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Triumph TR6 - Rear wing seam sealer

I'm in the process of painting my '71 TR6
and could use some help: What, if any, is
used as a seam sealer for the rear wings.
I've heard 3M, but can't find the right
product.Looking for a non-harding sealer.
Thanks
Joe S.

Joe,
I used the 3M stuff, worked great, but I didn't paint over it as the follwing quote from the Cape Cod BCC TR6 Technical Document suggests. (Also found on the Buckeye site) I used a popsicle stick to remove the excess....
Rod

Fender Caulk - Use black 3M caulking that is made into strips about a foot long. The paintable sealant is very
pliable, fills gaps, & never hardens & allows repositioning. The strips are pressed in place with your thumb. Available from NAPA & other part suppliers the 3M number is 08578. NAPA's Martin Senour paint line also offers a similar product #4424. See the 3M strip caulk link below for more information.
http://products.3m.com/us/auto_marine_aero/products/aad.jhtml?powurl=GSLRY5ZD4SgsGSLPLPKL4XgeGST1
T4S9TCgv6DTWTJQPBBglGSBTX9SDWVbl
Rod Nichols


I used '3M fast and firm' seam sealer. I found it at an auto paint shop. Very common item. I'm sure if you search for it on the web you'll find it.

I put it on the lower part of the fender flange so that when the fener was bolted on the sealer sqeased out the bottom of the seam rather than the top.
that way I didn't have to try to remove any excess.

The strips mentioned above sound good too.

HP
HP Henry Patterson

Thanks Rod and Henry for your first hand info.
I will go with Rods' 3m strips for the seams
and the fast and firm for the tail light housing
inside the wing. Both good suggestions. Was going
to paint the panels separately, now have decided
to assemble it and align everything. Less chance
of nicks,as it is a basecoat/clear.
Lamborghini Red (Rosso Andromeda).
Joe S.

I just had my TR painted and asked the painter if he would seal where the rear fenders join and he said no need. There is no noticeable gap and it appears the new paint has flowed nicely into the seam but I thought Leyland originally used a sealer on the cars when they built them. Mine looks OK without the sealant and has no rust but now I'm thinking the fenders should have been sealed. Has anybody done this after painting; can it be done after the fact and is it necessary? Mine is rarely driven in wet conditions; only if I get caught in a shower while out driving. It's also stored daily in a tight garage so for the most part, weather is not a factor. Any comments on the fender sealing would be appreciated. Thanks.

Bob
1976-TR6
Bob Evans

When I took mine apart, there was a sealer there, kinda pasty thick white goop like plumber's dope or the aforementioned 3M product. probably the thing to watch for is how it's sealed on the underside, thats where the damage seems to start. I think all the cars I have crawled under have had undercoat there, which is another whole can of worms. Applied to keep moisture away from the metal, if (better yet, when) compromised it would allow the water to seep in and hold it there, and as Neil Young pointed out many years ago, (He musta had a British car...) Rust Never Sleeps! We were planning to paint our car right away, get the mechanicals done, pretty stuff later, but rust bubbles in those rear seams changed my mind! BTW, Joe, when you buy the 3M stuff, the instuctions will tell you the solvent to buy that cleans the excess residue off very nicely....

Happy moToRing!!!

Rod......and it's 72 degrees F in Boise...I'm goin' for a ride!
Rod Nichols

OK...we were NOT planning to paint right away....
Rod Nichols

Rod,Keep an eye on that amp guage!
dk
DON KELLY

Joe
All vehicles new and old are painted without the "trimmings" on the car. If you put the tail lights or any of the lights on, you will need to mask them off and you have a possibility of masking lines and primer showing through. Leave your lights off and get her painted as it was done this way originally. If you fear you are going to scratch your new paint job then simply mask around the area where the light goes. IMHO, I do not even think this is necessary as you WILL BE supper careful on the reassembly. You will end up with a better paint job this way.
Rick C
Rick Crawford

Rick- I think he was discussing the fender installation,painting before installation. I suggest both.paint seperated and then install all body compoenents and then do a final paint.
dk
DON KELLY


Bob,

Since you already have your car painted I wouldn't worry about the seam sealer. My painter told me the same thing that your painter said.....after I had already sealed it. I sealed mine so that it would not sqeeze out the top of the fenders while bolting them on; only the bottom. So if anything you could just run a bead of some kind of sealer on the underside seam from inside the wheel well. There is no sense in you disturbing the paint seal by removing the fenders...in my opinion. Since no sealer came out of the tops of my fenders I'm sure it looks just like yours...A nice tight seam.

Henry
HP Henry Patterson

Rick C
Let me clarify, assembly would only be the doors, wings and the bonnet,not any of the lights. This will be a complete color change. Bob Evans mentioned that his new paint flowed nicely into the seam, that is one reason I'm going to install the rear wings before paint,as the clear coat should fill it "nicely". Started life in '71 with safforn and I beleive the original owner had the outside painted pearl white. I purchased her in '73,
making me the 3rd keeper! She sat in my back yard for many many moons and then some. It is her time to shine again.
Joe S.

Joe and Don...simply..OOPS.
But still good advice for anyone doing a paint job especially if going back to original colour. The seams are very tight. IMHO, a thin bead of seam sealer down at the bottom of the seam, will not do any harm. Definitely agree with wings on before final paint. My biggest problem with the seams is wax getting in there.
Rick C
Rick Crawford

I just recently removed all four wings and discovered that sealer of some sort (kinda white, kinda flexible) had been liberally used throughout all the seams especially around the splash guards in the front wheelwells. I intend to have the wings, boot lid, and bonnett painted off the car and after final assembly and alignment, one or more top coats added. Reading all the posts, I'm now unsure of seam sealer, how much, where and what???!!!
db
Doug Baker


Doug,

When I restored my car and had all fenders (wings?..whatever.) removed I had the very same question you had about the sealer. Never did get an answer (before I was on this BB). Many body experts said the paint will flow in and seal...triumphs aren't the only cars with seams. Other body experts said seal them. I chose to use sealer but as I mentioned earlier I applied it during assembly of bare metal fenders to the lower side of the flange so that when I tightend it all up it wouldn't squeeze out the top. When I was done I couldn't see the sealer in the seam.
Except for the rear valance where the gap was kind of large so I let it squeeze out there and then of course wiped away the excess.

I put everything back together on the car...doors and fenders (without trim Rick)unpainted. It worked better for me this way because I did all my small dent smoothing while it was together. I think more importantly I spent alot of time aligning the panels to one another...I'm gad they weren't painted because I had to do some small amounts of bending particuarly with the doors to get things just right.

Good luck

Henry
HP Henry Patterson

This thread was discussed between 20/10/2005 and 24/10/2005

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