rusting chassis
Discussion
Has any one heard of a completely rusted Chimaera Chassis?
My 1996 4.0 HC exported to Hong Kong and owned by me since new.The chassis outriggers have completely rusted away where the tubes bend in the front wheel arches. Despite cleaning out all the debris regularily and repainting, due to stone damage, the tubes have rusted leaving me with no choice but to replace the whole chassis. They cannot be welded and repaired.
Chassis No SDLDCC4P5TA011125
So far TVR engineering in Blackpool have not replied to my calls for assistance. Henly Heritage were horrified and have never seen anything like it in all their years of dealership [ I sent them the pictures by e-mail]. However, the Malaysian factory were brilliant and sent me at cost price with free shipping a new chassis.
The body has yet to come off to report on the condition of the rest of the tubes. I suspect that it will be a very sobering sight. AND that is without salt being used on the roads here.
So go and inspect your chassis very carefully it is a very expensive exercise.
It has also cured me of the TVR brand forever!!
If you would like to see the photos before I send them to Sprint, that ia if they dared publish them, e-mail me.
Jim Hobbs in Hong Kong
cathy@netfront.net
My 1996 4.0 HC exported to Hong Kong and owned by me since new.The chassis outriggers have completely rusted away where the tubes bend in the front wheel arches. Despite cleaning out all the debris regularily and repainting, due to stone damage, the tubes have rusted leaving me with no choice but to replace the whole chassis. They cannot be welded and repaired.
Chassis No SDLDCC4P5TA011125
So far TVR engineering in Blackpool have not replied to my calls for assistance. Henly Heritage were horrified and have never seen anything like it in all their years of dealership [ I sent them the pictures by e-mail]. However, the Malaysian factory were brilliant and sent me at cost price with free shipping a new chassis.
The body has yet to come off to report on the condition of the rest of the tubes. I suspect that it will be a very sobering sight. AND that is without salt being used on the roads here.
So go and inspect your chassis very carefully it is a very expensive exercise.
It has also cured me of the TVR brand forever!!
If you would like to see the photos before I send them to Sprint, that ia if they dared publish them, e-mail me.
Jim Hobbs in Hong Kong
cathy@netfront.net
I have seen the pics and this is truly worrying. Large chunks of chassis tubing just NOT THERE. And apparently it rusted out from inside, so no amount of waxoyling would have prevented this.
As someone with a 1986 Chimaera, who has just cleaned up the chassis and repainted/waxoyled it, I am now very concerned that my efforts (and those of many others) is in vain, and my chassis is in danger of imminent collapse.
Anyone any idea why the chassis should rust from inside out like this?
As someone with a 1986 Chimaera, who has just cleaned up the chassis and repainted/waxoyled it, I am now very concerned that my efforts (and those of many others) is in vain, and my chassis is in danger of imminent collapse.
Anyone any idea why the chassis should rust from inside out like this?
The inner surface of the chassis tubes can't be protected by paint, but should not rust in this way if they remain sealed from the atmosphere. If humid air can get inside it can travel a long way and the tubes will rot from the inside out. I suspect some local external corrosion around the wheel arches caused an initial perforation, which allowed water inside to cause the more extensive damage. Difficult to stop once it reaches this stage. Is a "body off reburbishment" any cheaper than a new chassis?
Thanks for the notes of support.
The body came off today and worst fears confirmed. ALL corners of the outriggers were either very badly corroded or simply did not exist anymore. The least corroded was the offside front. The rest of the chassis was in good shape. There is also a lot of rust around the body attachment points and on the unseen side of the tubes where they meet the body.
Cannot get the pictures to appear on this site. So those that requested the photos I have re sent them to you. Any body else out there wants to see the x rated photos?
Pissed off as hell.
The body came off today and worst fears confirmed. ALL corners of the outriggers were either very badly corroded or simply did not exist anymore. The least corroded was the offside front. The rest of the chassis was in good shape. There is also a lot of rust around the body attachment points and on the unseen side of the tubes where they meet the body.
Cannot get the pictures to appear on this site. So those that requested the photos I have re sent them to you. Any body else out there wants to see the x rated photos?
Pissed off as hell.
Jim
Sorry to hear about your bad luck, one thing I'm not sure about though is the comments about the whole chassis having to be replaced due to tubes warping. In the olden days when I ran a 1600M (which was 25 years old when we did the chassis) it was commonplace to remove the tubes which had the most rot and replace them, avoiding cutting little bits out but changin ght ewhole tube. Obviously this takes more time and if I'd had a new chassis it would have been easier but there was no reason not to do it this way.
Can you send me the photos I'll tell you if they are worse than my M was.
Cheers
David
Sorry to hear about your bad luck, one thing I'm not sure about though is the comments about the whole chassis having to be replaced due to tubes warping. In the olden days when I ran a 1600M (which was 25 years old when we did the chassis) it was commonplace to remove the tubes which had the most rot and replace them, avoiding cutting little bits out but changin ght ewhole tube. Obviously this takes more time and if I'd had a new chassis it would have been easier but there was no reason not to do it this way.
Can you send me the photos I'll tell you if they are worse than my M was.
Cheers
David
If anyone needs to see the pics I've slapped them here (hope you don't mind Jim):
http://lonsvale.tzo.com/philshort/chassis.htm
bit rough any ready, on my way to a meeting! Enjoy.
PS. this are on a development server which is up and down like a tarts knickers, so don't be too upset if the link is dead!
>> Edited by philshort on Wednesday 31st July 22:31
http://lonsvale.tzo.com/philshort/chassis.htm
bit rough any ready, on my way to a meeting! Enjoy.
PS. this are on a development server which is up and down like a tarts knickers, so don't be too upset if the link is dead!
>> Edited by philshort on Wednesday 31st July 22:31
would a chassis like this make it through a service inspection? maybe the worst parts are hard to see with the body bolted on. With such structural weakening I'm amazed it wasn't noticible while driving, and didn't result in some sort of catastrophic failure! I suppose the other chassis members will help to some degree.
Food for thought!!!
Reminds me of a frogeye sprite I once got involved in restoring which turned out to be made almost entirely of papier mache. Mind you we did track down the culprit previous owner from the dates on the newspaper.....
M
Food for thought!!!
Reminds me of a frogeye sprite I once got involved in restoring which turned out to be made almost entirely of papier mache. Mind you we did track down the culprit previous owner from the dates on the newspaper.....
M
Wow.
What's really interesting to me is how localised the damage seems to be. Catching glimpses of the rest of your chassis suggests that it is largely fine and I find it amazing that the only part to go is the outrigger corners, espeially if you say it has been painted and cared for.
I wonder if it could be an issue with the welds, which sometimes corrode (but never to that extent...).
I'm also surprised that you were told that the outriggers could not be replaced. Have a look at Nacnud's page at www.tvrcc-bristol.co.uk (select 'Members Pages' and then 'Duncans 450 SEAC). They certainly can be replaced on a Wedge, I see no reason why not on a Chimaera.
>> Edited by beljames on Thursday 25th July 21:49
What's really interesting to me is how localised the damage seems to be. Catching glimpses of the rest of your chassis suggests that it is largely fine and I find it amazing that the only part to go is the outrigger corners, espeially if you say it has been painted and cared for.
I wonder if it could be an issue with the welds, which sometimes corrode (but never to that extent...).
I'm also surprised that you were told that the outriggers could not be replaced. Have a look at Nacnud's page at www.tvrcc-bristol.co.uk (select 'Members Pages' and then 'Duncans 450 SEAC). They certainly can be replaced on a Wedge, I see no reason why not on a Chimaera.
>> Edited by beljames on Thursday 25th July 21:49
Looking at the pics again I agree with beljames, the localisation of the damage is noteworthy.
The main chassis rails for example show no discernable damage, whereas mine were rusting where stone chipped, and also had considerable surface rust around the suspension mounts. Pretty well every single weld on my chassis showed some degree of flaking and surface corrosion, yet some of the welds here look factory fresh. My shocks were almost devoid of paint, the shock here look pretty clean (though they may have been replaced of course).
Bit strange!
>> Edited by philshort on Wednesday 31st July 22:38
The main chassis rails for example show no discernable damage, whereas mine were rusting where stone chipped, and also had considerable surface rust around the suspension mounts. Pretty well every single weld on my chassis showed some degree of flaking and surface corrosion, yet some of the welds here look factory fresh. My shocks were almost devoid of paint, the shock here look pretty clean (though they may have been replaced of course).
Bit strange!
>> Edited by philshort on Wednesday 31st July 22:38
quote:
I'm also surprised that you were told that the outriggers could not be replaced. Have a look at Nacnud's page at www.tvrcc-bristol.co.uk (select 'Members Pages' and then 'Duncans 450 SEAC). They certainly can be replaced on a Wedge, I see no reason why not on a Chimaera.
Wedges have detachable sills which makes life very easy... Chimaeras only have this feature if you ordered the optional angle grinder to cut the sill from the body
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
What a horrendous story, obviously the problem ( corrosion from inside ) only manifests itself when it is too late. Surveyors of steel boats use a small ultrasound device which measures the thickness of steel, is there anything like that which could be used to check the thickness of chasis tubes , this could at least give advance warning of a problem area ?
Guy
Guy
Maybe the guys at Blackpool should line up an industrial X-ray machine at the next open day and let everyone have their cars dragged through the hoop? Its sad to see a Tivver in that condition, and disgusting to see a Chimp that is obviously loved go to pot so soon.
Maybe its something to do with storing chassis outside until the are needed????
Obviously Blackpool wont acknowledge that thought, they only want to sell new, ever more expensive cars.
Maybe its something to do with storing chassis outside until the are needed????
Obviously Blackpool wont acknowledge that thought, they only want to sell new, ever more expensive cars.
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