By now the paint is dry on the battery box liner, so that is
installed with a good bead of Silicone Sealer No 5, battery
re-installed...starting to look good, even better the deadly effects
of ShipWright's Disease are going away... Resistance is NOT futile,
I was not assimilated.
--
Bill Pugh
1957 TR3
aka
Casper
Wallace, CA
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