My Series III and Series IV Alpines both had spare wheel hold down
screws similar to, but I think a different length than, the one in my
Tiger. The Alpine spare (I don't know about S I and S IIs), while
standing in the recessed area at the front of the trunk, is secured with
a hold down screw passing horizontally into a captive nut in a bracket
welded to the front panel. My S IV Alpine has just been put away for the
winter, so I can't check on the exact length of the screw. When I got my
Tiger, which was totally unrestored after many years driving around
northern climes, the spare tire hold down screw was broken off and
rusted into the threads in the trunk floor, and the tire was held down
by a strop. I worked on it for a while, and removed the remains of the
screw. I seem to remember taking a spare Alpine screw and sawing a small
amount off it in order to optimize its length for the Tiger. It
obviously has to be long enough to engage the threads, but not so long
that it sticks out the bottom too far when the the is tightened down.
While on this subject, don't forget to use "never seize" on these
threads in the Tiger, due to their exposed location.
John Slade
B9401380
B9470349
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