Jump to content

Tr4a bodytub. Repair or replace ??


Recommended Posts

13 minutes ago, rackprice said:

Hello all, im new to register.. i have rebuilt my engine and chassis. The body tub needs major work to restore. Any advice on subject greatly appreciated. Dave.

Hi Dave,

 welcome to the forum.

have you got any photo's you can post on here.   Some very bad cars have been rebuilt.

 

Roger

Link to post
Share on other sites

Dave - Welcome to the forum from me as well - you will find a wealth of knowledge and experience on here to help you - joining the Register and getting to know other restorers in your local group will be an enormous help for you - whereabouts are you based?

When you say you have rebuilt your chassis, do you mean it's all finished and beautifully painted because, if it is, you have potentially created a problem for yourself. If you mean you have repaired it, but not prepped it, then thats fine.

Your chassis has to be your body jig, and rebuilding even a good body will inevitably mean damaging a pristine chassis because of all the welding and cutting which will go on all around it.

To assess how good or bad your body tub is, we really need to see some photos - views will vary tremendously on what is good and what is bad, as you will probably find out shortly!!!

Anyway, don't be put off - we really will try and help you!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Morning Dave, Rich above pretty much somes up what i would say.

It depends on so many variables just now,

condition, who would do the repairs - you sound handy, then if you, likely to be about the same cost, if  outsourcing repairs , it could cost

a lot more to repair than replace.

You really need someone to have a look at the whole tub who has the experience, as Rich asks, where abouts are you and pop along to your local group.

Personally I find bodywork repairs quite rewarding, theraputic even, but I could show you pictures that might scare you!

Get some photo's, start a blog on here for your rebuild, and we'll all advise.

John.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Dave

Most TR's are a basket case to start with, but depends on your philosophy and approach to rebuilding old cars.

For instance, some buy an old Mini or MGB and just go out and buy a new bodyshell from Heritage. Is that a restoration?

The best approach is look at what HAS survived as opposed to what hasn't; much of it will be re-usable such as bulkhead, toe board, diff floor, bonnet, boot door frames and skins maybe etc, and as John said repair is much more therapeutic and satisfying With many repair sections, floor panels and sill sections available. Good luck with it!

Kevin

Link to post
Share on other sites

Replace IF you can source a good one in the UK and If you do, it will likely be for a price (4K ?) so the choice is not as binary as it sounds in your post title. Good luck !

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi to you both and thanks for getting back. I do have photos and i will try posting them shortly iam not fluent with computers but will do my best. To give you the whole story i purchased this car back in 2007 it was a complete basket case ! The original chassis was rotten and had badly repaired accident damage so i replaced it. The original tub was also in a poor state, and in my opinion was too far gone to repair. At this point i really should have sought the TR Registers advise but didnt. I was offered a very solid tub. I bought it...... problem was, it was from a 4, NOT a 4a . I knew this when i purchased it and then over the next year talked myself out of using it because of the subtle differences in its design and i thought this would affect its value in the long run if i ever needed to sell the car. I then sourced a solid 4a TUB and thats what i have to work with. Incidentally i still have the other two tubs, so you could say i have three tubs to work with......( Help help help). As you can tell i really have gone about this the wrong way, i live in Purley which is close to M25 Surrey section.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Dave,

I'm just down the road from you in Oxted and am just getting to the end of a 5+ year ground up restoration of a TR6. I'm no expert and had never done anything like this when I started....but now its done :D. Happy to help or advise in any way I can. I would always recommend repair if the starting base is decent. I taught myself to weld and had to repair or replace almost every inner tub panel on the car. Like John, I found that part very rewarding.

Cheers,

Sean

20181226_115927.png

Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, rackprice said:

Hi to you both and thanks for getting back. I do have photos and i will try posting them shortly iam not fluent with computers but will do my best. 

Hi Dave,

  posting a picture is not tooooo difficult.

Firstly make sure that your pic is not much greater than 100Kb in size.  MS Paint has a simple re-size tool.

Make sure that your pic is on your computer

On the posting/send a post box there is a title bottom left 'Choose Files'  -  click on this.

Find your pic on the computer and double click.

It will start off in the posting box but transfer to the etxt box when you hot send.

Roger

Link to post
Share on other sites

Kevin, you raise an interesting point when you say

10 hours ago, boxofbits said:

For instance, some buy an old Mini or MGB and just go out and buy a new bodyshell from Heritage. Is that a restoration?

I don't believe such a rebuild is a restoration and unless the bodyshell is an original factory one, it could well be argued that the resulting vehicle is in fact a replica, especially in the case of the examples you give where there is no chassis and the original body carried the original VIN.

I have come across so-called 1960s E type Jaguars for sale, listed as having new (aftermarket) tub, bonnet, doors, rear wings, boot floor and lid and subframe etc etc, with an asking price of north of £250K!  In fact, the only original 'period' parts are the engine, gearbox and interior (most of which is probably also aftermarket manufacture)

My way of thinking is, if you take a drivetrain, suspension brakes and electrics from a what becomes a 'donor' car and build them into a body made by another person or organisation then the result is effectively a "special" and if it's designed to have the same appearance as the original donor vehicle, then it's a replica."

An exception may arise when the vehicle (like a TR) has a separate chassis but if you populate an aftermarket chassis with original (say 1964) parts and then mate this with an aftermarket tub and body parts, is that really still a 1964 car?  Where does one draw the line?

I would be most interested to hear other opinions but don't really want to hijack this thread, should I start a new thread?

David

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I think i’s Nitpicking.

There are quite a few cars existing who have factory reconditioned engines fitted into original bodywork. Are these cars replicas ? 

Of course not, an engine or gearbox which failed within the warranty period was either reworked or more normally a replacement unit made available already reconditioned ready to fit slipped in after the failing unit was removed. Just like a replacement shell or various factory parts.

 I think your definition applies more to “survivors” where cars without substantial changes or usage are revered, more than examples which actually fulfilled their brief of being used,  complete with the bruises and patina of a life involved with humans.

Like model cars complete with their original boxes bought for favoured nephews but then hardly played with. Do we seriously consider these more worthy than the battered and scarred examples of a well played with toy which has shared 2 or 3 lifetimes of play and fun with different families ? Why shouldn’t that toy be reworked straightened and repainted to again share it’s joy with more children...replicas  indeed hhhrumph.

Mick Richards

Edited by Motorsport Mickey
Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Please familiarise yourself with our Terms and Conditions. By using this site, you agree to the following: Terms of Use.