Project - TVR Chimaera Full Body Off Restoration
Discussion
Hey all, So my chim has now gone in for a refurb.
Some parts I will be doing myself along side the top lads at the garage.
Follow the progress here => http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.175874535...
Cheers all
Some parts I will be doing myself along side the top lads at the garage.
Follow the progress here => http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.175874535...
Cheers all
That is some serious chassis corrosion! I have seen a few, but none with that much corrosion on the main chassis rails.From your pics some of it is at critical points , i.e near the fixing point of the front wishbones.Its ok welding in new outriggers with the seat belt anchor points being the only important bit, but some of the welding/repairs required on your chassis are very critical. Is the garage company you are using up to this type of repair? Be 100% sure they know what they are doing! Good luck and keep the pictures coming.
I would also consider two pack epoxy paint instead of powder coat. Your original chassis is powdercoated and look what happened to that!
To be fair TVR never did a very good powdercoat job in the first place, [they never cleaned any of the welds] but some of the epoxy two pack "paint systems" available today are fantastic. If they are good enough for the oil industry to paint on steel out in the extremes of the north sea, then they are perfect for your TVR chassis.
Have a look here...... http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
7 coats in total,alternating primer coats of two pack epoxy, red lead colour, and grey, [to ensure full coverage] 2 of each, 2 top coats of bright red machine enamel,and a final finish coat of clear laquer to help prevent stone chips etc.
Hi guys,
Yeah she was WAY overdue and I never realised it would look like that... although the garage has told me another chim was taken into them and the chassis was totally sheared in places when put up on the lift. So I am happy mine ain't that bad.
The garage is very well equiped for this job and I am totally sure its in good hands.
As for any mods - It already has a full ACT induction kit in place and was thinking of an upgraded cam etc etc but why replace something that is still in good working order.
I am getting new shocks all round and clutch kit. Possibly an upgraded flywheel.
Also on the list are a set of steve heath drop links, new hoses all round, the radiator has had it too. The rest is just a damn good clean up of the engine block and some paint to make it look presentable.
I am doing the plenum and rockers and wondering what on earth to do with the manifold and how to get it to shine as others have. Suggestions??
The chassis has just come back from being blasted as the pics show and will be worked on in the next week or so for repair. Then its also getting the zinc treatment and some sections are even going to the double tubed and treated to stop this from re-occurring. The seat mounts are being redesigned to go through actual metal and not the fibre glass and also some parts underneath are being redesigned to stop dirt collecting and causing damage again.
Other stuff include upgrade to the fuel line design, LED fuses all round, poly bushes all round, new wishbones all round and a braided brake hose kit to be fitted.
Yeah she was WAY overdue and I never realised it would look like that... although the garage has told me another chim was taken into them and the chassis was totally sheared in places when put up on the lift. So I am happy mine ain't that bad.
The garage is very well equiped for this job and I am totally sure its in good hands.
As for any mods - It already has a full ACT induction kit in place and was thinking of an upgraded cam etc etc but why replace something that is still in good working order.
I am getting new shocks all round and clutch kit. Possibly an upgraded flywheel.
Also on the list are a set of steve heath drop links, new hoses all round, the radiator has had it too. The rest is just a damn good clean up of the engine block and some paint to make it look presentable.
I am doing the plenum and rockers and wondering what on earth to do with the manifold and how to get it to shine as others have. Suggestions??
The chassis has just come back from being blasted as the pics show and will be worked on in the next week or so for repair. Then its also getting the zinc treatment and some sections are even going to the double tubed and treated to stop this from re-occurring. The seat mounts are being redesigned to go through actual metal and not the fibre glass and also some parts underneath are being redesigned to stop dirt collecting and causing damage again.
Other stuff include upgrade to the fuel line design, LED fuses all round, poly bushes all round, new wishbones all round and a braided brake hose kit to be fitted.
What a fab series of pictures - thanks for sharing those with us!
You must be glad to have found that chassis corrosion, and it looks to me like you've caught the outriggers just in time as well. They're not too bad at the moment, but those holes will accelerate the rot over the next couple of years.
I assume you'll have the fuel lines and hoses replaced while it's being rebuilt?
You must be glad to have found that chassis corrosion, and it looks to me like you've caught the outriggers just in time as well. They're not too bad at the moment, but those holes will accelerate the rot over the next couple of years.
I assume you'll have the fuel lines and hoses replaced while it's being rebuilt?
fusion1275 said:
Hey all, So my chim has now gone in for a refurb.
Some parts I will be doing myself along side the top lads at the garage.
Follow the progress here => http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.175874535...
Cheers all
How long have you owned the car?im surprised it was not picked up when being seviced and at the time of the MOT.There is no need for the Chassis to get that bad.I inspect mine every year and spend a few hours cleaning,abit of painting and a fine spray of wax oil.It will rust in the end but not for years.. Nohing like a complete body off but i can`t see mine needed it for years.Some parts I will be doing myself along side the top lads at the garage.
Follow the progress here => http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.175874535...
Cheers all
That i pure neglect.! or you have a very damp garage..
Wow, it does seem the later chassis suffer more than the earlier ones, I'm just putting mine back together, and was plesantly surprised that after blasting, and hot zinc coating no chassis repairs were needed on my 96 chassis...
I ended up putting new front wishbones on though, I could have got away with replacing the link bar on one of the lower fronts, but talking to RT racing they gave me a good deal on new wishbones, bushes, ball joints and trackrod ends. That it was simpler than blasting, painting and rebushing the originals..
Splitting the top ball joints from the uprights is a right b
d though... I was hoping to get the front suspension on today but that's holding me up on one side...
Got to get my diff rebuilt as well as the LSD part is knackerd...
G
I ended up putting new front wishbones on though, I could have got away with replacing the link bar on one of the lower fronts, but talking to RT racing they gave me a good deal on new wishbones, bushes, ball joints and trackrod ends. That it was simpler than blasting, painting and rebushing the originals..
Splitting the top ball joints from the uprights is a right b
d though... I was hoping to get the front suspension on today but that's holding me up on one side...Got to get my diff rebuilt as well as the LSD part is knackerd...
G
fuel lines etc are indeed being upgraded and p-clipped to the chassis and losing all those damn cable ties. They are pure evil things when it comes to a TVR chassis and collecting dirt and crud!!
Of course all the clips will be treated and even waxoyl dropped in to prevent anything going funky inside the chassis along the years to come. Basically all sections of the car will be looked over and thought about before being rebuilt.
Still would love to hear about any advice on cleaning up the aluminum parts in the engine bay and also the exhaust system. Help needed
Of course all the clips will be treated and even waxoyl dropped in to prevent anything going funky inside the chassis along the years to come. Basically all sections of the car will be looked over and thought about before being rebuilt.
Still would love to hear about any advice on cleaning up the aluminum parts in the engine bay and also the exhaust system. Help needed
Graham said:
Wow, it does seem the later chassis suffer more than the earlier ones, I'm just putting mine back together, and was plesantly surprised that after blasting, and hot zinc coating no chassis repairs were needed on my 96 chassis...G
From what I have seen the silver/grey chassis (up to the end of 1996) lasts way better than the white ones.From early 1997 TVR seemed to move to the white finish which was terrible, especially in the first two years (1997 - 1998).
Things improved with the white finish from 2000 on, but those first two years (1997 - 1998) of the white powder coat are the ones to watch.
When I was looking for my Chim I viewed a 1997 white chassis car on a ramp,
You could peel the white powder coat off the chassis by hand and it was totally rotten where water had been trapped under the coating.
Mind you the silver/grey chassis are older, so its always a case of caveat emptor with a TVR chassis.
But given the choice I would take a silver/grey chassis over a 1997 - 1998 white one every time.
fusion1275 said:
Still would love to hear about any advice on cleaning up the aluminum parts in the engine bay and also the exhaust system. Help needed
As for the exhaust same method but finished with high temp silver paint. I am 2 years on now and its still perfect on the exhaust, just need to touch up the manifolds once or twice a year to keep them looking good as new.
Chimpabollics said:
From what I have seen the silver/grey chassis (up to the end of 1996) lasts way better than the white ones.
From early 1997 TVR seemed to move to the white finish which was terrible, especially in the first two years (1997 - 1998).
Things improved with the white finish from 2000 on, but those first two years (1997 - 1998) of the white powder coat are the ones to watch.
When I was looking for my Chim I viewed a 1997 white chassis car on a ramp,
You could peel the white powder coat off the chassis by hand and it was totally rotten where water had been trapped under the coating.
Mind you the silver/grey chassis are older, so its always a case of caveat emptor with a TVR chassis.
But given the choice I would take a silver/grey chassis over a 1997 - 1998 white one every time.
Yeah mine is a late 96 chassis with the grey powder coat.From early 1997 TVR seemed to move to the white finish which was terrible, especially in the first two years (1997 - 1998).
Things improved with the white finish from 2000 on, but those first two years (1997 - 1998) of the white powder coat are the ones to watch.
When I was looking for my Chim I viewed a 1997 white chassis car on a ramp,
You could peel the white powder coat off the chassis by hand and it was totally rotten where water had been trapped under the coating.
Mind you the silver/grey chassis are older, so its always a case of caveat emptor with a TVR chassis.
But given the choice I would take a silver/grey chassis over a 1997 - 1998 white one every time.
The powder coat had come off the exposed part of the outriggers but inside it was still on.
TJC46 said:
Wire cup wheels in a grinder and drill.Ideal for cleaning up all the ally bits in the engine. Initially quite coarse ones going finer each time so as not to scratch the surface too much.
As for the exhaust same method but finished with high temp silver paint. I am 2 years on now and its still perfect on the exhaust, just need to touch up the manifolds once or twice a year to keep them looking good as new.
I used a combination of wire cup and abrasive flap wheels on my exhaust manifolds (both in electric drills):As for the exhaust same method but finished with high temp silver paint. I am 2 years on now and its still perfect on the exhaust, just need to touch up the manifolds once or twice a year to keep them looking good as new.
So having polished and painting them I decided to wrap them!
Regarding the P-clips screwing into the chassis I used Dynax S-50 throughout the chassis as a preventative for future ingress. Highly recommended by my brother who works in the pipeline industry!
R
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