[TR] TR4A hood stowage and retractable seat belts...

[Dave1massey at cs.com]

In a message dated 7/28/2009 4:06:13 AM Central Daylight Time, 
t.s.hardy at clear.net.nz writes: 
>                  My question is....how and where does the hood go when 
> not in
> use. Surely it doesn't just sit on the back (seat) area! Is there a cover 
> for
> the stowed hood. The books I have are not too helpful on this subject.
>                   My other question concerns retracting seat belts. On my 
> '70
> MGBGT, there is an anchor nut on the top of the wheel arch which makes for
> easy mounting of a reel that allows the belt to exit horizontal. Not so on 
> the
> 4. Any suggestions please? My mate who is into servicing and racing Alfa
> Romeos has suggested an elaborate set up using a pipe between the wheel
> arches, with the reels mounted on that. I'm not too happy about that! 
> Hence
> the question about the hood stowage.
> 
> 
Sorry for the delay in responding.  I'm not all that familiar with TR4A's 
but as I recall that model had the new folding top later used on the TR6.  If 
that's the case the hood sticks will all fold up and lay just below cockpit 
level at the rear of the opening.  I usually unzip the window (yours may 
not or should not have the zipper) and let it lay flat against the rear 
bulkhead, fold the sticks down and then fold the top with the canvas laying across 
the boot.  Then I fold the canvas over the over the hood sticks folding the 
quarter lights carefully so as not to crease them.  Then I snap my tonneau 
in place at the back and stuff the bulk of it behind the seats.

If you have a TR4 type hood the procedure is significantly different.  
There you take the canvas off all together and fold it up and place it in the 
boot.  The hood sticks fold up similar as described above and a special flap 
snaps over them concealing them from sight.

Here in the US these cars were not fitted with retracting seat belts until 
about 1973.  I retrofitted a later set into my 71 TR6.  In this case there 
was a weld nut near the top of the rear wheel arch for the normal, 
non-retracting shoulder belt but there was no weld nut near the rear shelf as was the 
case for the later models.  I drilled a hole and fitted a bolt with a large 
shoulder washer for that attachment.

In your case your car may not have had even the shoulder belt so you may 
not have the weld nut near the top of the wheel arch nor the one near the rear 
shelf.  The best thing to do, if possible or convenient, is to find a late 
model TR6 and take measurements.  Failing that someone on the list (maybe 
even me  ;-)  ) can take some pix and measurements and send them on.

Cheers, mate,

Dave