[Speed rating Tyres]

9 hours ago, stuart said:

Im still surprised at people skimping on tyres when thats the only thing keeping your £25K plus car on the road.

Stuart.

Agree with Stuart and wouldn’t go for a Chinese brand I’d never heard of like Joyroad or Sailwin tyres but things are never simple are they.

Strictly speaking our cars (top speed circa early 120’s, maybe but not mine, lol) should have H or above rated tyres.

But I wanted to stay on 165 tyres and try buying H rated 165s, really not much choice. Its ok if you fit 195 or above, plenty of choice and cheap as chips, like Avon ZT7’s, Uniroyal Rainexpert or Toyo Proxes all for early to mid £40’s each.

But an H rated 165 is a bit more. Ok for £100 each you can get a Retro branded tyre (who?) but if you prefer a name you might have heard of try around £180 for a Vredestein Sprint Classic or what about Michelin XAS for around £270 or even Pirelli CN36 at a mere £309, and of course that’s EACH.

So did I go down the cheap and cheerful route? Well kind of, did a bit of research and Vredestein TTrac2 seem to get good reports from lots of other classic owners and for the correct size from a recognised European brand are not scarily expensive, though more than 195/65's.

But they are T’s so only rated at 118mph, but how often am I going to cruise down the Autobahn at sustained speed of 120mph+ for several hours and have a speed related blowout, well in reality I'm not, but I do have a modern design made with modern materials in a Dutch factory so i'm sure quality is pretty good.

So I spoke to my ins co and they were fine with it, in effect saying I shouldn’t be doing 120mph anyway.

Cheers  Keith

[Californian Number Plate]

Hi All

Bit of a long shot as i really don't know the answer.

Pretty sure the BMIHT records show it was an export car and which country it went to but do they show dealer destination outside the UK or just the importer?

I know its doubtful but you never know the company might just still exist and have old records.

I found an owner of a car i photographed in the early 2000's by speaking to the local dealer and they had serviced the car in the past. They kindly rang the guy and he agreed to meet with the view to selling the car as it was SORN at the time.

Admittedly it was nowhere this old and ddin't come to anything but sometimes the info is out there

All the best cheers   Keith

 

[Underwing Sheilds.]

9 hours ago, stuart said:

I still fit the baffle plates regardless and make sure they are well sealed

I just have the std baffle plates at the moment but am thinking of adding wheel arch protectors and think keeping the existing baffle plates is a good idea but what is well sealed?

Is it just making sure the rubber seals are in place and secure(ish) or really going to town with a sealant so there are zero gaps anywhere?

I've already fitted a drain tube from the bonnet channel to outside the baffle plate near the bottom.

Cheers    Keith

[Restoration, Chassis Repairs/Alignment]

Hi All

Mine was just a general question, my car has been back on the road for a while and I did my chassis repairs over 10 years ago but didn't know if TRier fitted a new or SH chassis it is considered ok as I really have no idea.

And of course the rules may well be different in ROI anyway.

Cheers Keith

[Restoration, Chassis Repairs/Alignment]

On 1/25/2021 at 8:19 PM, mtrehy said:

I'd be inclined to look out for a chassis as I reckon it's pretty much shot from the middle back.

Hi All

To be fair I don’t think my chassis was quiet as bad as Triers but after blasting I had to do the trailing arms, T Shirts and a few other repairs, but did consider a SH chassis but was unsure about how the DVLA view it and of course getting a good one is not simple.

The DVLA website says that for rebuild vehicles (would a body off chassis counts as rebuilt?) “You can keep ots original registration number if you can prove you’ve used the original unmodified chassis or bodyshell” or “a new chassis or monocoque bodyshell of the same specification as the original”

So how does that all affect SH chassis?

And how does the “unmodified” clause affect new chasis from the likes of CTM with added strengthening and other mods?

It may be extensive expensive repairs of the original ends up being less costly that a SH one unless a SH is no prob to the DVLA.

Cheeers   Keith

[Orders from UK to Europe]

51 minutes ago, Nigel A said:

My wife has stopped sending goods to Europe or Ireland for the time being until we know what paperwork required. our normal shipper - UPS will not even accept shipments to Northern Ireland!

We are too old to bother investigating the requirements so will probably cease any international business as we have enough domestic work..

Nigel

Hi All

Unfortunately this could be one of the consequences of leaving the single market. There seems to be lots more rules and new paperwork and it takes time and costs money for each exporting company to set up new systems.

Once all of the rules are known and things are in place are in place it might not be too much of a problem for the bigger volume sellers, depending on how much international business they do but for smaller or specialist suppliers it might just be too much of an unknown and thus hassle so as Nigel said people will just stop international supplies.

Less of a problem for us here with our British cars but I’m glad I don’t own an unusual 70’s Merc, BMW or VW as it seems likely similar small niche outfits in the EU will think in a similar way.

Keith

[Beefing up suspenders]

On 12/16/2020 at 8:59 AM, Motorsport Mickey said:

The trouble is Keith it’s unlikely you’ve owned your TR throughout it’s life. It’s unlikely that a beefed up engine will cause the hub to fail, cornering forces or abuse can easily cause it, or plant a growing seed.
You weren’t driving it in 1982 when the then owner put it over a kerb when he was a bit enthusiastic on a frosty road. “ That was lucky” he thought ...no damage, apart from the start of an unseen crack formed deep within the hub. Generations later it’s still there...waiting gradually extending, until...

A failure on a driveshaft is annoying, it stops you going, but a failure on a hub or stub axle stands a chance of killing you and your family member sat alongside you. We have had inversions ( that’s where the sky adopts a different position) with TRs because of this failure, if you want a safer option just replace the hubs ( which will include a new stub axle) with new units. That’s a lot less than a grand, and then use your existing driveshafts.

Mick Richards

 

Hi Mick,

I do agree, but thats the whole question is it advisable to change everything just cuz its all old or is the stub axle 90% of the risk and the hub itself 10% or visa versa?

Trouble is new stub axles are about £220 or so but hubs are more like £700 or £850 plus for uprated so the cost is significantly higher.

Also as you a driveshaft failure whilst a pain shouldn't be too safety critical, hopefully.

And i don't really have to worry about the early 80's damage as my "barn find" was off the road by then but i take the point.

Cheers    Keith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PI Air Plenum]

Hi All

Odd one this, is it a common problem and are those poly versions pretty flexible to make them easier to fit?

The reason i say odd and ask is that my plenum connectors are the originals i'm pretty sure and are very hard but they fit no problem at all.

As my rebuild has only recently got to 95% finished I've taken them on and off loads of times over the last year or so and never even thought about it being a difficult job.

Is it i have an odd set thats eqasy to fit or are the odd ones the difficult ones?

Cheers    Keith

[Beefing up suspenders]

Hi All

Sadly i can't quite stretch to a grand + on those CV driveshafts nice as they look, but as Roger rightly say our cars are getting towards 50 years old and the stub axles in particular are quite a high stress items, although less so on my std tune 50 years old engine which no doubt hasn't still got all of its horses present, but.

So is the stub axle the main weak point or are other components particularly suspect as losing a wheel is not ideal.

And is there a particular supplier that make good quality replacements or are they all cheap low quality versions.

Cheers   Keith

[Refurb dashboard]

Hi

Really depends on the look you want, which is entirely personal.

I went for what I thought was a more std look in that it’s the original factory veneer varnished in a satin varnish.

Unless your dash is almost scrap it is a very simple task if the wooden plank is out. I stripped the old varnish off with paint stripper and gave it all a light rub down and very slight repairs to a couple of damaged areas.

Not sure of the coats of varnish, prob 4 to 6 but no more but allow to harden well and do a very light rub down with a very fine grit sand paper (I used foam blocks) between each coat.

As I said it’s a very personal choice but for me mine is spot on as I’m not a hi gloss burr walnut kind of guy.

 

Cheers    Keith

[TUNNEL PLINTH INTERIOR LIGHT]

Hi All

Got the same light to fit myself soon so looked at this with interest. But as the pivs are real close ups i could really work out exactly where the plinth was placed.

So i did a quick search and come up with this thread.

Is this the position everyones is in and is the lens angled to the front or rear?

 

Cheers    Keith

 

[Door side Impact Bars]

Hi Richard

Yes a picture does indeed speak a 1000 words and the setup can clearly be seen.

I absolutely see the value in door bars, after all most if not all newish cars have them, just didn’t realise until now they were an early 70’s TR6 thing.

TBH if I had known I I would have mimicked the setup before my repaint, difficult to do now, but given they weren’t present on my UK car and it’s the age it is I really didn’t give door bars any thought at all at welding time.

I’ll have to try not to get T-boned.

Cheers    Keith

[Door side Impact Bars]

Hi Guy's esp Derek

I see the US cars def seemed to have the bars, i recognise one of Ed H's bullfire images.

So were they just a USA market thing perhaps inline with other USA impact reg's, like the bumper overiders? I know Ed's car is a late-ish one and has overriders.

the question is would BL have had two different type of doors, one for export, mainly to the US, it was the main market after all. You bet they would, anything to save cost, i've another late 60's BL thing and there are a number of little almost unnoticable he cost cutting things that were done between the 68 and 69 model year to cut costs, I suppose after the big merger.

MGR went through a very similar process in around 2000, called Project Drive and was trying to save a few pennies here and there to stave off the final collapse. Mostly it was little things they hoped people wouldn't notice like changing the gearlever knob trim from leather to PVC, deleting the plastic grip on the jack hangle, etc but some were big like going from rear vented disc to solid on the less powerful models.

Unfortunalty in both cases messing round at the margins didn't help enough and they both ran out of cash, BL being bailed out and its successorMGR going bust and no longer here.

But back onto the door beams how did they fit and could they be retrofitted easily without reskinning the door.?

Cheers   Keith

 

[TR6 Original Tires]

On 10/19/2020 at 6:30 PM, CP26309 said:

Up until this Spring I had been driving around on 20 year old Michelins that still had 5mm tread and no sign of perishing. I even still have the original HR Dunlop SP Sport Radial factory fitted tyre on the unused spare wire wheel in the boot!  

Hi

Trouble is they really do deteriorate with age, although the exact age they are “unsafe” is a bit of a lottery.

I acquired my project car with early 80’s tyres and mid restoration some time ago I decided to get my wheels shot blasted and powder coated as they were pretty rusty.

The car was not ready to go on the road so rather than putting new tyres on for it to sit in the garage for a couple of years I decided to put the old tyres back on until it was road ready. Similar to you there were no cracks or other signs of aging and they had plenty of tread.

But when one of them was refitted and inflated…. BANG!!!!.....the sidewall blew out.

Clearly not structurally sound and just the stress of refitting and inflating made the tyre fail.

Just glad I wasn’t cornering hard under power at the time it decided to fail.

Cheers     Keith

[Door Cards]

Hi All

Can't remember what the inside of the doors looked like when i got it but either there was no or little plastic sheet there or i binned it if it was horrible and nasty without thinking much about it.

Up to that point i'd only played with newer cars, late 70's or 80's which as far as i can recall had a single moisture barrier on the inner door skin. And thats what i'd kind of planned to do.

Searching for a suitable image to show what i mean i can across this.

https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/door-panel-moisture-barrier-645-470.html

Which is what i'd planned to do but by making my own and using double sided tape rather than buying at a seeminly high price for a bit of plastic cut to shape.

But does the old version do anything else that this method won't but is important, given my car will live in a garage and won't get too wet very often.

Cheers   Keith

 

[TR6 Non-Starter with flat battery syndrome]

Hi All

The odd thing with mine is that once warmish it starts no prob on the main car battery. Only when cold or not started for a while does it need the "help" of the boot battery.

I'm going to try a temp direct earth to see if that improves things but the battery earth strap to the body has been checked and as everything has been done and its a new harness i was hoping things would be ok.

But i've got a few other electrical tasks to do, like a weak horn so i'm going to be playing electrics for a few days, yeah.

Cheers  Keith

[Door Cards]

Hi Stuart

I'm keen to get things as correct as possible, within reason, but i really can't picture it.

Any pics or are there any reference diagram out there to help me see what i might be aiming at?

Cheers    Keith

 

[TR6 Non-Starter with flat battery syndrome]

Hi Steve

A similar but not quite same problem.

So I struggle to get my car to start as well, also its running on all original refurbed Lucas. Now my car is just out from a, well fairly lengthy home restoration by me so that probably explains it all.

But the battery is good, fully charged and about 12.6 or more V on the multi-meter and i've checked the earths as well.

Testing the V at the pump I’m getting 1 or more V less. Well that’s the prob then, voltage drop via the new (quality) harness. So def worth checking that. But the solution is simple direct feed (via relay) to the pump all should be well.

Now I’m getting 12.3 or 12.4 V at the pump, but it still won’t flipin start.

But I can get it to start. Battery in the boot connected directly the the pump. If I let the pump run for couple of mins it starts fairly easily but it won’t rev very well.

If I let it idle for 5 mins then remove the boot battery and connect it up as normal and then try to start it, well its starts pretty easily and runs and revs ok, if a little roughly.

So I’m not really sure what the problem is but I’m going to get some help and look at the fuel system first.

 Cheers  Keith

[Door Cards]

Hi Stuart

Sounds overly complex, but hey what do i know i don't design cars.

Think i'll get rid of the sheet inside my door as i can't see it performs a useful funcation these days.

But i'll ad a sheet stuck to the inner side of the door so its between the door and the door card to stop the door car getting wet.

Cheers   Keith

[Door Cards]

Hi All

Funnily enough I have exactly the same staples problem so the link is a great help.

Another Q though. Couple of comments about the T50 stapler being ideal. Does that go for any similar style staple gun as I’ve got an older all metal draper staple gun looking almost identical that takes 10mm wide staples, or does a T50 do something special.

Also what was the original door card inner made from? It just looks like compressed card so is the  hardboard sheet (4mm) the normal option to replace it with. Not sure about having a go but mine are a little tatty its probably either give it a go or buy new.

The other thing is the plastic from the door internals. I get what the sheet stuck over the door under the door card does but what about the sheet that’s inside and is attached to the glass, see pic.

Mine just folds up and half unfolds as the window goes up and down but doesn’t seem to perform a useful function. But then again its clearly not attached as it would have been from new so do I simply cut it out or reattached it, if so how?

Cheers    Keith

[AEROSOL PAINT FRENCH BLUE STANDARD TRIUMPH CODE 126 ( DUPONT CODE 43021) WHERE CAN I TRUST TO BUY FROM ?]

Hi Andrew

My advice is find a local good independant paint and bodyshop materials wholesaler and get the to mix a can.

The best way is to take a body part in they will scan it and mix a colour to match that colour, so your aeroslo will match the colour of your car faded or bright and not simply be what the factory painted back in the 1970's.

I took the front air vent off my 72 into Sparaywell paints in the mids and they mixed an aerosol and the match is so close to perfect i really can't tell.

It wasn't expensive and took maybe 10 mins.

But you need to find someone that can match the colour by scanning something off the car thats been in a similar position sun wise due to fading.

Cheers    Keith

[Inner and outer door seals]

Rich

Sorry never thought about any pic's.

Easy enough if abit of a faff, but bear in mind my door is bare, so no door card or plastic sheet so i can get bits out.

I unbolted the winder mech and eased the glass out from the runners and removed the mech and then unbolted the lock side glass channel.

There is then enough play in the parts to ease the glass out of the channel then that out of the door. Then the glass is loose enough to get to the seal channel from the bottom. I pushed the clips partly on and then used a home made J shaped tool to pull them on tightly.

As Roger says its do-able from above once you've done it a few times, but i don't plan to do it again.

Cheers    Keith

 

 

 

 

[Inner and outer door seals]

Hi All

Bit of a coincidence as I’ve fitted my seals today, well the drivers door anyway.

It was a bit of a pain but as I wasn’t following a guide I was kind of working it out as I went along and it will be easier doing the pass side.

But I’ll have to disagree with Roger on one point. You can fit the glass into the channels inside the door.

I’m near the end of a rebuild so I’d assembled the door ages ago so it was all working ok, but without seals.

I thought I could just pop the seals in and easily hook the clips into place, how stupid am I.

I did try installing the seals from the top, glass in place and maybe with the right tools and practice its easy, but I couldn’t do it.

So I thought I’d have a play. I removed the bottom stop and window actuator and eased the glass out of the channel. Simple so far. I then removed the glass channel at the lock end of the door and removed that as well, that enabled me to fully drop the glass to the bottom of the door and gave me access to the glass channel in the door from inside the door. Its then simple enough to get the external rubber seal in place and the clip sort of in position, the clips can then be pulled fully into place from the top with a J shaped puller. The “Fluffy” inner seal is quiet easy fit as the clips are a different shape. I then popped the glass channel back loosely in place and eased the glass back in the channels, installed the window actuator, adjusted it all and tightened it all up and job done.

And it all works pretty much as it should, but a lot of faffing around.

 

Cheers    Keith

[Hood Fitting]

Hi Peter

Hope your memory’s better than mine, as me forgetting to measure the originals is what got me here.

A 12mm M4 is about equivalent to a half inch No8, so I shouldn’t be a million miles out.

Cheers    Keith

[Hood Fitting]

Hi

Took mine apart a while ago and negligently didn't do that as i should, hence the question.

I'm thinking M4 or M5 and about 10mm or so long but thought someone might know they correct size rather than me guessing.

Cheers    Keith