Repairs progress report and a great big thank you
Repairs progress report and a great big thank you
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NTEL

Original Poster:

5,051 posts

269 months

Monday 21st July 2008
quotequote all
First of all, many thanks to all who gave me help and support following my crash last Friday in practice. All the words of encouragment went a long way to helping me decide to pull my finger out and start to repair the car a soon as possible.

Got the car on the ramps today to assess the damage. Found that the engine mountings had slid forward in the slotted holes and the gearbox mounting had completely sheared on the welds. All this has now been repaired and the engine and gearbox are now in the correct places and straight. I can now select all the gears and there doesn't appear to be any internel damage to the box.

The near side suspension has all been removed and I should have all the new parts to fit on Wednesday with the exception of the damper which will be with me at the end of the week.

The steering rack was also mashed but I will have a new one in the morning.

A new light weight front end is in manufacture as we speak and will be ready for me to collect on Sunday.

Lots of cutting and grinding to be done tomorrow to replace the damaged bits of chassis at the front of the car which took most of the impact.

I have found a second hand radiator from a T350 (cheap, cheap, cheap) which I will mount in the nose cone when the new front end is on.

So things are progressing and at this rate it just may be ready for Silverstone.

Also a big thanks to Track V Road who are allowing me to use their workshop facilities to carry out the work.

Edited by NTEL on Monday 21st July 20:04

Wacky Racer

41,301 posts

276 months

Monday 21st July 2008
quotequote all
Sorry to hear about this Dave,yikes but at least you are OK............

Good luck....thumbup

heightswitch

6,322 posts

279 months

Monday 21st July 2008
quotequote all
Dave gets the award for quote of the meeting from me.

"I crested the brow flat and bugger me the circuit turned left" biggrin

Top banana Dave. get it mended son, Class C is getting good.

Neil.

wedgefettler

63 posts

244 months

Tuesday 22nd July 2008
quotequote all
Dave,
glad the car is a badly damaged as she first looked on the back of the tow truck.
If you need a lift - give a shout!
You know I'm an expert on all things "Ramp of Doom"

wedgefettler

63 posts

244 months

Tuesday 22nd July 2008
quotequote all
Dave,
glad the car is a badly damaged as she first looked on the back of the tow truck.
If you need a lift - give a shout!
You know I'm an expert on all things "Ramp of Doom"

madbadger

11,752 posts

273 months

Tuesday 22nd July 2008
quotequote all
heightswitch said:
Dave gets the award for quote of the meeting from me.

"I crested the brow flat and bugger me the circuit turned left" biggrin

Top banana Dave. get it mended son, Class C is getting good.

Neil.
hehe


NTEL

Original Poster:

5,051 posts

269 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
Things seem to be now progressing nicely. Have been let down on a few parts but I have now sourced them.

Collecting the new front end today so I had better learn how to do a bit of fibreglassing. Will make a start in the morning on that.

Also collecting a new steering rack today.

Suspension is now rebuilt with the exception of the Nitron which I will have towards the backend of next week.

All the frontal structural work is complete and the new radiator mounted.

Collecting the new windscreen on Monday.

So, other than a few bits of hoses, electrical stuff, and other bits and pieces, we are almost there smile

TVR_owner

3,349 posts

220 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
Well done Dave. Nice to see you bounce staright back and get on with it - too many would have walked away and said bo**ocks, it can wait till the winter. smile

TVRleigh_BBWR

6,553 posts

242 months

Friday 25th July 2008
quotequote all
Wow that was quick well done.

NTEL

Original Poster:

5,051 posts

269 months

Saturday 26th July 2008
quotequote all
New steering rack is on and the car is back on 4 wheels and moves. There is a piece of 30mm square box section where the shock should be but hey, its progress smile

Cut off the old redundant bodywork today and offered up the new one piece front. It fits really well. I'll be experimenting with front hinges tomorrow to try to achieve a fully tilting front end. If that works then its just a case of fitting a few panel clips and then filling in the holes in the existing panels to form bulkheads.

Still lots to do but its looking good for Silverstone.

chedder

1,329 posts

236 months

Saturday 26th July 2008
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clap Bravo! well done Dave clap

NTEL

Original Poster:

5,051 posts

269 months

Sunday 27th July 2008
quotequote all
From this:



To this in 5 days





Still lots to do but I'm chuffed with the hinged front end.

The new front end is actually lighter than my old bonnet panel alone smile

Edited by NTEL on Sunday 27th July 17:36

MrsS

454 posts

281 months

Sunday 27th July 2008
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Well done that manclapclapclapclapclapclapclap

See you and Dot at Silverstone.

Linda.

Guillotine

5,516 posts

293 months

Sunday 27th July 2008
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(If it IS much lighter dave...your spring rates will need dropping... or its understeer city for you at Sillystone)


Go on my son!wink

kevin63

4,661 posts

282 months

Sunday 27th July 2008
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Your doing a cracking job by the looks of things Dave, I sure you will do it for Silverstone, good luck.

thegamekeeper

2,282 posts

311 months

Sunday 27th July 2008
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Why didn't TVR think of a hinging forward front. It would have caught on I think. Imagine how easy it would be to work on the engine, cooling, steering, front suspension and brakes. Accident damage would be so easy to repair it would almost be worth having an accicdent to come up with the idea

Edited by thegamekeeper on Sunday 27th July 22:06

NTEL

Original Poster:

5,051 posts

269 months

Sunday 27th July 2008
quotequote all
thegamekeeper said:
Why didn't TVR think of a hinging forward front. It would have caught on I think. Imagine how easy it would be to work on the engine, cooling, steering, front suspension and brakes. Accident damage would be so easy to repair it would almost be worth having an accicdent to come up with the idea

Edited by thegamekeeper on Sunday 27th July 22:06
To be fair, the idea came from Ian at Track v Road, me and my lad just made it happen. smile

NTEL

Original Poster:

5,051 posts

269 months

Sunday 27th July 2008
quotequote all
MrsS said:
Well done that manclapclapclapclapclapclapclap

See you and Dot at Silverstone.

Linda.
HiYa Linda,

If things are going this well by next Friday, I'll book myself in smile

Our Dave will be with me with the TIG welding set just in case somnthing falls offwink

NTEL

Original Poster:

5,051 posts

269 months

Sunday 27th July 2008
quotequote all
Guillotine said:
(If it IS much lighter dave...your spring rates will need dropping... or its understeer city for you at Sillystone)


Go on my son!wink
Can't afford new front springs mate, I'll just have to raise the back a bit. Anyway I'll not be doing more than 50mphwink

NTEL

Original Poster:

5,051 posts

269 months

Sunday 27th July 2008
quotequote all
kevin63 said:
Your doing a cracking job by the looks of things Dave, I sure you will do it for Silverstone, good luck.
Still lots of work to do yet matey, but next week should bottom it. Unfortunately, for my company, we have not got much work on at the minute, so it has enabled me to have my best welders / fabricators (my son and my brother)to be on the task all week. smash

Edited by NTEL on Sunday 27th July 23:00