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Did you feel sad at this stage?


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Clive - I ordered the full interior plus carpets from Jim Hawkins in Witney, OXON in 1988 and picked it all up in 1989 during one of my frequent trips to England.  Unfortunately, Jim moved to do this in Abingdon ansd has since moved on to other things.

 

When I ordered my carpet set, he mailed me a piece of the leather plus 3 red carpet samples and I picked the carpet I liked.  I specified 2 sets of carpets for the front floor and the vertical face of the firewall too.  Jim made all the leather interior for the seats etc as well.  I had the edges of the carpets all finished (trimmed) along the edges with the same leather which he used for the interior.

 

For everyday driving, I use the red carpets for the front floors.  When I show "TRusty" in a TR concours, I use the black rubber mats that I keep pristine for those TR show occasions.

 

When I go to show the TR at an open show - of if there is a participants voting show, I use my 2nd set of front floor carpets which are still "brand new".

 

Now is the time to do this because later you won't be able to match the colours.

 

Don Elliott, Original Owner, 1958 TR3A

Montreal, Canada

TR Register member since 1987

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Ps my guess is the roadsters an M*******G!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the advice on the carpet / runner thing Jet...

 

but go wash your mouth out... the only decent MG's ever were either pre MGB (The MGA was nice, pitty it was slow!) or almost pre war, and nowerdays the only one I'd consider buying is the estate car...

 

I'll give you a clue... it's a car launched in 2003 and has an engine smaller than a TR2, but has performance figures within a nats thingy of the TR2... top speed is 109, 0-60 is about 10 seconds...

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As my TR is probably in more bits than yours ,untill I can solve the problem with some correct profile door skins I have to make do with my roadster,a Z3 are you going this route?

No way is a BMW coming into this household... unless it happens to be trapped under the wheels of my 4x4 or it has a Triumph badge engineered to the front!

 

(Sorry)

 

Erm, my TR2 is deffo in as many pieces as you can get it into... any more pieces and you'd have cut the chassis in half!  I havn't started bolting pieces back on yet...

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As Wendy is a microcar fan, perhaps you're waiting for a SMART answer?

 

:laugh:

That would be the SMART answer Les.

 

Congratulations... we are getting a Smart Roadster Coupe in Black with Black Tridon (if that's the correct term), with sports pack and safety pack, and we've got to wait for it would you believe...

 

Cheap Road Tax... but not so cheap insurance quotes so far!

 

If you havn't seen the roadster go take a look at The Smart Site (Roadster Page)

 

You might like it, you might not... but we drove it and couldn't resist...

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Clive

 

I got the latex backed man made fibre in "Antique Red" which is a fairly dark red.  I decided that as the car tends to get wet on occasions it was better not to have underlay as it is more to dry out/rust the floor.

 

The seat runners as has already been mentioned should go on top of the carpet so when it gets wet you can't take it out easily!

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Clive:

 

What are the colour combinations of the TR2.  Will it be according to its Heritage Certificate?

 

Lou Metelko

54 TR2  TS981L

Auburn, Indiana USA

It is BRG with red interior and black weather gaer, which will be as it's certificate, however the red may be slightly darker as may the green as the Triumph BRG of 1954 is a little lighter then the green I prefer, the car being a darker green when I bought her.

 

The heritage certificate also is for steel wheels, which have never been fitted to the car while I've owned it, wire wheels always being used.

 

It should also have the "sports pack" on, now.. can anyone tell me diffinitavley what that was... ?

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Clive - I think one of Bill Piggott's books defined what a "sports pack" was. If not, maybe someone at the heritage center can do a search on your Comm. No. for more details of your TR2.  I believe that you can reserve time by contacting them in advanve to do such a search for yourself.

 

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A, Montreal, Canada

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Clive - I think one of Bill Piggott's books defined what a "sports pack" was. If not, maybe someone at the heritage center can do a search on your Comm. No. for more details of your TR2.  I believe that you can reserve time by contacting them in advanve to do such a search for yourself.

 

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A, Montreal, Canada

In discussion with the current Sidescreen registrar it was muted that the sports pack may have been an alloy sump, along with a few other things, but not uprated suspension.

 

The sports pack on the Smart Roadster Coupe we've ordered is column mounted gear shift paddles, front fogs and lower profile wheels than I had thought existed... how times have changed!

 

I have the copy of the build sheet for my car so I know what it had, and even the day of build as well as having the first buff coloured log book.

 

I'll double check the "Piggot" books I have and see if it's mentioned in any of those, but if anyone knows it off the top of their head let me know...

 

Can you get the alloy sump?  I don't think mine is alloy now, but the car was fitted with a factory reconditioned engine a couple of years into it's life...

 

Latest news on the rebuild is that the engine is almost there, another week at Jigsaw will see it done.  The rocker plinths were in bad order, so I got some aluminium ones from Revington's sent direct to Jigsaw.  Revington's have also finished repairing and slightly uprating the steering box and colum.  The bad news was that the worm gear was in the same condition as my rocker plinths and that the steering column was badly bent... could that be why the stator tube snapped?  Anyway, they've dispatched that and it should be with me Monday or Tuesday with the other uprated parts that they are sending.

 

I picked up the two rear suspension plated for the Girling Axle from Moss on friday night.  They were in suprisingly poor order as far as the paint job was concerned, so they have now been shot blasted, painted and are now "drying".  The chassis is also drying after its first undercoat.

 

It's going to be coming together soon .

 

:blues:

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Well... the chassis is painted... almost... I have the bpttoms of the rails to paint yet but I'll do that tomorrow.  In celebration here is a picture of some painted parts and the painted chassis!

 

paintedbits.jpg

 

paintedchassis.jpg

 

 

 

And for added interest click here for a mock up picture of what our Smart Roadster Coupe will be like in February!

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Clive - What did you use for paint on the frame and the other parts you show ?  What type and brand of paint did you use ?  By type, I mean 2-pack or what ?  Did you spray it or brush it on ?  Did you do it yourself or have it done ?  Did you sandblast it beforehand ?  Did you use an etchant ?  primer ?  What else ?  How many coats ?

 

I'm ready at that stage with the one I'm doing for a chap.  I know what I used on mine in 1990 and wondered if there might be something better since I did "TRusty" in 1990.

 

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A, Montreal, Canada

Doing the full body-off restoration of a late TR3A right now

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Clive - What did you use for paint on the frame and the other parts you show ?  What type and brand of paint did you use ?  By type, I mean 2-pack or what ?  Did you spray it or brush it on ?  Did you do it yourself or have it done ?  Did you sandblast it beforehand ?  Did you use an etchant ?  primer ?  What else ?  How many coats ?

 

I'm ready at that stage with the one I'm doing for a chap.  I know what I used on mine in 1990 and wondered if there might be something better since I did "TRusty" in 1990.

 

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A, Montreal, Canada

Doing the full body-off restoration of a late TR3A right now

Don,

 

I drew on knowledge from an old hobby of mine... off shore racing and dinghy sailing... and believe me when I say, that's the worst environment for painted metal on the planet!

 

I used International primer, blakes black undercoat (it's the same as the international but I wanted black, and International top coat mixed with an International matting.  agent... I used that system because it was compatable with the zink primer that was used by the shot blasters on my chassis.

 

All the paint I used was designed for use above the waterline, the stuf for below is a different kettle of fish and won't work on your car.

 

International also do a two pack paint for above the waterline, but it wouldn't have been compatable with the zinc primer.

 

I can't remember off hand the exact brand names of the paints but I believe there is only one of each type for above the waterline in the International range that has a black colour option.

 

Coats wise... do as many as you can of each.  2 primers, 4 undercoats and 2 top coats was reccomended to me... I think that the paint would start to get a little thick with that number and we can remember that the car is not in salt water all day every day.  What I did do was ensure that when I was choosing where to stop before turning a part over I did it in a slightly different place each time so there was continious cover rather than an area where the two coats always joined.  I'm not sure if that makes a difference, but it seemed logical at the time.

 

All parts were shot blasted before painting, most parts were paint stripped before shot blasting and all parts were left soaking in a parts washer for as long as possible before anything.

 

The chassis had it's final top coat tonight, and will hopefully be ready to turn over and start bolting pieces back on tomorrow or Wednesday.  All the suspension parts are either new or completely refurbed and the bits of the steering that have'nt had the Revington Treatment are soaking in the parts washer!

 

:blues:

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Today the steering column, uprated idler assembly and revitalised drag arm came back from Revington along with some uprated bushes.

 

The remaining steering components and the pieces of metal that "shim" the engine and gearbox mountings along with any other pieces I need to re-use that have not already been refurbished are now soaking in the parts washer...

 

but...

 

While I was doing that I found a bit of front suspension still soaking there... drat, and I thought I'd finished the suspension!

 

I'm planning to put the chassis the right way up tomorrow night and bolt on the rear suspension and axle.  That means a trip into the loft to find the competition rear springs I stored there two weeks before this years International!   Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye.... etc...

 

To get raedy for driving the TR2 again after what is sure to be a year of absence I've booked a session on the Skid Pan at Castle Coombe for early December...

 

Might need a refresher course by July!

 

 

:blues:

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Clive - Could you tell us what Neil has done to get you an "updated idler assembly" ?  What is special about it ?

It's something to do with the bush that is used... turns much more freely I believe... they've also uprated the bushes on my drag arm and drilled in grease nipples.

 

I'm well impressed with their advice, speed of service (3 days to turn it all around including delivery time both ways) and quality of work.  If I was to lay critasism it would be that I now have a steering box with a totally refurbed inside and a little rusty on the outside... I can't shot blast it because of it's size and not wanting to damage the components, so I'll have to paint over the rust with one of those rust treatments... and hope I don't foul up the workings.

 

The other thing that impressed me was that all the worn parts they had replaced were returned to me, with the exception of my idler as that was an "exchange" item.  Well done Revington TR, you will be hearing more from me as the refurb progresses I'm sure.

 

TR Bitz are still working on my missing and wrong items.

 

I've also been impressed with Tom from Moss (despite him being last seen driving an MG) Bristol, he certainly listens and takes on board comments.  Thanks to him the rally sump shield is now fitted in what is a 99% certain position and I have the correct plates to fit under my rear road springs.

 

The passenger side rear springs are also fitted, but the drivers side is in "play up" mode.  The spring is stuck, yes, stuck, with the forward bush half way on... like the grand old duke of york, he had 10,000 men, he marched them up to the top of the hill, and he marched them down again.... when they were up they were up, when they (you guessed it) they were down, but when they were only half way up they were neither up nor down.. bum bum!

 

Any sugestions?  (Appart from me getting sectioned under the mental health act)

 

I had hoped to have all the rear suspension and axle assembled as I wrote my "report" today.  I do have a spare  forward bush as I had ordered one and not realised that one was included with the spring, so I might just apply some heat to get it back off again and see if anything is stopping it going further on.

 

I wonder when NDM will ring and tell me the body is ready... please... not for a while...

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For your TR2 to be really "as original", did you know that the leaf spring on the passenger's side has an extra plate measuring the normal width, and about 4 or 5" long and about 5/16" thick.  Look at the parts book.  They have different numbers, at least for my TR3A (TS 27489 LO).  I'm doing a 1960 TR3A right now and the spring I just took off the passenger's side had this extra plate.  It has something to do with the crown in the road and most TR's don't have a passenger or if they, do she weighs less that you or I.

 

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A, Montreal, Canada

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For your TR2 to be really "as original", did you know that the leaf spring on the passenger's side has an extra plate measuring the normal width, and about 4 or 5" long and about 5/16" thick.  Look at the parts book.  They have different numbers, at least for my TR3A (TS 27489 LO).  I'm doing a 1960 TR3A right now and the spring I just took off the passenger's side had this extra plate.  It has something to do with the crown in the road and most TR's don't have a passenger or if they, do she weighs less that you or I.

 

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A, Montreal, Canada

I understand from what I've read it's to allow for the fact that most TR2's don't have a passenger... a few years ago I might have gone for that "originality" however I now usually have a passenger and as she (be it Wendy or Emma) is lighter and smaller than I am, they normally have most of the luggage behind them and in their footwell!  So the weight distribution is more likely 50/50!

 

The springs I'm putting on are the competition springs.

 

On a happier note NDM rang today, and reported further delays... mostly for a very good family reason, and as I'd put my family first I expect them to do no less!  The body is due back to me in January now.  I can breathe a little more easily now!

 

The rear drivers side spring is still stuck half on, half off... but it's the Glavon Group AGM tonight... where I'm presenting a "new" website format... so watch the space in the group notice board for more info on that!

 

 

:blues:

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Friday night off... but starting again on Saturday Morning.. this time I'm going to remember the copper grease... !  Say no more!

 

:(

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  • 3 months later...

Just reminding people of the stages the re-build has gone through by posting here... see the continuing storey for the latest information and facts!

 

:blues:

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  • 3 months later...
I've edited all the posts so that the picture references now point at my new web space, meaning that you can all see them again!
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