Stu Lasswell said:
For a summer tire, you can't beat the Falken Azenis RT660. A 200tw tire that's the darling of the autocross set, and comes in a 195/60/14. True, it's a fair bit shorter than the original tire, but a very grippy tire that lasts fairly well on a light car!. Not for use at or below freezing, however.... but that's true of most all "sporty" tires!
Thanks Stu! I'll make note of that one for when these mine wear out. I bought a set of Vredestein Sportrac 5 SL's when I bought the car because the ones that came on it were so old they didn't even have a date code on the sidewall. I'd been happy with them and they have cool 70s style graphics on the sidewall but now they're NLA. Unless maybe I can get them imported.
TVR Scott said:
Wheels look really good. I feel your pain on the lack of 14" tires.
I liked your comments on that recent BaT auction. That guy's video showed off some super sketchy driving. I hate it when people are like that.
I appreciate it. It's even worse when they're like that and oblivious to the fact on top of it. As a rule, I'm never the internet warrior because what do you win even if you're right? But J/C what a tool that guy was.
Stu Lasswell said:
I thought it interesting that you opted to paint the wheels silver. They do look very nice, and will probably stay looking nice, vs. constantly trying to keep up with polishing the bare alloy! Not the shine of polished alloy, but better than most that you see in use. As to the video mentioned, I thought the guy's driving was sketchy too, as well as the general vibe I got from the guy in the walk-around video. A pretty car, but I have to wonder about a build with a built V-8 and a stock Triumph differential. Pulled some decent money, though!
I'll have to take a picture in the sun hitting it on a clear day. It's very bright, almost like a stripe on a reflective vest, etc but a much lighter color. We'll see if my camera will even capture the effect. It won't have the presence or depth of a polished wheel, but it's got something special too it normal silver paint doesn't.
I agree, always nice to see a TVR pull $40K+. "A rising tide," as they say.
A couple pics since I said I would. I used Duplicolor Perfect Match Series , Universal Chrome https://www.duplicolor.com/product/perfect-match-premium-automotive-paint/. Then I cleared over the "chrome" and hand painted the T's and lug nut depressions. They have a nice glow to them that I don't think you have with regular silver paints. Similar to metallic but more uniform than individual specs. Hopefully they hold up for a while. If they don't they're good enough to get me down the road for now and make a decision later.
On a separate note, my time at the body shop is coming up. Mid-July is when I had booked time last fall and they say they're generally on schedule. I took a quick tour with the owner a month ago. They had a couple nice projects in at the time, including a Ferrari Dino for a full strip and repaint. Hopefully in a few month's time it'll be back and ready for me to make a final push over the fall and winter to wrap things up.
The plan is to keep the black vinyl roof, delete the black stripe along the bottom side of the car, and purchase the polished steel bumpers that are available, rather than the black fiberglass copies. I am leaning towards the exterior color being French blue in single stage paint for both period correct presentation and friendliness to my budget. So it would end up looking very similar to this TR6.
However I'm concerned the French blue might be a little too much and am mulling over a slightly toned down shade, similar to either of the next two cars. The cause of many hours of lost work productivity!
Blue car owner here. Many shades over 1/2 century, and I sell paintings of cars too.....Any of those shades will look good on a 2500M, and any blue is "FrenchBleu". Dear old BL did call that shade "French" on the TR6, so you can't be wrong anyhow...Do not forget that there is no blue dirt, not any shade! You are committed to the cleaning regime the moment you say blue. I decline to drive my blue car on dirt, the orange one, sure, can't see the dirt until you wash it off.
In reply to TurnerX19 :
Hahaha, good points!
Splitting hairs at this point, but anyone heard of "squadron blue?" Lighting is so poor in these pictures, but this might be the answer. https://www.hhcsportscars.co.uk/car/squadron-blue-tvr-3000m/
I dig that color.
Looks a bit like Mariner Blue, or even Grabber Blue.
I thought they had a big hood stripe, but I guess it's just a reflection. I dig big hood stripes too...
In reply to TVR Scott :
And turbo stripes. Don't forget the turbo stripes.
I like that blue on a TVR as well.
Car deposited at the body shop!
Ok, I dug out my brake master assembly and liberated the spacer:
It's clearly also the fiber-board version, though it's been partly smashed and water damaged. I measured several thicknesses around the inside, and they were all sort of in the .355" range. Variable but not unexpected for the installation. I don't see any evidence that it was tapered. I'm guessing it started life as 3/8" thick and has become thinner over time.
That looks correct to me. I wonder if mine is not stock then as it doesn't appear to be painted except by approximation to the top of the pedal compartment which on my car is black but I don't think that was from the factory.
Solves the mystery of whether they were flat or wedge shaped, at least on our cars. I still will be curious what my car requires once or goes back together with better body alignment.
Some engine porn for inspiration. Went to Road America today for the vintage races. I spotted a GT6 and thought I'd poke around to see what engine related secrets I could glean. Among the most interesting I noted were an external oil distribution block, either supplementing or rendering moot the factory oil galleys. Also, a race header design I never came across when doing research for my build.
That oiling setup is crazy.
Someone has clearly spent a ton of time on that car. The redesigned front subframe with the new suspension points caught my eye.
I like the aluminum shelf across the top of the firewall too. No peeling paint from brake fluid leaks.
Very cool!
In reply to TVR Scott :
I don't think the pickups are moved, so much as they are now beneath that lovely and period illegal brace from the top of the suspension tower on the chassis frame to the front of the foot box, and presumably then on to the cage....No "sub" on a GT6, it is body on frame like a TVR, and in period moving pickups was also illegal, as were those carbs here in the states.
To the O.P., How did it sound?? By my understanding of theory that should sound odd and be peaky.
I wish I'd known you were there Viper! I spen a bunch of time with Dan (the GT6 owner) and his dad who built much of the trick stuff on the car. The oil system is a Kastner thing that they improved on. They had a build book that showed all the build process and even the blueprints for most of the parts.
I have a bunch of vid of him running- the sound was absolutely wicked. He was shifting at 8500 rpm's and it was glorious.
TurnerX19 said:
To the O.P., How did it sound?? By my understanding of theory that should sound odd and be peaky.
It did sound a little "odd," in the way half of a V12 might sound I guess? It wasn't quite a smooth as, say, race prepped Nissan inline 6's that I've heard. With those the sound is more a very smooth, even constant note. With the GT6 I felt like you could still detect the hits of individual cylinders. Are GT6 motors oversquare? I know they're shorter stroked Tr6 engines, but not sure if they are destroked to that extent.
Sounded very good I thought, pretty close to this video I would say.:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCIJLmxSMbc
oppositelocksmith said:
I wish I'd known you were there Viper! I spen a bunch of time with Dan (the GT6 owner) and his dad who built much of the trick stuff on the car. The oil system is a Kastner thing that they improved on. They had a build book that showed all the build process and even the blueprints for most of the parts.
I have a bunch of vid of him running- the sound was absolutely wicked. He was shifting at 8500 rpm's and it was glorious.
That's awesome, crazy you know this specific car! If I recall you're not local to the area are you?
I try to get to the vintage races every year. Actually I'm aiming to get started in vintage racing in the next couple years. Likely VSCDA since I'm in the midwest. If you're involved at all I'd love to pick your brain to get the lay of the land, so to speak.
In reply to ViperT4 :
Slightly under square, 2.94 X 2.99. Pushrod engines are always harsher sounding when high reving than a Nissan or old Jag six. Much higher valve acceleration is required and is it far less controlled. 8500 RPM sounds like pulling the pin on the hand grenade too. Tune your street TR engine to work well between 1500 and 5500 RPM and gear it long. I will say that Kas Kastner made the most reliable Triumphs in the day, so the oiling mods are probably required if you spin it beyond 6000.
Viper, yes, I live about 14-15 hours south. Drove in and camped with a big contingent of Triumph buddies to see the K-cup. It was worth it.
I hunted down Dan (owner of that GT6) to spend some time talking about his setup. Trying to figure out more about why I've turned two cams into metal powder in the past 6 months.
Little preview. I stopped by the body shop to deliver some parts that would be needed soon. Repairs to the body have been completed. Bottom and roof are painted black just as something to protect the glass. Firewall is the color going on the body.
It's going to a separate shop to have the vinyl roof and headliner done. Then it will return to the body shop to have the rest of the exterior sprayed.
Slow_M
Reader
9/16/23 3:10 a.m.
I love all of these blue options, for an M. Have often thought of painting mine in that color way. Chassis already is. Haven't seen many dark blues I like on the car.
Did you go with the squadron blue? Looks great!
CoolHandMoss said:
Did you go with the squadron blue? Looks great!
Slow_M said:
I love all of these blue options, for an M. Have often thought of painting mine in that color way. Chassis already is. Haven't seen many dark blues I like on the car.
Thanks both! I went with French Blue, it's just a little lighter. I delivered the front and rear windshields to the shop today are they'll be ready to install them soon. They had just finished spraying the main body tub. I'm really digging it! They're finishing blocking the hood and then will be spraying then, then hanging the doors and hood to get the gaps set up. Looking forward to get it back and completing the electrical and interior over the winter. I have all the major pieces on hand, will just be a push to get everything assembled.
Looks fantastic!
Base/clear or single-stage?
Back in 2019 we took the kids to France and went to the museum at Le Man. Lots of super cool old race cars in similar colors.
