R Type rear window blind

[Al Coutts]

Whilst trying to determine how the rear seat is secured, I realised that the rear window has a blind that can be raised. The fabric has perished so I need ro remove that to replace it but first I need to know how to raise the blind.

All advice greatly received about blind and rear seat removal.

[John Murch]

With apologies, as I suspect that my comment will be of no help at all. I notice that the club shop sells a workshop manual for the Mk VI & R type, would the blind be covered in there?

[Christopher Carnley]

There should be a chromed sliding "bolt" just above the drivers door. This drew a cord through a fairlead tube to the back window.

The back seat squab is a tight drop in but the back is bolted from the boot side.

[Al Coutts]

Thanks Chris - I'll pop out and look now.

@John - I have all the manuals but could not see anything in them and I looked really hard!!

[John Robins]

P.S.

They are extremely fragile!

[Al Coutts]

Gents, I can push the slider forward about 7/16" and can feel tension building, there is obvious movement on the horizontal bar that supports the silk? but it won't move at all.

The seat squab is out as I have sills to replace, so I'll unbolt the rear seat back and see what I can see.

The sliding roof doesn't, either!

To be fair - this vehicle hasn't moved for 28 years, so I do expect a few wee challenges.

[Stephen Blakey]

Hi Al,
If the R Type is anything like the MKVI then the item you refer to is a roller-blind. A quick way to gain access to is to cut out the rear window and surrounding sheet metal, however I can see that some people might object to the resulting hole in the back of the car. Here's what it looks like;

There is a delightfully Heath-Robinson arrangement of cords going through Bundy tubes above the rear window. It's interesting that, on this '47 car, RR bothered to plate the roller blind fittings despite the fact that no-one was ever going to see them.

If you're short of any bits, I'll happily post them to you.

Have you bought your sill kits yet?

[Al Coutts]

Gosh Stephen - that is a very kind offer.

I've not had time to explore further but hope to do so in the next few days.

Thank you.

[Christopher Carnley]

For the 3 parts of the sill, outer inner and stiffener plus the rear end fillet, you are looking at £1036.00 each side.
That does not include the chopping off and welding on of panels that don't fit anyway. Then there are the little door seal channels etc etc etc. ETC.

[Al Coutts]

Hi Chris - that's understood but if no one restored these beautiful creations - one day there wont be any left!

[John Murch]

I bought my first Mk VI in 1972, it was immaculate but still required the body mountings to be replaced. My second one a couple of years later was a garage repossession, the owner had instructed the garage to rebuild to new condition.
There wasn’t much left to be done, the garage was delighted for me to buy it for £2k, the previous owner had spent circa £15k on it! I lost money when I parted with it. At least today the prices are coming up and good ones reflect the work done (well in part!)

[Christopher Carnley]

They make decent specials, Al, watch out for the 20-30 lb of lead body solder masking the Pressed Steel spot welds and dodgy joints.

I have been watching FV Channel 99 The Smithsonian Channel. There is a series on "Air Crash Alaska", analysing crashes of light aeroplanes.
At present there is one called "The Titans" on Ford, Edison and Goodyear Quite a revolution, very interesting with a Marmon Wasp winning the first Indie in 1911, then Henry Ford on a garden swing with his grandson.

Have you any good April Fools , like "Treezas got a deal"?

[Frederic Sebton]

[Al Coutts]

Thanks Frederic - I've just ordered a copy. I'll let you know what I discover!

[Christopher Carnley]

Really good.