Back on the road....oooh so close !!

[bob-menhennett]

After a 12 year .....very serious rust bucket resto....I finally got my first MOT certificate for the 1965 TR4 ( One of the last few hundred made before production switched in March 1965 to TR4a's ).I did have a little celebration, purely medicinal you understand.

 

Full of the joys of Spring ( O.K. we'll call it Autumn ) I went to the DVLA @ Wimbledon to register it and get an aged related number allocated.

The DVLA said the paperwork for this USA import and personal identity checks were "all in order" but because "it is an Historic vehicle, we shall need to inspect the vehicle".

 

So it's first run will be onto busy London roads on Tuesday ,with the paperwork taking another 5 working days thereafter.

So much for a "shakedown" leisurely driving around the local side roads.... seeing if anything drops off.

It will be so much more fun on the three lane stretch of the A3 London bound in heavy traffic.

 

I'm nearly there ....bar the shouting.....mid/ end of November...with luck.

 

But I so want to drive it " legally " on the road, complete with number plates and my "free" road tax disc.Anyone local might hear a

very very loud YES...YEEEESSS soon.Another TR back on the road.

[Trevor S]

Bob, many congratulations, and well done for getting another TR4 back on the road.

I well remember the thrilling feeling of the first legal drive when my ex California restored 4 went back on the road. However that was in the 1990s when you just had to turn up at the local Licencing office with the paperwork and pay a fee and they stamped the MOT, handwrote the age related number on top, gave you a free tax disc and off you went to buy the plates, with the V5 following by post. No inspection in those days. Can't say I envy you a shake down run in the type of traffic you describe. Just remember the brakes won't be bedded in!

How about a picture of all your hard work when it's got it's registration number ? I still get a kick out of driving mine all these years later, so you've got lots of fun to come.

All the best

Trevor.

[bob-menhennett]

Trevor

Thanks for your kind words.A few years back my local taxation office was Kingston upon Thames, a couple of miles away.

I'm tempted to have a stiff drink before venturing forth onto the crowded race track that is the A3 but wandering across

lanes in a car with no number plates is probably asking for trouble from the boys in blue.

My new digital camera is at the ready but one of my sons will have to show their old Dad how to download /post pictures, etc.

Thanks

 

bob

[monty]

Bob, many congratulations, and well done for getting another TR4 back on the road.

I well remember the thrilling feeling of the first legal drive when my ex California restored 4 went back on the road. However that was in the 1990s when you just had to turn up at the local Licencing office with the paperwork and pay a fee and they stamped the MOT, handwrote the age related number on top, gave you a free tax disc and off you went to buy the plates, with the V5 following by post. No inspection in those days. Can't say I envy you a shake down run in the type of traffic you describe. Just remember the brakes won't be bedded in!

How about a picture of all your hard work when it's got it's registration number ? I still get a kick out of driving mine all these years later, so you've got lots of fun to come.

All the best

Trevor.

 

 

Hi Bob,

Jolly well done! Having bought an ex California TR4A just over a year ago with everything restored previously & receipted I can see how much time & effort & cost you must have put into it. How frustrating that 'paperwork' always spoils things!

Anyway happy driving & we all look forward to seeing pictures or the actual car sometime soon.

Regards,

Monty.

[pfenlon]

Bob a week last friday,

 

after a 4 year rebuild I drove my TR3A to the DVLA in Manchester, for a reg No, after the inspection ( open the bonnet look at the chassis No, Done!) would it start no it wasnt going to drive home.

 

thanks to towergate who had her on the back of a recovery truck in half an hour, the electronic ignition went on holliday, took 7 days to get my age related plate, computer generated for

 

fairness apparently so 580 XUE is shortly going for a ride after 27 year rest I hope.

 

regards

 

Peter

[bob-menhennett]

Monty

Thanks for your words.A lot of blod sweat and tears plus the odd expletive along the way.It was an East Coast car from Philadelphia,Pennsylvania

Left in a field prior to an Auction in America and I first viewed it in a field in Berkshire in 1995.I emptied two buckets full of leaves/twigs/earth out of the car and then found a LOT of rust.Every panel was dented to some extent, some small ...some larger but the result is well worth the effort.I've had to learn more than a new skills along the way.Pictures to follow.

 

Bob

[Andrew Smith]

Bob

 

Well done and congratulations!

 

I recall you telling me about the restoration some 5 years ago when you, me and John were at Millbrook for the Mercedes Test Day - I remember thinking (from your description) 'no chance!'…….. so glad I was wrong!

 

Hopefully, we’ll see you at a TVG meet in the New Year?!

 

Cheers

Andrew

Edited November 10, 2007 by Andrew Smith

[Robin Powell]

Hi Bob

 

Very well done and congratulations, it will soon be cruising along the traffic free roads of Norway.

You are ahead off me at the moment as the 4A is still in bits awaiting the modified head and reassembly with the new cam and followers. Then there is the rear wheel bearings to be done etc, etc.

 

See you at the TVG meeting.

 

Cheers

[johnny250]

After a 12 year .....very serious rust bucket resto....I finally got my first MOT certificate for the 1965 TR4 ( One of the last few hundred made before production switched in March 1965 to TR4a's ).I did have a little celebration, purely medicinal you understand.

 

Full of the joys of Spring ( O.K. we'll call it Autumn ) I went to the DVLA @ Wimbledon to register it and get an aged related number allocated.

The DVLA said the paperwork for this USA import and personal identity checks were "all in order" but because "it is an Historic vehicle, we shall need to inspect the vehicle".

 

So it's first run will be onto busy London roads on Tuesday ,with the paperwork taking another 5 working days thereafter.

So much for a "shakedown" leisurely driving around the local side roads.... seeing if anything drops off.

It will be so much more fun on the three lane stretch of the A3 London bound in heavy traffic.

 

I'm nearly there ....bar the shouting.....mid/ end of November...with luck.

 

But I so want to drive it " legally " on the road, complete with number plates and my "free" road tax disc.Anyone local might hear a

very very loud YES...YEEEESSS soon.Another TR back on the road.

 

EXCELLENT! Bob........ I hope to be in a similar situation very soon with my 250 (ex-Louisiana swamp buggy)...I think that I would be tempted to take the 'Scenic Route' to the MOT test centre/DVLA/...maybe stretching to a a couple of days Good to see that there are others in a similar position to me, but i've only been at it for 7 years....so I empathise with the blood sweat and tears......very well done

 

john

[bob-menhennett]

Thanks Guys

 

It makes you realise that my "problems".... bodywork/mechanical/electrical/ bureaucratic are not unique.Many amateur restorers have been there before and others ( as from the responses )are still on the journey.Don't give up.....persevere.....you'll get there eventually and you can't substitute the satisfaction of saying" I did that ".

Thames Valley Group folk....fingers crossed ..I'll try and get along to the meeting at the end of the month.

 

Bob

[Richardtr3a]

My TR3 had a very minor clip to the front spinner and the caliper was broken in 1969. After inspection it was clear that the chassis was useless and I managed to buy a new one from the Roundabout Garage in Chiswick for a very low offer, to help them clear old stock.

 

It was 1986 when we finished the car and won the Presidents cup in the Concours. If you can pull it off in 7 years I fell that you are going very well. I remember saying that I would have nothing to do except to keep up the bodywork. This is quite wrong and lots of replacement parts have a short life. A few years back I was overheating and the radiator people asked how old the rad was. I said that it was new but of course it was 20 years old and due for replacement.

 

The repairs never stop and I am happy out there in the garage as long as it isn't cold. Good luck

[bob-menhennett]

Hi Guys

 

First drive to DVLA for vehicle inspection accomplished.Weather cold, dismal and raining....normal TR driving weather ??.....but at least I made it home safely before dark.

I arrived in plenty of time and got "done" ahead of my appointment time.As anticipated it was a five minute wonder....look under the bonnet, chassis number

( same as the MOT certificate... funnily enough) and engine number.What is it ? A TR4 ..oh, right....ticked a few boxes, what's your name ? Thank you...that's it.

 

Now to await the paperwork and a phone call, saying I can collect the documentation.

 

Will I get the authorisation for number plates before Monday 19th,Wlll I get number plates made and fixed before then.Will I be able to take my wife's

blind Aunt out for a ride,as a birthday treat, for her 90th birthday on Monday ?

 

The answers to all these questions are in the hands of the DVLA at Wimbledon

P.S I've told them ,I think that they are very, very nice people and if they can speed things up,I would be ever so grateful.

 

Have to see if this does the trick.

 

Bob

[Rhodri]

Well done Bob! When I do the same with my ex South Carolina TR4, I will have to drive it 70 miles each way , including the M4. Perhaps I will stick it on a trailer !!

[jean]

Nice to hear this Bob, your heartbeat must be back to normal by now. The rest of the procedure is peanuts

 

When I registered my TR6 in Belgium it took me 6 month of struggle to get a registration, this from may to october so goodby summer

The main problem was: How to convience Belgian Bureaucrats that a fuel injected TR6 has no carburettors To make the case even more ridiculous

it's a Begium CKD car and it carries the Belgian conformity code stamped on the commission plate

[bob-menhennett]

Jean

 

I see the " fatal flaw" in your thinking.It appears ...the World over.... that Government Departments see themselves as totally separate institutions to the rest of their Governments."Talking" to their counterparts, let alone "taking their word for something" seems a totally alien concept and anyway ...would definitely be seen as a sign of weakness.

 

Polite persistance..pointing out sometimes, the bl_ _ _ _ _ _ obvious , eventually wins through.

 

Yes Jean heartbeat back to normal now but I was trying to listen intently to every noise and "compute", as I drove through the underpasses....what is that noise, is it normal, is something falling off.Great education/ introduction to driving my "new" TR4 even if the nerves were a bit jangled.

 

Bob

[bob-menhennett]

 

KYY 478 C

 

 

 

Collected my V948 Number Plate Authorisation Certificate from the DVLA Wimbedon this morning and shot down to the local numberplate company who had told me over the phone that they sold age related metal number plates.

Their "interpretation" of the correct metal( pressed aluminium ) is modern black acrylic with white letters.YUCK.Thank you but no thank you.

Found another source for "real number plates" but a delay of five days At least I was able to take the documentation in personally and take it away again.

The blind 90 year old Aunt will have to wait a little for her belated birthday ride in the car.

 

So next week ( ??? ) KYY 478 C will eventually hit the streets.

 

Bob

[david ferry]

Bob,

 

If it were me, I would order the pressed metal plates but also get the cheapest possible plates made up locally so you can take your blind 90 yr old aunt out on her birthday on Monday.

 

In the overall scheme of life (your's and your aunt's) and the amount you are likely to have spent on your restoration, a spare set of plates will pale into insignificance.

 

Congratulations and good luck for next week.

 

David

[SuzanneH]

Your ninety year old mother-in-law must be very spritely if you think she is able to get into the passenger seat of a TR4A. I have visions of Granny Clampett sitting in her rocking chair strapped to the (in the case of a TR4A) BONNET. I hope she doesn't get swept away or too cold and go on get the plastic number plates she's only ninety once.

Good luck

Sue

[monty]

KYY 478 C

 

 

Hi Bob,

I got my pressed plates from www.classic-number-plate.com. They were very quick & good quality.

Regards,

Monty.

 

Collected my V948 Number Plate Authorisation Certificate from the DVLA Wimbedon this morning and shot down to the local numberplate company who had told me over the phone that they sold age related metal number plates.

Their "interpretation" of the correct metal( pressed aluminium ) is modern black acrylic with white letters.YUCK.Thank you but no thank you.

Found another source for "real number plates" but a delay of five days At least I was able to take the documentation in personally and take it away again.

The blind 90 year old Aunt will have to wait a little for her belated birthday ride in the car.

 

So next week ( ??? ) KYY 478 C will eventually hit the streets.

 

Bob