TA Body Tub Timber Construction Pictures

[Rob Reilly]

I'm looking for pictures of the wood construction in the body tub.
The exploded view drawings on the vendors web sites aren't really helping answer all my questions.
I'm starting to think I'm missing some parts. And some parts may be TC parts.
Does anybody know of a web site with lots of pictures of TA tubs, without the steel panels yet attached?

[Rob Reilly]

Specifically, I'm wondering if this rear corner is right. The overlap looks strange.

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Second, there are a lot of holes in the back board I don't understand.

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Most of my other parts are ink stamped TA, but the back board was not labeled by the vendor, that's why I'm wondering if it could be for a TC instead of a narrow late TA.

My original wood was mostly rotted away so I don't have a lot to go on.

[cdrolshagen]

Hi Rob,

I hope that help you

Carl

[jddevel]

Will this help?
https://www.hutsonmoco.co.uk/mgta

[Rob Reilly]

No, I've been studying that Hutson exploded view drawing for months. Frame Up and Moss have pretty much the same thing. I need photos of the inside rear corner. Something is wrong with the parts Frame Up sent me.
The rear corner pieces and side elbow pieces are ink stamped TA.
The rear top rail and back board are not marked.
I'm wondering if they could be TC parts.

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[Steve Simmons]

Here are photos from that area on a totally original (as far as I know) TC body. I passed this body along last year so unfortunately I can't get any more photos of it but maybe these will help?

[cdrolshagen]

[jddevel]

May I suggest you contact Hutsons direct. I bought my TC tub from them. They are an extremely helpful company with an enthusiasts view on life.

[ferricsteed]

Rob, suggestion: Go to the Moss Motors UK site. It will show exploded views of both TC timbers and TA/TB timbers. You can cross reference by part number which timbers interchange and which ones do not. I also suggest printing the TC exploded view by Abingdon Spares. The pic and descriptions are a little clearer than Moss's. As you found out, the back end of TA and TC are different, particularly in the back corners.
A US based guy is Craig Seabrook; has a wealth of information on timbers for both models. He no longer assembles tubs but still makes timbers.
On the other hand, once your vehicle is assembled and trimmed, it would take a very eagle-eyed individual that could tell the difference between TC timbers on a TA versus proper TA timbers.
I chose to go with B270 timbers for originality, made by Craig.

[Rob Reilly]

Well, I have figured out that I am missing the top shelf for the side curtain compartment, and also the steel compartment itself.
Moss UK is out of stock.
Moss US does not recognize the part numbers.
I've put in an inquiry with Hutsons.
Craig Seabrook seems to only offer dashboards.
The Abingdon Spares website is annoying, there is a drop down menu that keeps offering me MGB parts when I'm trying to see the top shelf. And its for TC anyway, they don't seem to have anything for TA.
This pic shows what I don't understand. Why does the back board hang out beyond the curve in the top rail?

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This is why I'm wondering if one or the other of the pieces could be wrong.
I've sent an inquiry to the source, Frame Up.

And another question, what about these side fillet pieces, they don't seem to fit in either place.

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[Tom Wilson]

Rob, the back section of TA and very early TC body wood is different than later TC; you've already figured that out. There's a bit of sanding to shape the ends of the backboard to contour involved.
I may have an extra new side curtain compartment for you, need to check when I get home next week (yesterday I was at the start/finish line of the original Watkins Glen race). I also have lots of photos and info that can help in file.
Contact me next week and I'll see what I can do to help. Kimber0251@gmail.com, mobile 317-432-1984

Tom Wilson
Zionsville, IN

[Peter deBruyn]

Rob -

Those fillets go in front of the sidescreen box side rails. They are covered on the exposed side with vinyl (Rexine)
and are visible in the back of the "boot".

[Rob Reilly]

Doug at Frame Up says the wood is TA, and the back board is made purposely too long, and when the corner construction is finished, to take a belt sander and finish off the protruding edge.

Here is what I have.
I don't understand why there is a 3/4" gap between the rear corner piece and the back board.
The curves don't match either.

[Rob Reilly]

Well, I'm starting to figure it out.
The top back rail from Frame Up is definitely wrong.
There should not be a curve at the ends. They should be straight cuts.
The fillet pieces are wrong too.
I don't know yet about the back board. There was not enough left of my old one to determine how it was supposed to be fastened to the rear corner pieces.

[Steve Simmons]

Have you checked TCs Forever? There are wood dimensions in there, so you may be able to match what you have to TC, which would prove that piece is the problem. TA of course has at least two different sizes which I are both different (narrower) than TC.

[Rob Reilly]

That's a brilliant suggestion. I had forgotten that those drawings were in there, as not having a TC, I did not pay much attention to them. It confirms that the top back rail I have is TC. But the TC back board would be 41-1/4" width, and what I have measures 39-3/4" so is not TC. It might be for the early wide body TA.

I dug out my old rotted pieces and started to glue them together, so I can maybe get an idea of dimensions. The back board is missing about the lower 6 or 8 inches, but I can maybe get a top width.
The top rail is mostly there.
And I have the remains of the side fillet pieces. They are solid planks, not plywood.

[Rob Reilly]

My old rotted top rail is 38-1/2" long, or wide as it would be installed on the car.
There are rabbet or dado cuts at the ends, to overlap the rear corner pieces, which the TC rail does not have.
My old back board is approximately 38" wide. The left end is missing, but I can estimate it by measuring from the center line.

[Steve Simmons]

My knowledge of the construction method of that area is limited, but I would be surprised if the basic assembly was notably different from MMM through TD, just because M.G. tended to stick with what worked. But that's purely conjecture on my part.

[Mick bibby]

Hi guy’s first time on any forum !!!!
Hi all Bob got some great pics of my ash frame
TA tub that I have just assembled gone through pretty much what you’re going through, I have tried to upload them but even one picture is too big ?
I assume that you may be able to email me and I can get them over to you that way
Good luck

[Steve Simmons]

Hi Mick, welcome! The maximum file size was 2mb and 3200 pixels but I've just doubled that to 4mb and 6400 pixles. Try attaching again and if your photos are still too big, try resizing them a little smaller before attaching. This saves people time and bandwidth when checking the forum on a mobile device, and saves us server space.