Leap of faith part 1 - Chassis renovation
Discussion
A brief update for those that saw my original post following purchase, well the work to renovate my cheap ebay Cerb is now well and truly underway - Went over to Steve's (Thames Valley Racing but now based in High Wycombe for those not aware of his move) to have a gander after the body lift. Looked pretty scary to my eye but a lot of it is just surface stuff and is still quite solid with nothing much to worry about. Last pic is the worst bit and caused apparantly by the pipe seen in pic which comes from the battery, if I understood correctly it is some sort of overflow job and has been dousing the chassis with acid from the battery hence the bad corrosion in this area. Long and short is that the whole chassis is to be stripped, sandblasted, repaired and re-powdercoated and sealed - was originally a possibility of a patch up job but might as well get it all done now and get peace of mind, it would only have delayed the innevitable and I would be doing it all next year when it would have been in an even worse state. Luckily the rest of the car is still getting a positive thumbs up with a few bits here and there being replaced whilst the car is stripped but no horrors.
The body lift - anyone else reckon a bonkers 4x4 tvr would be great???
The Rot:
Will wait for the final bill to come in to see if it has been a cost effective way of getting a sorted Cerb but its started now so there's no going back................
>> Edited by touchingcloth on Thursday 8th December 18:47
The body lift - anyone else reckon a bonkers 4x4 tvr would be great???
The Rot:
Will wait for the final bill to come in to see if it has been a cost effective way of getting a sorted Cerb but its started now so there's no going back................
>> Edited by touchingcloth on Thursday 8th December 18:47
Keep the pics coming as each process is completed!! Good to see this.
Hey Touching, that's a great set of pics ...
So, it's gonna be wheeled away then and engine out, suspension off and full reno on the chassis yes? That's gonna cost quite a bit I guess but I think in the end when body is finally re-mated with the chassis you're gonna have one hell of a sorted Cerb chassis wise - all redone properly with no skimping and of the rest of the car is sound and you've bought a keeper, it'll be money weel spent.
Be interested to know a ballpark figiure for the work that's being done.
Final pic does look the worst but nothing that can't be sorted - I'm sure there are others out there still running around that are a LOT worse.
Any diea on rough man hours to separate body and chassis and lift up? WOudl give an idea how long it takes the professionals against the undoubted weeks it would take the home mechanic doing it in his garage, say.
So, it's gonna be wheeled away then and engine out, suspension off and full reno on the chassis yes? That's gonna cost quite a bit I guess but I think in the end when body is finally re-mated with the chassis you're gonna have one hell of a sorted Cerb chassis wise - all redone properly with no skimping and of the rest of the car is sound and you've bought a keeper, it'll be money weel spent.
Be interested to know a ballpark figiure for the work that's being done.
Final pic does look the worst but nothing that can't be sorted - I'm sure there are others out there still running around that are a LOT worse.
Any diea on rough man hours to separate body and chassis and lift up? WOudl give an idea how long it takes the professionals against the undoubted weeks it would take the home mechanic doing it in his garage, say.
The Griff I have recently bought is probably in a similar state. I have not dared scrape the mud off the chassis yet, but am prepared for the worst. Keep the photos and info coming so I know what to expect. I am still undecided about spending years doing it myself, or borrowing money I don't have / carn't afford and handing it over to someone else.....
morebeanz said:
I'd be having kittens seeing that done to my cerb!
In many ways that's why I want it all sorted from the start. So far I have seen it and bought it but it is not "my car" yet - kinda makes it easier that way.
MikeyT said:
Be interested to know a ballpark figure for the work that's being done.
Yeah me too!!
Seriously though I have just been taking a chance on the money front whilst we see exactly what needs to be done, all I have is sliding price range in my head along which I will end up being delighted/happy/just ok/feeling sick. It really is a leap of faith and it may yet come back to bite me on the bum financially but time will tell. There is such huge spread on Cerb prices - 98's like mine seem to range from a bottom end ebay job of £10k upto £20k from a dealer. Bearing in mind that the 20k dealer one is still an eight year old car and however good it looks on the surface may still need chassis work within a year or 2 of ownership I reckon the cheap ones are now so cheap to be worth a punt.
MikeyT said:
Any diea on rough man hours to separate body and chassis and lift up?
Will ask Steve tomorrow on this as going back over.
Sorry has taken ages to get back with an update on this. Have some more pics to bring it up to date.
First some when the chassis first came out in all its gory glory - have to admit that seing it in this state (and in that I mean oh look there is my engine, there is my body and there is my chassis) was pretty scary:
And these taken this morning now that it is back from being sandblasted, much happier now as not looking nearly so scary as the above, with all the incedental rust out of the way you can see what exactly what is good bad and ugly. Still plenty of bits that will need to be cut out and new tubes put back in, but the main structural pieces in the middle thankfully seem to have survived ok - good news is that if I tried to get away with a patch up job then it seems that it would not have been long before the major important parts got past the point of no return so kinda pleased we are doing this now.
For those that wanted advice on lifting the body Steve's says a forklift truck comes in handy which is what he used. He has some pics I think and if I can get hold I will post them up.
First some when the chassis first came out in all its gory glory - have to admit that seing it in this state (and in that I mean oh look there is my engine, there is my body and there is my chassis) was pretty scary:
And these taken this morning now that it is back from being sandblasted, much happier now as not looking nearly so scary as the above, with all the incedental rust out of the way you can see what exactly what is good bad and ugly. Still plenty of bits that will need to be cut out and new tubes put back in, but the main structural pieces in the middle thankfully seem to have survived ok - good news is that if I tried to get away with a patch up job then it seems that it would not have been long before the major important parts got past the point of no return so kinda pleased we are doing this now.
For those that wanted advice on lifting the body Steve's says a forklift truck comes in handy which is what he used. He has some pics I think and if I can get hold I will post them up.
Is there any chance you can share the costs involved with us, as you get them of course.
Dads quite encouraged by all this; even made a comment about wanting to keep it for a rather long time yet... which is nice. (I was/am concerned he might sell it as its costing alot at present!! - I'll only happily let him do that when I can afford to buy it off him.)
Good luck with it all.
Dads quite encouraged by all this; even made a comment about wanting to keep it for a rather long time yet... which is nice. (I was/am concerned he might sell it as its costing alot at present!! - I'll only happily let him do that when I can afford to buy it off him.)
Good luck with it all.
Wow - just spotted your renovation project! This interests me greatly as I was there with my bidding fingers at the end of the auction (lack of cerbera knowledge and viewing barriers limited my max bid). This was the car that tempted me away from the Supras and has begun my recent education and hunt for a cerbera.
Wish I'd been able to put the car I'm currently trying to negotiate on the ramps
. Anyway I wish you all the best with it and commend you on your warts 'n all openess.
Wish I'd been able to put the car I'm currently trying to negotiate on the ramps
. Anyway I wish you all the best with it and commend you on your warts 'n all openess. Some more from today, all new tubes and bits that need replacing have now been cut out and replaced and the whole lot now back from the powder coaters. Looking lovely but every step now is an improvement. Wishbones also been done now, one had gone through to a hole when blasted so that will be replaced but others all good and have been powder coated as well. Just really putting it all back together to go and it should be back on the road.
Re the questions.
Hours/Costs, I will be happy (with Steves consent) to post up final and full costs and labour hours once complete, there are other bits being done alongside the chassis work (new rad, sports exhaust going on etc) so don't want to quote out of turn and make the the work seem more expensive than it is in case it makes Steve seem expensive/uncompetetive.
Insides of the tubes are being injected with some preventative, can't remember the name of what Steve uses now as it is not Waxoil but something else I think.
Re 4pack and Yam: if not 100% sure what you would be looking for (like me) then it is definitely worth getting a check over by someone who does, having said that there are still areas which you cannot get to see even once on a ramp. With this one we could not get access to the car prior to the end of the auction but I made sure Steve had a quick 20 minute look over before I handed over the cheque just so we new it was not so bad that it was not worth taking on.
Shiney Shiney
The sharp eyed amongst you will spot the red smoke making tyres that featured on a Tusc in the last series of Fifth gear (or was it top gear), opted not to go with these myself
Gratutituous shot of my little boy looking cute.
Re the questions.
Hours/Costs, I will be happy (with Steves consent) to post up final and full costs and labour hours once complete, there are other bits being done alongside the chassis work (new rad, sports exhaust going on etc) so don't want to quote out of turn and make the the work seem more expensive than it is in case it makes Steve seem expensive/uncompetetive.
Insides of the tubes are being injected with some preventative, can't remember the name of what Steve uses now as it is not Waxoil but something else I think.
Re 4pack and Yam: if not 100% sure what you would be looking for (like me) then it is definitely worth getting a check over by someone who does, having said that there are still areas which you cannot get to see even once on a ramp. With this one we could not get access to the car prior to the end of the auction but I made sure Steve had a quick 20 minute look over before I handed over the cheque just so we new it was not so bad that it was not worth taking on.
Shiney Shiney
The sharp eyed amongst you will spot the red smoke making tyres that featured on a Tusc in the last series of Fifth gear (or was it top gear), opted not to go with these myself
Gratutituous shot of my little boy looking cute.
Great thread. I have to say though, I am shocked that the "chassis" of a 180mph car looks so bloody flimsy - i have lusted after a cerb now for yonks and yonks, ever since i first saw one. But i am a little concerned now... Tell me that there is strength in the fibreglass body, hence the chassis doesn't need to be mental (I can see its of a vaguely space frame design but even so...) 
jesfirth said:
Wow what a beautiful job. Makes my efforts seem miniscule! Looks fantastic and will be great when finished. I would love to know how the inside of the tubes are being treated.
Anybody ever attempted to protect the inside of the tubes before?
Anybody any ideas?
This might be daft...but could you drill and tap some small inlets similar to a grease nipple through which you could feed waxoyl or similar?
robertjp said:
Wow what a beautiful job. Makes my efforts seem miniscule! Looks fantastic and will be great when finished. I would love to know how the inside of the tubes are being treated.
Anybody ever attempted to protect the inside of the tubes before?
Anybody any ideas?
This might be daft...but could you drill and tap some small inlets similar to a grease nipple through which you could feed waxoyl or similar?
Yes I think that this is effectively what has/will been done on mine, small hole drilled and then small nozzle to spray into tubes, the hole just filled afterwards - still not sure on the product Steve uses, waxoil is just a sealant as far as I know not a rust cure in intself, if rust is already present then it will not really help.. will quiz Steve further on this, maybe POR15 for the insides which actaully has rust curing properties would be an idea, however never seen it so not sure if it is sprayable and it maybe only a paint on solution.
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