Resto complete. Some before & after pics...
Discussion
After many months under the Cerb, the resto is complete.
It started out as a mini project to fix the fractured manifolds. But the more I peeled away the layers, the more I found I needed to replace/refurbish. It was a cascade of events, that culminated in many thousands of pounds in parts alone to replace faulty or tired components, and refurbish burnt and rusted chassis and GRP. Which in some areas led to overkill in terms of detail, bordering on obsession
The car was pretty stable before. But now I can confidently take my mitts off the wheel in three digits. For me it redefines the term 'planted', and its one key area of the cars behavoir I wanted to perfect. Its just a truly epic performer. I'm falling in love with this car all over again.
Its not the finished article for me, but the hard work is done. Now I just want to put some miles on her, before pulling the engine apart in a years time or so.
I'd like to say thank you to all the guys who have given me their time on the end of the phone or on here to offer advice when I've been under the Cerb in a fix. Longbow, Joo TCS, MadMark, Austec Racing, TVR Centre, Racetech Direct, Taylor TVR, TTim, Mikesr. I'm a qualified chef, not a mechanic
I feel privileged to be part of this great community that is Pistonheadds and TVR ownership.
Literally hundreds of photos were taken. Here are just a few:
Chassis front before
After
N/S front before
During
After
Front uprights before
It started out as a mini project to fix the fractured manifolds. But the more I peeled away the layers, the more I found I needed to replace/refurbish. It was a cascade of events, that culminated in many thousands of pounds in parts alone to replace faulty or tired components, and refurbish burnt and rusted chassis and GRP. Which in some areas led to overkill in terms of detail, bordering on obsession
The car was pretty stable before. But now I can confidently take my mitts off the wheel in three digits. For me it redefines the term 'planted', and its one key area of the cars behavoir I wanted to perfect. Its just a truly epic performer. I'm falling in love with this car all over again.
Its not the finished article for me, but the hard work is done. Now I just want to put some miles on her, before pulling the engine apart in a years time or so.
I'd like to say thank you to all the guys who have given me their time on the end of the phone or on here to offer advice when I've been under the Cerb in a fix. Longbow, Joo TCS, MadMark, Austec Racing, TVR Centre, Racetech Direct, Taylor TVR, TTim, Mikesr. I'm a qualified chef, not a mechanic
I feel privileged to be part of this great community that is Pistonheadds and TVR ownership.
Literally hundreds of photos were taken. Here are just a few:
Chassis front before
After
N/S front before
During
After
Front uprights before
Erich Stahler said:
Those uprights are ally, I'm sure mine are steel as they have a coating of rust. You have me worried now, wasn't there a factory recall on the front uprights at some time?
Yerp, but nothing to do with materials as far as I can remember, it involved fitting (read glueing) an alloy plate to the rear of the upright to stop corrosion attacking the rear of the hub. IIRCLove the polished bits, hope you lacquered them!
Great job - definatly something to be proud of.
Tim
Resto complete!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
come on get some of the "build up" shots up here.
loving the polished uprights,. wish i had taken mine this far. the chasis in white looks lovely and clean,also wish i had done mine white and not silver now. what paint/ primer did you use and does it adhere to the metal well or does it chip easy as i found my hammerite and hammerite anti rust primer is so weak, one slip with the spanner or ratchet and the bloody paint is chipped. its good for abrassive moves as i had to stand on it and slide my feet around the tubes when i was shimmying the engine in and it withstood that test but sudden smacks and it just breaks/chips
oh well theres this winter to play too.
come on get some of the "build up" shots up here.
loving the polished uprights,. wish i had taken mine this far. the chasis in white looks lovely and clean,also wish i had done mine white and not silver now. what paint/ primer did you use and does it adhere to the metal well or does it chip easy as i found my hammerite and hammerite anti rust primer is so weak, one slip with the spanner or ratchet and the bloody paint is chipped. its good for abrassive moves as i had to stand on it and slide my feet around the tubes when i was shimmying the engine in and it withstood that test but sudden smacks and it just breaks/chips
oh well theres this winter to play too.
Always here to help 
Great work Ged, and like me, you will enjoy the car even more now you KNOW its sorted. I think its even more impressive that you managed the chassis restoration with the cahssis left in the body - that must have been a lot of hard labour to strip it properly.
Enjoy!
Great work Ged, and like me, you will enjoy the car even more now you KNOW its sorted. I think its even more impressive that you managed the chassis restoration with the cahssis left in the body - that must have been a lot of hard labour to strip it properly.Enjoy!
Thank you for the positive comments. Means alot. As there were times in the last 18 months when I wondered why I went so far with it, and it was a very steep learning curve for me.
I would do another, but it would be a body off job next time. Hopefully when I have a bigger garage. As space was a bit of an issue, to the point where I had to build another shed in the garden to store the bonnet, etc just to free up some space in the garage. I guess this was a taster for now. But I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the car and its hidden sins.
With regard to more pics, I am in the process of finishing off a photobucket resto album, and a clip with music and pics of the project.
I'll post them up once complete.
In the meantime, a few more:
N/S rear before
After
New parts
Water temp capilary re-routed through inner wing
I would do another, but it would be a body off job next time. Hopefully when I have a bigger garage. As space was a bit of an issue, to the point where I had to build another shed in the garden to store the bonnet, etc just to free up some space in the garage. I guess this was a taster for now. But I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the car and its hidden sins.
With regard to more pics, I am in the process of finishing off a photobucket resto album, and a clip with music and pics of the project.
I'll post them up once complete.
In the meantime, a few more:
N/S rear before
After
New parts
Water temp capilary re-routed through inner wing
Superb job, cant wait for the rest of your pics! Be great if you could itemise exactly what youve done and some costings. There are sure to be many more undertaking this kind of resto over the next few years, but it would be good if we could follow a high standard.
I can see a Cerbera restoration book coming on soon!
I can see a Cerbera restoration book coming on soon!
Most times when I see work like this, I tend to do a cursory bow of humility and move on. Sometimes I even stretch to thinking "gosh, that's really impressive". Every, now and again, I wonder what it would be like to have somthing like that. Rarely, my loins stir and I think...
... WANT.
You're welcome to give me a call if you would like to repeat the experience!!
... WANT.
You're welcome to give me a call if you would like to repeat the experience!!
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