TC wing piping question.

[Ray White]

Please could someone explain (or post a photo ) of how the piping that goes along the running board finishes? There is a gap between the end of the board and the rear wing. Does the horizontal piping continue along the body and butt up against the vertical wing piping...or is there a break there?

Thank you in anticipation.

Ray.

[stephen stierman]

Like this..........

[Ray White]

It looks like there is a gap. Does that car have a chrome wrap finish?

[stephen stierman]

Ray, if you mean does the piping have a chrome wrap finish? Absolutely not, it is black, and you are seeing reflection. Yes, there is a gap and I believe that to be the way they were done.

[Ray White]

Ray, if you mean does the piping have a chrome wrap finish? Absolutely not, it is black, and you are seeing reflection.

Not the piping. The paintwork is so reflective I thought it might have been a chrome finish.

[stephen stierman]

Oh that.......just good old acrylic lacquer, no base coat clear, fancy urethane, etc. Shot out in my drive way piece by piece, hand sanded and buffed.......

[antijam]

I carried the front wing/running board piping through the gap to butt up with the rear wing piping. There didn't seem to be a very tidy alternative.....

[Ray White]

I carried the front wing/running board piping through the gap to butt up with the rear wing piping. There didn't seem to be a very tidy alternative.....

That's what I thought. It seems like a design oversight. In fact all that area with an ugly gap between the wing and the running board seems to have been neglected.

The only consolation is that everyone else has been there before me. I have looked at many photos of restored cars and it would seem there are no two quite the same. It is a tricky area to get right; especially when dealing with new body tubs and replacement panels.

I will try not to loose too much sleep over it.

[stephen stierman]

Ray, when I restored TC2911 I used "TCs Forever" as my guide as best I could. I suspect it is as accurate as anything could have been at the time and probably still is. Philosophically I didn't want to impart what I thought or what anyone else interpreted as looking better than the photos and instructions in that book, I wanted to make the car as it was when it was new to a reasonable extent, I wanted it the way it was probably done at that time, not better or worse. That was my rational for the entire project.
I didn't think it was an ugly gap, I think it was just the way it was done and that was ok. But you are correct, I wouldn't lose sleep over it!

[Ray White]

Stephen. I have tried to keep what is good about the TC but where the passage of time and experience has shown where things could have been done better, I have drawn a line.. I have tended to adopted what others have found to work in practice.

Having said that, although I have no particular deference for Abingdon, I think it must be said they did what they could given post War shortages. In that respect the TC was a remarkable achievement. it did have it's faults, however, and I see no benefit in slavishly following what I believe to be at best inferior design.

If I had started with a good original car then I would probably have taken the same approach as I have done with my older (vintage) cars just as you have done... but there was so little remaining original on my car that I don't feel the same way about it. As has been stated here before, a car can only be original once.

I have, instead, decided to build myself a TC that is fast, reliable and as good to drive as it can be.

Ray.

[Duncan M]

Wow. Running the piping across the gap? Seriously? That makes no sense and looks foolish.

Here is how the factory did it in October 1949-

[Ray White]

Perhaps it is just the photo, Duncan...but it looks like the rear wing is sticking out proud of the running board. I would have expected them to be in exact alignment.

[Duncan M]

The front wing and running board are perfectly aligned and contoured together, but they are joined together and continuous.

The rear of the running board on a TC does not join with the rear wing, so there is no reason for the outer edges to be in any sort of alignment. But, many rear wings you see on TC's have been cut down on the outer edge, or are part of full reproduction bodies. Maybe the reproduction units have running boards wider at the rear?

Original (late) rear TC wings "stick out" a full inch. Reproduction rear wings have never been accurate in shape or finish. By now we see a lot of reproduction wings based on earlier (wrong) reproduction wings....

[stephen stierman]

Ray, believe me TC2911 was a running shed when I bought it, fiberglass rear wings, body tub made of bondo and roof flashing, some of the timbers were grafted to pine, etc etc.

[Ray White]

I don't have a photo to hand but I have arranged for my rear wings to align perfectly with the running boards so there is no "sticking out". Consequently, I have perfect alignment from the front of the car to the back. On my car the "gap" is only the width of the piping thickness, so the horizontal piping behind the running board meets seamlessly with the vertical wing piping. This looks right to my critical eye. This may or may not have been how Abingdon sent them out but as I have said before, they didn't care that much so long as the cars sold in numbers.

[Steve Simmons]

From what I've seen after examining several unrestored TCs over the years, the gap between the running boards and rear wings did vary a bit. These cars were hand built after all.

[antijam]

I don't have a photo to hand but I have arranged for my rear wings to align perfectly with the running boards so there is no "sticking out". Consequently, I have perfect alignment from the front of the car to the back. On my car the "gap" is only the width of the piping thickness, so the horizontal piping behind the running board meets seamlessly with the vertical wing piping. This looks right to my critical eye. This may or may not have been how Abingdon sent them out but as I have said before, they didn't care that much so long as the cars sold in numbers.

Quote from Mike Sherrell's "TCs for ever".....
While rear wings are parallel to the body in end elevation, they are also parallel in plan view but c. ½" out from the similarly parallel front wings and running boards.

I'm with you Ray - I've gone for the perfect rectangle in plan view. Since my tub, wings and running boards are all repro I've done the best I can with what I've got.

[Ray White]

My experience with replica rear wings and running boards has been terribly stressful and costly.

I

[Duncan M]

No wonder so many TC owners say they cannot fit Model A sized 475/500-19 tires. On original bodywork cars the fit in the rear is tight, but it can be done--and they can be installed and removed pretty easily. With all these repop skinney rear fenders there simply is no room. Running the larger diameter and wider Model A tires gives you extra tread on the road and gives the equivalent of a 4.8:1 rear end ratio when using stock gearing, compared to the orignal sized 450-19's. 400-500 lower RPM's at 60mph.

Yet somehow, other people are claiming to be running even wider (19" BMW economy car) radial tires front and rear, and somehow they fit in back. Though I have yet to see a picture of those radials actually mounted on the back of a TC. All the pics only show them mounted in front. Special offset wheels? Fatter than usual rear fenders? Cut down axle ends? Big mystery.

[Steve Simmons]

From the fellows I've spoken with who run those i5 tires, they fit right on the stock wheels front and rear.

I have a hard time running Model A tires. I just love the look of the original B5 so much. They do look a bit narrow in the rear but so great from the front. I do like triple stud tires also though.