Big Deep Breath for the Body off!!!

[schimg]

<br/>Body off!! <br/>Well I have been building up to this for the last few months and have finally decided to take the plunge. <br/> <br/>Engine and gearbox removed yesterday, car back at home in the garage all looking very sad. <br/> <br/>Next steps will be : <br/>1. Bonnet off <br/>2. Rad out <br/>3. Fuel Tank out <br/>4. Roll cage out <br/>5. seats and carpets out <br/>6. Bolts cut/undone in the following areas, 2 front by rad, 2 back behind petrol tank?, 2 on top of gearbox tunnel, 4 outriggers 3 neareer ladder chassis (each side) any more offers? <br/>7. Cut/remove wires in transmision tunnel <br/>8. Undo remove brake lines/fuel lines <br/> <br/>What have I left off the shopping list then prior to lifting the body? <br/> <br/>Outriggers in poor state hence the need to do the job. <br/> <br/>I intend to do most of this work myself, so would appreciate experiences of brave folk that have done this before, any tips like, close the windows and ensure the roof is fixed and closed prior to the lift? <br/> <br/>Thanks, <br/> <br/>Steve. G. <br/> <br/>p.s. I intend to keep you lot up on progress with this!!!

>> Edited by schimg on Tuesday 13th December 12:26

[stuartc]

Post some Pic's

[schimg]

stuartc said:

Post some Pic's

Stuart,

I will try to but I had trouble putting one of the car on my profile....on the basis that I didn't acheive this what do you think my chaces of success with the body off are!!!?

Steve. G.

[blujay10]

Good luck, mate, you are a braver man than I am!

[paul garabette]

Yikes! You're obviously planning on doing "a proper job"!

I replaced my outriggers the winter before last....but I left the engine and gearbox in place. It sounds like you've pretty much got it all covered. However you will need to remove the seatbelt mountings also. There are three bolts each side, one into the transmission tunnel, one which mounts the reel (which you can see in the rear wheel arch in front of the wheel), and one which bolts into a bracket on the top of the outrigger (which should have a captive nut welded to it but it might have rusted loose).

Good luck.....and respect.

Paul.

[schimg]

blujay10 said:

Good luck, mate, you are a braver man than I am!

Thanks I think I will need it, brave no mad yes!

Plan to get the rad out tonight, and stop the Bl**dy alarm, I can't beleive how long it takes for the alarm (cobra, with no switch) to drain.

Steve.

[chevtrev]

cut away the silicone around the seat belt anchors,which i'm sure you know to remove too, and when lifting the body give it a bit off a wriggle on the way up,grit gets around the outriggers and will act like a wedge.
Good luck,post if get stuck with anything.

[schimg]

paul garabette said:

Yikes! You're obviously planning on doing "a proper job"! I replaced my outriggers the winter before last....but I left the engine and gearbox in place. It sounds like you've pretty much got it all covered. However you will need to remove the seatbelt mountings also. There are three bolts each side, one into the transmission tunnel, one which mounts the reel (which you can see in the rear wheel arch in front of the wheel), and one which bolts into a bracket on the top of the outrigger (which should have a captive nut welded to it but it might have rusted loose). Good luck.....and respect. Paul.

Thanks, doh forgat about these fixings, the two in front of the raer wheels are well gone, I think these shouldn't be too much of a problem.

I looked at the method by which you have done yours, and was tempted to do a 9inch lift (I think the term is) but the intention is to 4.3 bv, fast road cam, 500 inlet, engine refresh (85k on the clock),500 clutch, cats out....stuff like that. I have done the enlarged plenum and thermal plate so this appears to be the logical route?

I guess I will be keeping the car for a bit then!

Steve.G.

[schimg]

chevtrev said:

cut away the silicone around the seat belt anchors,which i'm sure you know to remove too, and when lifting the body give it a bit off a wriggle on the way up,grit gets around the outriggers and will act like a wedge. Good luck,post if get stuck with anything.

Paul,

I hadn't thought of this, so thanks, there shouldn't be much grit and stuff as I have cleaned and painted the outriggers a couple of times since I got the car, bit too anal about it that's how I come to the conclusion that the rust was coming through from the inside and no matter how much wax oiling I did the end was nigh!

I guess there are a few folk out there that have done this then, fairplay ....and there are more that are driving Cerbs/griffs/chims that are blissfully unaware

I have spent sometime in the TVR environment and seen lot's of potential work! Sorry if I sound a little doomie... rant over!

Steve

[David H]

Hi Steve, I'm just finishing off doing the same to my Griff, if you need any help or photos of anything then please just ask.

Dave

[lexie]

There should be 4 bolts hidden behind the fuel tank, two virtually on the boot floor and two about a foot higher.

Take a look at http://community.webshots.com/album/478145558Hvvhov for what to expect (1995 M plate Chim)

Regards
Iain (DOH Chassis 33 using Lex's signin)

>> Edited by lexie on Wednesday 19th October 22:55

[schimg]

David H said:

Hi Steve, I'm just finishing off doing the same to my Griff, if you need any help or photos of anything then please just ask. Dave

David,

Thanks for this v much appreciated, all a bit daunting to be honest, I was over at TVR Power last night, when you tell people what you are planning to do you get either are you a mad bloke? or why didn't you just sell it?

Truth is I would not have been happy selling it on when I know what needs doing, and so I am probably mad!

I do appreciate your offer of advice and photo's and will most likely take you up on the offer!

A couple of things:
1. How long has this process taken?
2. Did you go for powder coating again (I have been advised against this) and if not what did you use?

Another thing; I intend to take each "corner" of the car suspension off in complete units whole, i.e. front upper and lower wishbone assembly as one unit, the reason for this is that I have already replaced all the wishbones, bushes, brake lines and upgraded the brakes, so hopfully this should save some time/effort?

Steve. G.

[schimg]

lexie said:

There should be 4 bolts hidden behind the fuel tank, two virtually on the boot floor and two about a foot higher. Take a look at <a href="http://community.webshots.com/album/478145558Hvvhov">http://community.webshots.com/album/478145558Hvvhov</a> for what to expect (1995 M plate Chim) Regards Iain (DOH Chassis 33 using Lex's signin) >> Edited by lexie on Wednesday 19th October 22:55

Iain,

Cheers mate this is the sort of thing I need to know, I would have been looking for 2 bolts instead of 4, hopefully you have saved some head scratching!

Are you in the Midlands then?

If so you will probably know the car, as I attend the West Midlands meet at the Bulls z, also there are a couple of pictures of it at the Yellow meet and at Snetterton in last months sprint, it is the yellow/gold/pi$$y coloured chim with the roll cage and the modified LT grill

Thanks again,

Steve. G.

[chevtrev]

If your going to completley strip,then I would say sandblast and powdercoat,dont forget to tap all threads before reassembly.If not i'd give it a good clean up and por15.

[schimg]

chevtrev said:

If your going to completley strip,then I would say sandblast and powdercoat,dont forget to tap all threads before reassembly.If not i'd give it a good clean up and por15.

Paul,

Thanks for this, I was considering going the shotblast/refabricate (the bits left!) then good quality powdercoat/por15 route until I spoke to the powdercaoting chap that shotblasts Adrian Venns (ExactlyTVR) restoration projects. despite the fact that this bloke owned a company that would have done the powdercoating for me he was Deadset against it, said that one chip water gets back under the coating and off we go again!

He recommended etcher primer with (London bus) black chassis paint, adding "how many London buses do you see with rotten chassis....well to be honest none in Nuneaton, but I thought that he may have a point, plus Mr Venn goes this route.

So I am thinking etcher primer/por15 primer stuff/por15/ then blue enamel type paint (for added bling factor)

Any thoughts?

Steve. G.

[andy-w]

Am i being thick...isnt the body bonded to the chasis with fibre glass in places???

[schimg]

andy-w said:

Am i being thick...isnt the body bonded to the chasis with fibre glass in places???

Andy,

Not that I am aware of...spoke with a few folk that have done this op and have never been told this, but then again I would never say never, it is a TVR after all.

Steve.

[FlipFlopGriff]

Good luck Steve,
We were at Power last night too so missed you.
Rear wishbones being done via Mr Venn (when I get the bushes) and I'm going the shotblast, POR metal ready, POR15 black - job done.
The fronts are still like new (after 12 months) so it is good stuff.
FFG

[schimg]

FlipFlopGriff said:

Good luck Steve, We were at Power last night too so missed you. Rear wishbones being done via Mr Venn (when I get the bushes) and I'm going the shotblast, POR metal ready, POR15 black - job done. The fronts are still like new (after 12 months) so it is good stuff. FFG

Hi Paul,

Yes saw the FFG there, hope you got it sorted.

Yes POR15 is good stuff, actually Adrian did my front wishbones when I first got the car a couple of years ago, these are done in blue hammerite and are still fine, I just put loads of waxoil on the inner sections where all the debris collects. Spoke with him yesterday he is about to go through the same process as myself (or the car!) so a comparison of notes will be made.
Didn't make the bull Z on Sunday bit of a late one had Nikki and Howard, katie and Phil over for food Sat pm....few bottles of red left us all with thicker heads than normal!
Feel free to pop over for a cuppa and have a nose if you wish it would be good to see the pair of you, plus I need all the hands I can get for the lift.

Hope all is well with you

Steve

[chassis 33]

schimg said:

Iain, Cheers mate this is the sort of thing I need to know, I would have been looking for 2 bolts instead of 4, hopefully you have saved some head scratching! Are you in the Midlands then? If so you will probably know the car, as I attend the West Midlands meet at the Bulls z, also there are a couple of pictures of it at the Yellow meet and at Snetterton in last months sprint, it is the yellow/gold/pi$$y coloured chim with the roll cage and the modified LT grill Thanks again, Steve. G.

Hi, no problems, any more info I can help with mail me direct or ask here. I'm actually based in Chester, but was visiting my girlfriend in B'ham and I accidentally posted on her account lastnight.

Regards
Iain