MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

TR parts and Triumph parts, TR bits, Triumph Car Spares and accessories are available for TR2, TR3, TR3A, TR4, TR4A, TR5, TR6, TR7, TR8, Spitfire and Stag and other TR models are available from British car spares and parts company LBCarCo.

Triumph TR3 - Air Deflector Replacement

I've secured a new cardboard air deflector to replace the ratty one removed from in front of the radiator in my TR3A. Can anyone suggest the best way to prepare, paint and install the new deflector? Is it best to paint it in place or prior to folding and installing? Should the cardboard be "primed" with anything before shooting it with color?

Many thanks,

Bill Stagg
Bill Stagg

Bill,
I don't know if I did it the correct way but, I just painted mine gloss black (like my radiator) prior to installation. Anything that got scuffed up in the installation I just did a little touch up. I did this install six years ago and it still looks great.
Mike Parkhill
Mike Parkhill

Hi Mike - Glad you're still around. I assume your TR is black as mine is. I painted mine black because it is supposed to be the same as the exterior finish. I'm glad of this because the bees, bugs, wasps, etc that get stuck in there can't be seen by the concours judges.

Bill - I would spray it with a can of paint (same as your exterior) while it's still in 3 pieces. Give it 2 or 3 coats allowing it to dry completely in between. Then put the fasteners in that hold the 3 pieces together and fit it in around the rad before you put the valance back on. If it's already back on, you can stuff it into place through the grille opening. That's the way I do mine. It's torn a bit on both sides at the top of the rad, but being black and it's dark up there, no-one can see. It's probably because of the interference caused by the bracket that I have to hold my cooling fan in front of the rad.

I repaint mine a couple of coats every 2 or 3 years and that keeps it almost like new.

Good Luck

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

Mike and Don,

The deflector I purchased from the Roadster Factory is constructed of three pieces already riveted together. I have the apron removed, so I think I'll mount it to confirm fit and to shape it, remove it for painting, then reinstall.

Many thanks for the tips.

Bill
Bill Stagg

My car came out of a hot climate - without an air deflector. Luckily a BCTR member pointed out that I was "missing some parts" (aren't we all?). I decided with a white car, that black would be an appropriate colour (looks like it's a part of the rad). Just used a spray can. The Moss part comes assembled as one piece. Bit of a fiddle when the car's in one piece; take the grill out, then bumper supports off, some folding and fitting, fit the wiring around, screws in, bumper supports back on, and then the grill. And as always, no manuals or restoration guides ever give a hint about work like that.
Dennis Nelson

The colour anyone uses is his choice, but if someone is going in for TRA or VTR concours events, he has to accept that the incorrect colour will (or may) cause him to lose a point.

The reason that there are no instructions about the air deflector in the manual is that it was not an original part. The air scoop on the TR2 and the TR3 was sheetmetal steel and part of the front valance. The air was forced to go through the radiator. But in the autumn of 1957 when the first TR3A's came off the line, the new grille opening had no air deflector. Mine was "born" on February 14th, 1958 (St. Valentine's Day and a Friday) and it had no air deflector. In fact none of the early TR3A's had them. Until the dealers started reporting back to Coventry about overheating. This was in mid-summer of 1958 when it got hot. So we can imagine the designers, the engineers and the others at the factory working till midnight trying all sorts of low-cost ideas to jury-rig a Rube Goldberg solution that would be cheap and which the dealers could retrofit in the field at low-cost if a customer complained. That's why you won't find anything abour air deflectors in the TR3A Bible.

Thus endeth the first lesson on air deflectors.

And now you know the rest of the story.

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

This thread was discussed between 07/03/2003 and 10/03/2003

Triumph TR3 index