Red 6 Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 I am on the verge of giving up the restoration of my UK TR3a. I have been B******** about by a local technical college who took on the final panel and outer sill aligning prior to them painting it as a commercial job yet after 3.5 months they have done a big fat nothing. So I have taken the car away from them. As a parting gift they have damaged to OSR wing so rather than panel beat it I though to ask if anyone has a good one they want to sell. Also I could do with a boot lid as mine has holes for a boot rack. I cant understand how a business can take on a job, promise the earth and deliver nothing. It has really frustrated me and to be honest I feel like putting it up for sale as it has taken nearly 3 years to get to this point. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pfenlon Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 Tomorrow is another day, watch an episode of Project Binky and have a cup of tea. Its no use getting frantic about these people they have relatives in every walk of life, they are all breeding too. I am with you on this problem they really don't give a monkeys, but they also have no shame. A note to your local rag might be a way of complementing them on the merits of their none achievement. for a wing you could try. Simon Westlake 01242 516605 he was /is a sidescreen man. TR Bitz 01925 756000 ask for Craig Mallinson, Geoff Mansfield may have something too, sadly I don't have his Number. Walter Petchy would have one, his prices are too high for me sadly. good luck. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rhino_mac Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 Give John Hodges a PM on here (that's his forum name too). I'm reasonably sure he has a selection of rear wings and is a bloody nice chap to boot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alec Pringle Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 That sounds about right for a technical college . . . . . been there, etc etc . . . . . and heard several other accounts of similar unsatisfactory experience. Walter has I think now retired, but David Ferry may be able to assist . . . . . Cheers Alec Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 Hi Red 6, where abouts are you based. If near Coventry you could do worse than to contact Radford Panels http://www.radfordpanel.com/ He sorted a 4A front wing for me in express time at an embarrassingly low cost. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fireman049 Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 Hi Red 6 ~ Surely you could weld up the holes in the bootlid and dress them smooth? That's what I'd do. I replaced the rear 2" section of my bootlid with fabricated metal and got a perfect result. Tom. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Red 6 Posted December 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 That is what the lecturers at the college said " we'll just weld them up, shrink the high spots done in no time". I am looking for an easier life hence the boot lid but I know in the end it will be weld, bang, hammer, chainsaw! I will follow up the advice given especially the letter to the local press, although I am trying for a "negotiated settlement" with them. The one single good thing that came out of this is a machine I had never seen in the flesh before (but did see it on wheeler dealers) and that is a machine that pulls dents and shrinks high spots using a metal wand. Having never seen one in action before it was brilliant. All you do is draw a circle around the bit to be shrunk and cool it with a wet cloth and bingo the high spot (or low spot even) is shrunk. £950 to buy. It is a shame they did not get around to using it on my car! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 (edited) I am on the verge of giving up the restoration of my UK TR3a. I have been B******** about by a local technical college who took on the final panel and outer sill aligning prior to them painting it as a commercial job yet after 3.5 months they have done a big fat nothing. So I have taken the car away from them. As a parting gift they have damaged to OSR wing so rather than panel beat it I though to ask if anyone has a good one they want to sell. Also I could do with a boot lid as mine has holes for a boot rack. I cant understand how a business can take on a job, promise the earth and deliver nothing. It has really frustrated me and to be honest I feel like putting it up for sale as it has taken nearly 3 years to get to this point. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! BOOT LID - Weld up the holes and fill/shrink/stretch as required then prime/paint.... or... make a feature out of the holes and fit polished stainless screws in the holes, in case you decide you want to fit a boot rack at some later date. OUTER WINGS - I have a car set of 4 new un-fitted TR2-3B outer wings for sale. My issue is that I have had the panels etch primed so they did not rust while waiting to be fitted - not unreasonable and in fact insisted upon by the body-shop. Moss will not accept returns of panels that are not exactly as they supplied - not unreasonable, as they state that in their terms of sale. I bought the panels last spring, as suggested by the body shop who said I would need them. As we know these panels go unavailable for months or years on end on end, and I did not want to hold the job up, so did as told. It was discovered, once the car was in bits all over the floor, that I did not need the set. Good news and bad news I guess. I would like to get the price of the panels back, which was GB £ 770 each for the fronts and GB £ 615 each for the rears. The etch priming cost I will ignore, as I cannot work out what that cost; the body-shop just kept sending me bills based on materials & days spent. PM if interested - The panel set is in Portsmouth currently or I can bring them to Pinner in West London. Cheers Peter W Edited December 21, 2017 by BlueTR3A-5EKT Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Charlie D Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 Peter said: "... make a feature out of the holes and fit polished stainless screws in the holes..." When I removed my boot rack (back in the 1970's) I fitted chrome bumper bolts in their place. (I may have rounded off the square shank --- too long ago to remember.) Looked quite smart. Charlie. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Red 6 Posted December 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 (edited) Peter, I have u2u'd you Edited December 21, 2017 by Red 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 Hi Pete, etch primer will not act as a rust stopper. It is porous. It's only job is to provide a key for reacative metals - hence used on aircraft Ali skins but not really necessary on steel. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Red 6 Posted January 7, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2018 Here is an update: The boot and wings are fine after all. I have had another body shop assess what needs doing and everything I have is workable however they cannot start the work until April/may time so I have decided to call a halt and sell the car as an on going project. Most of the work has been done ie engine gearbox chassis steering rack conversion tub painted etc but as to value who knows so I am going to try an auction rather than saying I want £x for it. Frustrating is not the word!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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