Stainless Steel Chassis
Discussion
cuneus said:
Mr Tank said:
Hi
I can now squash the rumour that the SEAC Racer has a Stainless Chassis!
No it doesn't.
If it did originaly I don't know, but now its a painted steel chassis!
Andy
Andy - curious what makes you say thatI can now squash the rumour that the SEAC Racer has a Stainless Chassis!
No it doesn't.
If it did originaly I don't know, but now its a painted steel chassis!
Andy
Wish mine was bloody stainless!
Stu
cuneus said:
Mr Tank said:
Hi
I can now squash the rumour that the SEAC Racer has a Stainless Chassis!
No it doesn't.
If it did originaly I don't know, but now its a painted steel chassis!
Andy
Andy - curious what makes you say thatI can now squash the rumour that the SEAC Racer has a Stainless Chassis!
No it doesn't.
If it did originaly I don't know, but now its a painted steel chassis!
Andy
David
The reason why I say that is because like every body who has read things on the SEAC pages etc, which says the chassis of the racer was stainless, if it was then, its not know, as Jeff says it's not and I have checked it and the main Chassis rails are steel and it has been painted black!
Andy
hallsie said:
The rusty outriggers, probably???
Wish mine was bloody stainless!
Stu
Hi StuWish mine was bloody stainless!
Stu
You would not want a stainless chassis, the are prone to cracking at the joints etc.
That's why I think originaly the beast had a stainless chassis, but it has been replaced with a steel one for those reasons or because it was damaged due to a racing incident!
Andy
Mine had some problems with the stainless failing.
The mounting plates for the top of the rear suspension torn apart and had to be replaced with heavier gauge material.
Interesting that so few stainless chassis were made and that even fewer survive, at the last count only two in existance.
I spoke to Giles Cooper at the time and I'm fairly sure that he only delivered one stainless chassis, although more were ordered, and that Martin's (The Hatter) ex Barry Zee car was one of only a few ex-factort early cars. Giles said that he sold the first 10 (or so) dealer cars from Barnet.
As ever a wait for correction on this...
The mounting plates for the top of the rear suspension torn apart and had to be replaced with heavier gauge material.
Interesting that so few stainless chassis were made and that even fewer survive, at the last count only two in existance.
I spoke to Giles Cooper at the time and I'm fairly sure that he only delivered one stainless chassis, although more were ordered, and that Martin's (The Hatter) ex Barry Zee car was one of only a few ex-factort early cars. Giles said that he sold the first 10 (or so) dealer cars from Barnet.
As ever a wait for correction on this...
Just seen this thread... I'll avoid the discussion about whether stainless is a good material for a chassis and recount what I've been told!
I took my stainless SEAC up to David Gerald and spent a couple of hours talking to Chris Schirle about it. He stated that originally two stainless race car chassis were made, one for Rod Gretton and the other for John Kent; both of these were 390 chassis rather than SEAC chassis.
Chris then said two further chassis were made for the SEAC racer at PWs insistence.
The racer chassis had problems with cracking, Chris didn't elaborate as to the solution for this... it's clear that one possible solution would be to revert to a mild steel chassis.
I was then independently told by Rupert Kent that his Dad's 390 stainless chassis was developed to have A-arm suspension and then that car evolved into the SEAC racer. This makes sense as the SEAC racer has removable sills and vertical plates on the chassis outriggers to mount the body (ie like a 390 rather than a production SEAC); and it's been said that the SEAC racer was used to develop the A-arm rear suspension set up.
So... the current situation seems to be:
One trailing arm '390/SEAC' 'removable sill' chassis exists in Scotland and was put up for sale recently
D488PHG has a stainless 'competition' SEAC chassis without vertical plates on the outriggers (mine, known history)
D177ALL has a stainless 'competition' SEAC chassis without vertical plates on the outriggers (aderut's, known history)
... and one of the '390/SEAC' 'removable sill' stainless chassis is missing...
I took my stainless SEAC up to David Gerald and spent a couple of hours talking to Chris Schirle about it. He stated that originally two stainless race car chassis were made, one for Rod Gretton and the other for John Kent; both of these were 390 chassis rather than SEAC chassis.
Chris then said two further chassis were made for the SEAC racer at PWs insistence.
The racer chassis had problems with cracking, Chris didn't elaborate as to the solution for this... it's clear that one possible solution would be to revert to a mild steel chassis.
I was then independently told by Rupert Kent that his Dad's 390 stainless chassis was developed to have A-arm suspension and then that car evolved into the SEAC racer. This makes sense as the SEAC racer has removable sills and vertical plates on the chassis outriggers to mount the body (ie like a 390 rather than a production SEAC); and it's been said that the SEAC racer was used to develop the A-arm rear suspension set up.
So... the current situation seems to be:
One trailing arm '390/SEAC' 'removable sill' chassis exists in Scotland and was put up for sale recently
D488PHG has a stainless 'competition' SEAC chassis without vertical plates on the outriggers (mine, known history)
D177ALL has a stainless 'competition' SEAC chassis without vertical plates on the outriggers (aderut's, known history)
... and one of the '390/SEAC' 'removable sill' stainless chassis is missing...
I would agree with...
D488PHG has a stainless 'competition' SEAC chassis without vertical plates on the outriggers (mine, known history)
D177ALL has a stainless 'competition' SEAC chassis without vertical plates on the outriggers (aderut's, known history)
But would have to add to
One trailing arm '390/SEAC' 'removable sill' chassis exists in Scotland and was put up for sale recently
(History and construction unknown, let's have a bit more info on the Scottish car, please anyone?)
D488PHG has a stainless 'competition' SEAC chassis without vertical plates on the outriggers (mine, known history)
D177ALL has a stainless 'competition' SEAC chassis without vertical plates on the outriggers (aderut's, known history)
But would have to add to
One trailing arm '390/SEAC' 'removable sill' chassis exists in Scotland and was put up for sale recently
(History and construction unknown, let's have a bit more info on the Scottish car, please anyone?)
Thanks for the invite Ade. Not sue what i can add here as my knowledge of the road cars is non existent. I concur with the thoughts on the racer though. The factory SEAC definitely started life with a stainless chassis, whether it was a pain in the backside to keep mending so they changed for mild steel i don't know. Coley would know i can ask him, failing that i can ask Dave Bentley. Let me know if interests and I'll dig.
Roop said:
Thanks for the invite Ade. Not sue what i can add here as my knowledge of the road cars is non existent. I concur with the thoughts on the racer though. The factory SEAC definitely started life with a stainless chassis, whether it was a pain in the backside to keep mending so they changed for mild steel i don't know. Coley would know i can ask him, failing that i can ask Dave Bentley. Let me know if interests and I'll dig.
HiI would very much like to know if Dave Bentley knows when the chassis was changed to a mild Steel chassis etc!
Andy
On the subject of the road cars. I know that David Hill did order a Stainless Chassis for what was D175ALL but that it was delivered a mild steel. I think his was the first car with what became the "standard" SEAC dash.
I can ask Gilesd if he delivered any other Stainless Chassis cars but I'm sure that would be covering old ground and that D177ALL was the only one he sent out of the doors of TVR Centre in Arkley.
As no doublt been said before Barry Zee was very friendly with the factory and so he bought Hatter's car direct from Bristol Avenue.
I can ask Gilesd if he delivered any other Stainless Chassis cars but I'm sure that would be covering old ground and that D177ALL was the only one he sent out of the doors of TVR Centre in Arkley.
As no doublt been said before Barry Zee was very friendly with the factory and so he bought Hatter's car direct from Bristol Avenue.
Roop, any info you could find out would be great! Thanks for that.
My car was maintained by the factory for a while when new (BZ was apparently out of the country a lot and TVR looked after the car in his absence). It has a lot of chassis repairs so it looks like the factory would have very soon become aware of the limitations of a stainless chassis on a road car with stiff (race spec, supposedly) suspension.
My car was maintained by the factory for a while when new (BZ was apparently out of the country a lot and TVR looked after the car in his absence). It has a lot of chassis repairs so it looks like the factory would have very soon become aware of the limitations of a stainless chassis on a road car with stiff (race spec, supposedly) suspension.
Roop said:
Well, i can confirm that the chassis was changed to mild steel by David Gerald during the racing life of the car (86/87/88...?). Not sure exactly when, but it was because the stainless one kept cracking.
Roop thanks for the info! I will add it to the car's history file!
Andy
Roop thanks - have updated the website
David Gerald did not acquire the racer until 1987
David Gerald did not acquire the racer until 1987
Roop said:
Well, i can confirm that the chassis was changed to mild steel by David Gerald during the racing life of the car (86/87/88...?). Not sure exactly when, but it was because the stainless one kept cracking.
one of those with stainless steel chassis is for sale I saw>
said:
We are thrilled to offer a small piece of TVR history for sale. We have a 420 SEAC Racer with a stainless chassis, Stainless rear arms and Stainless hub carriers. It also has part Kevlar body.
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/tvr/wedges/seac-420-racer-with-stainless-chassis/2369671Gassing Station | Wedges | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff