Another TVR 2500M Restoration thread

In reply to Slow_M :

I know he got a roof panel in the mail!

Hey sorry, I haven't been checking the forum so much. Not much in the way of updates. I am stalled trying to get electricity to my garage. I'll really get moving this summer. 

I did indeed get a roof panel in the mail. Scott made me a fantastic solution to the travesty that was a sunroof (I have a thing against sunroofs/convertibles after having owned so many). 

I have accumulated some parts for the engine build. Still have quite a few to go before it's ready to assemble. Though an original 289 just popped up for sale local to me. Ran when removed from a 67 mustang. Asking 950 or so. Pretty sure I could get it for 750. It's tempting to pick this up just to have a complete engine to drop in at first and get the car running and driving. Then I'd have all the stock parts I needed to complete the fresh build without buying everything piece by piece. Though, it might be a turd in which case I am s.o.l. 

But ultimately, I have to replace all the pipes under the house and get power run to the garage before the weather gets nice so I can really get to work on the car. Work is about to get busy for a couple months unfortunately. Why does one take on additional responsibility for no gain? I'll never know! 

Pretty sure I am going to pick up this 289. Hard to resist. It'll make the project go so much faster and I can just rebuild it down the road if it needs once the car is squared away and driving. 

You think you would be able to turn over the engine with a wrench?  At least that would confirm it turns ok.  It'd be a bummer to unintentionally buy another builder block.

Oh yeah it's loose. It was running when removed 6 months ago. Which of course you can't trust but I actually have known this guy for decades. 

Then it's probably just fine.  And you could use it for a while and then sell it off for the same money.  Not really a downside there.

Yeah sell it off and build the 302 block or just do a fresh rebuild on the old 289, either one. I've decided to pick it up tomorrow. This will be a major step in accumulating parts. 

I did go ahead and pick up the 289. I don't regret it so far. Has good modern internals in the distributor. Edelbrock carburetor doesn't look too old either. Came with a starter. I have a flywheel. Now I just need an alternator and the brackets for it, a pair of stock exhaust manifolds, a clutch and transmission and i've got everything I need to start fitting it. 

Does anyone have any pictures of a known original interior in a 2500m? Looking specifically for between and behind the seats. Seems like every picture I can find is a little different and I am quite sure those panels in my car are not in original form and I am not sure how I want to layout my new panels or if behind the seats will just be all carpet. 

Also, little update: I made a small fiberglass repair on a door card that I damaged while removing it. Woohoo! 

On another note, has anyone had any contact with Bill from Dominion Spares lately? I had a lengthy talk on the phone with him just maybe 4 or 5 months ago. Emailed him and got one response and have not been able to get him since. I realize he is not a full time parts supplier or anything but I hope he is alright and still in the business??

In reply to CoolHandMoss :

It's been months since I had a conversation with Bill.  He seems very "together" and enthusiastic on the phone, yet I can't seem to get a response from him when I e-mail him.

I haven't tried calling again. Maybe he just prefers the phone. I'll give him a call. 

I had a big long phone conversation with Bill two years ago - like right before lockdown started.  We discussed all the suspension parts and shocks that I needed to buy from him.  And then he promptly fell off the face of the earth.  I've never managed to get a hold of him since that first time.

On your interior question, I'm not sure I've ever seen a true "original" car.  They all seem to be redone and they're all different.

Mine came with trimmed black vinyl over the wheel-wells, and a padded vinyl trim panel in the back.  Then the floor was carpet.  But we know my car was a hacked mess.  I really don't know what was stock, but I like the vinyl around the sides, and will probably keep it.  The carpet kits out of Belgium would replace that though.

There's the depressed area behind the seat, and that usually seems to be a storage cubby on most builds.  Center console is pretty up in the air too.  People do a lot of different things there.

CoolHandMoss said:

Does anyone have any pictures of a known original interior in a 2500m? Looking specifically for between and behind the seats. Seems like every picture I can find is a little different and I am quite sure those panels in my car are not in original form and I am not sure how I want to layout my new panels or if behind the seats will just be all carpet.

Typically, on the older cars, up to and including mine (‘75), everything behind the seats was carpet. The bits that were laid over others, that had visible edges had them bound in vinyl. The depressed storage area floor almost always had a black carpet, and a cover that had more black carpet on the underside and the same carpet as the rest of the storage area on top. The black carpet was used as a hinge, and the panel that hid the fuel tank was also carpeted, as were the rear wheel arches and the infill panels behind them. 

The elbow rest behind the shifter had lots of variations. Mine was carpeted and edge bound. Others, especially later cars, had that part, as well as the rest of the top of the transmission tunnel upholstered in vinyl. 

Carpet kits are available from the UK. 

Yeah so it sounds like my hard vinyl covered pieces definitely aren't in original form. I guess I get to just make new pieces however looks good to me then! Thanks for the responses. Pretty sure I'll go with a padded panel on top of the transmission tunnel to the back of the seats and go with one solid piece of carpet from there back. Can't imagine making good use of that tiny cubby such that it would justify an opening in the carpet or anything. 

In reply to CoolHandMoss :

Post some pictures to help identify what’s what. 

Here’s the link for TVR M carpet sets: https://www.lakewell.com/en/tvr/m-series/interior-carpet-set-tvr-m-series-71-79 

Even if you don’t use them, it gives you a good idea what was carpeted on at least one version. 

Yeah it looks like the carpet set gives you the freedom to pretty much leave the interior close to nothing but carpet and just add solid panels where ever you like. Coverage looks pretty comprehensive. That's excellent. 

Picked up a t5. It occurred to me that my over all plans were a bit backwards so after reviewing Scott's thread again I think I'm going to be getting the engine and transmission roughed in and some other systems fitted together before pulling the body off. Now I have to figure out the bellhousing/adapter and clutch situation to get it mounted up to the engine so I can start dropping it in. 

In other news, electricians are planning to run power out to the garage early next week. Starting next Friday I have 7 days off with no other plans but to get the garage organized after the wires are run, do some welding practice and get moving on some fun stuff. 

The electricians have come and gone, the garage is electrified, cleaned, organized, and outfitted with some new tools I need for this project. I took some time to learn to weld and set the garage up and finally today I got back to work on the car. Working a 12 tomorrow but the engine is ready to pop out on Monday. 

My 12 hour shift turned in to an 8 hour shift as luck would have it. The result is that the engine is finally out. Now to find someone to come get it out of my way... I really don't want to take it to the scrap yard but it takes up most of my free floor space in the garage. 

I found quite the little habitat in the transmission mount once that was out. The joys of a literal "barn find".

I had a sudden dilemma once the engine was on the floor concerning what to do next. I have not quite gathered all the parts needed to begin fitting the engine and that's too much fun anyway. My impulse is to start making suspension improvements and making new control arms because that's fun stuff. Instead I decided that I would feel better about the project if I knocked out some of the things I've been dreading first. So my to-do list while I finish gathering drive line parts is as follows:

Restore the window frames and get the windows working well before taking all that back out for painting later. 

Get the bonnet hinge assembly re-fastened to the bonnet and make the necessary improvements to the hinge point so I can put that back on to check engine clearances before welding in the engine mounts. 

Install the sunroof filler panel that Scott made me. This doesn't need to be done for a while but there's nothing wrong with getting it done now.

So that will be my next couple months. 

And seriously, if anyone needs a TR6 engine and transmission, it's free to a good home and I don't even mind driving a bit to meet up with the person that can put it to good use. 

Before:

And after a couple hours with the die grinder:

Not quite finished but at least I know they are able to be cleaned up nicely now. They were so pitted I was worried I wouldn't get it all out but it turned out to not be bad at all. Milestone achieved: this was the first thing I did to actually improve anything on the car rather than just cleaning and disassembling it. Big motivation boost to see some improvement. 

Window frames look really good!

I sold my engine and trans on the Triumph Experience forum for real bucks.  I even listed them as rebuildable cores with no guarantees.  I did have an OD transmission, though, which is a bit more valuable.  But you could potentially net a couple hundred for the old project bank.

Good idea. I wasn't aware of that forum but I made an account and posted there. Thanks for the recommendation. 

Can anyone provide some reference for a reasonable ride height measured floor to frame? The only thing I have been able to find is that someone measured an original 3000m with 40 years of spring safe to be 159mm off the floor at the front cross member. I have mocked up the cross member at 170mm off the floor and the hub at 295mm (half diameter of the 205/50-15 tires I plan to use) and the frame still looks really low. The suspension geometry is such that it should be rather compressed at that height. I am thinking more like 200mm is more reasonable. So I'd be happy to hear from anyone that either has some reference to a roughly original height or one found to be good. In my case I have no way to evaluate what height this car might have sat at. 

You might want to ask this question on the TVR board.  There are people with assembled working cars there.  How novel...

Hey, somebody in my local Triumph club (Carolinas) posted about your engine and trans. Saw someone in Charlotte is interested. You know, The Gathering (our biggest Brit. car event in the region) is honoring TVR, and the TVRCCNA has made it a national event. The club is expecting 10-12 TVRs to be there, and it's taking place at Shelton Vineyards near Mt. Airy N.C.  Might be a good place to meet up with you potential buyer, and enjoy a big car show with several TVRs to check out and talk to owners.  I'll be there, but with my Triumph. Contact me if you want more info! It takes place next weekend, with the show on Saturday