I have over the last 7 years of RP ownership sought opinions about whether the gearbox should have a cover over it in the cabin. Some have said that there would have been a moulded rubber cover, fitted before the rubber mats go in. The RP Pinterest site has a picture of an RP front floor interior which seems to have a moulded item over the gearbox. My question is, has anybody seen one, found one in the parts books, or otherwise have definite information of such a beast please?

The reason for my interest is that I find the mechanical noise experienced in the cabin is considerable reduced if a sound absorbing layer is put over the exposed gearbox. I have been using a piece of rubber to which is bonded a thin layer of foam chips (I think this is sold as sound absorbing underlay), it became increasingly oil soaked and the heat cycle seemed to mould it to the domed shape necessary to droop and then its edges be covered by the carpet.

I am preparing the car for this years Euro Tour (we are continuing from Salzburg, through Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and from Albania across to Bari in Italy, then from Rome to Barcelona by ferry and finally Santander to Portsmouth) and I am putting sound absorbing material on the floors and returning the car to rubber flooring rather than carpeting and thinking about making a cover for the gearbox rather than draping the foam backed rubber over it. It would be nice to copy an original rather than invent something.

Ivor do you have any further info on the picture reference please?
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/6b/d3/c4/6bd3c4b31850bdb00e168e78a4d56ac6.jpg
I hope someone can bring some light to bear on this, if so thanks

Location: Back in the sunny Cotswolds

Good evening Jack. A number of year's ago I saw an RP sold at auction in Cheltenham which was 100% original including the tyres. Notable were the rubber floor mats which included a moulded tunnel cover and gearbox/bellhousing cover which neither I nor the others present had seen before.
I took numerous photographs which were subsequently borrowed but sadly not returned despite many requests.
Is there any evidence in the archive to support the existence of these items or were they 'after-market' accessories?
I heard later that the new owner carried out a 'Pebble Beach' restoration (22 coats of paint apparently, the original paint was exceptionally thin) but viewing suggested that the wings were stove enameled.
Regards
Stuart

Location: Staffordshire, the creative county.

The illustration in the handbook would suggest that the link in Jack's post shows an original cover:

Having bought my first RP in 1959, I believe the trim was original. I subsequently had a few more. One was a totally original standard car (non de-luxe complete with smokers hatch). None had a cover over the gearbox. However the pictures do suggest that some cars did have a cover. I wonder whether it appeared for a short period only.

Location: Near Cambridge

This is the illustration in Jack's link; it would appear to show the gearbox cover as an integral part of the propshaft cover.



Presumably that would make it quite difficult to fit, so perhaps they were quickly trimmed into two pieces, and then no doubt the gearbox cover would soon be left off altogether!

I made what I thought was a gearbox cover using some spare bits of that sound insulation material used for boats. Approx 1" thick, silver on one side with a heavy sheet of something sandwiched between two layers of foam.

Result?

1) it looked awful
2) it reduced the amount of space in which one could rest one's left foot
3) it didn't make a huge amount of difference.

Threw it away. I have found however that an old pair of oily overalls draped around the area has just as good an effect.