For the love of Tuscan (project build)
Discussion
The curved pedals arrived today for the pedal box, thanks to Leigh at Autobarn Engineering for sorting these...
Also added large penny washers to the slider rail bolts to give a greater contact area
And locknuts on the inside for extra peace off mind...
Also added large penny washers to the slider rail bolts to give a greater contact area
And locknuts on the inside for extra peace off mind...
Edited by Modrich on Sunday 31st March 21:19
Agree they are worthy of being mounted and put on display! I thought it was rude not to fit them as I had the pedal box out and when I was pleasantly surprised at the cost so went for all 3. They're £90ea plus postage which I thought was amazing value considering the materials and machining involved. Contact info is on page 3 I think if you need it.
Edited by Modrich on Wednesday 21st December 22:54
robsco said:
Agree on the pedals, stunning. Possible group buy…? Sorry to derail the thread OP, but I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking this!
Noobs 
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I'm sure Leigh would happily do another 'group buy'. Start a thread!
Seats strip down & clean-up
The passenger seat leather covers are in surprisingly good condition, no damage, tears or even wear. I recently contacted Mervyn the TVRCC registrar who was able to reveal some more info on my car, one of which was the seat leather colour which is Prussian Blue, which I really quite like...
...just a small amount of mould damage to the under-thigh panel on the base.
The steel parts give up how damp the inside of the car must have been due to poor seals...
The seat base leather is fairly easy to remove it's just glued to the side/underside of the base and then held in place with Velcro under the removeable cushion
This is the driver’s seat backrest with ‘turtle shell’ and lumber bladder removed. The back rest is made up of the 'hoop' and backrest cushion. There are 2 vertical steel 'wires' that the backrest cushion cover is clipped onto using hog rings (the wire on the left has snapped off at the base). The hog rings need to be removed and leather pealed back at the top and sides...
The base and backrest covers and cushions of both seats removed...
This is the worst of the damage/wear to the seats, the drivers RHS bolster/hoop. It's not beyond repair though...
Although, the hoop itself is beyond repair, a common issue with these seats. Thankfully Central TVR can supply new hoop foam with updated/strengthened steel fixing brackets.
Onto cleaning-up the seat base frames, rails and stainless tracks...
All parts were wire brushed using an angle grinder attachment, treated with Kurust and painted with satin black Hammerite...
Then the leather seat covers were washed, I actually chucked them in the washing machine on a quick 1/2hr 30deg cycle, then to make sure any mould was properly dead I soaked them in a solution of white distilled vinegar and water for a couple of days then hung them out to drip dry. The vinegar is a natural way to kill mould and doesn't damage the leather, once dried out the vinegar smell will disappear leaving the leather smelling like new...
Question, is it worth re-fitting the backrest lumber bladder with new or at all? Does anyone have a functioning one and does it do its job? Or is it a waste of time having it? My opinion is that one reason why the seat ‘turtle shell’ breaks off so many of these seats is that it’s just not strong enough when you put what is basically a pneumatic jack between the foam and the shell, eventually it will just burst the shell off, which mine have. I actually bought a suitable electrically operated pneumatic lumber kit for these seats but I think there would need to be some sort of metal reinforcement added for the bladder to push against instead of the turtle shell…Let me know your thoughts.
The passenger seat leather covers are in surprisingly good condition, no damage, tears or even wear. I recently contacted Mervyn the TVRCC registrar who was able to reveal some more info on my car, one of which was the seat leather colour which is Prussian Blue, which I really quite like...
...just a small amount of mould damage to the under-thigh panel on the base.
The steel parts give up how damp the inside of the car must have been due to poor seals...
The seat base leather is fairly easy to remove it's just glued to the side/underside of the base and then held in place with Velcro under the removeable cushion
This is the driver’s seat backrest with ‘turtle shell’ and lumber bladder removed. The back rest is made up of the 'hoop' and backrest cushion. There are 2 vertical steel 'wires' that the backrest cushion cover is clipped onto using hog rings (the wire on the left has snapped off at the base). The hog rings need to be removed and leather pealed back at the top and sides...
The base and backrest covers and cushions of both seats removed...
This is the worst of the damage/wear to the seats, the drivers RHS bolster/hoop. It's not beyond repair though...
Although, the hoop itself is beyond repair, a common issue with these seats. Thankfully Central TVR can supply new hoop foam with updated/strengthened steel fixing brackets.
Onto cleaning-up the seat base frames, rails and stainless tracks...
All parts were wire brushed using an angle grinder attachment, treated with Kurust and painted with satin black Hammerite...
Then the leather seat covers were washed, I actually chucked them in the washing machine on a quick 1/2hr 30deg cycle, then to make sure any mould was properly dead I soaked them in a solution of white distilled vinegar and water for a couple of days then hung them out to drip dry. The vinegar is a natural way to kill mould and doesn't damage the leather, once dried out the vinegar smell will disappear leaving the leather smelling like new...
Question, is it worth re-fitting the backrest lumber bladder with new or at all? Does anyone have a functioning one and does it do its job? Or is it a waste of time having it? My opinion is that one reason why the seat ‘turtle shell’ breaks off so many of these seats is that it’s just not strong enough when you put what is basically a pneumatic jack between the foam and the shell, eventually it will just burst the shell off, which mine have. I actually bought a suitable electrically operated pneumatic lumber kit for these seats but I think there would need to be some sort of metal reinforcement added for the bladder to push against instead of the turtle shell…Let me know your thoughts.
Edited by Modrich on Sunday 31st March 21:32
I have a functioning lumbar bladder on both seats, and do actually like it. I rarely inflate it fully, but a few pumps is nice to firm up the rear pad if you're doing big distance.
Meant to say, I saw you mention the platers in Livingston. I'm based in the west of Edinburgh if you ever want to eye up another example / check how something goes together at re-fit, or even a cuppa and a blether.
Meant to say, I saw you mention the platers in Livingston. I'm based in the west of Edinburgh if you ever want to eye up another example / check how something goes together at re-fit, or even a cuppa and a blether.
Hi mate, I'm west of Edinburgh too 
That's good to know, always up for coffee and TVR chat. Your Tuscan's probably tucked away for the winter but happy to arrange something in the spring, I'll send you a PM. I didn't think there were any TVRs around here as can only remember seeing a Tuscan once a few month's back heading into town past the airport one morning, assumed it was from out of town, silver/grey if my memory serves me correctly, got my head turning though.
Good to know the kit I've got won't go to waste then for the lumber support, I'll add it to my list of jobs to do...
That's good to know, always up for coffee and TVR chat. Your Tuscan's probably tucked away for the winter but happy to arrange something in the spring, I'll send you a PM. I didn't think there were any TVRs around here as can only remember seeing a Tuscan once a few month's back heading into town past the airport one morning, assumed it was from out of town, silver/grey if my memory serves me correctly, got my head turning though.Good to know the kit I've got won't go to waste then for the lumber support, I'll add it to my list of jobs to do...
Leather seat covers for repair
The only seat covers that need to be repaired are both seat bases and the drivers seat hoop, I'll be sending these to Gliptone for a minor re-dye.
The hoop leather cover needs to be removed from the foam first. I spoke to Adrian at Central TVR and he explained how to do it in a way that it's easy to re-fit. There is a single thread that weaves through thread loops that are sewn into each side of the seem pulling both sides together, by cutting this single thread the cover can be removed. It's also easy to re-stich the cover back on and no special tools are required...
This leaves the bare hoop foam...
With it's broken brackets...
That will be replaced by a new one from TVR Central with improved brackets...
The only seat covers that need to be repaired are both seat bases and the drivers seat hoop, I'll be sending these to Gliptone for a minor re-dye.
The hoop leather cover needs to be removed from the foam first. I spoke to Adrian at Central TVR and he explained how to do it in a way that it's easy to re-fit. There is a single thread that weaves through thread loops that are sewn into each side of the seem pulling both sides together, by cutting this single thread the cover can be removed. It's also easy to re-stich the cover back on and no special tools are required...
This leaves the bare hoop foam...
With it's broken brackets...
That will be replaced by a new one from TVR Central with improved brackets...
Edited by Modrich on Sunday 31st March 21:38
...literally minutes before speaking to AdrianTime for a break from the mundane strip down, here's some tech I'll be fitting...
New Meta alarm system with custom looms supplied by Carl Baker. This is a direct replacement of factory Meta system which is probably well over due replacement. This is now installed and took just a couple of hours with the help of Carl who talked me through each step over the phone. I now have proximity immobiliser deactivation, remote boot release and total closure.
TPMS
Android touch screen car stereo
Focal 130AS Access 13cm component speakers
Tweeter pods, mine will be in machined aluminium finish
Seen as the rear view mirror needs to be replaced thought I'd replace it with one that incorporates a front and rear dashcam
New Meta alarm system with custom looms supplied by Carl Baker. This is a direct replacement of factory Meta system which is probably well over due replacement. This is now installed and took just a couple of hours with the help of Carl who talked me through each step over the phone. I now have proximity immobiliser deactivation, remote boot release and total closure.
TPMS
Android touch screen car stereo
Focal 130AS Access 13cm component speakers
Tweeter pods, mine will be in machined aluminium finish
Seen as the rear view mirror needs to be replaced thought I'd replace it with one that incorporates a front and rear dashcam
Edited by Modrich on Sunday 31st March 21:45
I've been using the 'sensor in the valve cap' type with the same display for years and they're brilliant and very accurate, batteries last a few years. Thought I'd try the internal sensor type this time as I will be getting the wheels refurbed and the batteries on the internal sensors seem to last forever...
Edited by Modrich on Sunday 31st March 21:48
Seat hoop welding & hog ring wire replacement
Passenger seat backrest 'hoop' repair. As you can see, the common failure point on the Tuscan seat is where the hoop bracket bolts to the backrest frame at the base. These have failed on both side on the driver’s seat, the plates had actually snapped off so are beyond repair, this will be replaced, but the passenger seat brackets are just cracked which I can probably get away with by just running a weld over front and back. I used foil tape to protect the leather/foam from the heat...
The driver’s seat backrest frame needed a new hog ring wire attached. This is what the leather back rest cover attaches to...
I drilled the frame for the new wire, stronger than just tacking it to the frame as was done in the factory...
And a couple of welds to hold in place...
Then all bare metal painted with Hammerite...
Passenger seat backrest 'hoop' repair. As you can see, the common failure point on the Tuscan seat is where the hoop bracket bolts to the backrest frame at the base. These have failed on both side on the driver’s seat, the plates had actually snapped off so are beyond repair, this will be replaced, but the passenger seat brackets are just cracked which I can probably get away with by just running a weld over front and back. I used foil tape to protect the leather/foam from the heat...
The driver’s seat backrest frame needed a new hog ring wire attached. This is what the leather back rest cover attaches to...
I drilled the frame for the new wire, stronger than just tacking it to the frame as was done in the factory...
And a couple of welds to hold in place...
Then all bare metal painted with Hammerite...
Edited by Modrich on Sunday 31st March 21:55
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