How far do you go?
Discussion
Since it's been a bit quiet on the S forum recently, I'd like to hear your thoughts on how far you guys go as far as restoring/cleaning/looking after your S goes.
I had a go at cleaning the chrome and alu parts on my S3 yesterday. The bumper strips, around the headlights and the window frame in the doors especially started to look a little bit dull. Don't get me wrong, for an eleven year old car, they are actually in good nick. But I thought I could improve on them, so I got some metal polish and spent a bit of time and elbow grease on it. And it does look better now, but it still isn't perfect. I've been there a number of times, of course: You have a go at cleaning some parts and the result is an improvement, but maybe not quite up to the standard you would like it to be.
To make the window frame really nice and shiny, for example, I would probably have to remove it. That means disassembling the whole door. So before you know it half your car is in pieces (and off the road for a couple of weeks).
I suppose I just don't know yet how far I am prepared to take things (given limited time, space and experience) and I am just interested to hear what approach you guys take. Or in other words, what amount of time, money and expertise is required to get it up to the standard of, say, LeeBee's car. It looks fabulous, but it also seems neccesssary to devote your life to making your S look good. I'll probably have to get used to the fact that my car will never look absolutly immaculate...
Andy
I had a go at cleaning the chrome and alu parts on my S3 yesterday. The bumper strips, around the headlights and the window frame in the doors especially started to look a little bit dull. Don't get me wrong, for an eleven year old car, they are actually in good nick. But I thought I could improve on them, so I got some metal polish and spent a bit of time and elbow grease on it. And it does look better now, but it still isn't perfect. I've been there a number of times, of course: You have a go at cleaning some parts and the result is an improvement, but maybe not quite up to the standard you would like it to be.
To make the window frame really nice and shiny, for example, I would probably have to remove it. That means disassembling the whole door. So before you know it half your car is in pieces (and off the road for a couple of weeks).
I suppose I just don't know yet how far I am prepared to take things (given limited time, space and experience) and I am just interested to hear what approach you guys take. Or in other words, what amount of time, money and expertise is required to get it up to the standard of, say, LeeBee's car. It looks fabulous, but it also seems neccesssary to devote your life to making your S look good. I'll probably have to get used to the fact that my car will never look absolutly immaculate...
Andy
I decided that cleaning alone would not be sufficient, so I am doing a total restoration job. It costs slightly more than the price of a bottle of Auto Glym, but since TVR no longer make the 'S' series, and a new TVR 'Tomorrow' costs about £36K, I figured it would be cheaper to give mine a new lease of life.
Jas.
P.S. You are only a true dedicated enthusiast if you clean the air vents, etc.. with cotton buds!
Jas.
P.S. You are only a true dedicated enthusiast if you clean the air vents, etc.. with cotton buds!
quote:
I decided that cleaning alone would not be sufficient, so I am doing a total restoration job.
Paceracing, have you given yourself a budget/timescale. How much are you going to do yourself, which jobs will you get done by specialists?
quote:
you would be surprised at the expense and the time you are going to let yourself in for.
That's what I'm trying to get a feel for and then approach it with some sort of plan. Doing a wee bit here and there every couple of days doesn't really make sense.
quote:
Paceracing, have you given yourself a budget/timescale. How much are you going to do yourself, which jobs will you get done by specialists?
I do have a budget, but it is a very, very large one, and has been reasonably well planned. Put it this way, if I could do it for £7K I would be astonished!
I will be doing the full stripdown and rebuild, but I will let the specialists do the following jobs:-
Engine bored to 3.2 and rebuilt to around 210 Bhp.
Gearbox rebuilt to my ratios.
LSD fitted to original Diff casing.
Full leather retrim in black, (original spec).
New black Wilton carpets, (I will fit them though).
New Hood
Polished wheels, (OZ 8 spokes).
Chassis shotblasted and zinc coated / chassis painted.
Brembo or Wilwood 4 pot front calipers
Rear disk conversion, (Info required for this job still, as I understand it isn't straightforward).
Fully adjustable brake bias / pedal box
Respray in original Italian Red
Loads of other detail like chrome instrument bezels, (I have the optional full wood dashboard from the S1, S2) fit oil cooler, Samco or similar hoses......
Infact just about everything!
I know you will all say "You will never get your money back" but I don't want to ever sell the car, and as I have said TVR don't make the 'S' any longer, so I just have to build my own car to (reasonably) modern spec. I could get a new TVR, but in about 4 years I would probably loose in depreciation what I am spending now.
Besides all of this, I enjoy a good project and this is the trial run if you like before I embark upon building an S2 racer!
Jas.
Now hear's a thought! For just over 7K you could buy a rolling chassis for a GT40 kit from Tornado. I,ve considered this as a option as opposed to uprating to a griff or chimp. What a beast this would be. Having stripped all the front and rear of me S I,m getting a bit fed up with all this rust!
This rebuild you are considering will take you twice as long as you think (unless you have spoken to people in the know) LeeBee's a good example of a man possesed with improvement and what a cracker his car is. But! ask him how many times its been on the road in the last few years. I am the same as Lee myself, and only want to do a proper job so it looks right. I have spent the last year under my car and only driven it once since I've had it.
The Tornado TS40 (GT40) is a very good copy and having spoken to the owner of the place he says if you do most of the work yourself you can knock a nice one out for 15K, some do spend a lot more. I'm in a state of flux right now, and after I,ve finished the S I might just keep it after the respray and new hood etc,etc,etc.
Anyone else been down this route in there minds?
gadgit.
This rebuild you are considering will take you twice as long as you think (unless you have spoken to people in the know) LeeBee's a good example of a man possesed with improvement and what a cracker his car is. But! ask him how many times its been on the road in the last few years. I am the same as Lee myself, and only want to do a proper job so it looks right. I have spent the last year under my car and only driven it once since I've had it.
The Tornado TS40 (GT40) is a very good copy and having spoken to the owner of the place he says if you do most of the work yourself you can knock a nice one out for 15K, some do spend a lot more. I'm in a state of flux right now, and after I,ve finished the S I might just keep it after the respray and new hood etc,etc,etc.
Anyone else been down this route in there minds?
gadgit.
quote:
window frame in the doors especially started to look a little bit dull
When I get the chance to clean mine, rather than drive it or (just lately) bemoan the fact it's been in the repair garage rather a lot (see other postings last 48 hours), I use Autogleam Fast Glass on the alu window frames and it brings them up a treat. I am not looking for perfection though and reckon the ali is not designed to be shiny all the time, but this in my method for making the windows look a bit more respectable. Try it!
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