My 1973 TVR 2500M : Renew and Restomod

Count me in.

TVR Scott said:

In reply to ViperT4 :

Maybe when I start making spacers I'll ask all you other TVR guys if you want a set.  Would be easy to mill out a bunch once the machine is on and cutting.

I'd be in for a set!

Either of you have the spacer that goes under the pedal assembly?  Or under the brake booster?  Something like that?

Mine fell apart.

If I can get dimensions, I'll make those too.

Mine hasn't come out yet so I don't know what shape it will be in. I'll look in to that next time I get out there. 

My pedal assembly did not have a spacer. The brake booster had a spacer between the servo and the bulkhead, which is what I've seen in pictures of all other 2500M's.

Rimmer actually sells an aluminum reproduction. I purchased it since I was buying some other items from them so I was already paying shipping. https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-148024

The dimensions of the aluminum piece are 4-1/4" x 4-1/4" x 13/16" but it seems thicker that the wood one I removed. I believe the OEM one is closer to 5/8" plywood, or whatever is in the doors. The main hole is 3.5" in diameter and the bolt holes are 3/8" with the centers being 3.5" apart.

In reply to ViperT4 :

I didn't realize a spacer was used on the Triumphs.  I thought it was a TVR-only thing.

The door plywood measured 1/2" on my car.  At least what I could measure before it crumbled.

Congratulations on your progress, especially the engine start! 

I believe the original measurement on my door spacers was 1/2" as well but the edges have expanded over time. 

The brake booster spacer may have to be wedge shape (as it was on mine) with the bottom <3/8” and the top 1/2”-5/8”. 

This pivots the brake fluid reservoir down and allows for hood clearance at the reservoir lid. 

Slow_M said:

The brake booster spacer may have to be wedge shape (as it was on mine) with the bottom <3/8” and the top 1/2”-5/8”. 

This pivots the brake fluid reservoir down and allows for hood clearance at the reservoir lid. 

Interesting.  Is that the way yours was from the factory?

In reply to TVR Scott :

Yes. 

Actually, make that no. The replacement hood from David Gerald fit differently and required the mod. 

Its predecessor was killed by a tyrannosaurus Chevrolet taxi, in the middle of an urban intersection. This one was a lightweight version, about half of the thickness of the original. Cheaper for them to make, better for performance, and still strong enough to hold up the rear end of an 80s era Audi Coupe. 

Hey Scott, what’s  moving forward? 

TVR Scott said:

Slow_M said:

The brake booster spacer may have to be wedge shape (as it was on mine) with the bottom <3/8” and the top 1/2”-5/8”. 

This pivots the brake fluid reservoir down and allows for hood clearance at the reservoir lid. 

Interesting.  Is that the way yours was from the factory?

For whatever it's worth, later Volvo 1800 models have a small spacer (about 1/8" thick) between the top two bolts and the vacuum booster to slightly angle the assembly down for additional hood clearance. 

Slow_M said:

Hey Scott, what’s  moving forward? 

Bump on this.  Anything new?

Thanks for checking in, guys.

Short answer is not much has been happening.  (Can't this guy ever not do a bullet point list?)

Reason 1 - Got a new customer who's been keeping me really busy designing automation for medical devices.  That's been a good very thing.

Reason 2 - Track season for my high-school junior!  She's killing it and it's so much fun to watch her! (Swells with fatherly pride)

Reason 3 - I've been working with a new PT to try and fix some of my creaky arthritic back problems.  Was going well and then did a 180 to so much worse.  I spent the first two weeks of April either lying on the coach or dreading sitting at my desk.  Seriously miserable.  It's down to a hit-and-miss dull roar right now.  About the only exercise I can do is some swimming.  I'm seriously considering L5/S1 fusion surgery.  This is no way to live.  Back-Doc appointment is Weds next week.

I have done a few things though:

I wired up the power/remote door lock kit and tested it.  The instructions were bad, but I figured it out.  I want to mount up the actuators and figure out the lock mechanism.  The current one has the same handle both lock and open the door - one direction locks, the other unlocks & opens.  I think I'll totally separate the two actions.  I worry a little that the actuator could fail and lock me out.  Any knowledge with aftermarket locks?

I bought some surfacing veil to go on top of the spider-cracked outer body layer.  My understanding is that's the way to stablize things.

More sanding.  Always more sanding.

(No bullet points that time)

I feel for you! I have 4 titanium plates, 15 titanium screws and piece of cadaver bone in my neck! They didn't fuse anything together but I still have a hard time looking over my shoulder to back up so some loss of range of motion, but better than being paralyzed!!!

First off, sorry to hear about the back problems. Good luck to your kid as they finish out the season as well. 

You got me looking into surfacing veil. Interesting stuff. What kind did you go with? I'm curious to hear how that turns out. 

Ok, new day new perspective.  For now anyway.

If I'm going to be sad and in pain lying on the couch, why not be happy and in pain standing in the garage?

So I went out and did a few things.  And I was in pain, but it made me happy.

There were some little #8 screws brazed to the bottom of the lower window bracket.  These snapped off during removal and I heated up the old ones and took them out.

Today I replaced them with a little bigger #10 screws.  Used stainless too, since rust sucks.  Brazed those in:

The brazing rod didn't flow great, but I know for a fact it's like 25 years old.  Maybe the flux deteriorated and I should buy some new stuff.

Regardless, here's one of them finished.

Next up I hit the window mechanisms with some acetone to lift the grease, and then wrapped up the mechanism and sand-blasted the arms.

Interesting to see that these were stock parts for something and then got split and lengthened by the factory.

So that's it for now.  Baby steps, right?

That basic mechanism fits a vast array of English cars from multiple manufacturers over a long time span. TVR could have been taking them from various late model wrecks, don't be surprised to find the welded sections different lengths from different TVRs. 

Did some stuff.  Stuff was done.

Per the recommendations of TurnerX19, I'm putting a layer of surfacing veil on the outside of the body panels.  If I understand correctly this should help stabilize the old spider cracks and leave me with a nice stable surface for paint.

Dry surfacing veil cut to size for the D/S door:

This stuff is super thin but I was worried it would be delicate and want to fall apart.  It was tougher than expected.

Close-up:

And here it is after being wetted out and smoothed under a piece of breather film:

Yesterday also marked the milestone between using Fast hardener and switching to Slow.  Summer has arrived!

I hear lifted vehicles are all the rage right now:

For a while I've been meaning to get the body lifted off again.  I only raised it just above the frame instead of all the way up.  This should give me good access to the holes that need patching, and mean I won't have to work on a ladder.  That's the plan anyway.

There's stuff that needs attention on the frame too, so I'll knock out some of those projects while the body is lifted.

More details on the hole-patching.  Here's the body with the edges beveled back about an inch, and with packaging tape stretched across the opening:

Everything got a thorough cleaning with acetone first.

Here's the mating patch, also with edges beveled back:

Nice thing about the packaging tape is the filler panel will stay nicely in place:

A bunch of small strips of fiberglass later:

And covered up in bagging materials to smooth out the surface and keep the dirt and Miller moths out:

Easy!  One down, nine (?) to go.

Scott - have you begun to think about reproducing the brakeo booster or door spacers yet? I was test fitting my reconditioned booster on my body and the new aluminum one I bought from Rimmer is too large. The master fluid reservoir hits the bonnet.

If I send it to you would you want to turn it into a wedge shape and then use it to reproduce more? Or use it as a template to make a run out of a different material? 

I ordered a sheet of 1/16" nitrile rubber to make body seals for between the brake booster and bulkhead since they apparently are NLA for some reason. I could cut a handful of extras in addition to the ones I make for myself for those who are interested.

In reply to ViperT4 :

Yeah, we can make something.

If I remember correctly, the wedged brake space was just what @Slow_M used, but he had other space issues.  I think the standard part from the factory was uniform thickness.

Does that sound right?