My nightmare... errr restoration thread.
Discussion
Fantastic effort Mike, not just with the resto but the thread itself!
I hope you hang onto her after you have finished, be a shame for someone else to come along and enjoy it instead.
Was a similar story with my SEAC, previous owner spent £000's on it, new hood, new carpets, full re-spray and a complete engine re-build costing over £6K+!
It was driven just a few hundred miles but had to be sold to re-coup some cash....and along came me to steal the glory!
I hope you hang onto her after you have finished, be a shame for someone else to come along and enjoy it instead.
Was a similar story with my SEAC, previous owner spent £000's on it, new hood, new carpets, full re-spray and a complete engine re-build costing over £6K+!
It was driven just a few hundred miles but had to be sold to re-coup some cash....and along came me to steal the glory!
Waynester said:
Fantastic effort Mike, not just with the resto but the thread itself!
I hope you hang onto her after you have finished, be a shame for someone else to come along and enjoy it instead.
Thanks. My running dialogue in this thread was to show other wedger's with rusty/greasy pieces of junk how little work it can be to at least make things pleasing to the eye, if not "all new".I hope you hang onto her after you have finished, be a shame for someone else to come along and enjoy it instead.
As for keeping the car, my life is in the hands of the Good Lord... I think... it seems like Satan is ruling my finances at the moment. If my job doesn't pick up drastically in the next two weeks, I'll be the first homeless street person eveer with a wedge.
Mikey: Not only myself but I bet there are many more out there waiting on updates of your experiences with the car. I have been by the garage several times since I got back from Saskatoon and there doesn't seem to be any movement there. If your not putting any time there just do a quick post so we all know what is going on as most of us are nosey curious on how things are going. With no updates we may start thinking that you have given up and I personally don't think you are that type of person.
Did our first dyno runs today and peaked just over 400 lbs of torque with a nice flat torque curve. Monday going to change a couple of things and do some more runs to see what happens.
UPDATE US PLEASE......May try to stop by tomorrow.
Did our first dyno runs today and peaked just over 400 lbs of torque with a nice flat torque curve. Monday going to change a couple of things and do some more runs to see what happens.
UPDATE US PLEASE......May try to stop by tomorrow.
SINCE MIKE ISN"T UPDATING I STOPPED BY ON MONDAY...Well he did it, put a square peg in a round hole. Maybe he will post pics of this feat. I stopped by and he was trying to get his front drivers side spring compressed and fitted. Rubber wasn't seating on the bottom of the coil properly but Mike looks outside of the box and finds a solution. Considering there is 1 other wedge owner (I don't think they have met) in this area and the next closest one is about 900 miles away, Mike has come a long way with his rebuild.
Most other Wedge owners probably have lots of friends (mates) that have experienced similar problems and set backs while trying to maintain their cars and can have someone pop by to help or explain how they fixed the problem. Mike is doing more than just fixing a fault, he is putting a car back into roadworthy shape while probably making the car better than when it first left the factory and even being man enough to admit that there might have been a better or easier way to do something. IMO he is doing a great job with his rebuild and probably teaching people that sometimes you have to grab the bull by the horns and go for it.
Here is a man that is not going down to the local car parts store to get a new part by comparing the old to what the partsman says is the new part. No he is buying parts over the internet and over the phone with just a printed or verbal discription. This is a man that is going to carry on TreVoRs dream of the common person being able to own, drive and enjoy a true handbuilt British sportscar and to carry the TVR marque into the future.
Since this thread started I have followed it and I must say that I have been disappointed on a couple of responses to how the rebuild is going. Yes I have also joked about things and it all was meant in fun and I wouldn't hesitate in helping Mike in any way possible to get his car to the level that he wants it to be. We all must stand behind our fellow TVR owners as every year there are more and more going to the junkyard(scrappys).
If anyone doesn't agree with my rant about this thread, OH WELL, I can live with that. If by chance you disagree with my rant Mike, and you knew sooner or later I would post something like this....I'm sorry but I believe that something had to be said as we have lost TreVoR and now Peter and if our pride in our cars doesn't improve.....The TVR marque will be lost soon.
Wayne/Sherry Leppard.
Calgary,Alberta.Canada.
Proud TVR owners on this side of the pond.
I don't think, after following the thread there was any need to post a rant.
Many use their cars as a relatively cheap performance sportscar on the road to another, and it's no more than that. Not every one lives and breathes TVR, but in a land where they are so few I can undertsand why you are as ethusiastic, even if a little worrying...
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Many use their cars as a relatively cheap performance sportscar on the road to another, and it's no more than that. Not every one lives and breathes TVR, but in a land where they are so few I can undertsand why you are as ethusiastic, even if a little worrying...
[/footnote]
Edited by TVR_owner on Wednesday 2nd September 08:54
John: Yes maybe the "rant" was a little strong.....but it is disappointing that somebody tries to better his car and suppy others with the ups and downs and I personally don't see many people posting good strong responses. This isn't the only thread that I have seen this and I think this thread holds some educational status for other people when they work on their cars. Without support and helpful knowledge from others, where would any of us be standing with our rides..........So I am sorry for turning my post into a "rant".I just wish that I could find more time to be able to help a fellow TVR owner out.
Edited by V8TVR1978 on Wednesday 2nd September 09:39
TVR_owner said:
I don't think, after following the thread there was any need to post a rant.
Many use their cars as a relatively cheap performance sportscar on the road to another, and it's no more than that. Not every one lives and breathes TVR, but in a land where they are so few I can undertsand why you are as ethusiastic, even if a little worrying...
[/footnote]
Nicely put sir.Many use their cars as a relatively cheap performance sportscar on the road to another, and it's no more than that. Not every one lives and breathes TVR, but in a land where they are so few I can undertsand why you are as ethusiastic, even if a little worrying...
[/footnote]
Edited by TVR_owner on Wednesday 2nd September 08:54
Grady said:
I too could do without any unpleasant sidebar comments. Brap is doing a great job and I have really enjoyed his progress! Keep up the photo posts. Grady
Grady: Yes Brap_Brap is doing a great job and it is nice to see comments starting to come up to verify this. TVR owner said in an e-mail to me that this is one of the better threads on here at the moment and I totally agree. It will also help other people to learn from Mike's ups and downs with his restoration. I don't mind at all taking any flack I get if it gets others to comment on his progress as we are now starting to see people open up and say their piece. My post didn't start out as a "rant" but did end up that way and it was TVR owner's comment that got me to go back and see my mistake with my post. On many threads I have seen how people can be negative on somebodys posts and this one just struck a little close to home as I have been over to Mike's shop and seen his progress. A person has to give Mike a pat on the back for what he has done so far and for having to order his parts etc. from a picture on the internet or from what explanation of a part he is getting over the phone.I am sorry if I upset anyone but it did light a fire under some backsides and I hope my comments keep Mike motivated to finish what he has started. It would be nice to go for a spin at night or on a weekend with another TVR owner other than one that is related to me.Edited by Grady on Wednesday 2nd September 18:00
Wayne/Sherry Leppard.
Wayne, the vast majority of the posts have been supportive and full of admiration.
What more do you want from a large and varied selection of PHers ?
Let's not spoil the blog by taking things far too seriously, and do please remember the Brits' shy and retiring nature, unique sense of humour, and their tendency to understatement.
Now can we get back to talking about cars ?
What more do you want from a large and varied selection of PHers ?
Let's not spoil the blog by taking things far too seriously, and do please remember the Brits' shy and retiring nature, unique sense of humour, and their tendency to understatement.
Now can we get back to talking about cars ?
Wedg1e said:
What was the grief with the spring? Two spring compressors and an 11mm spanner, I don't understand why people make so much fuss. It's not like it's somehow harder than on the Cortina/ Granada.
Maybe having his steering wheel on the wrong side of the car might have been abit of the problem. Get Mikey to explain the square peg in the round hole. He might have taken pics of that when I wasn't there. He said the passenger side went in slick. It was the driver's side that gave him some trouble but by working outside of the box he got it. If he hasn't shown up here by Friday PM I will stop by when I am in town and rattle his cage abit. Nice to see the action on this thread again.Was nice to see the action on Mike's thread for awhile. Since he hasn't posted anything for awhile I will stop by when I am in town in the next couple of days to stir him up abit. My time is very limited lately as we are having problems with our rebuilds and I only have 6 days before I have to leave on a long trip with one of my cars but I will see if he has anything new to post.
Things haven't been going very quickly lately for 3 reasons, money, time spent looking for employment and the discouragement resulting from lack of the aforementioned money and a job. Actually I was also partially held up awaiting for the arrival of a lower diff bushing. I have gotten more done over the past few days and should be ready for engine and tranny next week if I can find the time. Thankfully work has gotten busy for me again.
The bottom of the spring isn't quite seated, I guess I need some weight on it first. I'll put the shock absorber in after it's seated right.
I goofed up ordering these tie-rods. It's an easy fix but I need to sleeve the inside of the heim joint. It's got a .75" OD and the bolt is half inch.
I don't think I'll have it done before the snow flies, but I think I can last the winter without driving it for this long already.
The bottom of the spring isn't quite seated, I guess I need some weight on it first. I'll put the shock absorber in after it's seated right.
I goofed up ordering these tie-rods. It's an easy fix but I need to sleeve the inside of the heim joint. It's got a .75" OD and the bolt is half inch.
I don't think I'll have it done before the snow flies, but I think I can last the winter without driving it for this long already.
Edited by Brap_Brap on Saturday 12th September 23:56
Having had the time now to read the comments since I took holiday from this thread, I'll say this:
Wayne, quit worrying so much about what others think about this project. I used to care but now I don't. I realised something. With two three ring binders fulls of history and service receipts on this wedge, I know that I've put more into this car than any one of the previous 7 owners, moreover I've put into this car more than their sum total combined.
IOW, I'm the best owner this car ever had. I don't give a damn what anyone thinks. Well that's not true. I do like the praise when it comes my way. 
You know what I mean...
[quote]Let's not spoil the blog by taking things far too seriously, and do please remember the Brits' shy and retiring nature, unique sense of humour, and their tendency to understatement.
Now can we get back to talking about cars ?
[/quote]
Agreed.
Wayne, quit worrying so much about what others think about this project. I used to care but now I don't. I realised something. With two three ring binders fulls of history and service receipts on this wedge, I know that I've put more into this car than any one of the previous 7 owners, moreover I've put into this car more than their sum total combined.
IOW, I'm the best owner this car ever had.
I don't give a damn what anyone thinks. Well that's not true. I do like the praise when it comes my way. You know what I mean...[quote]Let's not spoil the blog by taking things far too seriously, and do please remember the Brits' shy and retiring nature, unique sense of humour, and their tendency to understatement.
Now can we get back to talking about cars ?
[/quote]
Agreed.
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