I have new door panels in the TR3a and I would like to reinstall the
side curtain brackets. But I am not sure how to go about doing this? I
do have the soft top up. Of course I get one shot at doing this without
messing up the panels.
I recently installed side curtain brackets on my virgin door panels on my 56
TR3. Here is how I did it.
Remove the door panels.
Use the original screw holes that were still in the wooden door frames under
the panels.
Make a template for each bracket that fits the corners of the doors.
Use an awl to punch through the holes in your template.
Replace the door panel, leaving off only the screws near the bracket you are
working on.
Place the template on the door panel, being careful that it is lined up in the
same location.
Punch one hole through the door panel with your awl.
Lift the corner a little bit to make sure you hit the hole underneath.
Adjust template if the awl doesn't hit the original hole.
Repeat for the other brackets.
Since the brackets cover the holes, you have a little margin for error. I
originally used 3/4" stainless 10-32 screws. They were not long enough due to
extra padding on my door panels and the threads did not bite very well. I
switched to 1 1/4" #10 stainless wood screws which were perfect for my
application. Be careful your screws are not so long that they go all the way
through and damage your paint.
CAVEAT: I have not erected the top to see if the side curtains fit properly.
Hopefully the original holes will get me close enough.
Paul W.
Torrance, CA
1956 TR3
1964 TR4
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