StevePlym Posted May 23, 2017 Report Share Posted May 23, 2017 Evening all, A new member here with a lot of optimism. My Dad parked up his beloved TR4A about 37 years ago when my elder brother was born and it hasn't moved since - he turns 70 in two and a half years so thought it would be a great idea to get the car back on the road. It has been garaged for the duration but i'm not sure what preservation measures, if any, were taken prior to parking it up. I'm hoping to become an active member on here as the project goes forward but accept that a huge amount of knowledge and experience resides on this site. So, What should I specifically look out for when I first get eyes on the car and what would folk suggest I start with? To be a complete purist and restore to the original spec? Or look to add modern upgrades/modifications where required? I'm completely open to suggestions. I look forward to conversing with you all in the future. Kind regards, Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR 2100 Posted May 23, 2017 Report Share Posted May 23, 2017 Steve, Difficult to go into too much detail without knowing quite a bit more - like the general state. Not even clear from the details if you have seen the car or if it's locked away somewhere. Garaged in 1980, so about 14 years old. By that time, TR4As were in a wide range of conditions. The engine must be top of the list - check to see if the engine turns over (with a new battery). If it doesn't, pour some diesel oil down the bores and go back the next week. ALL brake rubbers need to be replaced - probably easier to go for rebuilt callipers and new slaves at the rear. Not so expensive and don't take risks with safety. Plus rubber brake hoses. The front suspension rubbers will all have perished, so rebuild that with new polyurethane bushes. Replace the front and rear springs as well - again not so expensive when the suspension is stripped. That's for starters, the minimum just to get the car running and safe. Plenty of other items will arise as you are doing those basics and you should develop an idea of where you want to go. If you wanted a professional to strip, clean and restore everything, expect a bill of £30,000 plus parts. AlanR Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PYU940F Posted May 23, 2017 Report Share Posted May 23, 2017 Hi Steve I am the same age as your dad and have had my TR4A for 42 years. This too was very little used from when the kids were born until about 5 years ago when the last university fees were paid. Mine is in generally pretty good condition but decided not to spend a huge amount to get it pristine. If you decide to restore you can either do it via the "professionals" with the cost running into many 10's of thousands or you can do it yourself and it will never get finished (read about Roger's blue racer and he is an engineer) I would suggest getting it re-commissioned. That means road legal, reliable and looking OK. Even after 37 years the engine may be OK. That is the first task. Take the spark plugs out put some WD40 or oil in the bores and turn it over by turning the cooling fan by hand. If it turns it is not seized and you may be in luck and a cheap fix of the engine may be possible., Next would be brakes, a thorough check/lube of the steering and suspension, fuel tank out and new fuel lines and overhaul or new carbs, new oils etc etc. Also would recommend some safety issues like new vertical links/trunnions and the mod to beef up the lower wishbone attachments. All this stuff is not rocket science and there are plenty of suppliers of parts at a reasonable price. Depending on the state of the car you may get it back on the road for a few thousand pounds as long as you do the work. In my opinion get the car legal and back on the road for as little money as possible and then decide how much extra you want to spend. Where do you live? If you are reasonably close I would love to see it and give you some advise. Could be a real fun project. You say it has been garaged, so as long as the garage had a roof my bet is it is no too bad. Cheers Simon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianhoward Posted May 23, 2017 Report Share Posted May 23, 2017 Where are you Steve? You never know, you may get some local soul to come along and help give it a once over to help assess what's required? Cheers Ian Good luck with it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StevePlym Posted May 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2017 Thanks for the speedy responses Alan, Simon and Ian. Some great pointers and apologies for not providing much more detail - I didn't want to bore you all with the details.Yep, all garages have had roofs so i'm hoping that rust won't be much of an issue... but who knows. The car was in a good drivable state when garaged and had had the pistons re-bored at some point prior to this. I last saw the car about 5 years ago and visually (albeit dusty) looked pretty good. It is currently garaged in Plymouth but likely to move it up country so more central to work on (I have two brothers to help); perhaps close to Reading where I have access to a garage. Fortunately all three of us have engineering backgrounds and are pretty handy with our cars so hopefully can do the basics there. I did a complete brake system overhaul on my Cayman recently but am guessing that a car 46 years it's senior will present many other challenges. I think the saying "If it's rubber, replace it!" may be applicable. I'd more than welcome some visitors to get a second opinion but also looking forward to trying it with a new batt when I pop home in a few weeks for a recce. I'll post some pics too and keep you all updated with progress. Thanks again. Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted May 23, 2017 Report Share Posted May 23, 2017 Join the TR Register and visit the local group - someone will I'm sure be pleased to have a look at it with you. Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Red 6 Posted May 23, 2017 Report Share Posted May 23, 2017 Hi Steve, and welcome to the world of TR's. My contribution would be forget everything until you have assessed the condition of the metalwork, both chassis and body (tub and panels). These cars are rust buckets so the mechanical work is simple and inexpensive (in the grand scheme of things) if you discount the time spent doing the work, whereas metalwork is a money pit. You will have no problems with the mechanical side, and if you can do a cayman then you can do everything a TR. Please report back on your progress. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted May 24, 2017 Report Share Posted May 24, 2017 (edited) Hi Steve, firstly join the TR Register. Then seek out your local group Vale of the white Horse and Kennet Valley are both fairly close to Reading or perhaps get somebody from the Devon group to pop in to have a look. Make a comprehensive list of the problems and issues with the car. Do no under-estimate the body condition. Repairs are expensive in both time and money. The chassis is an area that can disappear in front of your eyes. Get under the car and not too gently bash ALL of the chassis box sections with the rounded end of a ball pein hammer. Just in front of the diff is a panel joining the chassis members - the 'T' shirt panel. Have a good look at it - is there any swelling where it sits on the chassis, if so rust is doing its job. Consider how long things take to do and get things organised so that they are back when needed. Most of all keep coming back here asking questions. Roger Edited May 24, 2017 by RogerH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PYU940F Posted May 24, 2017 Report Share Posted May 24, 2017 Hi Steve I think all replies have been pretty much along the same lines: 1/Assess 2/ Join TR register 3/ Get a member to come down and spend a day checking it over with you. (Will probably cost you the price of a couple of bottles of decent wine) 4/ Decide whether you want full restoration or re-commission This forum will be of great help to you if you decide to do it yourself. There is Stuart in Cornwall and Roger in London. Between them they probably know more about TR4's than Triumph did. I suggest you read Roger's saga TR4 rebuild from the start (2011). More importantly, have fun doing it, but remember all jobs take 3 times as long as you estimate them and that is assuming nothing goes wrong! Cheers Simon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StevePlym Posted May 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2017 Cheers guys and thank you for all the welcoming responses. I did see Roger's post when I first got on here about a week ago and thought that a 'rebuild' post was the perfect resource for me... then I noticed the original post date of 2011... but we can't rush these things and we need to get them right. Think i'll settle in to an evening of G&Ts and read the post from cover to cover.I have the additional resource of a good friend of my Dad's who has fully restored his TR - haven't asked him yet but sure he'll be of assistance. I'm now slightly dreading the recce on 3rd June. Watched too many episodes of Car SOS where rust is rampant and thats giving me serious worries. Fingers crossed! Perhaps thinking too far ahead already... but dipping/stripping? Had a good look at this website last night and their videos. Has anyone had any experience of them or similar? http://www.surfaceprocessing.co.uk/index.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted May 24, 2017 Report Share Posted May 24, 2017 Cheers guys and thank you for all the welcoming responses. I did see Roger's post when I first got on here about a week ago and thought that a 'rebuild' post was the perfect resource for me... then I noticed the original post date of 2011... but we can't rush these things and we need to get them right. Think i'll settle in to an evening of G&Ts and read the post from cover to cover. I have the additional resource of a good friend of my Dad's who has fully restored his TR - haven't asked him yet but sure he'll be of assistance. I'm now slightly dreading the recce on 3rd June. Watched too many episodes of Car SOS where rust is rampant and thats giving me serious worries. Fingers crossed! Perhaps thinking too far ahead already... but dipping/stripping? Had a good look at this website last night and their videos. Has anyone had any experience of them or similar? http://www.surfaceprocessing.co.uk/index.html Their process is a bit too aggressive, I have been using these guys http://www.envirostripgbltd.com/ But thats only if your going to go down the nut and bolt ground up route. Im only about 40 mls away if you would like a chat about the best approach or you want me to come up and give it an appraisal. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted May 24, 2017 Report Share Posted May 24, 2017 Hi Steve, although my initial post on the TR4 Rebuild is dated 2011 I actually started the project in Feb 2010. However it is a three month rebuild so thankfully I must be getting close to the end now. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob Salisbury Posted May 24, 2017 Report Share Posted May 24, 2017 That's nothing Roger!!, I started my re-build in 1972 and it's been going on ever since!! .... it's been a rolling re-build both time and miles, so in that time I've done around 180,000 miles and I never seem to reach the end time wise!! some jobs must have come round about 4 times or more!!, however I reckon it still has around 75% of the bits it left Coventry with in 1965!! Cheers Rob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted May 24, 2017 Report Share Posted May 24, 2017 Hi Rob, that is a bot extreme but many TR's suffered the same fate - keep them rolling and fix on the hoof. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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