280i FHC door suurounds
Discussion
the window frames on the doors are prone to rot away.
unfortunately these items are specific TVR ones.
some years ago i owned a FHC where the former owner replaced them before he sold the car to me...the only thing i know is that he told me that he had to pay a lot of money to get them made.
unfortunately these items are specific TVR ones.
some years ago i owned a FHC where the former owner replaced them before he sold the car to me...the only thing i know is that he told me that he had to pay a lot of money to get them made.
I believe they were supposed to have been TVR manufactured items, and very expensive to replace/have fabricated (one of the Fixed Head's achilles heels), but I must say, they do look a lot like cut-down Corty frames...or even MK2 Escort. Worth investigating. 
Escort MK2:
Cortina MK5 (2 door frame is longer) :
Escort MK2:
Cortina MK5 (2 door frame is longer) :
Edited by grahamw48 on Tuesday 2nd March 22:54
grahamw48 said:
I believe they were supposed to have been TVR manufactured items, and very expensive to replace/have fabricated (one of the Fixed Head's achilles heels), but I must say, they do look a lot like cut-down Corty frames...or even MK2 Escort. Worth investigating.
Story I got when I rang the factory in about '97 was that they were made fro TVR by a fabrication shop that had long since closed. When a customer bouht his car in wanting new frames, they gave the tatty remnants to a local fabricator who attempted to copy them. The results were apparently less than satisfactory, requiring a bit of cut & shut to get them to fit. As a result, despite the new supplier having made a jig, they were rather pessimistic as to whether any frames they sold you would actually fit your car.If Sir was mad keen to go ahead anyway, would he kindly stump up £350. Each.
That was impetus enough for me to reach for the MIG set and I managed to resurrect the remains well enough 'for now', the plan being to locate some more... somehow... but in the event I bought the 390 and sold the Tasmin.
It is feasible that the channel used was that used for the Ford doors; if you examine the way the channel is formed it was clearly meant for the purpose. It's formed from a flat strip of tinplate that's folded and swaged in such a way as to make it very stiff: it's not a simple 'U' channel but an 'H'. It also had to be rolled to the curvature of the glass AND was curved slightly along the top to match the roofline. All of which adds to the complexity if you try to make the frames yourself. I repaired my frames using some galvanised channel I salvaged from a Sierra. It had EXACTLY the same curvature as the Tasmin glass...
That said, it doesn't mean the frames were chopped-up Ford ones, just that the channel was sourced from the same place.
A bit like the seats, which were made by the same company that supplied most of the British car industry (but not Ford, I think)... which is why the Wedge seats look like something you've seen before...
I am now thinkng that perhaps I can get the frames anyway and make some more frames from them, Mig at hand and black paint ready!
The current frames are rusted away where they meet the triangle section at the front, and dont seem to match the roofline at all, perhaps they have been attempted already.
The escort sierra cortina frames will be re-workable as long as they are in good nick and the same section material I suppose.
It dosent help that the door rubber seals are shot and flap around in the wind!!
Stu
The current frames are rusted away where they meet the triangle section at the front, and dont seem to match the roofline at all, perhaps they have been attempted already.
The escort sierra cortina frames will be re-workable as long as they are in good nick and the same section material I suppose.
It dosent help that the door rubber seals are shot and flap around in the wind!!
Stu
Mine are nice and solid fortunately. The top part of the H draws the water down nicely and allows it to run into the car until I added some filler in the correct spot.
Having investigatd numerous door seals in attempt to find some at a sensible price I have noted that there are plenty out there thick enough that would allow the door glass to be frameless. I haven't been brave enough to hacksaw the frame off and try it.
Having investigatd numerous door seals in attempt to find some at a sensible price I have noted that there are plenty out there thick enough that would allow the door glass to be frameless. I haven't been brave enough to hacksaw the frame off and try it.
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