280i s1new to tvr
Discussion
Hi I have just become the new owner of a 280 fhc on an x plate chassis no 5051. a little ruff all round. and possibly in need of a new front end as seems to be a lot of small damage in areas forward or the bonnet line. think I might have bit of more than I can chew. is it a big job to replace the front nose section even for a willing novice or what cost could be incurred to have it done ?
any help or pointers would be most welcome
or move on to something less demanding?
any help or pointers would be most welcome
or move on to something less demanding?
Welcome to the Forum John.
Is the car a Red one?
As for mouldings , you might want to try TET mouldings http://www.b-link.co.uk/tet/tasmin-280i.php
Is the car a Red one?
As for mouldings , you might want to try TET mouldings http://www.b-link.co.uk/tet/tasmin-280i.php
You will be able to get a new front end from http://www.b-link.co.uk/tet/ . In terms of how easy it is to do, if you've never done significant fibreglass repair work before I'd say it was too big a job to start with. Assuming that the paint on the car is pretty old it might be difficult to match. If you end up replacing the nose and respaying the whole car that will be a nice few quid!
Can you post up some pics of the front end damage?
Can you post up some pics of the front end damage?
Stress cracks around the corners of the engine bay and headlamp recesses are common and not too much of an issue (other than cosmetically) as long as they don't show signs of spreading. Stone chips are also common as are chunks missing from the bumper corners owing to parking miscalculations.
On the plus side there's nothing to rust under the paint...;)
On the plus side there's nothing to rust under the paint...;)
Yeah, to be clear, I was assuming the cracks were accident damage, and not just stress cracks..
Alfa... stress cracks don't (normally) go very deep, so you can open them out with small blade (ie hacksaw) and then fill them....
If the crack goes right through, then probably caused by a bump, and you can still reinforce the back (although getting to it can be a challenge in some spots !) to stop it moving, and then open the crack up and fill (or better, fill with a GRP and matting mix, which is stronger). Just make sure it's all clean to get a good bond (bit like glue really)
But I've had a crack in my bumper caused by me hitting a post, and it's been there at least 5 years and hasn't spread or moved, so not necessarily a panic, as Wedg1e says, there's nothing to rust in the nose after all....
Alfa... stress cracks don't (normally) go very deep, so you can open them out with small blade (ie hacksaw) and then fill them....
If the crack goes right through, then probably caused by a bump, and you can still reinforce the back (although getting to it can be a challenge in some spots !) to stop it moving, and then open the crack up and fill (or better, fill with a GRP and matting mix, which is stronger). Just make sure it's all clean to get a good bond (bit like glue really)
But I've had a crack in my bumper caused by me hitting a post, and it's been there at least 5 years and hasn't spread or moved, so not necessarily a panic, as Wedg1e says, there's nothing to rust in the nose after all....
Hi thanks for the help
will try and get some pictures when the sun is found.
the worst area is in front of the headlight the 40mm wide bar that runs in front of the opening. as the garage as pushed and pulled it they have cracked that area out also the bottom of the windscreen pillar as a small crack coming from the corner of the screen aperture on the scuttle where they have pushed it using to lean on did not see that till yesterday.
on the plus side they have fitted a new stainless exhaust system and overhauled the brakes. wheels have been repainted and new tyres fitted
will try and get some pictures when the sun is found.
the worst area is in front of the headlight the 40mm wide bar that runs in front of the opening. as the garage as pushed and pulled it they have cracked that area out also the bottom of the windscreen pillar as a small crack coming from the corner of the screen aperture on the scuttle where they have pushed it using to lean on did not see that till yesterday.
on the plus side they have fitted a new stainless exhaust system and overhauled the brakes. wheels have been repainted and new tyres fitted
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/bFpTNwlV.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/nKC2LjQC" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/nKC2LjQC.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/YTHVMiwN" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/YTHVMiwN.jpg)
Hmmm, that's an extensive amount of stress-cracking alright... but don't panic, it's not the end of the world 
The only problem is that you have to make it look worse before it'll look better - but that said, steel-bodied cars have the same problem. At least GRP isn't going to go rusty, but you do have to be aware of water getting into the cracks and making things worse.
Cars like this tend to have had a number of owners by the time they're 25 years old (I know not all do) and usually a few of those owners have had the car repsrayed. This means that there is layer after layer of primer and paint (and sometimes an isolating coat) which itself can only flex so far, so if the GRP is distorted it can crack the paint and regain its shape without any permanent damage. Obviously if you distort it far enough the gel coat cracks and the fibres start splintering.
As an aside, I used to own a S3 Esprit that had stacks of damage to the front bumper. It was so bad that I thought it was beyond saving so I bought a new bumper but sold the car before I got round to fitting it. A later owner documented the respray he carried out: he said they stripped about a dozen resprays'-worth of paint and primer from the bumper and found it was almost totally undamaged underneath it all! It was just that so many people had bounced the car off solid objects when parking that the paint coats had cracked, I suspect some of what is visible on your car is down to this.
Looking at your pics I think the worst damage is the two obvious cracks forward of the headlamp recess. I would take the pod out and have a good feel around in the nose of the car. If the cracks continue right through then get hold of some mat and resin (even a repair kit from Halfords, though it's not the cheapest way to do it) and bridge over the cracks. That will keep the bits in the right places so you can tackle the outside. There is plenty of info on how to repair GRP in books and on the internet so I won't go into it but unfortunately you will then be into some amount of paintwork repairs: fist thing you need to do is get a match for the colour that's on the car (not always the colour that is on the data plate after all these years, and anyway the ICI system tha TVR used is extinct so it's often some detective work).
I knew a guy who did motorcycle bodywork and he let me scan his books of colour chips until I got a match for my car: turned out to be a Lancia colour!
Fundamentally your car is sound: yes it's untidy but there were fewer than 2500 TVR Wedges built in all versions, some have to be 'bad' in order for others to be 'good'
I own the scruffiest 390SE on the planet - but it's one of only 92 or so built and even if each of them has had 10 owners, that's still fewer than 1000 people in the history of the World (well OK, the history of motoring) that has ever owned one 
Cracked bodywork is not an MOT fail as long as there are no jagged edges, so you can cheerfully drive around and people will still stare, they won't see the cracks
Wait till you start finding the autographs of the guys who made the bodyshell, or cartoons that they drew before the carpets went in, and you'll feel like you own something worth saving
ETA... and it may be a shameless bit of self-publicity but here's my website, showing that most things on a Wedge are possible without paying anyone else to do it for you:
http://www.wedgeneering.co.uk/A%20pair%20of%20Wedg...
The only problem is that you have to make it look worse before it'll look better - but that said, steel-bodied cars have the same problem. At least GRP isn't going to go rusty, but you do have to be aware of water getting into the cracks and making things worse.Cars like this tend to have had a number of owners by the time they're 25 years old (I know not all do) and usually a few of those owners have had the car repsrayed. This means that there is layer after layer of primer and paint (and sometimes an isolating coat) which itself can only flex so far, so if the GRP is distorted it can crack the paint and regain its shape without any permanent damage. Obviously if you distort it far enough the gel coat cracks and the fibres start splintering.
As an aside, I used to own a S3 Esprit that had stacks of damage to the front bumper. It was so bad that I thought it was beyond saving so I bought a new bumper but sold the car before I got round to fitting it. A later owner documented the respray he carried out: he said they stripped about a dozen resprays'-worth of paint and primer from the bumper and found it was almost totally undamaged underneath it all! It was just that so many people had bounced the car off solid objects when parking that the paint coats had cracked, I suspect some of what is visible on your car is down to this.
Looking at your pics I think the worst damage is the two obvious cracks forward of the headlamp recess. I would take the pod out and have a good feel around in the nose of the car. If the cracks continue right through then get hold of some mat and resin (even a repair kit from Halfords, though it's not the cheapest way to do it) and bridge over the cracks. That will keep the bits in the right places so you can tackle the outside. There is plenty of info on how to repair GRP in books and on the internet so I won't go into it but unfortunately you will then be into some amount of paintwork repairs: fist thing you need to do is get a match for the colour that's on the car (not always the colour that is on the data plate after all these years, and anyway the ICI system tha TVR used is extinct so it's often some detective work).
I knew a guy who did motorcycle bodywork and he let me scan his books of colour chips until I got a match for my car: turned out to be a Lancia colour!
Fundamentally your car is sound: yes it's untidy but there were fewer than 2500 TVR Wedges built in all versions, some have to be 'bad' in order for others to be 'good'
I own the scruffiest 390SE on the planet - but it's one of only 92 or so built and even if each of them has had 10 owners, that's still fewer than 1000 people in the history of the World (well OK, the history of motoring) that has ever owned one Cracked bodywork is not an MOT fail as long as there are no jagged edges, so you can cheerfully drive around and people will still stare, they won't see the cracks
Wait till you start finding the autographs of the guys who made the bodyshell, or cartoons that they drew before the carpets went in, and you'll feel like you own something worth saving
ETA... and it may be a shameless bit of self-publicity but here's my website, showing that most things on a Wedge are possible without paying anyone else to do it for you:
http://www.wedgeneering.co.uk/A%20pair%20of%20Wedg...
Edited by Wedg1e on Wednesday 3rd April 00:05
Hi & welcome..That doesnt look too shabby..The main thing is making sure the engine is running smoothly..No smoke or extra loud tapping..A change of plugs..Leads..Oil & filter..Air filter...Fuel filter and a clean of the sensor plate which is under the large rubber cap cover..If the chassis is in good nick then just enjoy it and restore as you go..Its possible as i have been doing it on mine for the last two and a bit years..I will be starting all over again soon as me and a friend acquired an early FHC that was sat in a garden for 15 years...A main issue with most cars that have sat around other than the chassis is the fuel tanks..If either goes rusty its just a matter of time before it contaminates the whole system which becomes expensive...Albeit worth doing...Any pics of the engine?...Cheers...Ziga
Yeah, I agree with Wedg1e. It's hard to tell from the photo, but it might just be bad paint.
My Vixen had been resprayed so many times the entire paintwork (about 15 layers) had started to crack and actually peel open. It looked terrible, but the GRP underneath wasn't even cracked !!
My wedge has a bit of paintwork crazing too, I guess it's inevitable on cars of this age.
That front does look bashed, and wing scraped, perhaps in the same 'event'.
It doesn't look that bad to me, and very repairable. (No I'm not a car professional in any way)
My Vixen had been resprayed so many times the entire paintwork (about 15 layers) had started to crack and actually peel open. It looked terrible, but the GRP underneath wasn't even cracked !!
My wedge has a bit of paintwork crazing too, I guess it's inevitable on cars of this age.
That front does look bashed, and wing scraped, perhaps in the same 'event'.
It doesn't look that bad to me, and very repairable. (No I'm not a car professional in any way)
Love the car, even the colour.... Anyway, the good news about fibreglass is the ability to repair it. Usually fibreglass looks worse than it actually is when it starts cracking, it's usually in the outer layers and gel coat. But even if its deeper and actually cracked through, it's still repairable using some of the newer polymer fillers.
Repairing fibreglass can be a pain, and depending on your practical abilities the amount of work you can undertake is limited usually to your patience. Fibreglass is also nasty stuff, so (not my usual approach) if you looking at using matting and glass resin I would strongly recommend gloves and mask.
For larger jobs, there are specialists about and some of the best repairers of fibreglass are actually boat yards.
Without actually seeing the car it is always difficult to tell how bad it is, but don't be frightened by working on the body.
Repairing fibreglass can be a pain, and depending on your practical abilities the amount of work you can undertake is limited usually to your patience. Fibreglass is also nasty stuff, so (not my usual approach) if you looking at using matting and glass resin I would strongly recommend gloves and mask.
For larger jobs, there are specialists about and some of the best repairers of fibreglass are actually boat yards.
Without actually seeing the car it is always difficult to tell how bad it is, but don't be frightened by working on the body.
Hi sorry not replied to anyone health problems.
the engine starts and ticks over straight of the key purchased a new battery.
it has had new fuel tanks as it as been at a garage since 1999 having its mot never quite got there its had all the brakes done. new stainless exhaust system. I will try and do the front lights as they don't work and the garage had chopped the main plug of from under the column and used damn bullet connections.
I have a jag s type 3.0 v6 all ali that would be nice.
does anyone know where you can get the steel window surrounds that sit on top of the doors or what the originals where of
the engine starts and ticks over straight of the key purchased a new battery.
it has had new fuel tanks as it as been at a garage since 1999 having its mot never quite got there its had all the brakes done. new stainless exhaust system. I will try and do the front lights as they don't work and the garage had chopped the main plug of from under the column and used damn bullet connections.
I have a jag s type 3.0 v6 all ali that would be nice.
does anyone know where you can get the steel window surrounds that sit on top of the doors or what the originals where of
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