My new Toy's on it's way!
Discussion
I feel for you mate, the worst possible news for the two most expensive bits.
You did say you wanted a blank canvas...
When it is done it will be brand new and Epic.
Probably won’t make you feel better but mine now has an MOT and tax for the first time since 2006. Still a bit of finishing off to do, but almost there.
You did say you wanted a blank canvas...
When it is done it will be brand new and Epic.
Probably won’t make you feel better but mine now has an MOT and tax for the first time since 2006. Still a bit of finishing off to do, but almost there.
LeeHodges said:
Now that I'm back from Aus, time for an update:
- TVR Central have written off the chassis (main backbone corrosion)
- Powers have told me the engine needs another Taraka rebuild (scored bores, knackered shells etc)
I think I'll go back down under...
You were doing really well. No consolation but as Dunc says you will have a brand new car that you know has been rebuilt properly so definitely a keeper. Dont give up!- TVR Central have written off the chassis (main backbone corrosion)
- Powers have told me the engine needs another Taraka rebuild (scored bores, knackered shells etc)
I think I'll go back down under...
Thanks for the support, chaps (great news on the MOT, Duncan!). Dom is going to see what he can do for me and Adrian at Central has a chassis I could buy from them. Just need to double check if "new" means new or reconditioned. It was a bit of a kick in the teeth as I was hoping that I'd get away with around 2k for chassis work and maybe the same for the engine. Don't get me wrong, a new chassis and a well sorted Taraka engine would be a great combo, but at what price given that I still need other big-ticket work? Sigh, let's see where the next few days get us.
Looks like Christmas has come early...
Ho, ho, holly cr@p, looks like Santa left me the invoice to go with it.
Despite Santa's load all over my garage floor, I realised that to make progress I still needed another good parts order, which I've duly put in today. The chassis is new from RT Racing (as are the bolt kits) and the other bits are from TVR-Parts. I think they should be adding me to their Christmas card list this year.
Ho, ho, holly cr@p, looks like Santa left me the invoice to go with it.
Despite Santa's load all over my garage floor, I realised that to make progress I still needed another good parts order, which I've duly put in today. The chassis is new from RT Racing (as are the bolt kits) and the other bits are from TVR-Parts. I think they should be adding me to their Christmas card list this year.
Chim450 said:
Wow. I have so much respect for people that take on huge projects like this. I wish I had the time and knowledge to carry out this sort of work myself. It must be so satisfying.
With essentially a new engine and chassis are you going to be treating it to a respray and retrim?
Yes; I really want to give it the same paint job as my Tamora, which is/was a chameleon green. It's not a radical flip paint but gives such a deep, layered green. I then will then get it retrimmed mainly in the same colours (black) but with some slight improvements here and there. It should make it pretty individual in Griffith terms as I think there may only be one other Griff in Chameleon green and that's abroad. With essentially a new engine and chassis are you going to be treating it to a respray and retrim?
N7GTX said:
I haven't price matched the suspension arms but Powers are already fitted with the standard bushes saving you some time and possibly some grief too. Looks like TVR Parts ones you assemble yourself?
Unfortunately yes, the wishbones were without bushes. To be honest (and I can talk at length from experience) getting the old buggers out is the hardest part. The rubber not so much but the metal collars. At least new bushes into new wishbones ought to be easier...Well done Lee. This is where the exciting time starts.
I remember well when I had a shiny bubble wrapped chassis in my garage. It seems like an age ago, but in reality it was January. It has been an exciting six months, but now I can drive it around.
Re the comment on suspension bushes, all mine went in just using a vice.
Keep us updated.
I remember well when I had a shiny bubble wrapped chassis in my garage. It seems like an age ago, but in reality it was January. It has been an exciting six months, but now I can drive it around.
Re the comment on suspension bushes, all mine went in just using a vice.
Keep us updated.
BIG DUNC said:
Well done Lee. This is where the exciting time starts.
I remember well when I had a shiny bubble wrapped chassis in my garage. It seems like an age ago, but in reality it was January. It has been an exciting six months, but now I can drive it around.
Re the comment on suspension bushes, all mine went in just using a vice.
Keep us updated.
I can't imagine when I'm going to get to drive this one, Duncan. I really can't see it being this year, especially as I've not even touched the top half yet. There's going to be plenty for me to do there before I can ship it off to Central for bodywork and trim and they're likely to have a backlog.I remember well when I had a shiny bubble wrapped chassis in my garage. It seems like an age ago, but in reality it was January. It has been an exciting six months, but now I can drive it around.
Re the comment on suspension bushes, all mine went in just using a vice.
Keep us updated.
Taken receipt of my latest order; doesn't look like much for £500! My Gaz Gold Pro's are being built as we speak, so that'll be good to get my hands on.
The steel collars on the rear uprights are an absolute nightmare. I've had to take a hacksaw to them to try and loosen them before getting them in the vice. I've had to put so much pressure on the winder that I thought something would break. As it was, the last one came out in small, sudden 'cracks', one after the other on each turn. It's taking forever, so much so that I may take the other upright to be done elsewhere!
Hi folks
After a complete lack of update on this thread for a while, I thought I'd let you know what's going on. Having not re-read my last, I think that I'd left this having taken receipt of my new RT Racing chassis and was trying to find time to get to work on it. I think I was also reeling a bit from Dom's assessment of my Taraka engine! So, chassis first.
Essentially I have not been able to get the time on this that I thought / hoped I would, so progress has been thin on the ground. Additionally, when I did find time, I ran into one problem after another. The removal of the old bushes was (and I can’t state this strongly enough) a complete and utter pain in the rear end, taking much more time, effort, energy than I’d planned to give. However, eventually all that needed replacing were replaced, and all new wishbones and the uprights were bushed. It was quite a moment when that was done.
Then followed multiple issues, including but not restricted to:
- Toe adjusters provided by TVR-Parts that didn’t come with the shown nyloc nut at the end (and no, I couldn’t find one locally at all…)
They did eventually get one to me, saying the photo on their site was incorrect, but they weren’t apologetic about the hassles it cost me for the sake of them throwing in a few pence-worth of nut with the original order.
- Toe adjuster threads forgotten to be ordered by me
Actually I later removed and cleaned up the old ones, but not before I’d ordered new ones with lock nuts. I used the new ones in the end.
- Lower ball joints provided by TVR-Parts that came with completely the wrong length threaded bolts
Luckily I had some in the RT Racing bolt kit I bought, so this didn’t hold me back for long.
- Lack of washers for rear upper front wishbone bushes
They’re a different diameter than all the others, which I didn’t realise – my fault but not helped by TVR-Parts website not showing the washers in the ‘related items’ list on the bush’s page.
- Loss of one of the four washers I subsequently ordered for the above…
Doh. Couldn’t be bothered to pay the silly P&P prices that the various TVR parts suppliers charge, so I used my dremmel to open up a standard nylon washer from the other bushes.
- Inability to get RT Racing’s rear top Wishbone-to-suspension bolt through their chassis on both sides as the holes were too small
Very annoying this one. I got in contact with Richard, who was happy to send over smaller diameter bolts. However, this would likely have introduced play in the metal suspension bushes, so I ended up carefully opening up the holes with the dremmel before painting with some white POR15. Bolts then went through. Result.
- Inability to get the lower rear suspension bolt through the TVR-Parts lower wishbone due to miss-alignment of the holes
Again, used my trusty dremmel to widen one of the holes, which provided enough play on the bolt to get it re-aligned with the other side
- Inability to get the rear uprights to meet the upper wishbone due to excessive toe-out
This was due to the TVR-Parts lower wishbone not allowing their thread adjuster to screw any further in than around half way. I had got them in as far as I could in the hope that they would only need to be adjusted outward when the alignment was set up, but the uprights/wishbones wouldn’t even align. I had to buy a tap set and pretty much recut the threads in both wishbones before the adjusters would screw in!
This pile got much bigger before the end!
Sorted at last!
Now at least, the rear suspension is in place, which is good. Having received back my hubs from Ian at Sportmotive I have attempted to put the front hubs and carriers together, but despite my best efforts, I can’t push the hubs all the way into the bearing in the carrier. My brother-in-law has a garage with a press, so I will have to take the hubs down there to be finished.
The engine: this was left two or three months ago with Dom, who said he would see what he could do when I balked at their ‘probably a full Taraka rebuild’ at circa £5k. Well, time went by and emails got ignored so I ended up calling; I spoke to Andy there who shouted around the shop floor, asking if anyone had seen my engine… Cut forward a week and I had an email to show me these pictures and at around half the original quote (until I had them add a heavy duty clutch kit, that is!). Nice one, Powers.
Whilst I wait until I can reunite the hubs, I have started checking out my diff before that gets cleaned up and goes back in. I've decided not to use the OEM central bush that I bought due (if nothing else) to the fact that they're so hard to remove if required later. I've bought a poly instead.
I think that's enough for now. Thanks for listening!
After a complete lack of update on this thread for a while, I thought I'd let you know what's going on. Having not re-read my last, I think that I'd left this having taken receipt of my new RT Racing chassis and was trying to find time to get to work on it. I think I was also reeling a bit from Dom's assessment of my Taraka engine! So, chassis first.
Essentially I have not been able to get the time on this that I thought / hoped I would, so progress has been thin on the ground. Additionally, when I did find time, I ran into one problem after another. The removal of the old bushes was (and I can’t state this strongly enough) a complete and utter pain in the rear end, taking much more time, effort, energy than I’d planned to give. However, eventually all that needed replacing were replaced, and all new wishbones and the uprights were bushed. It was quite a moment when that was done.
Then followed multiple issues, including but not restricted to:
- Toe adjusters provided by TVR-Parts that didn’t come with the shown nyloc nut at the end (and no, I couldn’t find one locally at all…)
They did eventually get one to me, saying the photo on their site was incorrect, but they weren’t apologetic about the hassles it cost me for the sake of them throwing in a few pence-worth of nut with the original order.
- Toe adjuster threads forgotten to be ordered by me
Actually I later removed and cleaned up the old ones, but not before I’d ordered new ones with lock nuts. I used the new ones in the end.
- Lower ball joints provided by TVR-Parts that came with completely the wrong length threaded bolts
Luckily I had some in the RT Racing bolt kit I bought, so this didn’t hold me back for long.
- Lack of washers for rear upper front wishbone bushes
They’re a different diameter than all the others, which I didn’t realise – my fault but not helped by TVR-Parts website not showing the washers in the ‘related items’ list on the bush’s page.
- Loss of one of the four washers I subsequently ordered for the above…
Doh. Couldn’t be bothered to pay the silly P&P prices that the various TVR parts suppliers charge, so I used my dremmel to open up a standard nylon washer from the other bushes.
- Inability to get RT Racing’s rear top Wishbone-to-suspension bolt through their chassis on both sides as the holes were too small
Very annoying this one. I got in contact with Richard, who was happy to send over smaller diameter bolts. However, this would likely have introduced play in the metal suspension bushes, so I ended up carefully opening up the holes with the dremmel before painting with some white POR15. Bolts then went through. Result.
- Inability to get the lower rear suspension bolt through the TVR-Parts lower wishbone due to miss-alignment of the holes
Again, used my trusty dremmel to widen one of the holes, which provided enough play on the bolt to get it re-aligned with the other side
- Inability to get the rear uprights to meet the upper wishbone due to excessive toe-out
This was due to the TVR-Parts lower wishbone not allowing their thread adjuster to screw any further in than around half way. I had got them in as far as I could in the hope that they would only need to be adjusted outward when the alignment was set up, but the uprights/wishbones wouldn’t even align. I had to buy a tap set and pretty much recut the threads in both wishbones before the adjusters would screw in!
This pile got much bigger before the end!
Sorted at last!
Now at least, the rear suspension is in place, which is good. Having received back my hubs from Ian at Sportmotive I have attempted to put the front hubs and carriers together, but despite my best efforts, I can’t push the hubs all the way into the bearing in the carrier. My brother-in-law has a garage with a press, so I will have to take the hubs down there to be finished.
The engine: this was left two or three months ago with Dom, who said he would see what he could do when I balked at their ‘probably a full Taraka rebuild’ at circa £5k. Well, time went by and emails got ignored so I ended up calling; I spoke to Andy there who shouted around the shop floor, asking if anyone had seen my engine… Cut forward a week and I had an email to show me these pictures and at around half the original quote (until I had them add a heavy duty clutch kit, that is!). Nice one, Powers.
Whilst I wait until I can reunite the hubs, I have started checking out my diff before that gets cleaned up and goes back in. I've decided not to use the OEM central bush that I bought due (if nothing else) to the fact that they're so hard to remove if required later. I've bought a poly instead.
I think that's enough for now. Thanks for listening!
Nice one Lee. You are making progress.
It sounds as though you have had more issues with your new chassis than I did using my existing one.
Since the MOT in June mine has done just over 400 miles. There have been a few issues in that time, mostly annoying rather than major.
We take it on holiday this week, to France, so that will be its first real test.
It sounds as though you have had more issues with your new chassis than I did using my existing one.
Since the MOT in June mine has done just over 400 miles. There have been a few issues in that time, mostly annoying rather than major.
We take it on holiday this week, to France, so that will be its first real test.
BIG DUNC said:
Nice one Lee. You are making progress.
It sounds as though you have had more issues with your new chassis than I did using my existing one.
Since the MOT in June mine has done just over 400 miles. There have been a few issues in that time, mostly annoying rather than major.
We take it on holiday this week, to France, so that will be its first real test.
Hi DuncanIt sounds as though you have had more issues with your new chassis than I did using my existing one.
Since the MOT in June mine has done just over 400 miles. There have been a few issues in that time, mostly annoying rather than major.
We take it on holiday this week, to France, so that will be its first real test.
Yes, progress of sorts. I am learning to adjust my expectations; instead of assuming I'm going to get into the garage and achieve x, y and z on a given day, I just hope to get some time and am pleasently surprised that A) I got in there and B) I got x done!
I was going to ask you if you were set for France; I can't imagine being in the position for such an exciting trip in the TVR. Have a great time and report back!
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