Previous Owner Tales of Woe!!

[Mark_Gibson]

My brother in law and I picked up a 73 TR-6 last spring in Ithica, NY. It was advertised on Ebay and we bought the car and some parts from a 74 TR-6. We've already gotten most of our money back by selling the 74 parts, so it's not about losing money. You just have to wonder what some of the previous owners were thinking when they make modifications to these cars, unknown to us until we started a frame off project on the 73 about 6 months ago. Here are the highlights (or lowlights):

The body was WELDED to the frame. It took us many, many hours of cutting and grinding to get the body free.

There were extra motor mount brackets installed (welded), but only one of the two original motor mount brackets was still in place. Found that bracket at British Auto. Hmmmmm...

The rear frame crossmember that has the rear diff mounting brackets and the lever arm shock mounting brackets had been cut out and replaced by a crude angle iron replacement. Luckily we found the original crossmember in a salvage yard near my house (British Auto).

My brother in law is an expert with a cutting torch and his MIG welder, so this isn't a huge task. It just has me puzzled as to why the previous owner (s) felt the need to take the frame apart, when rust wasn't an issue.

I'd be interested to hear others previous owner horror stories!!!

Mark /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif

 

[Alan_Myers]

Hi Mark,

I would venture to guess someone might have raced or dreamed of racing your car at some point. Welding the body to the frame increases rigidity and the other modifications might have been "speed improvements" too. People try all kinds of weird modifications when they want to go fast!

When I bought my TR4 about 1977/78 it had a modest racing history and was orange.... I mean really, really orange! It also had 14x7" chrome mag wheels (likely off a 240Z) and wide low profile tires that kissed the inside of the front fenders when I got a little aggresive in the corners. Even with a 3.7:1 rear end, it was revving pretty high at 70 mph on the highway, but it got there darned quickly!

Another thing I recently discovered is that the SU carbs on the car are actually Hitachi SUs, also off a 240Z I'm sure. I had changed to Weber DCOEs not long after I bought the car and stuck the Hitachi SUs away in a box and only recently pulled them out and started scratching my head about them.

I've seen some other interesting TR4 mods over the years. Those chrome wheels on my car came off another that had been even more radically modified to the point the 7" wheels were too narrow! It had a V8, plus wide flared wheel wheels over very, very wide wheels and tires. It also had large flames painted on the front fenders and hood.

Of course, I must admit I've done a few mods to my car that others might or might not approve. It's a '62, but has a later, TR4A grill, for example. Why? Well, I just happen to like the later grill design (and I still have the TR4 grill stashed away, if I ever want to switch back). And, until recently it had a Ford muffler and a homemade 2" exhaust pipe that actually worked fairly well.

After 25+ years owning it and now in my 2nd restoration of the car, I am my own DPO!

Alan

 

[Randi]

Hi Mark, I have used British Auto several times with good results. I found them through the "Locater" a salvage yard reference book through out the US. I am in need of a steering wheel for my twin cam and my husband has threatened my life if I buy one sight unseen. If you visit the yard again could you inquire about a steering wheel for my 1960 MGA twin cam? It is banjo style with finger grips on the back side and silver emblem. It has the standard 4 rod braces. Mine is giving me splinters(BIG SPLINTERS!)I have no problem calling them about the wheel-I just need someone to scope it out.Please don't make an extra trip. If you find yourself there, and remember, I just need you to take a hard look & maybe slide your hand over it(particularly the backside).Thank you in either case. Randi /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

 

[Mark_Gibson]

Randi,

I'll be happy to ask Mark about it. I live 7 miles from his yard, and I'm over there probablly twice a week for various things. I'll let you know what he has.

Mark

 

[Winston]

FWIW.......
Gotta keep them on the road.
I'm a lucky (PO)there were only two before me.
I admit that I'm the culprit now but I tend to try to make upgrades to make Ole Ruby safer.

She also was a moderately oft racer when new, and a close friend found it in a barn . It stayed covered in his garage until he bought a bigger boat. I did'nt find out he had the car for 3 YEARS!

The first owner finally put in the barn after the right front fender/suspension had met a sad fate with a dirt embankement during a rally. It sat there covered for virtually decades.My (former close friend) ie: LBC ambivalent, allowed me to become a real lover of the little dudes with the tractor engines.
Most of my work is based on "$" in an attempt to maintain the history of the car but again always with safety in mind.
There are no British Auto repair shops in Des Moines any way so the sky's the limit.
Just glad the sun's shining once in awhile.

 

[SeanTR3]

Mark, thanks for mentioning British Auto. I had no idea it was there. All of the parts I buy are from mail order catalogs. I'll have to check them out.

By the way, I'm over in Greece, not too far from you.

Sean

 

[Mark_Gibson]

Hey Sean,

Mark is a great guy, and he has a LBC grveyard that has lots of TR3 stuff, as well as he can rebuild/fix just about anything British. Are you a member of the WNY MG Car Club? It is a great group of guys (and ladies). Let me know if you want more info on it.

Mark
Fairport NY

 

[Banjo]

I'm not even going to try and estimate the percentage of my TR4As frame that is angle iron (although my POs excuse was a cheap fix to a rotted out car).
Here's what mine is like.
The body is probably 30-40% Bondo. The PO decided he diden't like those chrome beads along the top of the fender, so he pulled them off and filled the seam with bondo. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
Portions of the rockers are pop rivited then covered with filler. ditto for the fenders. I accidently pulled most of the dogleg loose on the rear fender last fall when the jack caught the lower edge and sent a tear halfway up the fender like it was a piece of paper. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif
I get enough torque steer when I hit the gas to change lanes.
I can clearly see 3 different colors of paint on the weatherstripping at the base of the windscreen. It was repainted BRG once (that's the origional color) then it was sky blue, and now its red. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/pukeface.gif
I could keep going but you get the idea.
Hey, waddya want for dirt cheap. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
I think I gotta get up there and see Mark soon. (he's not that far away)

 

[AltaKnight]

[ QUOTE ]

I get enough torque steer when I hit the gas to change lanes.


[/ QUOTE ]

Hey Banjo....
Given that it's rear drive, what causes the torque steer?
Is it flex in the chassis frame or what?

 

[Geo Hahn]

I've never had an IRS TR but if I had one that wanted to change lanes on acceleration I think I would take a look at the trailing arms & associated brackets.

 

[sammyb]

I spent the weekend tearing into the convertible top on my father's 1929 Franklin 130 Cov't Coupe. The car was restored in 1970 by a crazy guy who was scared the car would roll, and he would be killed. So he fixed the top up and used about 25 pounds worth of wood, wood screws and metal bracing to create a somewhat crude support system.

Six hours of work digging out wood screws, metal bracings etc..-- I STILL couldn't get the top down. I did remove 25 pounds of worthless crap though. It would be nice to be able to put the top down on that car. My dad's had the car for ten years, and it's finally gotten to the point where I'm obsessing over getting that top down!!!!!!!

 

[Banjo]

(Geo) Look closely at my signature, This is a solid axle TR4A.
(Alta) I'll find out what the real cause is this summer when I peel the body off to put a new frame under it, but right now I suspect the whole rear is shifting.
It also make an atrocious noise from the rear in a hard left turn if I have a passenger. (it sounds like the drive shaft banging off the tunnel)
Are you scared yet?
I'll put you all at ease. The "death trap" as my brother calls it is off the road until it gets a lot of long overdue repairs.
I'm convulsing with withdral as the weather turns nicer, but at least I'm alive to do it.