The Radio Bracket Saga It all started innocently enough. I had sketched up a quick drawing in AutoCAD to take to a local machine shop and have a radio bracket piece fabricated for my TR4. I based the dimensions on measurements taken from my car, and tried to match the general shape of the thing based on photographs of the bracket I’d seen. From time to time, someone on the Triumph List would post an inquiry about a radio bracket, and I'd usually mention my drawings to them.
Then one day a fellow list member, Carl, mentioned that he’d made detailed hand drawings of radio brackets (early style and late style) with accurate measurements. He mentioned that some of my dimensions were off a little, and he offered to send me the drawings so that I could correct my CAD drawings. Seemed simple enough...
Carl's drawings were actual tracings of the piece that he'd made, and they were much more accurate than my own original drawings. However, there were some dimensions missing from the sketches. I did my best to make everything "work out right", and Carl and I began a lengthy process of sketching, measuring, faxing, e-mailing, etc. We quickly discovered how difficult it is to accurately put together a drawing when you have one guy doing the measuring, and another guy (half way across the country) doing the drafting, and neither has any real mechanical drafting experience!
Eventually, a couple more list members got involved in the picture. Steven composed this nifty little photo sequence illustrating how the radio mounted on the early style bracket, and Joe offered to fabricate several brackets and make them available to fellow TR4 owners for a modest price (contact Joe at N197TR4@cs.com if you're interested in obtaining one).
In the end, I have to say the entire experience was quite rewarding, and it reminded me what I enjoy most about the hobby... the people involved in it! Thanks Carl, Steven and Joe.
Kurtis Jones - March 2005