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RE: [TR] Questions about sill replacement on a TR3

To: list <triumphs@autox.team.net>, dave connitt <dconnitt@fuse.net>
Subject: RE: [TR] Questions about sill replacement on a TR3
From: "Paul Dorsey" <dorpaul@negia.net>
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 23:21:58 -0500
I am truly honored to be speaking with the Honorable Dave, thank you for your
time.

TR4's must be different here: in the TR3, the outer sill is flimsy and is just
for looks!  The inner sill is what the floorpan's edge lays on.  However, the
outrigger carries your bodies weight.  So maybe the floorpan on top of the
inner sill's edge doesn't need welding afterall!

The reason for asking about the floorpan/sills order is that for some good
reason (I can't remember now) I have tentatively installed my floorpan on one
side.  If needbe, I'll yank it out before installing the sills, but I maybe
able to install the sills from underneath and leave the floorpan sitting where
it is. This is not a major concern.

Nobody has mentioned the order of the 4 square mounting pads used at each of
the FOUR OUTRIGGERS, so I think I'll 'sandwich' the INNER SILL by putting 2 sq
pads above it and 2 below it before it all rests on the outrigger ITSELF. So,
I'll have: Floorpan, 2 pads, sill, 2 more pads, and the outrigger on the
bottom.  What da ya think?

     I am not a great welder, so today when I was at Lowes (Home Depot) I
looked at their Structural Adhesives.  I am wondering that since rails,
crossmembers, outriggers and sills are 'under' my floorpan, I am wondering if
my POWDERCOATED FLOORPANS AND SILLS, could be attached in certain places, with
these adhesives?
This might mean fewer places were I would need to grind (or sandblast) the
powdercoating.  Of course, any area requiring integrity would be mig welded.

I am sheepish about possible 'burn-thru' when trying to plug weld with the
Mig.  Especially, a 3/16" holes to 'fill'.  What do you think?  Would 1/4"
plug weld be good enough?

About the powdercoated white sills- yes, they have been stored out in the
weather, but, I was also surprised to see the orange dots poking thru, after
about a year.  If they had been done in black, you'd never see the dots.  The
Industrial PowderCoater has a walkin oven, and he does them with great care.
I put a coat of POR-15 on as a topcoat yesterday, so maybe that will take care
of them.

On the TR3 the sill's open end gets covered by a flat metal panel.  That
should seem a good place to also try the structural adhesive- I'll let you
know how it works!
It's odd that not many folks talk about end caps...Thanks!  I wonder if I need
to leave a hole for them to drain at the bottom?

Another question:  How do I get a rust paint on the welded metal when it's
turned under?  I'll spray the newly sandblasted areas with primer, but then,
the welder is likely to burn that off, AND also make it impossable to 'get
at'.  What do you do?

Thanks,
Paul Dorsey
60 TR3A


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