After 7 weeks, she's finally back home

[Brosky]

Well, I spent all Saturday morning and afternoon cleaning and polishing, but it was worth it. We actually got to go to the BMCNE Picnic late Friday, but I put off the detailing until Saturday.

Rather than fill the server here with pics, this link will take you to my "Current Status" page for a view.

https://www.74tr6.com/currentstatus.htm

My wife did get a call Friday from the girl that she gave the original B/L AM-FM radio to nearly 30 years ago and she still has it. We'll get it back next week and I'll probably send it out for recon then install when I do the carpet later this summer.

 

[R6MGS]

Looking good, engine compartment looks amazing...nows time to rack up some mileage!

 

[Brosky]

I only got to drive it about 10 miles today, but loved every minute of it. By getting the headers and new front exhaust pipes made, replacing all of the worn weatherstrips which set up realigning all of the doors, it's amazing how tight and quiet it now is. No more rattles and squeaks over every bump.

 

[tomshobby]

Paul, you mean they are not supposed to rattle and squeak? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[R6MGS]

Rattles are my automotive pet peeve....I can't stand them....I think I own the only rattle free 84 Camaro in existence, same goes for the MG's(with the tops down)...Now the TR6 has one big annoying rattle(drivers window) so when I get it back from the shop(probably in the next few days) I am gunna pull the door panel and investigate...For now I've been driving with the window up an inch which seams to stop the rattling.

 

[Brosky]

I drove with sooooo many noises that I thought it would never end. My wife and I went to the local Brit car club picnic Friday night and she could not believe how solid and quiet it was. Of course when you buy out half of TRF to replace worn parts, it really should be quiet. I think that I definitely helped Charles go to Spain this year.

It was a bit expensive to get it all done, but well worth the price now that I've driven the car.

As a former tech and service director for Cadillac and Lexus, I spent half of my working life tracking them down, but I was always too tired or probably just too lazy to fix my own car.

 

[bobh]

Paul,
The car looks great!

 

[Brosky]

Thanks Bob. A lot of work but worth it.

 

[swift6]

Now you have nothing but the fun stuff to look forward to. Driving! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I know the excitement your going through getting it back on the road and driving it. I'm still paranoid about that first rock chip. Luckily, I still haven't gotten one. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif

 

[Brosky]

I got my first chip early the first day out, so all is well in anxiety land. The outside wasn't painted just the underhood, door jambs and trunk after the engine reseal and detailing.

BTW, I did the damage myself by dropping a screwdriver. Luckily it was very small and touched up very well.

 

[tomshobby]

I had a 52 Chevy when it was less than half as old as my TR6 is now. I worked on it for months and finally got into the paint shop. I had even welded the center seam on the hood closed so the hood was flat. Anyway, I painted it metalic gold. It was beautiful and metalic was not very common then. So I put it back together and went to drive home. I pulled onto the highway from the shop drive and as I started down the road the hood flew up and wrapped itself over the windshield and over the roof.
Probably would felt a little better if it had only been chipped. That was quite a while ago and it still hurts.
So new hood, welded seam, replaced windshield (split window so both sides), repaired roof crease, preped car, primed, painted. AND REPLACED THE ****** HOOD RELEASE!

 

[Brosky]

Speaking of hood releases and TR6's.........I have my emergency kit installed. Do you have yours? Pic is before paint work.

Those hoods were made out of real steel back then and could do some serious damage if you dropped one on your toe when carrying it.

I believe that the process for welded the seam yielded a "nosed" Chevy and taking off the trunk lamp/handle/plate frame/whatever then made it "decked".

Nosed & decked, chopped and channeled, lowered and dropped.

Man, I'm getting old........

 

[DART]

Paul- nice emergency release!! and super engine bay.
With the car in such nice condition, are you going to do the Brits Invade Stowe event??

 

[tomshobby]

At least my hood release looks as nice as yours. We just won't look at the rest of what is under my bonnet. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Brosky]

I'm not sure about Stowe this year. Right now, it's a definite "maybe" depending on how my wife feels about a 4-5 hour ride. But it's better than last year, which was a flat "no way!"

We will be at Day of Triumph in Brookline, MA and on several other local NE club events, mainly for the drives and fellowship.

I never wanted the car to become a show car and it's not, by any stretch of the imagination. I just wanted a nice looking, clean and smooth riding car to drive and have fun with. I watch guys polishing frames and wheel wells and while it's great for them, that's not for me. If we get somewhere and I feel like cleaning up under the hood, I will. If not, the hood stays down and I head for the sausage & hot dog vendors and hope to find someone to shoot the breeze with that I can learn something from.

 

[Brosky]

Tom, you've got a pretty nice 6 there. I think it looks great. There's a 76 BRG on ebay now, not far from me in RI, with 14700 original miles on it. I'm watching to see what it brings. Should be interesting.

 

[AngliaGT]

Man! You guys sure know how to humble a guy like me with
just an average TR6!

- Doug

 

[Brosky]

Never feel humbled by the appearance anyones car. It's just a result of the time, expertise or resources that we have.

I feel humbled by the guys who have done all of their own work, or who have driven cross country or on 300-500 mile trips routinely. They are truly enjoying their cars and many are not cosmetically pristine, if there ever really is such a thing.

As long as you enjoy your car, that's all that matters. I waited a long time to do this since as everyone knows, money trees are hard to find these days and if you do find one, they don't bear fruit too often.

 

[tomshobby]

Thanks for the nice complement Paul. And Doug, you should see all the paint chips and little dings in my car. I just stood back aways and took the photos.

 

[R6MGS]

[ QUOTE ]
Never feel humbled by the appearance anyones car. It's just a result of the time, expertise or resources that we have.

I feel humbled by the guys who have done all of their own work, or who have driven cross country or on 300-500 mile trips routinely. They are truly enjoying their cars and many are not cosmetically pristine, if there ever really is such a thing.

As long as you enjoy your car, that's all that matters. I waited a long time to do this since as everyone knows, money trees are hard to find these days and if you do find one, they don't bear fruit too often.

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif
I've got LBC's ranging from concours restos,mint original , and drivers....and if you ask me the car I enjoy the most, it happens to be the roughest of all of them, 61 MGA thats got hardly any carpet, flaking paint,and worn chrome.....but mechanically the car is perfect and I wouldn't hesitate to drive anywhere with it, and really thats what matters,driving it.....For me, once I've put so much fussing into a car I lose interest in driving it through fear of something happening to it...I don't think I put even 50 miles on my 58 MGA last season, so far we're over 300 in a month on the other MGA, plus about 200 on the TR6. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif