My 1973 TVR 2500M : Renew and Restomod

einy said:

Will you somehow use the upper mount on the top side of the engine’s front  cover, or would that not be needed for this type of installation?

I don't know yet.  I was just out there pondering those studs.  I'd like to see how they were used on the Escape.  Possibly there will be something I can do there.  I've seen other installations where they're just removed.

My next move (beyond getting the seat frames cleaned up and off to the upholstery shop) will be to get the new wiring harness, control pack, and N/S kit installed.  Then I'll think about some motor mounts and all that.

Also, I want to pull the TR6 engine and look at the fit of the EcoBoost.

And get the Miata trans ordered and picked up.  And on and on and on.....

Stripped down the seats, and bagged all the upholstery and foam for the upholstery shop.  They said they might use some of the fabric as a template, and they also said a lot of the foam could be steam-cleaned and reused.  I was surprised by that.

The plywood backs are also water damaged, so I picked up some new 1/4" Baltic birch plywood.

Most of the rust cleaned up on the frames.  There's one crack at a bolt mounting point that I'll need to TIG back together, but otherwise the frames look decent.  I was surprised to find there looked to be no paint on them from the factory.

I got some Rustoleum black spray to coat the frames.  I'll pick up some fresh Rivet-nuts for the mounting points on Monday.  Then after I fab the seat-backs I'll drop them off for a few months at the upholstery shop.  Gotta get them out from under-foot to make room for the engine hoist to maneuver!

They're getting seat heaters too.  I've become addicted to seat heaters.

Look at a duratec ranger, nc miata, or an ecoboost mustang as i am guessing none of those use that fwd style mount

In reply to RossD :

Yeah, I'll probably just be removing them.

This thread is awesome. You're moving at an amazing pace, and I love everything from engine choice to seat heaters. (Applause)

Ransom said:

This thread is awesome. You're moving at an amazing pace, and I love everything from engine choice to seat heaters. (Applause)

Thanks, man.  I appreciate that.

I've been out of the nitty-gritty car craft hobby for about 15 years now, so it's been fun to get back in it.  Lots new to learn (or remember).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10tgF9uWwoxX5f6yYgzyY1xtDdzuzepPY/view?usp=sharing

Let me know if this works...

In reply to RossD :

Dude...  You just have everything.  Though I specifically recall pondering out loud about a Miata 5 spd showing up on my porch.

I did a lot of Locost research and bit of parts collecting. But I've gotten rid of all the parts and sold my Miata.

In reply to RossD :

I'll allow it.  However, if you're ever in Denver let me know.  There's a beer on tap for you anytime!

They say you can't weld rust, and boy is that ever true.  TIG'ed up the cracked seat frame, and it sure was grumpy.  Tried to clean up all that surface rust, but some pockets remained.  It ended up with a decent amount of penetration, and I'm ok with it.

Cleaned out the crack with a dremel cut-off wheel.

And the other side:

Wish I didn't have to wear reading glasses while I weld, but my eye doc has assured me that my close vision loss is totally appropriate at age 44...

They make stick on readers.

Hmm.  I'll bet I can get some of those at the Rite-Aid up the street.  I can also get cheap red wine there, so it's a win even if they don't have the lenses.

Are you going to fish plate the tube with the weld repair? I'd be inclined to add a little extra steel there to prevent a repeat failure of that section since it's already weakened.

Oh, I don't know.  I've been debating that point.  Not sure which is worse - just the crack repair as it is, or adding a patch in and welding on more rust.

WWCSD?

(What would Carroll Smith Do?)

In reply to USERNAMETAKEN :

MIG it.  It's more robust to spots of rust.  Not great, but more robust relative to TIG.

Whoa, I had to click back a couple pages; I thought I'd missed one. 3.7? 2.0? not sure, not sure, BOOM HERE'S THE ENGINE IN MAH HOUSE.

Very cool!

alfadriver said:

In reply to USERNAMETAKEN :

MIG it.  It's more robust to spots of rust.  Not great, but more robust relative to TIG.

Probably the way to go.  I run flux core on my MIG, so that's probably even better.

badwaytolive said:

Whoa, I had to click back a couple pages; I thought I'd missed one. 3.7? 2.0? not sure, not sure, BOOM HERE'S THE ENGINE IN MAH HOUSE.

Very cool!

I did make up my mind all of a sudden there!

I couldn't help myself: I bought a cheap crane scale:

It's good to 1100 lb / 500 kg, so that should cover almost anything I might want to weigh.

First test HAD to be the engine:

So there you have it!  A 2.0 EcoBoost weighs 270 lb.  This is with the starter plate installed (can't remember the correct name right now...) and no alternator on.  Also, the intake manifold and throttle body aren't on.  I'll get another number once it's all dressed out with the N/S conversion.  The harmonic balancer alone is supposed to weigh quite a bit.

More endless mass-related data to come!

Interesting... i weighed a zetec with intake/exhaust manifolds, auto flexplate, water pump and few odd brackets and it was in that range. 260-270lbs. It had some fluids...

In reply to USERNAMETAKEN :

Where does one find a cheap crane scale?  Also define "cheap".

Stampie said:

In reply to USERNAMETAKEN :

Where does one find a cheap crane scale?  Also define "cheap".

This one was off some Amazon store, and it was $49.99 with free shipping.

In reply to USERNAMETAKEN :

Thanks ... carry on with the TVR loving.

Let's talk T-5 transmissions. I'm starting to think the lovely Ecoboost might make a Miata trans go poof-bang.

I know I can buy a bell housing kit. I know various mustangs had them. And Jeeps. And Camaros.

What are the options? What do I avoid? What do I hunt out?