I need help….TR4 in my garage for the last 13 years..needs finishing…

[AndyMat]

Hi all,

I’m not a regular contributor to the forum as I have a busy life with kids and family etc. so please indulge me for a moment…(I do visit the forum pretty regularly with envy)

I have a TR4 which I have owned since I was 20.. it has been parked for various periods of time for various reasons (no money student wayyy back and now no time) It’s a 1964 TR4

13 years ago, I had it running quite nicely and reliably until one day (a nice trip to the New Forest for a night in a hotel) a valve welded itself to the guide…”I know, I know”. 
 

It turns out it was a bad engine / head restoration and it wasn’t aligned properly (cowboys or incompetent). 
 

Nevertheless, I set to in getting the head off and reconditioned and various other bits and pieces ..which I think will be successful… however, increased work and financial commitments meant that I haven’t found the time to get it all back together since then and I’ve realised it’s apart of my life which is missing….

 

It’s currents state is head  and timing chain on but carbs, fan, exhaust manifold, dynamo and other ancillaries still to get back on before a trial start.

 

The car is by no means perfect (will need strombergs rebuilt, fuel drained I reckon) but I would like to get it running again.

 

SOOOO… my question is…

 

Does anyone know where I might enquire as to finishing this work near the Surrey/Sussex border (Haslemere/Cranleigh/Billingshurst triangle) or a bit further afield?

 

Your recommendations and greatly appreciated with humility.

 

Andy

[rcreweread]

Andy - can't help with local recommendations to you, but you mention your Strombergs will need a rebuild - how about the professionally reconditioned  set I'm selling at £550 which comes complete on a TR4 manifold with all linkages:

If interested, PM me your contact details and we can discuss

Cheers Rich 

[marko]

Rees Brothers down near Aldershot are pretty decent people from what I can gather.

[AndyMat]

44 minutes ago, rcreweread said:

Andy - can't help with local recommendations to you, but you mention your Strombergs will need a rebuild - how about the professionally reconditioned  set I'm selling at £550 which comes complete on a TR4 manifold with all linkages:

If interested, PM me your contact details and we can discuss

Cheers Rich 

Hi Rich,

 

Thanks so much for the offer… 

I have two complete sets of Strombergs, one of which needs complete reconditioning. I’m still before the point of what I need wrt at the moment but I may get back to you.

[AndyMat]

42 minutes ago, marko said:

Rees Brothers down near Aldershot are pretty decent people from what I can gather.

Thanks Marko,

 

I will give them a shout to find out what they can do

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

[Michel Higuet]

"carbs, fan, exhaust manifold, dynamo and other ancillaries still to get back on before a trial start.The car is by no means perfect (will need strombergs rebuilt, fuel drained I reckon) but I would like to get it running again."

That's half day work if you don't need to search for the little bits ( time for 2 beers include ).  Why do you suppose the strombergs need rebuild? do you have found something specific? Generally on find something specific when fiddling/adjusting them. Generally diaphragm and float assembly.

The difference will be in the way the parts were put aside during disassembly. 

 

[rcreweread]

9 hours ago, AndyMat said:

Hi Rich,

 

Thanks so much for the offer… 

I have two complete sets of Strombergs, one of which needs complete reconditioning. I’m still before the point of what I need wrt at the moment but I may get back to you.

Andy - no probs - I fully understand - coincidentally I listed these on ebay only yesterday before you made your post so they might go, but you know where I am if you want them  - get in touch direct ( not through ebay!)

Cheers Rich

[AndyMat]

4 hours ago, Michel Higuet said:

"carbs, fan, exhaust manifold, dynamo and other ancillaries still to get back on before a trial start.The car is by no means perfect (will need strombergs rebuilt, fuel drained I reckon) but I would like to get it running again."

That's half day work if you don't need to search for the little bits ( time for 2 beers include ).  Why do you suppose the strombergs need rebuild? do you have found something specific? Generally on find something specific when fiddling/adjusting them. Generally diaphragm and float assembly.

The difference will be in the way the parts were put aside during disassembly. 

 

Hi Michel,

 

Thanks for your response…I wish I had your optimism and energy… I’m sure someone who is very familiar with it all it could be a 1/2 days work. In my case it would probably look more like a month due to all the other stuff I have going on. Therein lies my problem…I would love to have it all laid out in a perfectly clear garage with space and time to work….that’s not a reality in my garage due to other forces at play (family dumping ground, fridges/freezers everywhere etc etc.)

 

In my mind it would be better if someone else now took the car away from here and completed the work and thus my question about recommendations for someone who might be able to do that.

 

Cheers

 

Andy

 

 

[mike ellis]

15 hours ago, marko said:

Rees Brothers down near Aldershot are pretty decent people from what I can gather.

A lot of local TR owners use them.

[keith1948]

1 hour ago, AndyMat said:

Hi Michel,

 

Thanks for your response…I wish I had your optimism and energy… I’m sure someone who is very familiar with it all it could be a 1/2 days work. In my case it would probably look more like a month due to all the other stuff I have going on. Therein lies my problem…I would love to have it all laid out in a perfectly clear garage with space and time to work….that’s not a reality in my garage due to other forces at play (family dumping ground, fridges/freezers everywhere etc etc.)

 

In my mind it would be better if someone else now took the car away from here and completed the work and thus my question about recommendations for someone who might be able to do that.

 

Cheers

 

Andy

 

 

Hello Andy

This sounds very much like a cry for help. Can I suggest step one is to remove junk/stuff that is cluttering up your garage. I know myself that his can destroy the will to do anything. I have 2 trays of apples balanced on the boot rack and 2 more on a shelf next to the car. Add to that various spares, tins of paint, strimmer, bags of cement and plaster, various boxes of paperwork, freezer, 2 benches, 2 tents, the list goes on. Not easy but maybe gather some of the stuff for a trip to the tip or maybe a car boot for stuff you could sell or take stuff to charity shops. Making a start is the hardest bit.

Second break the big job down into bite size things that you could do in a day or so (or even an hour or two). There is no race to do this. Keep a diary of progress and you will find that given a couple of weeks of doing a bit each day, you will be able to see you are moving forward. Do this for both the car and the decluttering.

Sending the car off somewhere will deprive you of the satisfaction of getting it on the road and you will still have the family' dumping ground'. While the car is away you and the family will fill up the space the car used to occupy so there is no room and you will then be looking for somewhere to store the car.

Try to make a start now and over the winter when you would not do much driving in the TR anyway you could do an incredible amount on the car and make progress decluttering the garage. There are always cars that will look better but their owners will likely have spent lots of time and money. Just aim to get a mechanically sound car that you can drive and enjoy.

Finally find time to go to a local TR group meeting where there could well be people who would be willing to help you. 

Good luck

Keith

[AndyMat]

1 hour ago, mike ellis said:

A lot of local TR owners use them.

Thanks Mike, that’s good to know…

Cheers

Andy

[AndyMat]

1 hour ago, keith1948 said:

Hello Andy

This sounds very much like a cry for help. Can I suggest step one is to remove junk/stuff that is cluttering up your garage. I know myself that his can destroy the will to do anything. I have 2 trays of apples balanced on the boot rack and 2 more on a shelf next to the car. Add to that various spares, tins of paint, strimmer, bags of cement and plaster, various boxes of paperwork, freezer, 2 benches, 2 tents, the list goes on. Not easy but maybe gather some of the stuff for a trip to the tip or maybe a car boot for stuff you could sell or take stuff to charity shops. Making a start is the hardest bit.

Second break the big job down into bite size things that you could do in a day or so (or even an hour or two). There is no race to do this. Keep a diary of progress and you will find that given a couple of weeks of doing a bit each day, you will be able to see you are moving forward. Do this for both the car and the decluttering.

Sending the car off somewhere will deprive you of the satisfaction of getting it on the road and you will still have the family' dumping ground'. While the car is away you and the family will fill up the space the car used to occupy so there is no room and you will then be looking for somewhere to store the car.

Try to make a start now and over the winter when you would not do much driving in the TR anyway you could do an incredible amount on the car and make progress decluttering the garage. There are always cars that will look better but their owners will likely have spent lots of time and money. Just aim to get a mechanically sound car that you can drive and enjoy.

Finally find time to go to a local TR group meeting where there could well be people who would be willing to help you. 

Good luck

Keith

Hi Keith,

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

This is incredibly perceptive of you to offer me such good advice.  Unfortunately, I’m going through a marriage breakdown, and for various reasons I need the car out of the garage. I have an alternative space in a friends garage to store it indefinitely (yes he’s a very nice and good friend) but I would prefer it if the car was running so that I’m able to move it as and when.

 

I’m totally with you on the satisfaction front but I’m resigned to dealing with the current and immediate problems first. I need to get the car out of the way so that I can get a skip in front of my garage to begin the process you describe of decluttering said space ready for the inevitable house sale.

 

Thanks for your kind words..they are very much appreciated.

Cheers,

Andy

 

ps you made laugh at the state of your garage…it sounds exactly like mine 

[Michel Higuet]

In fact for me Andy it was the opposite, after the separation I could finally do what I wanted, so I bought an old TR4a from California. I have full respect for my first two wives, by divorcing me they allowed me to have a full and varied life... God bless them! :-)

[AndyMat]

3 hours ago, Michel Higuet said:

In fact for me Andy it was the opposite, after the separation I could finally do what I wanted, so I bought an old TR4a from California. I have full respect for my first two wives, by divorcing me they allowed me to have a full and varied life... God bless them! :-)

Strangely, I know that I’m going to feel the same way… my own things to do in my own space at my own pace. And finally I can look after me instead of everyone else.

Thank you for your contribution to my wellbeing:-))

[keith1948]

20 hours ago, AndyMat said:

ps you made laugh at the state of your garage…it sounds exactly like mine 

If your garage is anything like mine you will need more than one skip ! - much more

Good luck with everything

Keith

[AndyMat]

5 minutes ago, keith1948 said:

If your garage is anything like mine you will need more than one skip ! - much more

Good luck with everything

Keith

Thanks Keith… 

I’ll also need another huge garage for my bits when it’s all moved ;-))