If I can download the pictures….
Under the driver seat there is an adjustable webbing strap screwed to the back of the seat base. It has a lift the dot receptacle at its end. There are what may be the remains of a similar device on the passenger seat
Are they to connect with the tonneau cover perhaps?
Mystery straps
Re: Mystery straps
David,
Those straps sound like a mystery. I’m going to the Bressingham Rover show on Sunday and, by coincidence, just had a call from a chap who is hoping to take his ‘46 Tourer. I will try to remember to look at his car!
If I understand you correctly, the straps would normally be hidden beneath the seat squabs but can be pulled out between the squab and seat back? It could be that the tonneau is designed to fold over the seat back and connect to the strap, which can then be tensioned to keep things ‘watertight’ (a relative term, I know!). The adjustment would be required to compensate for the forward and aft seat position. All that said, I can see your logic and I must look at my Tourer to see if such an arrangement would be useful with my tonneau.
Out of interest, does your car have a two piece bar, slotted in behind the seats to support the tonneau? My car had retained this bar for 45 years, throughout the ownership by three of my relatives, without anyone knowing what it was for until I made a tonneau for it! Similarly, it wasn’t until I rebuilt the car that I worked out that the side- screens should be kept behind the back of the rear seat and that this was why the rear seat back was locked in place by a square key. A clever and useful design and much better than having the screens on the back seat or at home in the garage when not in use.
Tony.
Those straps sound like a mystery. I’m going to the Bressingham Rover show on Sunday and, by coincidence, just had a call from a chap who is hoping to take his ‘46 Tourer. I will try to remember to look at his car!
If I understand you correctly, the straps would normally be hidden beneath the seat squabs but can be pulled out between the squab and seat back? It could be that the tonneau is designed to fold over the seat back and connect to the strap, which can then be tensioned to keep things ‘watertight’ (a relative term, I know!). The adjustment would be required to compensate for the forward and aft seat position. All that said, I can see your logic and I must look at my Tourer to see if such an arrangement would be useful with my tonneau.
Out of interest, does your car have a two piece bar, slotted in behind the seats to support the tonneau? My car had retained this bar for 45 years, throughout the ownership by three of my relatives, without anyone knowing what it was for until I made a tonneau for it! Similarly, it wasn’t until I rebuilt the car that I worked out that the side- screens should be kept behind the back of the rear seat and that this was why the rear seat back was locked in place by a square key. A clever and useful design and much better than having the screens on the back seat or at home in the garage when not in use.
Tony.
Tony Gilbert
P1 12 Tourer
P2 12 6 Light Saloon
Discovery 3
Discovery Sport
P1 12 Tourer
P2 12 6 Light Saloon
Discovery 3
Discovery Sport
Re: Mystery straps
Thanks Tony for your reply. I’m not sure either of us are much the wiser! Perhaps we should try and organise an assembly of tourers to compare notes! A plan for next year perhaps. .
Slotting the side screens behind the backseat is a mystery jig saw with unfathomable holes to drop the screen pegs into. I’m intrigued by your comment about the seat back locking in place with the square key….the only use for mine has been to open the side panels to lift the hood cover. Where/ how do you release the seat back? I can’t find a third budget lock….I will look harder.
No , no two piece slotted bars on either of my cars!
Slotting the side screens behind the backseat is a mystery jig saw with unfathomable holes to drop the screen pegs into. I’m intrigued by your comment about the seat back locking in place with the square key….the only use for mine has been to open the side panels to lift the hood cover. Where/ how do you release the seat back? I can’t find a third budget lock….I will look harder.
No , no two piece slotted bars on either of my cars!
Re: Mystery straps
I've been out and taken a few pictures. I too was mystified as to where the lock was but once found .....! Of course, what you really need is one of the other post war tourers to see or have pictures of as there certainly are differences between the pre and post war cars. I'm afraid mine is 1934 so what's here may be of little use to you. I've also taken a picture of the tonneau bar. I have the original one for mine but the one that's on it just now was made by the previous owner to let the driver's seat go back a bit further, both of us being somewhere around the 6' mark.
- IMG_20240830_105511652.jpg (24.83 KiB) Viewed 5273 times
- IMG_20240830_105517841.jpg (21.06 KiB) Viewed 5278 times
- IMG_20240830_105517841.jpg (21.06 KiB) Viewed 5278 times
- Attachments
-
- IMG_20240830_111607906.jpg (39.49 KiB) Viewed 5262 times
-
- IMG_20240830_111539421.jpg (58.61 KiB) Viewed 5262 times
-
- IMG_20240830_105442031.jpg (19.44 KiB) Viewed 5273 times
Re: Mystery straps
Neither of my 1947 tourers seem to have any way of "unlocking" the rear seat back, in fact I will be interested to know how to remove it..Anyone know?
I'm still hoping to find an easy way to remove the front seats. An old post said it could be done by sliding the sear right back... but that was on a saloon,
I'm still hoping to find an easy way to remove the front seats. An old post said it could be done by sliding the sear right back... but that was on a saloon,
Re: Mystery straps
David,
I checked out a P2 Tourer are Bressingham today and was informed that the webbing beneath the passenger seat squab is, in fact, to hold the rear quarter side-screens safely when not in use. The large side-screens fit into the slot behind the rear seat back, accessed from the hood cover. The rear seat back does not move forward to reveal this storage space, as with P1 Tourer.
Hope that helps with the mystery!
Tony.
I checked out a P2 Tourer are Bressingham today and was informed that the webbing beneath the passenger seat squab is, in fact, to hold the rear quarter side-screens safely when not in use. The large side-screens fit into the slot behind the rear seat back, accessed from the hood cover. The rear seat back does not move forward to reveal this storage space, as with P1 Tourer.
Hope that helps with the mystery!
Tony.
Tony Gilbert
P1 12 Tourer
P2 12 6 Light Saloon
Discovery 3
Discovery Sport
P1 12 Tourer
P2 12 6 Light Saloon
Discovery 3
Discovery Sport
Re: Mystery straps
That is very helpful. The two door sidescreens fit quite easily in the slot behind the back seat , so it is logical that the rear ones go elsewhere. I will now see if I can find out how and where a rear side screen might go 
Re: Mystery straps
Hmm!
The rear side screens do fit neatly under the seat squab, which is a result, but I can see no reason to use a strap! I cannot find a lift a dot stud anywhere in the vicinity. The stud has to screw into something solid, so the tonneau canvas seems unlikely. The seat pans and bases are totally original as far as I can see, so the mystery continues!
The rear side screens do fit neatly under the seat squab, which is a result, but I can see no reason to use a strap! I cannot find a lift a dot stud anywhere in the vicinity. The stud has to screw into something solid, so the tonneau canvas seems unlikely. The seat pans and bases are totally original as far as I can see, so the mystery continues!