Distorted NOS wing

[Tonyhosk]

Hi - I'm new to the forum. I acquired a bit of a basket case 4A recently. It is actually my seventh TR, but the first for over 40 years! The first two photos will be a familiar sight to many of you.

I've just picked up a genuine NOS right front wing, but on offering it up, it is obvious that the panel has been lying over something heavy in its past, so the rear upper part of the wing is flattened considerably. In addition, the upper extent of the wing has distorted upwards and the middle portion is obviously proud of the contour of the inner wing (I've been patching and letting in a variety of repairs to both sides of the inner wing/rain channel).

Any thoughts on how to reshape the panel? I could make a wooden piece or 'buck' to the correct contour using the original and otherwise knackered wing and try bending the upper rear portion back to shape, but what about the upwards belly along the upper edge. I've seen a video where vertical cuts were made in the panel to bring it back to the inner wing edge - just seems a bit drastic on an otherwise 'new' untouched panel.

Many thanks. Tony

 

[rcreweread]

Tony - welcome to the forum.

There's lots of help here for you - however, I don't think that is an original wing - the flattened profile next to the door is exactly the same wrong profile on a couple of repro rear wings I purchased from Moss in the early 1980s

Another common mistake is to think that a NOS original wing will fit well  - there was always variations in the pressings of new wings in the day, and the production line would discard any new wings not up to scratch and choose a better one from the pile - these production line rejected panels then found their way into the ST spares dept where they went out to bodyshops and restorers who had the problem of making them fit!

However, as said above, I think yours is an early repro wing - to get the curvature of the top of the wing to match the correct curvature of the door, I think you will have to slit the top of the wing along its top edge with the flange, then reprofile what will now be a floppy bit of steel and let in an appropriate sized fillet to make up the difference - the swage line can't easily be moved so any changes have to be done in the steel between it and the top of the wing edge.

As for the vertical fit with the door, the shortness in length and poor fit is again typical of early repros and you will have to make up a new wing edge with new metal and preferably lead loading 

Before you do anything with the top edge profile from bulkhead to front panel, put the bonnet on and check hoe the wing top edge looks against the bonnet profile - the inner wing profile doesn't look particularly good either so don't assume it is correct - fit to the bonnet is far more important, and go from there.

Hope this helps

Cheers Rich C-R

[stuart]

Welcome to the mad house Tony, couple of observations, 

1. Your inner wing repairs have totally lost the correct line as they should be pretty much in line with the top of that wing you have currently bolted on.

2. If I was you I would be using parts of that repro wing to repair the original as it doesnt look that bad to me from your first picture, It might sound drastic but it will be quicker and give you a better fit in the end. Those early repro wings were very poor fit as Richard has stated above .

Picture of correct inner wing drip rail profile for your information.

Stuart.

 

[Tonyhosk]

Many thanks Rich and Stuart for your replies; definite food for thought. I should say that the contour of the inner wing is correct - I'm attaching two photos of a previously bought genuine TR wing, albeit needing a lot of work, which shows the outline is the same as the inner wing, as was the original white/rust wing on the car initially. The repairs to the inner wing and rain channel are incomplete until  I can weld all the pieces up properly when the body is off the chassis.

From Rich's comments on the origin of the repro wing, I began to think that I should instead use bits of this wing to repair the red one and Stuart has also suggested the same. I'll post again when I can show any progress with mix and match.

Tony

[Malbaby]

That inner wing top must have sustained considerable damage for the drip rail to be bent out of shape like that....PO has done dodgy repair.

If the NOS wing fits well everywhere else, then I would modify the rear/top section as suggested by "Rich".

Nothing is impossible, miracles take a little longer.😁