tr7triumph.com

Dear all

This may seem a strange request, but i need help - dont we all you may say.

I have been slowly doing lots of little jobs on my TR7. It needs to have some welding/replacing done on various bits. But i really dont know where to start - what i should get done, what i can rub down and repaint myself and to be honest i am a little out (no way out) of my depth with it. I was wondering if any of you that may live not too far from me could advice me. I live in Sutton Coldfield Birmingham.

I was wondering if someone in the know could advise me to the extent of things or recommend who might be able to help me. I know it would be best to get all the work done in one go but i need to save up and get it done gradually, so some idea of what order to get things done would be fantastic.

The car is insured and mot'd, i have put it on sorn for the winter, but i could tax it if someone was able to help and wanted me to drive over to them.

I hope it is ok to make this request, i dont want to offend anyone, i am just a bit confused as to what i should be doing.

Thank you

Simon


TRR676R Speke Built 2.0L Tahiti Blue TR7

you are rigyt it's better to see than to try and discuse on here shame you can't get it along to Stoneliegh then we could all stick our five peneth in. how about taking some photo's along to the show if you are going that is and we could try and discuse there.





[8 whole cylinders worth of punch to ram the world through the windshield and out the rear view mirror. Car & Driver]
1981 Grinnall TR7 v8
1981 Black FHC
1979 & 1980 Black Premium FHC(laid to rest) Sorry


John

Thats a good idea, i did intend to go so Stoneleigh. I was not intending to drive the Tr7 as i would take the wife and little'un, but maybe we could sort something out.

Thanks for help.


TRR676R Speke Built 2.0L Tahiti Blue TR7

Pictures will help - but if it has an MOT it can't be too bad. Worth checking underneath at the rear of the floor pan where the rear suspension attaches. Very common to have cracking here (can also be seen inside the car -remove seats and carpets - right at the back in front of the bulkhead) which if not caught and welded early on can lead to serious handling problems!!

Love to come over to help but live a little far away. If you're starting from product knowledge zero just tackle one job at a time. Buy/borrow tools as you need them. The labour you would spend on a mechanic buys a lot of tools. Tool kits with many tools are good buys from low cost dealers. Get book like official manual (jclay has it on his website in pdf.) Get cheap digital camera with macro and take lots of pictures as you take things apart (step by step). You can just reverse the steps (pictures) as you put things back together. (cheap laptop is handy to have nearby for this). You will not remember so don't even think of doing it from memory.

Initially change all fluids. Oil, coolant, gear case (ATF or Synthetic), top up differential. Rubber deteriorates over time so rebuild clutch, brake cylinders and if water in fluid of these systems has corroded them replace as a rebuild then won't last. Methodically clean every electrical contact, dielectrical grease on them to get rid of any electrical gremlins. Under dash stuff is a bigger job because it is done in one foul swoop as opposed to bit by bit as the other areas can be done. That looks after important areas of shifting, braking and electrical gremlins.

If engine isn't running right, check/replace spark plugs, S/P wires, dist. cap, points, intake vacuum leaks, carb rebuild?

Handling: Check/replace shocks, rubber suspension parts, (gaitors, stops, bushings) springs can sag, replace rubber suspension parts with poly for long term and to tighten up suspension including steering shaft bushing if worn or missing. Grease steering rack.

A garage is nice, (working in the cold and rain is not fun) or you'll be working in the summer (good driving weather).

Derust body parts (wire brush and/or POR-15 metalready or the like) prime and paint or POR-15 and paint to stop rust cleaned areas before they get worse. If it goes through body panels, sections have to be cut out and weld in replacements. This requires a different area of expertise. The previous stuff is engineering that latter is an art.

Learning how to do is one of the many pleasures of owning a TR7 (or any older car). This rambling is only an over view of course but may give some idea of where to start. Are there local club/chapters of Triumph or English cars in general in you area you can join? These usually are full of guys who have a lot of general and specific knowledge and may be your best bet.

TR7 Spider - 1978 Spifire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra

Simon, I have a late 1981 car which I am braking for spares and quite soon will have many body parts for sale. In particular I have two virtually perfect inner front wings complete with suspension turrets which need no welding. Also a good boot floor and the main floor sections themselves are also good. Sometimes it is easier to replace whole sections and if this is the case with you, let me know.

If it doesn't fit you obviously need a bigger hammer.

www.metronewquay.co.uk www.wheelintheheel.co.uk

Check out my album

http://s163.photobucket.com/albums/t299/samco_bucket/

My youtube progress http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kMDqLU1N7Y



1980 Californian import converted to right hand drive V8. Under construction.

Thank you Samco

I hope to get to Stoneleigh, if the experts can have a look at the car then i will let you know, if that is ok. I do know that the sparewheel holder has some rust in it and the inner parts of the boot that meet the rear outer piece in front of the bumper need replacing. Is the car you are breaking a FHC? if it is then i wonder what the drivers door is like?

Where are you based, just thinking about getting parts, but we can sort that out, once again thank you.


TRR676R Speke Built 2.0L Tahiti Blue TR7

I would make some harsh examinations first before spending any cash.
I had a early Spekle car like yours (well, it might have been a lot worse than yours) and I managed to get it through an MoT but ultimately it was rotten. With 18 previous owners, maybe one or 2 of them were careful but the remaining 16 or so just did a quick bodge before selling it on.

Specifically, I'd look to see if it has been fitted with 'cover' sills. these are immediately below the doors and are essential to the cars strength. A quality repair here would have required bracing the car to stpo it sagging and then cutting out the old outer sill and then welding in a new item, and repairing any rust found inside the sill structure. If it's been done properly, then as the sill approaches the front wing, it should go behind the wing. So to do the job properly either the wing has to come off or the bottom section of the wing is cut off and then re-welded back in place afterwards.

On my 1st Speke car, cover sills had been fitted and after the head gasket failed I wanted to really ascertain what I had. I probed at the end of the sill...oh dear, the screwdriver disappeared.
I cut the end section off the sill and it confirmed what I suspected - rotten rotten rotten. Cover sill had been slapped on regardless of the rust underneath.

So look at it carefully. And has your car had a great number of previous owners ?

In the end, I bought a '7 that had been fitted with a Sprint engine & had a 5 speed box, upgraded brakes and had been the subject of an older resto (pics with car) plus about 25 previous MoT's for £850. It made the £250 I'd paid for the previous '7 seem a rip off (but it has yielded a load of spares plus I learnt a lot from dismantling it)

Some pics on t'internet would be good, closeups of various body bits, bottom of wings, inner wings, engine bay etc etc.

does that help ?

Stu