350i FHC window frames
Discussion
The restoration of my 350i FHC has hit a fairly big snag..............the passenger side window frame is full of holes and unrepairable.
I understand from looking at past posts that these aren't available new any more .... unless anyone knows any different?
If the originals aren't available, does anyone have any knowledge about anyone, anywhere, who has actually made a set up?
Lastly...........has anyone any knowledge of a single (preferably passenger side) window frame that's lying around unused and unloved - or maybe even a pair.
I'm sure I can find a good home for any complete or even incomplete frames as they could used to make one good pair.
I understand from looking at past posts that these aren't available new any more .... unless anyone knows any different?
If the originals aren't available, does anyone have any knowledge about anyone, anywhere, who has actually made a set up?
Lastly...........has anyone any knowledge of a single (preferably passenger side) window frame that's lying around unused and unloved - or maybe even a pair.
I'm sure I can find a good home for any complete or even incomplete frames as they could used to make one good pair.
I remember this as i'm after a set for my 350fhc and asked the same question.
The torqueflyte name came up then and to be honest i haven't followed it up.
I bought my car and it has sat where i dropped it off the trailer since mid feb !.
Too many other projects inc the 350se, which is due for it's mot in 4 weeks.
If they offer a good price then i may be interested if the price is right. !
Mike
The torqueflyte name came up then and to be honest i haven't followed it up.
I bought my car and it has sat where i dropped it off the trailer since mid feb !.
Too many other projects inc the 350se, which is due for it's mot in 4 weeks.
If they offer a good price then i may be interested if the price is right. !
Mike
I'll follow up Torqueflyte Saturday or Monday and post up what I get.
There's also another possibility for repair sections that I'm following up.
For the handful of FHC owners out there it'll be interesting.......although having said that it looks like the frame is the same profile as used on the convertible wedges, and they seem to rot just as much as the FHC, so maybe we'll all be trying to find a supplier.
There's also another possibility for repair sections that I'm following up.
For the handful of FHC owners out there it'll be interesting.......although having said that it looks like the frame is the same profile as used on the convertible wedges, and they seem to rot just as much as the FHC, so maybe we'll all be trying to find a supplier.
No joy with TorqueFlyte I'm afraid ............... spoke to a very helpful chap who explained that they did have a pair made up some time ago in stainless steel.
They were expensive (£1000) and weren't that good.
I'm going to try a Classic Car restorer I know........he says that anything is do-able - at a price.
I'm going to take the old ones to him and see what he comes up with.
They were expensive (£1000) and weren't that good.
I'm going to try a Classic Car restorer I know........he says that anything is do-able - at a price.
I'm going to take the old ones to him and see what he comes up with.
Thanks for the update on the frames.
I will be interested to see what your classic car contact can make.
The frustrating part about this is that i used to work at a company that made all these window frames and probably made the frames for TVR.
But as usual in the automotive industry they went bump.
There was a company in cornwall that made the frames for the lotus excel, i think similar shape and profile to the tvr ones but i cannot remember the name or wouldn't know where to start looking.
I know a man who may remember but he's on holiday at the moment in the states when he gets back i will see if he can remember.
Mike
I will be interested to see what your classic car contact can make.
The frustrating part about this is that i used to work at a company that made all these window frames and probably made the frames for TVR.
But as usual in the automotive industry they went bump.
There was a company in cornwall that made the frames for the lotus excel, i think similar shape and profile to the tvr ones but i cannot remember the name or wouldn't know where to start looking.
I know a man who may remember but he's on holiday at the moment in the states when he gets back i will see if he can remember.
Mike
mike various said:
Thanks for the update on the frames.
I will be interested to see what your classic car contact can make.
The frustrating part about this is that i used to work at a company that made all these window frames and probably made the frames for TVR.
But as usual in the automotive industry they went bump.
There was a company in cornwall that made the frames for the lotus excel, i think similar shape and profile to the tvr ones but i cannot remember the name or wouldn't know where to start looking.
I know a man who may remember but he's on holiday at the moment in the states when he gets back i will see if he can remember.
Mike
Later Esprits, Eclats, Elites & Excels all use a similar steel profile to your TVRs. (early Esprits used aluminium which flaps about at speed). Ollie W. informs me that the Lotus stuff was done by Edward Rose Ltd. Alas, long gone. I'm on a quest/mission to get something to replace them at the moment. (see posts elsewhere about the loss of skills/capability in the UK).I will be interested to see what your classic car contact can make.
The frustrating part about this is that i used to work at a company that made all these window frames and probably made the frames for TVR.
But as usual in the automotive industry they went bump.
There was a company in cornwall that made the frames for the lotus excel, i think similar shape and profile to the tvr ones but i cannot remember the name or wouldn't know where to start looking.
I know a man who may remember but he's on holiday at the moment in the states when he gets back i will see if he can remember.
Mike
SJ Sportscars in Crediton have a small stock of late Esprit frames if anyone is desperate to get some replacement section - but they are not cheap.
The company that i worked at was wagon Automotive (they bought out Edward Rose and used to make all sorts of window channel).
We used to paint parts for various automotive companies and there was a fabrication company down south somewhere that made the replacement channels for the lotus cars but i cannot remember the name of the company !!!.
What we need is a company that rolls the steel to various profiles for window channels.
The company that took a lot of the Wagon automotive stuff was thysssen krupp based up the road in cannock.
I don't know anyone who works there but my friend who's in the states at the moment has a few contacts he may know someone.
When he gets back next week i'll ask him if he can find out anything.
I did look on the lotus excel forum but they are having the same issues as us.
Mike
Mike
We used to paint parts for various automotive companies and there was a fabrication company down south somewhere that made the replacement channels for the lotus cars but i cannot remember the name of the company !!!.
What we need is a company that rolls the steel to various profiles for window channels.
The company that took a lot of the Wagon automotive stuff was thysssen krupp based up the road in cannock.
I don't know anyone who works there but my friend who's in the states at the moment has a few contacts he may know someone.
When he gets back next week i'll ask him if he can find out anything.
I did look on the lotus excel forum but they are having the same issues as us.
Mike
Mike
Rumour has long had it that the Mk.2 Escort had a near-identical window channel section.
Certainly the curvature of the Wedge windows matches that of the Sierra; I know because I used a section of the channel from inside a Sierra door to repair my Tasmin's frames... the curve was a perfect match.
Certainly the curvature of the Wedge windows matches that of the Sierra; I know because I used a section of the channel from inside a Sierra door to repair my Tasmin's frames... the curve was a perfect match.
I am also interested in these; as I mentioned on the other thread, mine are solid but the wrong shape for the car (thought the doors had dropped, and they have a little, but the window frames are wrong).
mike various said:
What we need is a company that rolls the steel to various profiles for window channels.
Does anybody have a specification for what is required? There's a metal specialist locally I could (try and) have a chat with if I know exactly what we want (i.e. is it this kind of thing, or am I thinking too simplisticly?).TimLux said:
Does anybody have a specification for what is required? There's a metal specialist locally I could (try and) have a chat with if I know exactly what we want (i.e. is it this kind of thing, or am I thinking too simplisticly?).
I've spent 3 years trying to find someone who can make it. The starting point is the tooling : £8k to £14k (+VAT), then a minimum order.Glass wise i have piece of glass that's definitely from a FHC that i can check against my DHC but can't do it till thurs night as the cars as down on a farm and the glass is at my house (i'm away until thurs eve).
I'm told the profile of the glass is the same it wouldn't make sense to have different profiles for such a small run of vehicles. TVR and cost cutting etc !!!
I need to check as i need to order a piece of glass from Phil i think it is, for the drivers side.
Regarding the frames when i worked at Wagon / Edward rose the profile was made from flat steel which was then pushed through a series of rolls which formed the profile. We made miles and miles of the stuff for various cars GM / Honda etc. (If i had a 1p for each one i'd never have to work again !!!)
This was then formed in small presses to form the shape and the various brackets welded on accordingly.
As i said a lot of the work went to another local company who i know took all the rolls and the people who operated them. When my friend comes back from the states i'll have a chat with him as he know's people who go into a LOT of the automotive companies and i may be able to track down where it all went to / is currently being made. He also worked at Wagon, i'm not prepared to say on an open forum what i MAY be able to find out.
If i can find out who makes the profile it will be a lot cheaper then to get it bent to shape at a small engineering company !!
Mike
I'm told the profile of the glass is the same it wouldn't make sense to have different profiles for such a small run of vehicles. TVR and cost cutting etc !!!
I need to check as i need to order a piece of glass from Phil i think it is, for the drivers side.
Regarding the frames when i worked at Wagon / Edward rose the profile was made from flat steel which was then pushed through a series of rolls which formed the profile. We made miles and miles of the stuff for various cars GM / Honda etc. (If i had a 1p for each one i'd never have to work again !!!)
This was then formed in small presses to form the shape and the various brackets welded on accordingly.
As i said a lot of the work went to another local company who i know took all the rolls and the people who operated them. When my friend comes back from the states i'll have a chat with him as he know's people who go into a LOT of the automotive companies and i may be able to track down where it all went to / is currently being made. He also worked at Wagon, i'm not prepared to say on an open forum what i MAY be able to find out.
If i can find out who makes the profile it will be a lot cheaper then to get it bent to shape at a small engineering company !!
Mike
I also forgot to add that there is a mk4 cortina down the farm ! (I just remembered to be honest !.)
If i can get the door open i'll have a look at the profile as my FHC is about 200 feet from it.
I will try and do this thurs eve, boy will i cop some crap off the other half, she moans i spend too much time down there and i haven't seen her for two days is that a good thing ?
Mike
If i can get the door open i'll have a look at the profile as my FHC is about 200 feet from it.
I will try and do this thurs eve, boy will i cop some crap off the other half, she moans i spend too much time down there and i haven't seen her for two days is that a good thing ?
Mike
Weeelll... similar 
The shallow side of the channel (not the glass side) was a fraction of the overall depth. If you tried to use something that was too deep on the 'outside' then you'd either not be able to get the glass in or else the frame would be larger overall and the door probably wouldn't shut!
The shallow side of the channel (not the glass side) was a fraction of the overall depth. If you tried to use something that was too deep on the 'outside' then you'd either not be able to get the glass in or else the frame would be larger overall and the door probably wouldn't shut!Gassing Station | Wedges | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff