TVR Grantura MK1 1960

[tobsam]

RobMk2a said:

Looks very good - difficult decision whether to keep the replacement bonnet.

Have you thad time to look at the engine / chassis.

Rob

Edited by RobMk2a on Friday 12th September 18:43

My plans for the car are to firstly learn as much as possible about TVR Granturas as I can. This should help me in the future when making decisions about what to keep and what to remove from the car.

I looked at the chassis and engine when I first thought about buying the car and the chassis appears to be in very good condition indeed with no nasty signs of any corrosion that I can see. All of the grease/oil nipples had been lubricated before the car was laid up.
The engine is the MGA 1622 unit with the matching MGA gearbox and apart from the obvious fact that the oil filter has been leaking for some time again looks fine but I will know more once I have got it running. The previous owner has said that the clutch was replaced just before it went back in the garage but it now appears to be seized so that will need some attention.

Tomorrow I intend to wash it and get rid of the years of cobwebs and dust etc. Then have a good look around the car to see what it needs in the way of any body repairs mechanical attention etc. Remove the plugs, squirt some oil down the bores, check the carburettors to make sure that the pistons are not sticking, drain the fuel and top up with fresh petrol, turn over by hand, then once the battery has been charged crank it over and see if the engine will start.

I have already contacted Graham, from Classic Restore, who is going to look over the bodywork and come up with a plan of action to get it looking nice which will include a lot of sanding down and a complete colour change as well.
As the interior is a beige colour I was thinking that British racing green might be a good choice of colour and compliment the interior. Any other suggestions??
I will have the wheels restored also but as yet I am undecided as to have chrome or painted spoke wheels. I am not sure quite what I will be doing about that bonnet but I will seek advice from those in the know to get their thoughts about it.

I have known this car for over 40 years and I feel it now deserves a new lease of life and a makeover then use it for what it was intended for.....Driving and being enjoyed.

It will probably take me a while to get the Grantura looking nice again but I am sure it will be well worth it in the end and a great learning curve for me as well.

Oliver..... Yes that bonnet does look very similar to mine. You can have a good look at it when we meet up and see what you think.

Thanks
Steve

[tobsam]

After a bit of a wash today. I applied a bit of polish in a few places today just to see what the paint would come up like. I don't really know why I bothered as it going in for some bodywork and a respray in the near future, hopefully.

I took a couple of shots in the engine bay as well and as you might be able to see I have removed the clutch slave cylinder and clutch flexi hose as the clutch was really hard to push down and very slow to come up. I believe the culprit is the flexi hose and as it must be at least 30 odd years plus probably has a restriction in it somewhere. Now I just have to try and find a compatible clutch flexi hose to fit back on.
I still have not tried starting it as yet and have to try and free the clutch plate off as well as the clutch appears to be seized at the moment. Ah the joys of classic car ownership......I love it.

Edited by tobsam on Sunday 14th September 16:15

[GTRene]

nice, looks better then I thought it would :-)

[tobsam]

GTRene said:

nice, looks better then I thought it would :-)

Thank you.

I have also sent an email to Klaus asking him if he could send me a few details on the Mk 2a bonnet that he makes from the mould he has. I will probably (but not definite yet) be replacing that bonnet for the correct type that would have been on the car when it left the TVR factory.

[GTRene]

I think it would look a little bit better with a original looking one, although I don't know about the history of this one and why they put it on, could be interesting too...but maybe it was when they had another engine in a long time ago? and needed also the higher type?

also saw this one, most mk2a have the turnlights on top of the hood (looks a bit strange :--))

but this one has them moulded in or somewhat?




normally you see them more like this>

[tobsam]

I must admit that I myself prefer the indicators lower down at the front.
What lights are used for the side lights (just under the main headlight units) and are they still available today?

[GTRene]

tobsam said:

I must admit that I myself prefer the indicators lower down at the front.
What lights are used for the side lights (just under the main headlight units) and are they still available today?

Don't know about that and could not find much info, but I also came across this, yours looks broken?
maybe you can use this TVR GRANTURA CHROME NUMBER PLATE LAMP>

http://www.ebay.nl/itm/TVR-GRANTURA-CHROME-NUMBER-...

and is such mirror original...its not that 'nice' maybe you also like a pair (or one) of those>

TVR GRANTURA, VIXEN '58-'73 CHROME BULLET RACING WING MIRRORS (PAIR)>

http://www.ebay.nl/itm/TVR-GRANTURA-VIXEN-58-73-CH...

edit:

found something about it I guess?

--Front bullet park lights = Lotus 7, Morgan ?

see here for more, could be handy.>

http://www.tvrgrantura.com/restore_log.html

Edited by GTRene on Saturday 13th September 23:36

[Grantura MKI]

Lights still around at a jumble...a35s with the rubber base.
Best,
D.

[GTRene]

I googled that, so they look like this ?

said:

AUSTIN A30/A35/A40 DEVON SOMERSET LUCAS SIDE LIGHTS

[tobsam]

Thanks for the replies and info guys.

I knew the rear number plate cover was not on the car I do have it but the centre securing little nut is missing so I will probably buy a complete light unit.
Now I know that the side lights are from the A30/35/Somerset cars then I will be looking for a set of these as well.

Thanks
Stever

[Grantura MKI]

That's them. Who needs google?
Best,
D.

[prideaux]

Grantura MKI said:

That's them. Who needs google?
Best,
D.

I Do
But also great friends as well
A

[GTRene]

Grantura MKI said:

That's them. Who needs google?
Best,
D.

I do
I forget a lot (sinks deep in my blurry brains) and Google can help me with a lot, also with many things I read and then thinks, what was/is/means that? so good pictures can help

[The Surveyor]

GTRene said:

I googled that, so they look like this ?

said:

AUSTIN A30/A35/A40 DEVON SOMERSET LUCAS SIDE LIGHTS

Reproduction ones are available new from Holden if you need them, pricy but aren't most things these days.... http://www.holden.co.uk/displayproduct.asp?sg=1&am...

Paul

[tobsam]

I have bought a genuine restored pair now, thank you, from ebay and at what I consider to be a real bargain price of only £45. The seller does not live far from me so I was also able to collect them last night. Here is the link.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201169983538?_trksid=p20...

I have this afternoon had a very interesting conversation with Tony Claydon who used to race the early TVRs back in the 70s and now runs Piper Racing Cars Ltd.
I tracked Tony down as I wanted to find out more information about the "Sprint" lightweight bonnet that is fitted to my Grantura Mk 2a and if it really is one of his bonnets.

Firstly what a very nice and interesting guy Tony is. He explained to me that back in the early 70s he himself wanted a lightweight bonnet on his TVR for racing that would not only be light but still retain the rigidity required and also aid the cooling to the radiator on these cars, as they used to run very hot, and came up with the idea of the "Sprint" bonnet. A mould was taken of an original bonnet and the additions were then added to this and another mould was again taken of the completed bonnet with the extra additions included.
Tony said that he thinks only a very few of these bonnets were ever made, certainly less than 10 as he recalls, and a few of these were bought by people in the USA. These bonnets only had very small extensions added to the front wheel arches but for Tony's own car he added wider wheel arch spats to accommodate the very wide wheels he was using at the time. This explains why the picture of Tony's own car in the advert has the spats fitted to it and my bonnet only has the small arch extensions on it. Tony also went on to say that the large front bulge in the bonnet greatly aided the running temperature on these cars as well.

After explaining about my bonnet and seeing a picture of it Tony has definitely confirmed that this is one of his "Sprint" lightweight bonnets and was very surprised to hear that there was still one left from all those years ago.

I have just spoken to the previous owner of my car, who at 83 years of age does not remember everything about the car but after checking through his wad of notes that he made about the car, and still retains, says that he did not buy it from a person near Bristol as he first thought but from a person who lived near Worcester. Tony lives in Malvern which is near Worcester so I should think that he bought it directly from Tony himself way back then.

After now finding all this out about this particular bonnet I now feel inclined to possibly keep it on my car as it does have this nice bit of history with it and came from a very well known TVR racer back in the early 70s.
What are your thoughts about it?

Thanks
Steve

Edited by tobsam on Wednesday 17th September 15:50

[GTRene]

great story, pretty interesting too, makes it harder to decide what to do whit it.

and good find Paul.

[cjb44]

One thing I can tell you is that the car carries an Ipswich registration (RT) and would have been supplied by dear old Bill Last (as was my Grantura originally), unfortunately Bill is no longer with us. He was an interesting man not liked by some due to the Trident fiasco, however Bill treated me very well when I was rebuilding my MK2a after an incident with a bus; he supplied a half chassis and many other parts at knockdown prices and lent me many expensive tools without asking for any deposit, identification or charge for the use when I was a spotty 20 year old!

[alphaone]

tobsam said:

After now finding all this out about this particular bonnet I now feel inclined to possibly keep it on my car as it does have this nice bit of history with it and came from a very well known TVR racer back in the early 70s.
What are your thoughts about it?
Thanks
Steve

Edited by tobsam on Wednesday 17th September 15:50

Good bit of research, If it was my car Id keep the bonnet as its part of its history. Id also see if you could get photocopies of the notes the previos owner has.

[Dollyman1850]

tobsam said:

I have bought a genuine restored pair now, thank you, from ebay and at what I consider to be a real bargain price of only £45. The seller does not live far from me so I was also able to collect them last night. Here is the link.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201169983538?_trksid=p20...

I have this afternoon had a very interesting conversation with Tony Claydon who used to race the early TVRs back in the 70s and now runs Piper Racing Cars Ltd.
I tracked Tony down as I wanted to find out more information about the "Sprint" lightweight bonnet that is fitted to my Grantura Mk 2a and if it really is one of his bonnets.

Firstly what a very nice and interesting guy Tony is. He explained to me that back in the early 70s he himself wanted a lightweight bonnet on his TVR for racing that would not only be light but still retain the rigidity required and also aid the cooling to the radiator on these cars, as they used to run very hot, and came up with the idea of the "Sprint" bonnet. A mould was taken of an original bonnet and the additions were then added to this and another mould was again taken of the completed bonnet with the extra additions included.
Tony said that he thinks only a very few of these bonnets were ever made, certainly less than 10 as he recalls, and a few of these were bought by people in the USA. These bonnets only had very small extensions added to the front wheel arches but for Tony's own car he added wider wheel arch spats to accommodate the very wide wheels he was using at the time. This explains why the picture of Tony's own car in the advert has the spats fitted to it and my bonnet only has the small arch extensions on it. Tony also went on to say that the large front bulge in the bonnet greatly aided the running temperature on these cars as well.

After explaining about my bonnet and seeing a picture of it Tony has definitely confirmed that this is one of his "Sprint" lightweight bonnets and was very surprised to hear that there was still one left from all those years ago.

I have just spoken to the previous owner of my car, who at 83 years of age does not remember everything about the car but after checking through his wad of notes that he made about the car, and still retains, says that he did not buy it from a person near Bristol as he first thought but from a person who lived near Worcester. Tony lives in Malvern which is near Worcester so I should think that he bought it directly from Tony himself way back then.

After now finding all this out about this particular bonnet I now feel inclined to possibly keep it on my car as it does have this nice bit of history with it and came from a very well known TVR racer back in the early 70s.
What are your thoughts about it?

Thanks
Steve

Edited by tobsam on Wednesday 17th September 15:50

Lovely Story and as such well worthy of keeping the car as it was converted….TVR's have a rich history with respect to modifications. great stuff.
D.

[prideaux]

A Great Car Steve
I hope you keep the colour although not everyones choice a real distinct period Colour IMOP thanks for sharing
A