FHC..To be or not to be???
Discussion
Hi Peeps...Well i went and had a butchers at the abandonned FHC..The guy that owns it wasnt there but his lady friend kindly let me have a good look around it..Unfortunately i forgot my torch but will go back the weekend with a jack and a torch..
Firstly the out riggers on both sides are shot..The seat belt fixing is non existent..And the paintwork is very pale which i think is just dirt..however the chassis beyond the outriggers looks ok..The lower cross member and suspension struts look fine and the suspension itself is pretty firm..The seats are ok with no mould but with little rips here and there..The dash was re-veneered some years back but has cracked and flaked especially on the glovebox and door trim..The fuel tanks look ok from the outside but who know what they are like inside..The Metering head and WUR are heavily oxidised..The rad looks new...The window frame has a small pitting of rust but nothing too bad...
The car apparently is chassis No.2 and was featured in a car mag in 1997 when it was in it's glory..The guy that owns it suffered a bad car accident in a different car and lost interest in the wedge..From the onset it look's saveable but i will have another thorough look with the jack and the torch..It was a good job the sills were off..He has all the parts that came off it indoors...Cheers...Ziga
Firstly the out riggers on both sides are shot..The seat belt fixing is non existent..And the paintwork is very pale which i think is just dirt..however the chassis beyond the outriggers looks ok..The lower cross member and suspension struts look fine and the suspension itself is pretty firm..The seats are ok with no mould but with little rips here and there..The dash was re-veneered some years back but has cracked and flaked especially on the glovebox and door trim..The fuel tanks look ok from the outside but who know what they are like inside..The Metering head and WUR are heavily oxidised..The rad looks new...The window frame has a small pitting of rust but nothing too bad...
The car apparently is chassis No.2 and was featured in a car mag in 1997 when it was in it's glory..The guy that owns it suffered a bad car accident in a different car and lost interest in the wedge..From the onset it look's saveable but i will have another thorough look with the jack and the torch..It was a good job the sills were off..He has all the parts that came off it indoors...Cheers...Ziga
Edited by mrzigazaga on Monday 18th February 19:01
Hi Mark
Great pics and report.
From what I can see it looks in salvageable condition.
To do it properly would cost a good £5K + more than its worth but what price to save a rare car!
If it's num 2 then it should be saved, does num I exsist?
If somebody wants to save it then please please do!
It's part of Wedge and TVR history!
If nobody does then I will be happy to do it, so it's saved and around for at least another 33 years!
Andy
Great pics and report.
From what I can see it looks in salvageable condition.
To do it properly would cost a good £5K + more than its worth but what price to save a rare car!
If it's num 2 then it should be saved, does num I exsist?
If somebody wants to save it then please please do!
It's part of Wedge and TVR history!
If nobody does then I will be happy to do it, so it's saved and around for at least another 33 years!
Andy
DavidY said:
No. 2 would have to be verified, though it does sport a blackpool registration.
EWX487T - tested by CAR
LFV780T - tested by Motor
Both registered before this car
Simple Mark when you go back can you photo the vehicle data plate under the bonnett.EWX487T - tested by CAR
LFV780T - tested by Motor
Both registered before this car
I can see what the problem is, the car in question is the second production car were the cars David has quoted may be the pre-production cars!
If that's the case it may not be worth saving as much!
Andy
Mr Tank said:
A FHC is in fact easier than a DH as you don't have the folding roof etc to worry about!
It must about the only bl**dy FHC left in existence without one of those useless aftermarket sunroofs! I know I sound like certain German but hey he had a point- they are rubbish!Big project that, but I hope someone takes it on.
Solitude said:
Christ thats hardly aweekend hobby job is it.
You would need a workshop and no job to take that on !!
Well mate there is no hurry and most of it is going to be done bit by bit..Hopefully the first part will be stripping out the interior and getting the body off and supported on a wooden frame so the chassis can be wheeled out for welding and then wheeled back in, I will have to have a dam good measure to make sure the garage is tall enough..Parts can be taken off and worked on and the majority of it is time..Which i have plenty of..Plus its a good learning curve..I have enough people round me to keep cost at a very low level..The most expensive part will be all the bacon sarnies and tea...You would need a workshop and no job to take that on !!
hallsie said:
Youre a fool Zig, but then I think we knew that anyway!
Good luck, youre gonna need it!
Its not definite mate..As i said im going back saturday or sunday to have a look at the rest of the chassis and if its a shot as the outriggers then this fool wont be a crazy fool...But at the end of the day the money we intend paying for it can be recovered in parts..Someone on here was looking for a bodyshell..A louvered bonnet..Wheels..Seats...Front & rear screens..Side windows..I can polish up the plenum and rocker covers to sell..The rad is new...I can put the fuel tanks aside and any other bits i might need so its not all bad!!...Cheers for the vote of confidence..Good luck, youre gonna need it!
...ZigaPS:Does that make everyone who restores a wedge a fool?..I guess im not alone then...
hallsie said:
Youre a fool Zig, but then I think we knew that anyway!
Good luck, youre gonna need it!
MarkGood luck, youre gonna need it!
I can partly agree with Stu here mate.
This is a big job for experanced restorers.
You even admit that you know very little about the work you are going to do!
Yes the only way to learn is to do it, but this is such a big job I think you are mad attempting it.
Try a smaller easier job to start with.
Even you own car is still not sorted so how you think you can do this when your own car still has a faulty fuel system etc I don't know!
Please mate take the advice given to you its meant in good faith!
You idea if its goes tits up to sell the parts etc, that is also flawed.
Ref the body shell, yes you may find sombody who wants it, but remember that there is more than one type of FHC body and the S1 shell has few parts which fit other cars.
The people wanting a bonnet, I think are talking about the later 400 type.
Your bonnet will only fit early 280is it will not fit say a S2 280i etc, and what other usable parts are bits which don't wear out so there is very little call for them.
The parts which may be of use is the glass, Not the front because you have to get it out with out damaging it, store it, etc, and they are avaliable new!
The seats do look good but again unless the seat are in the colour scheme of the buyer they will have to have them recovered, so why buy yours when then car redo there own.
Wheels yes the early telcast are rare but has it got the center caps, they aren't on the wheels in the pics
This are the bits people want!
When you have stripped off all the parts, you have to store them till you find a buyer! Unless you have free storage it will cost!
But you are mad as we know and you will never learn.
Good luck to you mate,
It will at least give us something to laugh at when you report on here with your tales of wow!
Andy
Mr Tank said:
This is a big job for experanced restorers.
Thats funny i had a big job this morning...
..Seriously though im taking everything on board what people are saying..For one delilah has my full attention and she comes first..I have sorted many things on her..Including the fuel leak from the tank filler but yes there are still things that need to be sorted..Wheel bearings..Interior..Hood...Chassis check..And so on..Okay i have never done anything like this before but im a big grown arse man..(50 this year) and my brain still functions..Although somewhat outside the box..The major task i can see is getting the body off and either suspending it above the chassis or storing somewhere else..Once this is done i can get to everything else..Im well aware of the tools i would need as i used to work for a company in the south east stripping..Blasting and rebuilding engine blocks..Albeit a long time ago!..Im not the kind of person who would shake a fizzy drink and then take the lid off!!...Most of the issues that i had with delilah was through people neglecting her for so long..Second hand parts were tried and then it was established that the only way with some of it was to have it refurbed as the parts are totally unavailable now..yes she has cost me way more than her worth but then i never knew in the begining how much they get under your skin..And the phrase.."Ive started so ill finish" springs to mind...And "Its better the devil you know"..However taking on another "Basket case" is not my intention..This project belongs to someone else and its only my time what im giving up but only if delilah doesnt need it..(So much)..as said "its not definite"...So in the words of Gary, Barry and terry.."Calm down..Calm down"..
...I really do appreciate all the input...Cheers...ZigaGassing Station | Wedges | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff