Dash Bracket Padding

[cobrapatrol]

First off, just let me say that it's my 69 TR6's 50th birthday today! WhooHoo!

I have an originality question that I have not seen addressed, having to do with the center dash bracket (aka. H-brace or shake brace) and the adjoining kidney panels under the dash, filling in over the trans tunnel. Was there a factory practice for creating the step in the bracket padding to allow the fitting of the kidney pads? Were the kidney pads always fitted or perhaps only with a factory-installed radio option? Mainly, I want to know if those kidney panels are considered mandatory as original - or optional?

My brace does not have the step in the padding where the kidney panels are supposed to intersect. I am not sure if my bracket is the original one since my car was bought as a basket case. I'm guessing that the underlying foam pad would have to be trimmed and then the cover re-glued? I don't see any parts listing that shows a difference but I do see lots of interior photos with the bracket padding stepped for the (uninstalled) kidney pads. I have also seen photos where the brace padding is not stepped. I would prefer to not install the kidney pads if they are considered an option.

What do you think?

[Tush]

Don’t have an answer for you as my 73 has a radio delete and doesn’t have the kidney pads. Just want to say Happy Birthday!

cheers
Tush

[cobrapatrol]

Thanks! We'll be going out soon to celebrate.

[lfmTR4]

Happy Birthday to your 6. My 72 had them and the step in the brace.

Dont believe they were optional as they hide the heater under there and a bit of wiring.

[BobbyD75TR6]

Good question..... the step is part of the padding/cover and not the bracket. Lots of guys strip the old padding/cover off and then recover the bracket with vinyl leaving the step off. Does your cover look to be a hard "rigid" vinyl like stock or did previous owner recover it in soft vinyl like uses for seats and interior panels? Got any pictures?

[cobrapatrol]

The padding and vinyl are pretty old and quite hard. Definitely not pliable. I'd have to recover the bracket to put in the notches. I like it fine without the kidney pads but I'm just wondering about what was original or factory correct.

[lfmTR4]

I thought the radios (and antennas) were all installed by dealers and no car left Coventry with one. The kidney pads would have to installed at the factory before the radio was installed. Curious, does anyone have an original car without kidney pads? I can tell you that the heater works much better without the pads.

[cobrapatrol]

You are right, I should not confuse a radio option with whether the kidney pads were delivered with all TR6s. More directly, since some brackets do not seem to have the notches in the padding/cover - could this have been factory original or only replacement? This photo from the 69 brochure makes it pretty clear what the original arrangement looked like. Perhaps for the TR250 didn't always have the kidney pads?

[mrjim]

Only have seen them with the kidney panels. Did the 250 have them? Have to check one of my brochures when I get home.

[BobbyD75TR6]

Any chance the 250 used the dash support from the TR4? They used two supports: one with the notch and one without it

[SapphireBlue72]

In the TRF online catalog, the TR6 dash supports are shown with the kidney pad supports.

The TR250 dash support is shown with no kidney pad support notches.

[cobrapatrol]

OK, so the consensus so far is that the TR6 should have the kidney pads but perhaps some TR250/TR5 did not. I think my bracket must be a replacement, bought by the P.O., and supplied to me in a box - my TR6 was a basket case when I bought it.

Thanks - Jim

[Steve]

Happy belated birthday!
I have a '69 that has the pads and the notches in the H frame (built Oct '68).
I don't know if the 250s had the notches, if yours is a very early 69 you could have a leftover 250 part, the factory used what they had. at least in some instances (my dash has chrome screws and g/box hinges, I have a 250 emissions sticker under the hood), who is to say that a very early 6 didn't have a leftover H panel?

[cobrapatrol]

Thanks Steve. Makes me wish I had taken note of any part number info or markings on the bracket before I installed it. Honestly, It could be a replacement bought years ago by the P.O. when the car was first disassembled in 1991. The P.O. bought up a bunch of parts back then (many from Victoria British) and some never even left the wrapper. I'm thinking back then that there may have been replacement H-brackets available for people that were maybe too enthusiastic cutting out a hole for a DIN radio.

But you've got me curious about what you said about your early TR6 having the TR250 emissions sticker? Does it say TR250 on it? I've seen originals where the "TR250" was cut off. Might you have a picture of it?

Jim

[Steve]

I'm in WI so the car in in storage for the winter but I may get lucky and find a picture to share.
What I don't know about the frames is if the aluminum is the same and the step is just in the foam under the wrapper, looking at the wrapper online I'm tempted to think that might be the case.
I'll see what I can find on the pics this weekend.