The little things that you would fettle
Discussion
I no longer own one but I would have a remote boot opener as its solenoid activated any and a way of getting it to actually open without using finger nails. :P
BTW the raceproved clips are totally worth it. Its a custom made low value item so I can't think why thats expensive. A relatively mass made swiss watch metal strap is £300-£400 for example! I swapped out the allen key headed bolts for small butterfly heads so it is "tool-less" to open.
BTW the raceproved clips are totally worth it. Its a custom made low value item so I can't think why thats expensive. A relatively mass made swiss watch metal strap is £300-£400 for example! I swapped out the allen key headed bolts for small butterfly heads so it is "tool-less" to open.
So, here's an update after some fettling, as promised!
Interior work has been commissioned and largely completed.
- Sat nav unit with usb point, engine start/stop switch and missile trigger.
- 2x mini gloveboxes, on either side of transmission tunnel at the front. The driver's one is a push-to-open hydraulic piston one, big enopugh for phone and coins etc, the passenger side flips one down. Neither of them impedes on the knees, but I am only 5'11". A 6ft 2 in bloke might touch on the driver side one.
- New gearknob. Because the lever is up near shoulder level, I find it easier to hold it from the side rather than the top. The aluminium ball made that difficult.
- Carpet out, quilted leather in, everywhere including the floors.
- a new amp tucked far up the passenger footwell. A smallish Kicker unit, powering the front two. Takes away about 3 inches of footwell length.
- The white strip leading off to the left of the stereo pod is a mere playful folly- it glows bright red in sync with the red change-up light if the car revs too high. The whole dash bellows a raging red 'change up now!'
- The switch in the foreground on the trnasmission tunnel operates the interior lights. It is set far back enough not to be bumped by the resting elbow.
High level brake light. A gently curving bright LED tube, suspended in mid air on a brushed aluminium 'bridge'.
Brushed aluminium L-section strips, curved to match the parcel shelf profile and riveted in place.
Stops stuff from sliding down behind the seats.
Neatened up driver footwell.
- Leather over the aluminium pedal cowling.
- A flip-down panel to allow access to the fusebox. On the inside of it there is a fusebox diagram.
- A light inside that area to make fuse and fluid inspection easier.
- Aluminium plate riveted onto the floor mat to prevent wear and dirt from heels.
Improved cabin lighting.
Soft orange LED for three places
- inside the black hole of the door cubby
- underneath the door, lighting the grass/mud/tarmac/blood up down there when getting in or out.
- underneath the seat at the front, lighting the floor/ footwell from that point forwards.
This bit I did myself-
Shiny, fat aluminium feet for the change-light pod. Nicer than the skinny, basic-looking struts previously there, and more of a match for the central one. Not a big thing, but a little-thing-big-thing, to me.
Certainly not intended to appeal to everyone, but the Tuscan is already such a car. This just takes it closer to my 'alien assassin/ graphic novel' look.
Next, exterior colour. Hmmmm... choices.
Interior work has been commissioned and largely completed.
- Sat nav unit with usb point, engine start/stop switch and missile trigger.
- 2x mini gloveboxes, on either side of transmission tunnel at the front. The driver's one is a push-to-open hydraulic piston one, big enopugh for phone and coins etc, the passenger side flips one down. Neither of them impedes on the knees, but I am only 5'11". A 6ft 2 in bloke might touch on the driver side one.
- New gearknob. Because the lever is up near shoulder level, I find it easier to hold it from the side rather than the top. The aluminium ball made that difficult.
- Carpet out, quilted leather in, everywhere including the floors.
- a new amp tucked far up the passenger footwell. A smallish Kicker unit, powering the front two. Takes away about 3 inches of footwell length.
- The white strip leading off to the left of the stereo pod is a mere playful folly- it glows bright red in sync with the red change-up light if the car revs too high. The whole dash bellows a raging red 'change up now!'
- The switch in the foreground on the trnasmission tunnel operates the interior lights. It is set far back enough not to be bumped by the resting elbow.
High level brake light. A gently curving bright LED tube, suspended in mid air on a brushed aluminium 'bridge'.
Brushed aluminium L-section strips, curved to match the parcel shelf profile and riveted in place.
Stops stuff from sliding down behind the seats.
Neatened up driver footwell.
- Leather over the aluminium pedal cowling.
- A flip-down panel to allow access to the fusebox. On the inside of it there is a fusebox diagram.
- A light inside that area to make fuse and fluid inspection easier.
- Aluminium plate riveted onto the floor mat to prevent wear and dirt from heels.
Improved cabin lighting.
Soft orange LED for three places
- inside the black hole of the door cubby
- underneath the door, lighting the grass/mud/tarmac/blood up down there when getting in or out.
- underneath the seat at the front, lighting the floor/ footwell from that point forwards.
This bit I did myself-
Shiny, fat aluminium feet for the change-light pod. Nicer than the skinny, basic-looking struts previously there, and more of a match for the central one. Not a big thing, but a little-thing-big-thing, to me.
Certainly not intended to appeal to everyone, but the Tuscan is already such a car. This just takes it closer to my 'alien assassin/ graphic novel' look.
Next, exterior colour. Hmmmm... choices.
m4tti said:
Whats the inflatable thing next to the steering wheel?
Id be super careful with the quilted pedal warmer interfering with the pedals.
The inflatable thing is the satnav / starter button/ usb pod with added woolly picture quality. It's not inflatable, despite your fine engineering guess! Its a fibreglass frame wrapped in wadding and leather, like all the the pod-like things in the car. Id be super careful with the quilted pedal warmer interfering with the pedals.
The pedal warmer doesn't interfere with the pedals, being either on the floor, or a few inches behind the pedals, so well clear of them. I assume you dont think it has salacious desires to 'interfere' with the pedals while I am looking away. A pedalofile?
Light n Hairy said:
I assume you dont think it has salacious desires to 'interfere' with the pedals while I am looking away. A pedalofile?
Ha "pedalofile" very good. I know there was a couple of people on past threads where their carpet had some how interfered with their pedals, which resulted in a non standard skid mark appearing. I polished my rear screen up a treat with Meguiars Ultimate Compound followed by Ultimate Polish.
Anyway, Re. Fettling; I think the Tuscan is pretty right already and the best of the Wheeler models, as mentioned earlier.
I suppose the roof section could be lighter and I hate the chance of scratching the paint behind it when re-fitting.
I've toyed with the idea of making an alternate roof section, possibly of Perspex and carbon fibre.
Only a total lack of skill or knowledge has held me back.
Anyway, Re. Fettling; I think the Tuscan is pretty right already and the best of the Wheeler models, as mentioned earlier.
I suppose the roof section could be lighter and I hate the chance of scratching the paint behind it when re-fitting.
I've toyed with the idea of making an alternate roof section, possibly of Perspex and carbon fibre.
Only a total lack of skill or knowledge has held me back.
I've considered making a carbon fibre roof panel by creating a mold from a spare and vacuum bagging carbon fibre.
The issue seems to be that all the roof panels are slightly different so using a donor roof panel to mold from probably won't work.
The only mod I'll probably bother with now is having a set of these made up to stop the cars self steering feature.
The issue seems to be that all the roof panels are slightly different so using a donor roof panel to mold from probably won't work.
The only mod I'll probably bother with now is having a set of these made up to stop the cars self steering feature.
m4tti said:
I'll take a look again at the rack spacing.
Those arms are from the sagaris, and that was part of the bump steer solution fitted by Str8six to Tuscans, t350's etc unfortunately they're not available at the mo.
I thought that photo looked like the ones that Walford made himself, inspired by the Saggy items. I did try to buy a pair of Sag arms when I started down the bump steer path but they all went pretty quickly.Those arms are from the sagaris, and that was part of the bump steer solution fitted by Str8six to Tuscans, t350's etc unfortunately they're not available at the mo.
And another here.
In fact, there's a guy local to me who could make them up from high-tensile steel for the price of beans. If anyone can take the measurements or post up a couple of pics with them overlain with a ruler, I could get them fettled up for a trial go.
In fact, there's a guy local to me who could make them up from high-tensile steel for the price of beans. If anyone can take the measurements or post up a couple of pics with them overlain with a ruler, I could get them fettled up for a trial go.
Edited by Light n Hairy on Friday 11th August 10:53
m4tti said:
Hi Stewart thanks. Andy our resident Tvr machining maestro said they wouldn't be too hard to replicate, so just gauging interest.
I think it is the way forward, for pre sagaris cars.
Having messed about with mine to get the bump steer how I want it, I think the saggy arm approach is overkill for non sag cars and lowers the outer TRE too much.I think it is the way forward, for pre sagaris cars.
If you look at the picture you posted, you can see how much higher the wishbones are mounted on the sag chassis, with the lower holes being the non sag mounting points, hence the offset arms. To get the BS sorted on later cars needs the rack raising on spacers around 10mm, which TVR did start fitting at some point, which is much easier than swapping steering arms.
Pre March 2001 Tuscans and Cerbs are a different story...
Gassing Station | Tuscan | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff