checking the chassis outriggers

[eng622]

Having looked at a few pictures of Griffs. and Chimps. with outrigger corrosion (body removed) I ask if there is any way to check with the body on, apart from the obvious. By that I meam if you can see perforations in the tubes and triangular plates from the underside and/or the front then I guess it is bad news. But is there any way to check, if the above are sound, the area around the tubes adjacent to the triangular plates where corrosion (as in the pictures I have seen) is not so easy to see.

[griffter]

In short, no.

As you say bad news from underneath almost certainly means worse news on top.

Beware lashings of fresh waxoyl - what could it be hiding?

The best you can do is get the car on axle stands, wheels off and have a good look with a torch. If the owner will let you, poke with a screwdriver. Personally I would be very hapy to get the car on stands and wheels off for a prospective buyer but would NOT let them poke about. Disturbing the protective coating will of course compromise it and/or necessitate its reapplication.

It's a very difficult area to inspect. If there is not photo of certification of replacement/condition then really you have to do the best you can and go on gut instinct in light of the condition of the rest of the car.

[Barkychoc]

Hi Melvyn hope you are well.

I don't know if this would work but I am involved with installing computer cabling.
If I can't see in a floor void or similar I push a digital camera as far as I can and take a pic with the flash on.
Would this work if you pushed a camera right up into the inside corner of the outrigger?
I can only comment on my V8S which I bought from Melvyn and is still running well, and I reckon on the S series it would work.

Chris

[griffter]

That's a very good idea - it helps when inspecting chassis on cars not on stands. I've also used it to 'look' down the back of the fuel tank - but sadly it won't really enable a proper inspection of the top pf the outriggers.

[rev-erend]

Not sure the comments on seeing loads of waxoil be suspicious.. after all - most of the well cared for TVR's have had this treatment for years.

The best way to look for the old chassis rot is to jack up the car and put it on stands.

Get under there with a good light and with a screw driver tap the steel outrigger - it should ring.

If there is surface rust - scrape it hard and see if the screw driver pokes thru.

This is all assuming it's your car..

Do remember that on a Griff and Chim - the only side protection you have is the outrigger and if this is rusted thru then you have almost no protection - so that should be encouragement to get it done ASAP.