MASCOT March - April 1997

THE ROADSTER FRONT - Hole Hunting.

Bill Haverly

The "Glove Box" today is little more than a relic from the earlier days of motoring, when only the wealthy could afford the pleasure of four wheels. But thanks to tradition it's still there in the dashboard, even though a pair of gloves are the very last thing to be found in this useful cubby hole nowadays. More likely, maps and pens, sweet wrappers or sunglasses, though the box on my Roadster also houses carb jets, feeler gauges and a collection of nuts and bolts to cater for some mythical emergency.

All Roadsters have one at the end of the instrument panel. Only the SMX has one at either end. Well, it would, wouldn't it! And, of course, they're made of fibreglass. In a car where storage space is at a premium, the glove box, like the pockets in both doors, is a small, but welcome storage hole, but its contents would have been more secure if, like other cars, a locking lid had been fitted. I inherited a plywood panel and lid with my 4AB, but being a bit of a purist, replaced it with a standard wood dash ASAP. Towards the end of 4AD production, however, a service scheme was prepared for fitting a locking lid (ref. SK 745) though I have no knowledge of whether this plan was implemented. In the Roadster's last season, additional extras like a radio or temperature gauge were also being offered in a last ditch attempt to boost flagging sales. Yet, in 1955, the 4AD was still good value compared to other British sports cars of the day. At £723 (inc. purchase tax) it undercut by far the nearest rival, MG 'TF, at £780, whilst the Morgan 4-Beater at £822 and Triumph TR2, £886, were in another price league.

In structure, the Roadsters glove box is a simple design; made in a strong cardboard material called millboard, folded in and held together with bifurcated rivets, and attached to the panel rear with round headed screws. The inside surface of the box has a glazed finish. Earlier cars I've seen are usually dark brown, while the glaze on the later 4AD series generally matches the interior trim. The usual grey glazed finish of the millboards can be sprayed to suit.

Alan Seymour has made remarkable progress since taking on a 4AB basket case a couple of years ago, and the car is in it's half finished state was a great attraction at NCR Bridgnorth in 1995. Inevitably, more than a few things were found to be missing - one being the glove box. But in the best DIY tradition he borrowed an original, bought some millboard and rivets from Woolies and has turned out a faithful copy. What's more, he drew up a template and passed me on a sample for general use. So, get in touch if your glove box is the worse for wear o has gone missing, and I'll send on the details.