My Chimaera project.Body off content.
Discussion
A little bit about my car which i have owned for just over a year now.Its a 1997 450 with approx 42000 miles on it.I have always wanted a TVR and thankfully so has my wife so as soon as got the green light i joined the TVR club and started looking around.This was the first Chimaera that i looked at,i could have bought it on the spot when it was started up,i loved the proportions of it but was less impressed with the tatty interior and shonky outriggers so reluctantly walked away at the advertised price.
I looked at a couple of others but couldn't get the 450 out of my mind.I couldn't shake the thought that my budget was buying something that would need the outriggers doing in a few years,so i hatched a plan to make a very low offer on the 450 knowing full well that it would become a project ,but hopefully one that would make financial sense(man maths lol)
Anyway,long story short my low offer was accepted,i had my project Chimaera for project money.Here it is just before i drove it home,it still had an MOT and was taxed.
I looked at a couple of others but couldn't get the 450 out of my mind.I couldn't shake the thought that my budget was buying something that would need the outriggers doing in a few years,so i hatched a plan to make a very low offer on the 450 knowing full well that it would become a project ,but hopefully one that would make financial sense(man maths lol)
Anyway,long story short my low offer was accepted,i had my project Chimaera for project money.Here it is just before i drove it home,it still had an MOT and was taxed.
The 80 mile drive home was a bit of an assault on the senses,new bellowing TVR,heavy heavy rain and a collapsed drivers seat that saw me literally sitting with my arse on the floor.I hatched a rough plan,fettle the mechanics as it was in need of a good service and spanner check then clean the outriggers up,paint them with something and have a summer of fun in the new beast.Then do a proper job of the outriggers the year after.
Good plan right? It was all going so well,oil and filter,gearbox oil,diff oil,new air filter,plugs leads rotor arm and distributor cap.Brake and clutch fluid change.So far so good,then i started cleaning the offside outrigger,pretty solid,i could feel a new MOT coming on.Onto the nearside outrigger,not so good,bugger...screwdriver straight through it,so thats that then,no summer of fun for me.
The TVR had to sit in the garage while i cracked on with replacing the kitchen,laying a patio and lots of other DIY type jobs,but i couldn't be too dispondant because i had my very own TVR in the garage! Attending the Chatsworth gathering in my V70 was a bit of a low point.
Anyway,DIY type jobs done and onto the strip down.
First i tensioned some 6mm galvanised wire across the width of my garage which enabled me to store the bonnet and boot lid safely out of harms way.
Good plan right? It was all going so well,oil and filter,gearbox oil,diff oil,new air filter,plugs leads rotor arm and distributor cap.Brake and clutch fluid change.So far so good,then i started cleaning the offside outrigger,pretty solid,i could feel a new MOT coming on.Onto the nearside outrigger,not so good,bugger...screwdriver straight through it,so thats that then,no summer of fun for me.
The TVR had to sit in the garage while i cracked on with replacing the kitchen,laying a patio and lots of other DIY type jobs,but i couldn't be too dispondant because i had my very own TVR in the garage! Attending the Chatsworth gathering in my V70 was a bit of a low point.
Anyway,DIY type jobs done and onto the strip down.
First i tensioned some 6mm galvanised wire across the width of my garage which enabled me to store the bonnet and boot lid safely out of harms way.
Not had the chance to drive it yet as its not road legal at the mo, got them for a good price with nearly new tyres so had to buy them, they look good on the car, but as you know TVR,S can and will be a money pit,,my 400 is a pre serp 93 had the out riggers done last year but the chassis still needs the flakey paint etc removing and repainting, still needs other little things sorting out though
My plan to lift the body was to use my engine crane at the front and a decent trolley jack at the back coupled with various pieces of timber.But as we all know there is plenty to remove before the body can come off.The manifolds were fun,only one bolt wouldn't play ball at all though,tried heat,gallons of penetrating oil but eventually i rounded the head so after removing the nearside engine mounting and starter motor i was able to completely grind the head of the bolt away with a dremmel.Luckily the stud left behind came out a treat with a stud extractor.
Here i am part strip down.
Here i am part strip down.
More stripping down,at this point i must apologise,the plan to lift the front of the shell with my engine crane worked a treat,once i had replaced the ram which deceided it didn't want to play anymore.The jacking up of the rear was ok up to a point but was alot less stable than i would have liked as it was raised,thankfully my neighbour obviously shared my concern and lent a steadying hand at just the right moment.The apology is because i dont have any pictures of the body being raised,but i'm limited on avaialable height in my garage as my door opens into the garage,a roller shutter door would solve that but i can always think of something better to spend the money on.Anyway,imagine a Chimaera body chocked ontop of two work mates with a very nervous owner nearby wondreing what the hell he had started this for.
Body and chassis now seperated,body sitting on a dolly that i made up,soon to be covered up while i strip the chassis down.
Terrible photo,sorry.
Slightly better picture of the body sitting on its dolly
Body and chassis now seperated,body sitting on a dolly that i made up,soon to be covered up while i strip the chassis down.
Terrible photo,sorry.
Slightly better picture of the body sitting on its dolly
caduceus said:
Superb! How many of you did it take to carry the body out and onto the dolly?
No carrying required.The body was raised high enough that i could wheel the chassis out backwards,the body was then lowered down onto the dolly which had by this time replaced the chassis using the engine crane at the front and jack/lengths of wood at the rear.Really wish i had a photo,it would be much clearer.chimaera400tim said:
Fantastic.what else can I say,great job..i want to raise mine just enough to take a peek at the top of my out riggers but I don't know where to start...any starting points would be greatly appreciated,,
There is a really good guide that i printed off the internet which helps,if you are struggling to find it then i'll find out for you where it came from.If you are just wanting to lift a couple of inches then its definatly easier than a full lift because certain things like wiring,petrol hoses can stand the lift,if that makes sense?I think you could probably just disconnect the exhaust at the y piece/system join,then remove the system but not the manifolds, rather than removing it completely like i have done.
In the first instance,its worth getting your hands on the guide i mentioned so you can get your head around whats required.Like i said if you struggle to find it let me know.
Paul.
italian job said:
Here is how it stands tonight,the plan now is to completely strip the chassis,replace outriggers then get chassis blasted,zinc coated and finally new powdercoat.
I would seriously think about painting the chassis instead of powder coating.
Think of any situation within industry where steel corosion is a problem and the solution is usually some form of 2-pack paint sysytem.
We use international paints at work, which is a petro-chemical site.
A typical system being shotblast back to bare metal, application of a base bonding coat, 2nd coat primer, and 3rd coat colour finish. This is a minimum.
I painted my chassis using single pack epoxy primer.
This involved 5 coats of primer and a top coat of machine enamel, finally finished off with a polyurethane laquer, to prevent stone chips etc.
Its 4 years on and the chassis is still immaculate.
Heres a link... http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Also of interest... http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Also a top tip is to do all the outrigger/tube repalcement and then shotblast everything, new steel as well. This gives a better key for any paint, if thats what you choose.
Any questions as you strip/rebuild just ask.
good luck
Tom.
Edited by TJC46 on Sunday 10th November 19:46
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