Ever want TA/B/C BrooklandsScreens without drilling holes???

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Tom P
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Ever want TA/B/C BrooklandsScreens without drilling holes???

Post by Tom P » Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:50 pm

Ever want to have Brooklands screens on your TA/B/C, but did not have the heart to drill holes?
Well, I have been through this. In fact, I bought the screens and spent HOURS trying to line them up on the compound curves of the dash scuttle. I never got them aligned well enough to confidently drill holes in my beloved TC.
After a couple beers in the garage one night, I was inspired to cut up some old angle-iron metal stock and pull out the welder in order to fashion my first attempt at a “no holes” and “no additional fasteners” Brooklands Screen mounting system.
My approach was focused on utilizing the big wing nuts that secure the stock windscreen, noting that the threaded stud upon which they attach is long enough to have another metal bracket fit between the wing-nut and the windscreen pivot mount. So this, with a couple well-placed inner-star lock washers, became my fastening point (see photo).
The unit itself is a simple bit of angle iron that runs the length of the windscreen straddling the corners of the windscreen when the screen is down. At each end of the angle iron I welded on a little arm that hooked over the windshield hex nut attach point and sleeved itself into the wing-nut fastening point. Securing the wing-nuts on each side holds the bracket in place quite firmly.
With a little measurement, I aligned the placement of the Brooklands screens on the angle iron. I then removed the compound pivot mounts from the Brooklands screens in favor of just the “stumps” on the bottom of the screens. I drilled holes (2 per screen) in the angle iron to accommodate the stumps on the bottom of the screens and then welded up collars with grub-screws under those holes. The result is that I can then insert the stumps of the Brooklands screens into the holes and secure them at my desired height with an allen wrench.
Since this was literally done over a beer, I was not too worried about quality – after all, it was just an experiment. Yet, the next morning I looked at it and thought it was decent enough to keep for a while. As such, I painted the inner section British Racing Green to match the scuttle and the edhges silver to blend to the chrome of the stock windscreen (photos shown are pre-paint… not as good as the final result).
Road test… At highway speeds I get a little bending/buffetting of the bracket even though it is angle-iron… So the next time I have a beer in the garage, I will try to re-design this to be a little more robust… or… I also have the option to put a “leg” in the middle of it to rest upon the rear view mirror support, which would also resolve that issue.
I offer this idea up to the team in case you want to design your own Brooklands Screen mounts without harm to your car. Some photos follow…
Tom
Attachments
This is how I set up the fastening area to the windscreen wingnut
This is how I set up the fastening area to the windscreen wingnut
Hook Bracket Over Existing Winshield Fasteners3 copy.jpg (56.01 KiB) Viewed 5500 times
This is what the bracket with the screens fastened looks like.
This is what the bracket with the screens fastened looks like.
Bracket with screens attached small.jpg (39.5 KiB) Viewed 5500 times
First view of the screens on bracket mounted.
First view of the screens on bracket mounted.
screens on small 2.jpg (54.22 KiB) Viewed 5500 times
Second view of the final screens and bracket in place.
Second view of the final screens and bracket in place.
Screens in Place 3.jpg (56.34 KiB) Viewed 5500 times

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Steve Simmons
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Re: Ever want TA/B/C BrooklandsScreens without drilling hole

Post by Steve Simmons » Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:58 pm

I've considered something like this but never got the motivation to start the project. I do remember seeing someone else try with a rod and it seemed a bit too flexible / bouncy. This looks more functional. Nice work!

What I've thought about is a round tube, attached on the ends and a support in the middle using the mirror as a hold-down.
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Gene Gillam
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Re: Ever want TA/B/C BrooklandsScreens without drilling hole

Post by Gene Gillam » Fri Jan 18, 2013 6:46 am

Does it have to be removed to raise the indiscreet? Edit..."indiscreet"??? I think that spellcheck got me or something...that should have read "WINDSCREEN"!
Last edited by Gene Gillam on Fri Jan 18, 2013 5:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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stephen stierman
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Re: Ever want TA/B/C BrooklandsScreens without drilling hole

Post by stephen stierman » Fri Jan 18, 2013 7:17 am

Some of the Morgan guys have done that to their cars when fitting mechanisms to allow their windscreen to fold, ala TC., no holes need to be drilled.
That said by careful spacing you can fit Brooklands screens on the scuttle humps in such a way that you can raise and lower the windscreen without interference. You will, when raising the windshield have to tilt the passanger screen a bit so as not to interefere with the wiper motor.
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Rick Waters
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Re: Ever want TA/B/C BrooklandsScreens without drilling hole

Post by Rick Waters » Fri Jan 18, 2013 9:57 am

Very nice work!

However, don't real men just clench their teeth, and drive with no screen whatsoever?
Rick Waters, TC 7881 in Vancouver

Owned since 1988, Driven many happy miles!

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Tom P
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Re: Ever want TA/B/C BrooklandsScreens without drilling hole

Post by Tom P » Fri Jan 18, 2013 5:27 pm

Gene, yes it needs to be removed in order to fold the screen up/down... now you have me thinking - wonder if it could pivot out of the path of the stock screen. Hummm... need a beer to contemplate this one.
Rick, I had to stop driving with no screen whatsoever because I found I was actually starting to LIKE the taste of bugs!

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Tom P
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Location: El Dorado Hills, CA

Re: Ever want TA/B/C BrooklandsScreens without drilling hole

Post by Tom P » Fri Jan 18, 2013 5:35 pm

Gene, yes it needs to be removed in order to fold the screen up/down... now you have me thinking - wonder if it could pivot out of the path of the stock screen. Hummm... need a beer to contemplate this one.
Rick, I had to stop driving with no screen whatsoever because I found I was actually starting to LIKE the taste of bugs!

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