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Triumph TR3 - Hood Stick Cover

I just put on the hoodstick cover that came with my TR3A, but I appear to be missing the two lift-the-dot pins that hook up under the hoodsticks on the interior in the corners.

Can anyone tell me where those two pins mount and whether they are bolts or woodscrew types? The newish interior coverings don't let me see where the holes are located. Are these two snaps even supposed to be on the cover?

Many thanks,

Bill Stagg
1961 TR3A, Commission Number TS67947L
Bill Stagg

Bill - I looked at my 1958 TR3A TS 27489 LO which is an early TR, and different from yours in many ways.

My hood stick cover is the original that came with the car. My cover has 2 Lift-a-dots in the corners (installed reverse to all the ones that snap the stick cover around the outside) and a chromed peg in the inside corner on each side. The peg must be mounted onto the leather or vinyl trim that is glued to the metal support for the leather or vinyl trim.

On the later TR3A that I'm restoring now, all the trim is removed and stored (hidden ?) somewhere so I can only look at the bare "tub". There are no holes in the "tub" for these 2 corner pegs that hold the stick cover, so I must assume that the pegs have straight threads and a nut to hold it on the inside of the metalwork that the leather trim is glued to.

On my early TR3A, the inside corner pegs are in the curve, but closer to the flat area which is flat all the way towards the front of this piece which is about 10 or 12 inches long.

If you look at the outer corner peg for the Lift-a-dot that holds your tonneau or your top on the outside corner, then the inner peg for the stick cover is about 1 inch or a bit more towards the front of the car than the outer peg.

Hope that's clear enough.

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

Bill - I suggest you remove the vinyl covered metal piece (2 or 2 small decorative screws) and look inside the piece after you have removed it. If you see a hole in the curved sheet metal piece from the inside, for the peg, you can stick a sharp object through the vinyl and attach the peg with a lock washer and a nut.

If you find there is no hole in the metal piece, then your car never had a peg there. But you could still drill a hole where I said above and mount the peg. Then your stick cover will stay in place - not like a lot I see where they look partially "undressed" - kind of like a T-shirt that won't stay in.

Don
Don Elliott

I found the piece in question with the vinyl on it and the chromed stud that is "hidden" under the back corner is the threaded type with a lock washer and a nut to hold it into the hole in the curved aluminium piece.

Don Elliott
Don Elliott

I have seen no trace of posts for "interior" hold-downs on my TR3A.
Bought a new cover (kit) from Moss, and got the usual instruction sheet (none) and the wrong clips/parts - so it took a very long phone call to get the right "dots" sent - and with the right parts some of the assembly issues became less complex.

A couple of points - the cover looks really good with just four dots attached - front edges, and at the widest parts of the back. So you might say we just tried to reduce the chance of putting clips in the wrong places, but the resultant appearance benefit is pretty good.

All the pictures in Piggott's bible look like the covers are just wrapped under the sticks. This works if you really "roll" them up under the sticks, and if you didn't do it right - you'll find out at 60 MPH.
Dennis Nelson

The two hidden chrome "Lift-A-Dot" posts in the rear corners under the stick cover really help to hold the stick cover in place. These posts keep the cover in place at any speed. My TR3A came new with them and I never knew that they were no longer a standard item on the later production models. Maybe someone left them off during a restoration.

You can buy the posts with straight threads, a washer and a nut and put the posts in if they are missing on you TR. Also the parts that go on the stick cover are available - they are also used on the tonneau cover. Ask at any of the major parts suppliers.

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

This thread was discussed between 05/11/2002 and 26/12/2002

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