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Restoration advice


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So I've just acquired a "barn find" 71CP to match my 72CP- colour and all. :huh:

 

It's been off the road for 30 years. The engine runs and it needs a full repaint and much interior.

 

As I'm looking over the car, it seems it's fully original - Lucas pump, original lever shocks, no oil cooler etc. Nothing aftermarket at all although there are some oddities which are best explained by BL just throwing what they had in stock at the car on the line.

 

So for the restoration, do I restore to original or modify to "normal" user mods. I'm probably going to sell it at the other end as I already have one! What would be more desirable. I have no intention of a full concourse quality restoration.

 

 

 

 

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If your going to sell it at the end then build it as a completely standard car as that will appeal to a much wider audience as "one mans meat etc "

Stuart.

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If its a flip you need then repair, polish, service then sell but the careful line is finding the approx. sales price for a good runner, take away what you paid and then the costs and that is your delta.

 

why not get running fully, ie engine and brakes etc and get a MoT (or whatever you call them) and leave the resto and polish to next owner but they still have a driver? Leave the imagination to them but still sell a solid runner. I think there is a good market for a solid running car but needs good TLC which can be done by the average Jo with some imagination.

Edited by AarhusTr6
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Stuart - I wasn't thinking of modifying it too much - just the usual mods, ie Bosch fuel pump, oil cooler, strengthened shocks. The Bosch and the oil cooler are pretty useful in these climes.

 

The acquisition was for the challenge of the restoration project and the kids are really keen to help (although we'll see how long that lasts!). I will get the brakes and engine running smoothly (if possible) before pulling it apart to know what needs work - I guess there could be some temptation to flog it then for a quick buck but I'm wanting to do the resto!

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There is an art and skill involved in resuscitating a driver. I'm doing so now (with no artistic abilities and few skills) on a 74 O/D HT with my son. Dry Eastern Washington car, so no rust but the sun can wear a car hard too. It runs and drives well so we are going thru the suspension (rear now then front). Came with a new interior in boxes so the seats are almost done as well. Got stuck having to do paint (people ask, "are you going to try to restore the paint?? answer: "that's already two weekends worth of work on it"..."oh"), but with summer coming it'll be an interesting project to take on.

The fact the car runs and drives is a bonus to keep the son's head in the game.

As we move thru the car, the goal is to restore/improve everything to driver level - me, with an eye towards selling it....son with an idea of keeping it. Its easy to get lost 'while you're in there' and a smallish project expand into a full teardown. For us, keeping the car on the road and driving has anchored us in how far to go on any project we take on. In the end, we'll have a car with a new interior, paint, fresh suspension and resealed engine. Nothing to show winning standards but enough spit and polish to show up at local shows and not feel out of place. The car also came with triple Webers in a box, so maybe some go-fast stuff (YES! says the son). It'd be interesting to have the PI and Webers to compare to each other in any case.

 

So, I understand the desire to restore and add the caution that its easy to get into a much deeper restoration than planned. I started by unbolting a fender on the TR5 to check on the condition of things from the plenum drains and by the next day I was pulling the body off the frame, so just a warning!

 

Most importantly, enjoy the journey.

​Bests....Dan

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Predict once you start the costs will mount and any profit will soon disappear.

 

If you are not planning on keeping her I'd simply sell on as a project and move the cost to someone planning to undertake a resto and make a smaller profit which is likley to be bigger than if you do as planned.

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Profit? :blink:

 

Getting the car the way you want it with as much of your own [ free ] time in it is the bargain.

 

From the financial side, the least losses accrue from acquiring the nearest example to your goal; in the near term at least they won't fetch nearly what they cost to bring back to their former glory.

 

And to maximize value, since it's a P.I. example it were best kept original.

 

Cheers,

Tom

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Nearly 30 years.

Im not in it for the profit... it's partly the father /kids challenge. Also there's not much I don't have the gear to do, except maybe the skill for the exterior panel paint.

Edited by stallie
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If you restore it to close to original condition with a few refinements-Bosch pump, shocker conversion etc, in Australia you might get $40K for an original PI- there's not many originals left.

 

You might get more for additional improvements above stock, but when you sell you might have trouble finding a buyer prepared to pay for the extra costs of the additional improvements.

 

But if you want to do extra works on the car for your own satisfaction or as a father/kids project monetary returns become less important.

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I've spent the day cleaning the gunk off it and it's come up well. Only three small spots where rust repairs will be required - one in the boot near the bolt holding the light switch in, some cracking under the fuel tank on the side (where you'd bolt the shocks) and one small area near the fuse box at the join. There are quite a few spots where there's surface rust from scraped paint, but not much else.

 

I think I will look at keeping it as original as possible and do the Bosch fuel pump mod and rear suspension conversion kit.

 

The boys (11 and 9) have apparently been arguing over who gets to inherit which TR6 :blink: ... so it might not get sold after all! :D

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Thee way my wife sees my restorations is that it is better than golf. It's an enjoyable hobby that keeps me happy and at the end of the day they are worth more than the parts I bought to do them up. Just have to ignore my labor.

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Neil - I've got a spare MU if needed and it looks like refurbed injectors went into it by the PO just recently, along with a new fuel pump (the original Lucas is still there, bypassed) and coil. It's running OK at the moment - although a little smokey. I haven't dug any deeper into the engine yet.

Edited by stallie
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Return on investment

Yes you can use ROI . . .but also ROE . . which is not necessarily the cost you put in but the amount of effort and energy you put in compared to what you eventually get back. . . like making a fancy meal for hours and your guests say 'it was ok...'

 

Rich

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Looking at the TR6s for sale here in Australia good PIs are few and far between. Most are ex US, carbied PIs or not in very good or original condition. I think a rust free good road going original PI (with some mods like Bosch pump and upgraded rear end) will fetch more than $40K, and prices of all classics have been going up quite a bit.

I am also doing a restoration, of a long door TR2, just because I want to restore this example as a Concours standard car. My original budget for the resto including purchase cost was $45K. The estimate is now at $55K, which should cover it but might not. They always cost more than planned.

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Out of curiosity John, what would your budget have been if not concourse rather a solid good faithful restoration - same car, like for like.

Edited by stallie
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Stallie,

 

Id factor in at LEAST 10K for paint and bodywork prep, thats without any major rust/welding etc.

Beyond that, the parts cost what they cost and you replace as necessary (and assuming you will wield the spanners).

 

Admittedly my restoration is a little different to what you are planning, mine is/was a major re-build, but a re-commission should (assuming everything is left as-is) would involve all rubber parts (brakes, fuel, cooling, tyres, lens seals etc) then depending on the condition of the interior, probably new carpets, then hows the condition of the hood? bumpers? chrome? lights (all needed for a road-worthy Id think?)

 

The problem you will face is being regimented enough to leave it as-is and not falling into the 'while im there' trap as the next thing you know you`ll have snapped a stud, broken something and be facing the prospect of restoring that bit..only to find once you have, it makes the rest of the area look shabby!

Been there, seen it, got the T-shirt :)

 

Anyway...sounds like a great thing to get into. Do it because you can and you enjoy it, keep a lid on the spending, reduce the cost by waiting for 10-20% off sales, and regularly sit down to work out whats needed to keep it within your aims (getting it rego'd and back on the road).

 

Im over the other side of the country, but yell out if I can help at all.

 

Cheers

 

Andrew

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And so it begins :)
The boys spend the afternoon removing the rear lamp clusters, lenses and bumper. I'm trying to temper their enthusiasm by getting them to take lots of notes and photos and bag and label everything . We're going to fix and clean everything as it comes off where practicable so as not to have a huge pile at the end...!

Edited by stallie
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