[camkram]

Dear Reader,
In the course of renovating my 403, I have had to remove the window trim & rear glass. The timber frame had perished & only small sections remained complete.
Note this vehicle was in dry hibernation for about 20 yrs, so cannot say water was the culprit.
Thought about cutting replacement out of marine ply, however, curves in the roll of the body as well as the corners all but impossible to duplicate - ply too thick (6mm), unwieldy & unforgiving.
Good friend & Rover tragic cut strips of oak (English , I am led to believe) to duplicate remnant frame construction. As they bend without splitting, they do not require steaming so currently building up the thickness, one timber strip at a time, layer by layer utilizing the steelframe - left in situ, as the guide. Would photos be beneficial?
If successful, this should duplicate the original style of construction.
Was a jig used originally ? Reference to frame being spoke shaved to suit, has been made.

The original strips do not appear to be glued together, but currently using a interior/exterior PVA glue to ensure shape holds in place.
Body roll at base of window causing the most grief.
If successful - i.e do not deplete entire vocabulary of expletives during assembly - I will return to crow about results - this may take weeks to complete.

Rear brake lights - Installation of thin strip LED across top of rear window? Has this been done - successfully? As headlining is out , this safety feature warrants consideration .

Side effect - have plenty of marine ply to reproduce dash board timber or rear parcel shelf.

Yours in passing,
Camkram