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Has anyone tried making a FHC from a DHC

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march
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Has anyone tried making a FHC from a DHC

Postby march » 09 Feb 2015 07:26

I was just wondering if it is possible to convert a convertable TR7 into a FHC as I have just bought a FHC project with a good back end but really bad front and am investigating which route to go down to get a good FHC on the road.

Having noticed door skins fit both cars I have started wondering making a convertible into a FHC would work. Anyone got any ideas (or even tried it) especially when considering how cheap the DHCs can be.

Thanks

Marc

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Maxwell
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Postby Maxwell » 09 Feb 2015 08:04

Hi Marc - I believe the rear wings are subtly different...

However, what about a DHC fitted with a Hard-Top - either a Lenham [if you can find one although they do come up from time to time] or even something crafted in your garage\workshop?

You could use the same fixing points - and be totally individual!

Maxwell [;)]

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sonscar
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Postby sonscar » 09 Feb 2015 09:08

It will be possible,and will depend largely on how much work,money,time,skill,perseverance,stubbornness,determination etc you possess.Good luck with the project whatever your decision.Steve..


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seven
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Postby seven » 09 Feb 2015 10:02

I would buy a DHC and keep the FHC.
It would work out cheaper and quicker and much better to have 2 TR7's [:D]

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Postby RJS » 09 Feb 2015 12:38

I made a top for my DHC several years ago. It was much more work than I expected, but it did come out nice.

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Peter Nuss
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Postby Peter Nuss » 09 Feb 2015 12:51

Yes, it's possible. Remove the front fenders. Remove the DHC's front end/floor pan at the spot weld seam across the lower firewall and up the A post. Then, cut all the spot welds along the floor pan at the sills and back of the floor pan. Cut the spot welds at the seat mounting brackets to the inside sills. This removes the complete floor pan and front end and frame rails all at one time. Do the same to the FHC and weld the two major parts together. The only other part you have to cut is the very front corners of the floor pan off and weld them back after the two parts are together. Otherwise it simply goes back together in one large piece for welding. You do have to spend some time aligning the two pieces, but, this goes pretty fast as it's only two large pieces instead the ten smaller pieces and numerous parts to align

Honestly, I thought I was the only one nutty or daff enough to attempt this. I never finished the project, but, I know it's possible, as I had the two major parts aligned and ready for welding but needed to move to a new location and never got back to it. It really seems simpler to me than some the patch jobs I've seen people do. But you do need lots of room and the ability to align everything correctly. Good luck with your project

Oh, if you are serious about this, I probably have some pictures around here of what the front end floor pan looks like after removing.


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Postby FI Spyder » 09 Feb 2015 13:39

It would be much easier to buy a FHC and have two TR7's like Seven says. Or import a rust free FHC from N/A and ship it over (like Beans did his DHC) even if you have to convert it over to RHD. We ship cars over from Europe all the time. One club member has a Dolomite Sprint from Switzerland by way of New York, another has a an MGF from Netherlands, another friend had one from England, then sold it and bought a better one from Japan (also RHD). Another club member bought a MG RV8 from Japan although he had some problems registering it as ICBC kept saying there was no such car even though it was the second one registered in the province.

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Postby Odd » 09 Feb 2015 14:55

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by march</i>

I was just wondering if it is possible to convert a convertable TR7 into a FHC <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> Why would anyone wanna do anything <u>that</u> daft? Molesting the second best ever Triumph!

Get a hardtop for the DHC - and you'd have the second best of both worlds!!! There are some
really nice American hardtops that even look like the soft top, not like the FHC gunless turret...

march
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Postby march » 09 Feb 2015 15:13

Thanks for the responses. My ultimate aim is to build a rally car so the thinking on this was:

1. The convertible chassis/floor pan is considerably stronger (has to be as no roof).
2. Late (better built) convertibles are cheap and plentiful where as good solid roofed FHC's are rare as rocking horse poo.
3. I have just acquired a Speke built FHC which is rotten at the front but good at the back (in fact surprisingly good).

I have not really thought too much about the practicalities as yet (hence the question) but I thought that possibly I could use the lower half and front of the DHC perhaps using all or part of the FHC A Post, top half of the FHC B Posts, the Rear wings of the FHC and the rear deck (where the filler cap is) of the FHC and of course the FHC roof.

Peter - Pictures would be very much appreciated, glad to see I am not the only one to thinking along these daft lines.

Any more opinions / insights greatly appreciated.

At least it looks like serious option [:D]


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Cobber
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Postby Cobber » 09 Feb 2015 18:27

Considering the effort and cost involved you'd probably be better off repatriating a FHC car from here in Oz, where we have a warm dry climate and no salt on the roads. (our cars tend not to be the rust buckets that you lot get)
For instance: I know of a car with a very nice rust free body with the engine out, the engine comes with it, but as it's out, it's is probably suspect. The car is only about 1km from me

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Postby John Wood » 09 Feb 2015 19:16

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by march</i>

Thanks for the responses. My ultimate aim is to build a rally car so the thinking on this was:

1. The convertible chassis/floor pan is considerably stronger (has to be as no roof).
2. Late (better built) convertibles are cheap and plentiful where as good solid roofed FHC's are rare as rocking horse poo.
3. I have just acquired a Speke built FHC which is rotten at the front but good at the back (in fact surprisingly good).

I have not really thought too much about the practicalities as yet (hence the question) but I thought that possibly I could use the lower half and front of the DHC perhaps using all or part of the FHC A Post, top half of the FHC B Posts, the Rear wings of the FHC and the rear deck (where the filler cap is) of the FHC and of course the FHC roof.

Peter - Pictures would be very much appreciated, glad to see I am not the only one to thinking along these daft lines.

Any more opinions / insights greatly appreciated.

At least it looks like serious option [:D]


02 Range Rover
94 Honda Fireblade
99 Lotus Esprit V8
Space in garage for TR7
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The Convertible floor is not stronger, it's identical.
The later convertibles are no better built than any other TR7.



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Maxwell
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Postby Maxwell » 09 Feb 2015 19:49

<font color="red">The Convertible floor is not stronger, it's identical. </font id="red">

But I believe there were strengthening gusset plates somewhere behind the seats - weren't there?

Maxwell [:D]

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TR Tony
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Postby TR Tony » 09 Feb 2015 20:17

Extra strengtheners to the inner sills & between the B posts IIRC.

Tony
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Postby Peter Nuss » 09 Feb 2015 22:43

"The convertible chassis/floor pan is considerably stronger (has to be as no roof).".

Ah.... that's not true. The sills are a little bit stronger with two added gussets, and there is a bracket on the inside B post. But, those get left with the DHC body. I doubt those three pieces each side do too much.

The only thing I see stronger on a later body is the front cross member behind the front bumper. This cross member is where the DHC front bumper had it's pivot pin. It changed from cheap sheet metal on the earlier cars.


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march
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Postby march » 10 Feb 2015 06:39

Hi Cobber - Hadn't thought of importing a shell so had a quick look at shipping costs - from Australia to UK is approximately £1600 so with any purchase price and other costs it really makes this option unrealistic - good thought though.

Regarding the strengthened floor pan I was referring to the additional metal around the B posts but I must admit I thought there must be more additional metalwork. I am really surprised that there does seem to be much more than that - says something about the strength of the chassis.

John - Having owned both early and late TR7's many years ago (almost thirty years) my first TR7 (Speke FHC) rotted around me to the point it was dangerous to drive so was scrapped where as a late DHC I owned some time later (having not learned the lessons of my first one) was completely rot free and a lovely car. So although slightly subjective I stand by my views on build quality. As a note my DHC when I owned it would have been older than my first when I scrapped it.

Having looked at the costs of all the repair panels that would be required I still believe this to be a potential solution. Having said that I have friend who used to prepare rally TR7's whos view is that I should save my FHC and replace all rusty panels so I would know it was all good - so still not sure!

Thanks for all the comments - all useful stuff.

Marc

02 Range Rover
94 Honda Fireblade
99 Lotus Esprit V8
Space in garage for TR7

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