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TR4A restoration


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Hello all, I have just become the owner of what looks to be a 1965 TR4A UK car. It has been sat stripped for over 20 years in a friends garage. He used the car for a while and stripped it down due to a rotten chassis and it has sat ever since. The body is not in very good condition at all and has not been very well stored. The back is broken on it as it was not supported properly on some pallet racking. A good thing was that he had purchased a brand new chassis for it a whle back. It will need a light blast and paint before it can be used. The reg plates seem to have disappeared and he can't find the log book. From the chassis number, it looks to be a 1965 car, I have sent off for a Heritage certificate for the car to see what comes back. It has originally been green, then red and then a mid green colour. It also has a Lenham top as well with it and had a new hood fitted to it just before it was taken off the road. There is a fibreglass front valance on it as well as fibreglass wings. The rear wings seem to have disappeared. Bonnet is in good condition. The tub has certainly seen better days so will have to see what it's like when it get it back home. I plan to restore the chassis and running gear first as the parts all take up a fair old space. The engine still turns and it has an overdrive gearbox fiited which is nice.

Alasdair Cowan

 

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Edited by sulzeruk
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Well, well done Alisdair, and welcome to both this forum and the TR Register,

You are doing things the correct way!

 

You wil find a massive amount of information and help here, - just ask.

 

Then we are here to help with the inevitable ups and downs of such a project, but the highs will outweigh the lows,

and you will have a tremendous sense of satisfaction when you succeed, and then you'll have a

Cracking True British sports Car to enjoy!

Where abouts are you?

.. and keep shipping the photos.

 

John.

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Hi Alisdair, it's amazing what you can fit in the back of a van !

The Triumph Spares day at Stoneleigh is on 11th of Feb. Might be a good place to search for what you are missing,

Good luck with it,

Cheers,

Conrad.

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Thanks for the welcome, I am in Bonnybridge which is between Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland. My friends Mum had a red TR4A when I was growing up in the late 1970s so I have always wanted to get one at some point. I have restored a few old cars before so not new to the game thankfully. I restore 1980s and 1990s racing bikes as a hobby for myself and also for a few other collectors. I also have a bike that is raced at the Classic TT/Manx GP and am building another one at the moment to run 2 so very busy with that, the TR will only get a small bit of attention whilst these are completed as the 2nd bike is only a frame at the moment. I am off to South Africa for 3 weeks on Tuesday so will miss the Stoneleigh event unfortuantely but I am sure the weather will be nicer there!

 

With not knowing the cars at all, I am open to all the help and suggestions given. I have bought a couple of books on the cars for reading whilst away. Is it worth restoring the shell first before the chassis or doing the chassis first? Are the strengthening kits worthwhile fitting to the chassis?

 

THere is pretty much the whole car in the back of the van apart from the engine and gearbox which are still buried in my friends shed, the shell and chassis to get back. I need to makee a bit of room in my unit before they turn up though as I have a rotten S type Jag shell to strip for parts. I had started a restoration on that but the shell is really too far gone so I have found another shell which I will get in a few months time for it once I have had another garage cleaout so I can store it. As with all spaces no matter how big, human beings seem to always cram so much stuff in!

 

I will send some picture once I have cleared out the van this morning and sorted the parts out a bit.

 

Alasdair

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Good luck with that, yes do the chassis correct first of all as thats your jig to build the shell on and also it is worth fitting the strengthening kit.

Stuart.

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Hi Alasdair,

no number plates, that is a shame. I had a 65' 4a back in the '70's - FGE 888C and often wonder what became of it.

Somebody on here did have it long ago but then it vanished.

 

On your commission plate the last 'O' is O for Overdrive not a nought and usually has a space before it. The DVLA may have read it either way.

 

Good luck on your venture. Do ask any and every question - the dafter the better.

 

Consider starting blog; and don't be too serious.

 

Roger

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Alasdair

 

You say you have a new chassis- that's the best possible start you could have - as Stuart says, start with that as it is - put it on some strong trestles, and start building the bodyshell on it - don't "restore" the chassis yet (ie painting it all etc) because it will only get damaged when you are building the bodyshell - think about all the welding/cutting/grinding going on in it's immediate vicinity.

 

It's natural to want to do the sexy bits first and end up with a lovely finished rolling chassis, but it's the wrong way round - do the bodyshell first using a good chassis as your jig and only after that is finished, should you then prep and assemble the chassis and all the suspension components, onto which you can then drop your newly painted shell.

 

Also take on board Stuarts recommendation to fit the various chassis strengthening kits, even to a new chassis, if they aren't already done - as for the chassis, do you really mean " new"? Is it a Stanpart item or one from CTM or did you mean new to the car, but not new in itself?

 

Cheers

 

Rich

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Hi Rich, it is a brand new chassis, i think it was purchased from Moss about 15 years ago or so from my friend. I quite enjoy the bodywork side of it anyway so happy to start on the tub. A friend runs a paint shop as well which is very handy. I have some good body stand here it can go on.

Alasdair

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Excellent colour choice. I'm planning to make my first Classic TT trip this year and forgo the TT for once as it's just too busy and getting a clear run at the mountain is getting a rarity unfortunately. First went to the TT in '91 so the bikes you're working on now were no doubt there in the TT back in the day.

 

I also have a '65 4a and whilst I've pretty much re-built the whole thing over the years, it started as a LHD rolling chassis project and now looks like this.

 

If I can do it anyone can - good luck and welcome to TR ownership.

 

I found that pictures of an assembly or certain part of the car useful as I worked on different areas as I didn't necessarily have the TR knowledge or anything else to compare against. This is a good place to ask for help & pictures from those that know plenty about our cars.

 

Feel free to share 80's & 90's race bike pics - especially FZR's, TZ's and LC's - my favourites...

 

 

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As Stuart says, it's VITAL that you check the mountings for front suspension, rear suspension and differential to see whether the necessary modifications and strengthening have been applied. There's plenty of information about this on the Forum and in the Technicalities CD (which you should have received when you joined the TR Register).

You don't want to be driving around in yournewly restored TR and suffer a collapse of the suspension - a not uncommon occurrence from the mid-1970s onwards (and still it happens!).

Ian Cornish

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Hi Alisdair,

from a spares point of view the Moss paper catalogue is an excellent resource for seeing where parts go and a few words of advice And it is FREE.

Their web Cat is pretty good once you fathom out how to get around https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/

 

For example item #100 is the lower fulcrum bracket https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/shop-by-model/triumph/tr2-4a/steering-suspension/front-suspension/front-suspension-tr4a.html

This MUST have two studs. The early single stud version will break off. If you have the two stud version then get it crack checked.

 

Roger

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Excellent colour choice. I'm planning to make my first Classic TT trip this year and forgo the TT for once as it's just too busy and getting a clear run at the mountain is getting a rarity unfortunately. First went to the TT in '91 so the bikes you're working on now were no doubt there in the TT back in the day.

 

I also have a '65 4a and whilst I've pretty much re-built the whole thing over the years, it started as a LHD rolling chassis project and now looks like this.

 

If I can do it anyone can - good luck and welcome to TR ownership.

 

I found that pictures of an assembly or certain part of the car useful as I worked on different areas as I didn't necessarily have the TR knowledge or anything else to compare against. This is a good place to ask for help & pictures from those that know plenty about our cars.

 

Feel free to share 80's & 90's race bike pics - especially FZR's, TZ's and LC's - my favourites...

 

 

 

The Classic TT is much more relaxed than the TT, I usually do the parade lap as well on the Monday which is a good experience to do if you have never been round and Jurby on the Sunday os excellent as well. Andy Dudgeon and Craig Neve are riding my 2 bikes this year so both top ten capable guys in the Superbike race hopefully, fingers crossed everything holds together as there is no other bike race out there that takes as much of a toll on bikes.

Have enclosed a frw bike pictures of some of my bikes and ones I have restored. The green ZXR is an old Team Green bike from 1989, the Red Bull coloured one was John Reynolds number 1 bike form WSB in 1995, Jim Moodie raced it at the TT in 96 and it was the first Kwak to do 120mph round thee TT course, Steve Hislop then used it for the last 5 rounds of BSB in 96 as well. The FZR600 is Mike Edwards 1994 V and M bike, all original and unrestored from there, he won the North West on the bike and was 2nd in the british championship that year.

Alasdair

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Emptied the van earlier, the original doors are rather past their best but there is a pair of excellent doors with the car, the bonnet is also excellent as well with no rot at all. The Lenham hard top is also in good condition but is very flimsy, quite light though. All the car seems to be there which is good.

Alasdair

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The Classic TT is much more relaxed than the TT, I usually do the parade lap as well on the Monday which is a good experience to do if you have never been round and Jurby on the Sunday os excellent as well. Andy Dudgeon and Craig Neve are riding my 2 bikes this year so both top ten capable guys in the Superbike race hopefully, fingers crossed everything holds together as there is no other bike race out there that takes as much of a toll on bikes.

Have enclosed a frw bike pictures of some of my bikes and ones I have restored. The green ZXR is an old Team Green bike from 1989, the Red Bull coloured one was John Reynolds number 1 bike form WSB in 1995, Jim Moodie raced it at the TT in 96 and it was the first Kwak to do 120mph round thee TT course, Steve Hislop then used it for the last 5 rounds of BSB in 96 as well. The FZR600 is Mike Edwards 1994 V and M bike, all original and unrestored from there, he won the North West on the bike and was 2nd in the british championship that year.

Alasdair

 

There is some impressive history there. Was the ZXR ridden by Ray Swann?

 

I was/am a huge Hizzy fan - what a talent and what a loss. I remember well seeing Brain Morrison, Joey Dunlop and Hizzy on the Verandah in the Lightweight TT scrapping like it was short circuit - I think I even managed a polaroid of it (will have a dig later)

 

The V&M bike too super important in racing history given what the late great David Jeffires managed at the TT - He would have given John McGuinness and Michael Dunlop something to think about.

 

I had a '91 FZR600 for my first visit and absolutely loved it. I never quite got myself that EXUP, but I'm putting that right in March as I have the 2018 R1M on order..

 

I'm fairly regularly in Stirling/Bridge of Allan/Cumbernauld and would be pleased to have a proper look at the bikes and of course the 4a..

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There is some impressive history there. Was the ZXR ridden by Ray Swann?

 

I was/am a huge Hizzy fan - what a talent and what a loss. I remember well seeing Brain Morrison, Joey Dunlop and Hizzy on the Verandah in the Lightweight TT scrapping like it was short circuit - I think I even managed a polaroid of it (will have a dig later)

 

The V&M bike too super important in racing history given what the late great David Jeffires managed at the TT - He would have given John McGuinness and Michael Dunlop something to think about.

 

I had a '91 FZR600 for my first visit and absolutely loved it. I never quite got myself that EXUP, but I'm putting that right in March as I have the 2018 R1M on order..

 

I'm fairly regularly in Stirling/Bridge of Allan/Cumbernauld and would be pleased to have a proper look at the bikes and of course the 4a..

 

More than welcome to come for a look. The ZXR was ridden by Ray in 1989 for the season. I will PM you my number so give me a ring,

Alasdair

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Hi Alasdair,

 

Welcome to the TRR Forum a very nice place to share regarding TRs and learn a lot.

BTW & FYI, the Hard Top (HT) on your post#4 look like a one for/from a TR6.

 

Best regards

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  • 4 weeks later...

I received my heritage certificate and have checked all the numbers which all match the car. I am still short of a registration document for the car? Is there anyway the chassis number can be checked anywhere to see if anything comes up for it or will I have to apply to the DVLA?

Alasdair

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Hi Alasdair,

marrying up your commission number (there is no chassis number) to a reg number could be very difficult.

The DVLA almost certainly will not have the data easily obtainable.

You could ask ALL the triumph clubs registrars (TRR, TSSC, Club TRiumph TR Drivers) to see if they have anything.

 

Otherewise you could go for an age related plate.

 

Roger

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  • 1 month later...

Hi all, still trying find the registration number for the car, not given up yet. I picked the chassis and body up yesterday as well as the engine and gearbox so am going to make a start on it. The body is pretty tired but I like welding. Any tips before I start chopping things. I am going to leave the new chassis the way it is just now and sort the tub first. The floors are sacrap along with the inner arches as well front and back. there have been a lot of poor repairs done on it from what I can see. I am still tryiing to weigh up if I owuld be better with another body if anyone knows off one. My mate also has a Mk2 GT6 for sale as well. Been off the road since 1970 so very tempted to buy that to stash away for after the TR is done as also a favourite of mine. Car has had lots done but been off the road since 1980.

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