We have been warned by Mr Dent not to try to start it Chip.

Mr Q has taken one of the rusty panels to a blasting place in Braughing this afternoon and they are going to do a test. The guy is really interested and is coming to see the car on Friday.

We have a pit and plan to get the car over it. Maybe we will be able to get a squirt of WD40/Plus Gas near the bonnet catch then as Nottm has suggested.

 

Yes - soda blasting is the best method for those 'aged' panels.

Without viewing them up and close one cannot tell 100% though a quick sanding with a 40-80 grit sandpaper will give you a clue as to the depth of despair.

For the chassis, you definitely have to go down the blasting route though hard substances like walnut shells might impart quite a bit of damage.

The preferred mode to use is gentle then harder.....f you know what i mean

 

There's some bead (and perhaps also soda) blasting on my favourite restoration thread:

Ferrari Dino Restoration

Make sure you register on the website so you can see all of the photos. The thread demonstrates the level of effort and cost involved if you really go to town on a restoration! Took me hours to read the thread but a great read.

 

My Dad is a complete TR nut and his current TR5 is up for sale

He's had 2 TR4As, TR3, TR7, TR8 & Triumph Vitesse. I'm not to sure what all the differences are between the 4A and 4 but I think the independant rear suspension springs (boom boom) to mind

His last TR4A needed a great deal of restoration but certainly no where near the levels that I see here

I will give him a call tonight and come back to you with some figures. He sold it 2+ years ago so I should be able to give you purchase, resoration and sale prices. It wasn't finished to concorse condition but very tidy.

The good and bad news is that he is about to hang up his TR hat and venture in to the world of Jaguar - he's very close to buying an XK150 3.8S Roadster

 

The blasting man came today. He had got rid of the rust on a trial panel and coated it with zinc.

Mr Q has managed to open the bonnet where Mr Dent failed. I was sorry I was not around to snap the cosy nest mice had made near the front bulkhead on the driver’s side.



I think these twin SU carbs are really cool. Love the way the bonnet has a power bulge to accommodate them. They didn’t like idling and would start spewing petrol if we got stuck in traffic as we often did towing the Flying Dutchman to Cornwall. A swift tap with a spanner made them behave.





Thank you everyone for your comments. That Dino restoration thread is awesome Paper Lawyer, must admit that I haven't read every word of it. We would be very interested to hear the from S2K4ME on value and restoration costs but I think we have decided to sell the car together with the panels, which we have asked blasting man to prepare as he has done in the trial. I understand that some replacement panels are difficult to come by. Any ideas where we should advertise it? Blasting man suggests that we put it on eBay with a long time frame. I was wondering whether to rejoin the TR register and advertise it there.

Imagine that the car is unusual in having only one owner from new. Mr Q went to see the TR4 at the Motor show and got it at a discount through a local garage and has all the original documentation. He was dating the owner’s daughter at the time.

Saz and I like the idea of having it restored and turning up to a couple of S2000 meets in it but would not choose to drive it over our Ss so £20,000 seems a bit much for a whim. Mr Q is on the road a lot but always to and from gigs taking at least five bulky instruments with him that certainly would not fit in the TR. He says he would worry about its reliability at his age anyway.

I can imagine that with its unprecedented provenance this could be quite an exciting restoration project for an enthusiast.

 

that's a shame MQ...

a few restored examples here:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/list.asp?s=610

 

It would so satisfying to do if one owned the appropriate blaster and tools and had all the time in the world to tinker in the garage - a lottery win would help me

 

thing is with restorations is that old cars can be upgraded for not a lot more than having it standard. it could be made into a quick little sports car that will easily out perform todays cars but usually at a cost of a little bit of drivability and comfort. but old cars are exactly that and will never be as easy to drive as moderns.

hope it goes to a good home

 

I had twin SU's on my MGB and although I thought they looked really cool (esp with the chromed covers mine had) they were an absolute pain to keep balanced. In the end I changed them for a twin choke weber which gave better performance and economy. When I sold the car I put the SU's back on as the guy buying the car wanted it as standard.

I had the same problem with the Stag too but just persevered with them on the Stag. Next car was to be a TR5 but a mortgage got in the way so ended up with a modern Eurobox which was a dull, dull car .

Good luck with the restoration, would be nice to see it back in to it's former glory.

I must admit that although I was no mechanic everything on these classic cars are geared towards the home mechanic/D.I.Yer

 

It might be worth running it through a auction and can be a bit of fun also. It's a pity it wasn't a month ago as the Bonhams auction at the Beaulieu autojumble can give quiet good results for resto. projects. I put a Alvis special through it last month and it made 10k over reserve and ended up going to France.

The TR will never be the same as a modern car so if you and Mr. Q feel that you will not use it then it might be time to let someone else have a go. I had a 4a some time ago but it was fully restored when I bought it. The previous owner who restored the car got no where near what it cost him, it is more a labor of love than anything else.

The very best of luck in whatever you decide to do.