stuart Posted January 1, 2013 Report Share Posted January 1, 2013 From picture 1 it looks as if you are going to have to replace that piece as its the main support area for the screen frame. You will need to make up a template in card first and pay particular attention to where the mounting holes are to get the screen back in properly, it also looks to the left of the picture that the plenum has been gobbed over with something so best clean that off and check while you are there. Also make sure that you get the plenum drain correct and extended down through the splash panel. Picture 2 looks as if the floor has been repaired down by the mount and that would be best depending on your budget etc to clean it all back and see what the quality of the repair is before you decide how far to go with it. Picture 3 shows filler coming back through from inside the engine bay firewall where it joins to the plenum, same as picture 4 and it looks like you have got plenty of repairs to do along that line, get the loom out of the way, give it all a good clean off with rotary wire brush etc and I suspect it will need repairing all the way along, not an easy one to do and make it look good inside the rear of the engine bay. The plenum doesnt look too bad but again the drain needs sorting out to be sure and also the seam at the end of the plenum to "A" post joint on that side. All difficult areas to get to and repair and have obviously been papered over for some time with just the outer areas repainted. Best of luck, if you are doing it yourself just take your time and do it bit by bit but if you are going to have someone do it for you it wont be cheap Im afraid. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanT Posted January 1, 2013 Report Share Posted January 1, 2013 I have brought a 4A back from having all these problems. The first thing is that the rust is always worse than it appears at first. Sorry, but this is how it is. The second thing is that there comes a point where it does not matter how much rust there really is. This is because its often easier to replace a big bit than mess about patching stuff up. I would guess your floor-pans are OK for a while, but really you need to fit two new ones. The third thing is that this is less about the car and more about you and how much time/skill/workspace you have available. Otherwise you can solve all these problems with money, just get somebody else to do it. If you do this, be careful and visit them often. I re-made the whole plenum area. When I started it looked a lot like yours. But the main problem was the panel on the the engine-bay side. This panel had essentially parted from the inner-panel and so water had got into all the wrong places. Get the battery out and have a really good look at this from the engine-bay side. Its not too hard to get this panel out and fit a new one if this is your problem. Can we see some more pics please, especially toe-boards and foot-well sides. Also at the top of the toe-board where there is a panel joining at a right-angle in the engine bay. I had a split right through here. Al Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colin_c Posted January 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2013 Stuart, Al - thanks. Finding out how much I don't know about the anatomy of a TR. I don't have the skills to do bodywork repair so will need to get the car in somewhere - prefer to get this done and done right rather than ignore it. The planned cosmetic refurb is turning out to be more than expected - hey-ho. The driver side floor towards the pedal box has had an ally plate pop-riveted across it - I'll lift this tomorrow - viewed from underneath I didn't think it was covering for anything untoward. The footwell sides look 'untidy' - I'll get a couple of pictures loaded tomorrow. The sills seem solid enough, touch-wood. It's a shame - the panel fit and finish externally are v. good. Can floors (and sills) be replaced in-situ, or is this is a body off job ? Colin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted January 1, 2013 Report Share Posted January 1, 2013 They can but to replace the floors properly its a lot easier to have the body off. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanT Posted January 1, 2013 Report Share Posted January 1, 2013 I bought my 4A for £300, completely unrestored. I like metal-work and wanted to learn all the skills involved. Might I suggest that you find a rebuilder and strike the compromise that you dismantle stuff. He then does the metalwork and you build it back again. This car won't be economically sensible unless you do some of the work yourself. Say you want to work on the plenum area. As you expose this by stripping away the loom, heater, wipers etc you will come to areas that look maybe a bit dodgy. You take a 6in nail and try to bang it through. If it goes through, its gone rusty. The rebuilder can then see all the bits that need fixing and give you a firm price. Otherwise he has to quote high because he knows he will find stuff as he goes along. So you need to take away as much unknown risk as possible. Don't work on an area, like the floor-pans, UNLESS you intend to fix them at this time. Leave 'em alone until you have the stomach for it. Do one bit at a time. Unless of course you are going to strip and rebuild the whole thing. That's the key decision really. Al. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colin_c Posted January 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 Loom stripped out of the the way - yet to wire-brush it but it needs repairing all the way across - filler is visible all the way across. Lifted the ally plate on the driver side floor - floor pan needed, so assume both. Looking for recommendations where to take car to get these kind of jobs done - I'm in the west midlands but will travel a reasonable distance to get it to the right people to fix. Alternatively, if someone's looking for a project before I launch into time and expense required to fix . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobL Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 Hi All Interesting comments & helpful thanks. I'm about to replace the gauge bulbs on my 6 while the dash front is out, anyone know where i can get LED bulbs from ? Bill (Adshead) PM sent to you. Regards Rob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mike3md Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 (edited) Rob, This guy sells very good ones - he was at Beaulieu and NEC shows: http://www.classicandvintagebulbs.com/ He has UK agents, details on website. Mike Edited January 14, 2013 by mike3md Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colin_c Posted January 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 (edited) Driver's side floor definitely needed - inner offside & outer sills needs an expert eye but I think it's probably either repair or replacement. Car had new nearside sill in 2009 so hoping that's still OK. Scuttle top panel is OK, the plenum I think is OK other than some attention might be needed around the drainage areas. The area in the photo that's showing filler/repairs is the seam around the top of the bulkhead - this goes all the way along. The bulkhead itself is sound and holds a magnet across its surface, although some metalwork repairs have been done at some stage nearside behind the wiper motor. The area under/around the battery box is metal and solid. Edited January 20, 2013 by colin_c Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanT Posted January 20, 2013 Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 If you look at the seam, just above the "pipe", in the last pic you will see a dodgy looking area. I think you may find that this will just push through into the battery compartment if you test it. Also look at the blobby stuff just to the left of the big heater hole in the third pic. This looks like filler that has been forced through from the engine side. The second pic looks OK, but this has been painted over. On a 4A this area is in two pieces, maybe yours should be also and the join has been filled up. Its hard to tell from pics. But the key test is to see if you can easily push something through the dodgy bits. I think you really need the same fix I did on mine. I took out the whole engine-side panel, right across from one inner wing to the other, and made a new one. When its out its easy to fix the inner panel. This required nothing but an angle grinder and a pistol drill with a spot weld cutter in it, a sharp cold chiesel and about 2 weeks of "evenings". About another week to make new panel using a paper template and a day or so to weld it back with MIG. All the bends were put in just by hand. Al Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colin_c Posted April 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 3 months since last post ! Had a moment of weakness (advertised for sale) but now back on the straight and narrow. Car interior stripped (see pictures, if loaded), fuel tank also out, loom out (to be replaced with new), and away for body repairs (floors, sills, windscreen pillar mount-area, bulkhead, plenum - I accept this won't be the end of it of course). Not so much a winter project anymore. Colin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cj79 Posted April 24, 2013 Report Share Posted April 24, 2013 When you refit the steel dashboard backing be very careful when tightening the nuts, I applied a little too much (Really not excessive) force and managed to snap off one of the captive bolts.. it was a central one and the whole thing is supported by the H panel underneath so I left it but it pains me that I did it. Cheers,Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colin_c Posted June 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 There are no more layers to peel away... wings are off, body is split and off the chassis. What are the recommended chassis strengthening and/or kits recommended, and is it possible to gauge without stripping everything off it whether the chassis is still true. Target for (2012/13 winter project) completion is now Le Mans Classic 2014. Colin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR NIALL Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 CTM for all your Chassis needs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 Direct link for CTM http://www.ctmengineering.co.uk/ Nobody knows the chassis better than them. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colin_c Posted June 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 Thanks. CTM contacted. Colin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colin_c Posted June 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2013 I've gotten so far off the original scope of work & timeline it's questionable whether to abandon this thread. One thing I am planning to do however is fit the overdrive logic unit, one of the early recommendations suggested. I'm taking the opportunity to change colour from Carmine Red it's currently in, and I don't want to go back to Black which was its original colour. Favoured options are as varied as they come, and order of preference but with no idea of relative costs for each : Red, but not original, looking for a deeper, more modern, dare I say bloodier red, short-list in no particular order is Italian Racing red, BMW Imola Red (there may be shades of this, I don't know), Viper Red (as per Bowtie TR6), or the red on this Austin Healey (anyone know what it is?) Damson (I have a couple of photos taken at the Bugatti hill climb event last year of SGS 406K that looked terrific) White (seen a couple of photos of TR6 photo'd at TR Enterprises with hard top look good also - need to find out the shade) Royal Blue Extremes of colour choice. I am no paint expert, so advice as always gratefully received about the pros and cons, knowing this ultimately is down to personal choice and a decision to try and get right for myself for the long term. Plan is probably to de-bumper - some colours may look better than others in this guise. If anyone has pictures of TR6s in any of the aformentioned reds (or other more modern, non-standard TR reds) I'd appreciate seeing them. I won't say it's occupying my every waking hour, but it's not far from it. Colin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted July 1, 2013 Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 Royal Blue, not that I am biased just knee deep in Royal blue TR`s at the moment. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trigbush Posted July 1, 2013 Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 Colour code 19. English White. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR NIALL Posted July 1, 2013 Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 White,No Bummpers and a 400mm Black Stripe down the Centre,dare to be different. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trigbush Posted July 1, 2013 Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 Like the Paul Newman 44 car. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colin_c Posted July 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 Some interesting chassis photos. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted July 24, 2013 Report Share Posted July 24, 2013 All pretty usual for an IRS chassis and thats what you can see on the outside. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colin_c Posted August 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2013 (edited) New metal in for trailing arm chassis sections, T-shirt, spring-bridge and new rear end. Rear body mount still to fit. Edited August 11, 2013 by colin_c Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tom Boyd Posted August 11, 2013 Report Share Posted August 11, 2013 Excellent work Tom Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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