Body-off opportunities?
Discussion
One for the techys perhaps?
Right, body-off time is nearly upon us, I've started to get a few ideas together and will be looking to improve various aspects of the car as we rebuild...
So, what do you reckon I should be looking at - we've already got a few ideas about suspension changes, hopefully utilising lessons TVR learnt with the Sagaris/ T440R and an old change they made to our Cerb too, or atleast a neat twist with it. What are peoples thoughts on mountings/ caster changes?? Anyone considered further bracing of the chassis? I am wondering whether more can be done with the lower chassis plate under the gearbox... also, 350Matt mentioned something about improving the gear selector by filing something or other - please, feel free to explain.
Please, feel free to add sensible suggestions here - I'd prefer it if people didnt go off on tangents and I'd like people to treat this seriously - it may actually influence our work. I'd like to hear all sorts of suggestions, please think freely as if you were looking at a bare chassis and working from that - it's what we'll be looking at soon!
Any of you who've done the body-off want to chime in with things you would have changed/ that are worth doing/ worth watching - I'd love to hear about it.
Many thanks,
BCA (and JeffA)
Edit: Any photos/ diagrams of TVR suspension improvements or infact any suggested improvements are to be encouraged, it will all be of great interest to me.
Right, body-off time is nearly upon us, I've started to get a few ideas together and will be looking to improve various aspects of the car as we rebuild...
So, what do you reckon I should be looking at - we've already got a few ideas about suspension changes, hopefully utilising lessons TVR learnt with the Sagaris/ T440R and an old change they made to our Cerb too, or atleast a neat twist with it. What are peoples thoughts on mountings/ caster changes?? Anyone considered further bracing of the chassis? I am wondering whether more can be done with the lower chassis plate under the gearbox... also, 350Matt mentioned something about improving the gear selector by filing something or other - please, feel free to explain.
Please, feel free to add sensible suggestions here - I'd prefer it if people didnt go off on tangents and I'd like people to treat this seriously - it may actually influence our work. I'd like to hear all sorts of suggestions, please think freely as if you were looking at a bare chassis and working from that - it's what we'll be looking at soon!
Any of you who've done the body-off want to chime in with things you would have changed/ that are worth doing/ worth watching - I'd love to hear about it.
Many thanks,
BCA (and JeffA)
Edit: Any photos/ diagrams of TVR suspension improvements or infact any suggested improvements are to be encouraged, it will all be of great interest to me.
Edited by BCA on Saturday 17th October 15:25
Good luck!
One of the first things I think I'd consider if I were contemplating a full on rebuild + contemplating 'improvement' would be modifications to the roll cage. I don't know what people have done so far, maybe a search would be useful?
Have you seen any pics of rolled cerbs? They really don't hold up to well. A good rollcage will make the car a lot safer and also MASSIVELY improve torsional strength - far more so than a little mounting plate under the gearbox!
Is this something you could consider, or need it remain stock 'indoors'?
Stu
One of the first things I think I'd consider if I were contemplating a full on rebuild + contemplating 'improvement' would be modifications to the roll cage. I don't know what people have done so far, maybe a search would be useful?
Have you seen any pics of rolled cerbs? They really don't hold up to well. A good rollcage will make the car a lot safer and also MASSIVELY improve torsional strength - far more so than a little mounting plate under the gearbox!
Is this something you could consider, or need it remain stock 'indoors'?
Stu
Needs to remain the same inside, but will be looking into the rear-mounting of the cage definately. You mention they dont hold up well in a roll?? I know about three that have rolled - all were perfectly fine, one was simply put on its wheels and driven to a specialist for repair?! Two others were badly damaged, but internally held up well by the cage. I know people are unsure about how well connected they are at the back - but I've only seen one car with this damaged heavily - and although it was reportedly crashed at 70mph... it was *alot* more than that... 
Edited by BCA on Saturday 17th October 17:44
Is there any anybody else thinking that the rear tyres could be wider to aid traction from the higher HP some engines are making?
It would necessitate widening the rear wheel arches with Porsche style bulges. But would you need to fit wider fronts as well to keep the balance?
Is this thinking sacrilage in others mind? Spoiling the lines of the car?
It would necessitate widening the rear wheel arches with Porsche style bulges. But would you need to fit wider fronts as well to keep the balance?
Is this thinking sacrilage in others mind? Spoiling the lines of the car?
A cage is definitely the big easy win for stiffness.
The gearbox mod is to file the selector forks to make cross-gate changes slicker and quicker.
Ken at Klassic transmissions has got my box now for a refresh and to tweak the forks. He's well worth a ring, he's got decades of experience and is very reasonably priced - he's only just down the road from you in Wolverhampton as well.
http://www.klassiktrans.co.uk/
The gearbox mod is to file the selector forks to make cross-gate changes slicker and quicker.
Ken at Klassic transmissions has got my box now for a refresh and to tweak the forks. He's well worth a ring, he's got decades of experience and is very reasonably priced - he's only just down the road from you in Wolverhampton as well.
http://www.klassiktrans.co.uk/
not sure if theres any mileage in this worth investigating though
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... rear wishbone upgrade (Plasticman)?
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... rear wishbone upgrade (Plasticman)?
slideways said:
not sure if theres any mileage in this worth investigating though
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... rear wishbone upgrade (Plasticman)?
Below is a copy and paste of the reply I have just given on that thread...http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... rear wishbone upgrade (Plasticman)?
Just to confirm what I have done to my cerb...
The upper front wishbones have been changed to the later Tuscan II's and the holes in the uprights re drilled further out to fit.
On the rear There is custom made shock mounts which sit the shock in a near vertical position. I will post up pics on Monday.
I have removed the rear anti roll bar.
I have not really had a chance to test the car properly yet, I may need to change the rear springs as the way the shocks are used has now changed.
Mark, following on from our previous thread about the damper mount extensions on both of our cars, this is probably what we'll be doing front and rear too.. its an interesting idea that TVR played with, shame they only returned to it with the Sagaris... We'll be looking to change the front top wishbones to the newer style too, they're stronger - and we've managed to kill two of them. 
Gazzab said:
I am sure I read years ago that metal with a current running through it cannot rust.........!? Probably dreamt it, but could you wire up the chassis, run a current through it and therefore protect it? (Hides head in shame.....).
I am no electrician, hell, I don't even know if I have spelt it right! But I think there would be an issue with earthing the other electrical components on a live chassis markh1 said:
Gazzab said:
I am sure I read years ago that metal with a current running through it cannot rust.........!? Probably dreamt it, but could you wire up the chassis, run a current through it and therefore protect it? (Hides head in shame.....).
I am no electrician, hell, I don't even know if I have spelt it right! But I think there would be an issue with earthing the other electrical components on a live chassis http://www.ruststopnorthamerica.com/
I stand corrected!
That does look interesting, similar sort of principle to a sacrificial annode on a boat. On the sites FAQ's it says it is safe to use with the other vehicle eletrical system s but does not explain how it works with the earth. It obviously works but I would love to know how it works without affecting the earthing system on the car.
That does look interesting, similar sort of principle to a sacrificial annode on a boat. On the sites FAQ's it says it is safe to use with the other vehicle eletrical system s but does not explain how it works with the earth. It obviously works but I would love to know how it works without affecting the earthing system on the car.
markh1 said:
I stand corrected!
That does look interesting, similar sort of principle to a sacrificial annode on a boat. On the sites FAQ's it says it is safe to use with the other vehicle eletrical system s but does not explain how it works with the earth. It obviously works but I would love to know how it works without affecting the earthing system on the car.
Isn't the chassis already used for earthing, therefore has some sort of current through it?That does look interesting, similar sort of principle to a sacrificial annode on a boat. On the sites FAQ's it says it is safe to use with the other vehicle eletrical system s but does not explain how it works with the earth. It obviously works but I would love to know how it works without affecting the earthing system on the car.
I guess so. I am making the presumption from a novice's standpoint that any current flowing through the chassis already is negative because of the earthing (that is if you can have a negative flow of elecricity!?) My second presumption is that these anti rust magnets need a positive current to make them work. I therefore don't understand how both they and the earthing can work at the same time. I believe that it works, its just that my simple brain does not undestand how! 
davidd said:
How are you treating the chassis? There is a zinc spraying plant in our village who did my m for me...
D
Nothing is 100% confirmed yet, so if you have some details of said company, that'd be great! D
Everyone else - we've had to knock a couple of the suspension ideas on the head due to sprint/hillclimb rules - but we still have a couple of ideas on this that should be ok... going to go through the rule book very carefully.
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