Gap between windscreen and stanchions

[bergxu]

Hello gentlemen,

As I’m a good ways down the rabbit hole, hopefully someone can shed some light on what’s going on here;

It all started last year when I decided to replace the hood on my ‘48 TC and discovered it had been fitted with a TD windscreen and hood frame. As the TD windscreen is about 2” wider, someone cleverly spaced the stanchions from the body using some custom made rubber spacers cut to the shape of the stanchion bases. I managed to locate a TC windscreen and so finally today we got round to fitting it using correct new rubber seals between the stanchions and the body. The problem is that there’s quite the gap between the windscreen sides and the stanchions where the two studs pass through them (the lower stud just sits flush in the bracket so I can’t even put the cap nuts on them and the upper stud that the wing nut screws onto just barely protrudes past the base) so I’m scratching my head over this one. I was thinking of having spacers made to sit between the windscreen side brackets/stanchions and screen frame but that shouldn’t be necessary so maybe someone here can help to pinpoint what’s going on and offer a solution. It looks like my pics are too large to upload to my post so I can email them to anyone who can offer any ideas, June 17 is the car’s 75th birthday so I’d love to have this project wrapped up by then!

Meanwhile I’ll try to shrink my photos so I can upload them…

Regards,
Aaron

[Ray White]

It sounds to me that either the windscreen is too short (side to side) or the stanchions are wrong for the screen. Unless, of course the scuttle top is wrong. The usual complaint is that there is too big a gap under the stanchions but I think your problem is more difficult to resolve.

[bergxu]

Hi Ray,

Thanks for the reply. The screen should be correct for a TC, the hood locating studs line up with my TC hood frame. I am pretty sure the stanchions are correct as well because I looked at the TD and TF ones and those are a different style/bolt pattern so your thought about the scuttle top being wrong also crossed my mind but how could that be? I realize the variances in manufacture and the fact that the car could’ve had a crash at one point but the dash fits perfectly and it’s the right dash so doesn’t seem too likely. Like I said, it’s a real head scratcher!

[Steve Simmons]

Just a long shot, but could one or both of the brackets be bent inward? I would also measure the width of the scuttle just to be absolutely sure no one has done anything foolish in the car's past.

June 15th is my car's 74th birthday.

[bergxu]

Steve,

Do you mind to measure yours and let me know what you come up with? I guess stanchion to stanchion would give us enough of a data point.

Regards,
Aaron

[Ray White]

Hi Ray,

... so your thought about the scuttle top being wrong also crossed my mind but how could that be? I realize the variances in manufacture and the fact that the car could’ve had a crash at one point but the dash fits perfectly and it’s the right dash so doesn’t seem too likely.

The scuttle top on my car is one of the few original panels left. I had a new dashboard made to the original drawings ( I have a copy )but it needed a lot of work with an electric plane and a spoke shave to come anywhere near fitting. The fault is probably with my scuttle top which may have been "flattened" in a roll over back in the 1950s; it was in a sorry state.

[Steve Simmons]

Aaron, I did my best to measure. I ran a tape across the top of the scuttle, basically laying it on the rubber seal. The distance from outside to outside of the stanchions at that point on them vertically is 40.75". I measured 2 TCs and they were both exactly the same. It would be tough to measure at the holes without removing the bolts and running a line across or something.

[bergxu]

Thank you Steve, next time I’m back up to my garage I’ll compare that to my car, should be later this week. Such a weird occurrence. I wonder if I somehow ended up with a TA or TB screen and if those are slightly narrower?

Aaron

[Ray White]

I wonder if I somehow ended up with a TA or TB screen and if those are slightly narrower?

Aaron

That is what I was wondering. Sometimes parts get mixed up. I recently bought some 'used' TC running boards...only to find they were TD panels that had been cut down to fit a TC.

Perhaps it would be easier to measure your windscreen and compare it with a known TC one;?

[bergxu]

I’ll put a tape to mine and see what we come up with. Weirdly, the hood frame lines right up so I’m suspecting it’ll be the right screen (unfortunately?)

[Steve Simmons]

I have a pair of TC front wings and an apron that were modified to fit a P-Type. Anything is possible! As I recall though, the TA/B/C windscreens are all the same. Could be remembering wrong.

My only thought is that there's something wrong with the scuttle area. I don't see what else it could be. Photos would help.

[bergxu]

Steve,

Unfortunately the photos I have on my phone are too large to post on the forum here. I think my best bet, at this point, since I’ve invested in finding the TC screen and hood frame, as well as having bought a new Robbins TC hood and side curtain kit, will be to have a local fab shop knock up a couple of 1/2” spacers to take up the gap between the windscreen bottom and the brackets. I’ll just have to try and source longer studs. Happen to know the thread pitch of them by chance?

My only other option is to reinstall the TD screen and hood frame and then I’ll have to buy a TD hood, so that’ll be quite a bit of money down the drain as I won’t have use for the TC hood or windscreen. Plus, since I already have proper TC side curtain frames, they’ll at least fit correctly to the TC hood, so the spacers make the most sense, at least for now, until a full blown rework of the cowl happens.

[Steve Simmons]

If the side screens line up with the doors, and the doors line up with the cowl, and the cowl is wider than the windscreen, then you'll have a couple big air scoops sucking rain and cold air in, plus the side screens will want to bow out. I totally get where you're coming from at this stage though. You might have to fabricate a piece to fill that gap.

In reality, you may never use the side screens anyway. they're great for car shows and trips to the corner coffee shop but if you do any serious driving you'll find they make it very hot and steamy in the cockpit. Run the rears only and you'll probably be happier. I've only run any real distance with all four mounted once, because I was 800 miles from home in a mountain storm and suffering with a flu. I still ended up taking the fronts off eventually!

Incidentally, the forum is set to accept 2mb images. You should be able to resize them in your phone if you want to post any in the future.

[JonnyP]

Steve,

Unfortunately the photos I have on my phone are too large to post on the forum here. I think my best bet, at this point, since I’ve invested in finding the TC screen and hood frame, as well as having bought a new Robbins TC hood and side curtain kit, will be to have a local fab shop knock up a couple of 1/2” spacers to take up the gap between the windscreen bottom and the brackets. I’ll just have to try and source longer studs. Happen to know the thread pitch of them by chance?

My only other option is to reinstall the TD screen and hood frame and then I’ll have to buy a TD hood, so that’ll be quite a bit of money down the drain as I won’t have use for the TC hood or windscreen. Plus, since I already have proper TC side curtain frames, they’ll at least fit correctly to the TC hood, so the spacers make the most sense, at least for now, until a full blown rework of the cowl happens.

Specification 259 lists the fixing screws as 1/4 BSF.

[bergxu]

Steve,

I agree with you, I will probably never have occasion to use any of the weather equipment, I generally only take that car out on pleasant summer evenings for some back roads driving, my whole exercise for doing all this was that the old convertible top had been chewed by a mouse at some point in the past and there was a hole maybe 5 inches in diameter which really didn’t look fixable, not to mention the hood was getting pretty old (despite still actually functioning!), so I figured maybe I’d use the car for more lengthy drives/trips if the weather equipment was in good order….and so here we are today

I’ve found that the studs are 5/16”x26 BSC. I’ll be calling British Tool & Fastener today and see if they can send me some studs which’ll work with the 1/2” spacers in place.

[Steve Simmons]

I haven't measured but 5/16" BSC sounds right. It will be scary replacing those studs though. They might be chromed in place, plus whatever other corrosion may have occurred. Be gentle!

[bergxu]

Duly noted. Meanwhile I’ve ordered a 5/16x26 BSC die and will pop down to Ace Hardware for 5/16” rod and will be able to make up new studs in the exact length I’ll need once the spacers are fabbed up and fitted. Probably should’ve ordered a tap as well but let’s see how I get on with this plan. I’ll keep the thread updated as things progress…

Aaron

[Rob Reilly]

If this is any use in helping to identify your windshield frame, my TA built 4 May 1937 has the original windshield with glass dated Jan '37, and the top frame channel measures exactly 38 inches across.

[bergxu]

Thanks Rob, I shall compare that to what I’ve got just to be sure.

[bergxu]

So for now, and since yesterday was the car’s 75th birthday, I refitted the TD screen and will deal with sorting the fitment of the TC one later this season. Meanwhile, the car has had three good long 1.5 hour romps this weekend so a fitting birthday nevertheless. Will update this thread as I dive back in…