Stainless Steel Chassis
Discussion
I gues it would depend on the gauge of the SS tubing, knowing TVR it would be like folded cooking foil rather than oil pipe-line stuff.
By the by, on trying to get back on subject. The "ex Peter Wheeler" car was sold by David Gerald, and was on a "Preston" DVLA plate rather than a "London" area plate (eg D*** *LL or D*** *LP).
I know that D175ALL was ordered with a SS chassis, and I believe that it was not delivered with one due to problems expereienced with D177ALL.
By the by, on trying to get back on subject. The "ex Peter Wheeler" car was sold by David Gerald, and was on a "Preston" DVLA plate rather than a "London" area plate (eg D*** *LL or D*** *LP).
I know that D175ALL was ordered with a SS chassis, and I believe that it was not delivered with one due to problems expereienced with D177ALL.
gruffalo said:
Wouldn't that be rather heavy?
How heavy do you think Iron Oxide is compared to the original iron though?After 20 years the insides of TVR chassis tubes have oxidised quite a lot, and you are effectively carrying around a weaker chassis and a load of oxide.
You can make a stainless one thinner as there will be no corrosion damage. However when this topic was kicked around a few years ago, the concensus was that it would be even more prone to fractures. It would probably need to be welded up once a year / every 10,000 miles.
adam quantrill said:
You can make a stainless one thinner as there will be no corrosion damage.
In theory. In practice you'd probably find that 1.5" stainless tube with a wall of less than the 2mm nominal (as used on the mild steel version) is sold as 'ornamental' tubing, OK to hold up your coffee table but not much more 
Stainless is less ductile and less malleable than mild steel, hence when subjected to repeated flexing it cracks. From an anti-corrosion point of view it'd probably have made more (engineering, if not cost) sense to build the wedge chassis from pre-galvanised tube and then apply local touch-up after welding. Not as good as hot-dip galv., but better than paint and wouldn't risk any distortion from the immersion. Lotus galvanised their wedge chassis from the early 80s without any apparent issues, although their chassis were fabricated sheet rather than tube (the Esprit was 50/50) - and they had no outrigged sections to catch road spray.
here some info about the stainless steal chassis on a 420 seac?
http://www.theseacpages.co.uk/racer.aspx
they had not the right stuff to do that at that time I guess?
but there is a UK builder that can deliver a proper stainless steal TVR chassis I guess?
here they advertise it as a possibility.
http://www.tvrpower.co.uk/news/slug/tvrpower-oem-c...
http://www.theseacpages.co.uk/racer.aspx
they had not the right stuff to do that at that time I guess?
but there is a UK builder that can deliver a proper stainless steal TVR chassis I guess?
here they advertise it as a possibility.
http://www.tvrpower.co.uk/news/slug/tvrpower-oem-c...
said:
Everything will be available for you to buy in person and also from TVR Power’s online store, so purchasing your new OEM chassis and components couldn’t be easier. For the connoisseur, zinc coated and even stainless steel OEM chassis are also an option, with prices available upon request.
I looked at this with a stainless steel fabricator.
Don't forget that there are many grades of stainless, all with different properties.
The main properties of concern are:-
Weldability
Weight
Malleability
Strength
We could not find any of the Stainless materials which could match mild steel in all aspects, so a compromise would have to be made. The only practical compromise would be to go heavier.
Don't forget that there are many grades of stainless, all with different properties.
The main properties of concern are:-
Weldability
Weight
Malleability
Strength
We could not find any of the Stainless materials which could match mild steel in all aspects, so a compromise would have to be made. The only practical compromise would be to go heavier.
Hi Andy,
Not sure of the price, This tread goes back a long way...
I'm sure that the stainless chassis was another really great TVR idea that went something like this.
"Let's do it! Let's sell it! We'll let the customer road test it for us. Oh, *rap it doesn't work! we'll drop it, but there's this other realy great idea which we've got........."
From much of the comment it would seem that Stainless gives very little advantage with large cost and manufacturing problems, so (and I stand to be corrected on this one) there are very few SS chassis out there and those that are are most probably ex-factory.
All best
Ade
Not sure of the price, This tread goes back a long way...
I'm sure that the stainless chassis was another really great TVR idea that went something like this.
"Let's do it! Let's sell it! We'll let the customer road test it for us. Oh, *rap it doesn't work! we'll drop it, but there's this other realy great idea which we've got........."
From much of the comment it would seem that Stainless gives very little advantage with large cost and manufacturing problems, so (and I stand to be corrected on this one) there are very few SS chassis out there and those that are are most probably ex-factory.
All best
Ade
I also came across some build tread were (I believe a Dutch guy) were he did made new outriggers? from stainless steal to the mild-steal chassis...
see if I can find that back...
ah, found it
http://olavbergman.nl/olavs-classic-cars/tvr-s-ser...
look under my TVR S-series restauration, here more pictures
http://olavbergman.nl/olavs-classic-cars/tvr-s-ser...
see if I can find that back...
ah, found it
http://olavbergman.nl/olavs-classic-cars/tvr-s-ser...
look under my TVR S-series restauration, here more pictures
http://olavbergman.nl/olavs-classic-cars/tvr-s-ser...
Edited by GTRene on Monday 10th September 12:51
aderut said:
Hi Andy,
Not sure of the price, This tread goes back a long way...
I'm sure that the stainless chassis was another really great TVR idea that went something like this.
"Let's do it! Let's sell it! We'll let the customer road test it for us. Oh, *rap it doesn't work! we'll drop it, but there's this other realy great idea which we've got........."
From much of the comment it would seem that Stainless gives very little advantage with large cost and manufacturing problems, so (and I stand to be corrected on this one) there are very few SS chassis out there and those that are are most probably ex-factory.
All best
Ade
Hi Not sure of the price, This tread goes back a long way...
I'm sure that the stainless chassis was another really great TVR idea that went something like this.
"Let's do it! Let's sell it! We'll let the customer road test it for us. Oh, *rap it doesn't work! we'll drop it, but there's this other realy great idea which we've got........."
From much of the comment it would seem that Stainless gives very little advantage with large cost and manufacturing problems, so (and I stand to be corrected on this one) there are very few SS chassis out there and those that are are most probably ex-factory.
All best
Ade
Well the last time I spoke to Amos when I tried to get him to come to BBWF he still had it and he said he was intending on keeping the car, But he values it at around £20 - £22K or more. Knowing him if somebody went to him with around £24K he would sell it!
Andy
Hi Andy,
Very curious about the racer chassis not being stainless.
It was always said the SEAC stainless chassis were made because they replicated the racer.
As ever TVR's customer information/misinformation has much to answer for.
I guess the last laugh is on us.
Oh! The fun they had.
Tee-Hee!!
Ade
Very curious about the racer chassis not being stainless.
It was always said the SEAC stainless chassis were made because they replicated the racer.
As ever TVR's customer information/misinformation has much to answer for.
I guess the last laugh is on us.
Oh! The fun they had.
Tee-Hee!!
Ade
20 years...
sounds great for maybe the present owner, but not so for the owner after say 30 or 40 years, like those who buy now grantura's or M-series etc
stainless is also fine between the ears...
and I guess you save some hours prepping the chassis for painting and or powder coating etc.
so it cost some time building but you save some time because you don't have to protect it they way a mild-steal chassis needs.
and in the bar you can say, mine has a stainless steel chassis that won't rust
sounds great for maybe the present owner, but not so for the owner after say 30 or 40 years, like those who buy now grantura's or M-series etc
stainless is also fine between the ears...
and I guess you save some hours prepping the chassis for painting and or powder coating etc.
so it cost some time building but you save some time because you don't have to protect it they way a mild-steal chassis needs.
and in the bar you can say, mine has a stainless steel chassis that won't rust
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