TR4/4A TR4a restoration

Happy Saturday morning! I know a lot of people have gone through material losses of different types and I'm really struggling with my Triumph restorations. The fire destroyed not only my shop and pool, but as most of you know I lost all my tools and 10+ years of restored parts. While doing an inventory of every part I'm amazed at the collection I've amassed and I'm also depressed by the daunting task of replacing everything.
I must confess that I'm a parts ho and when I'm home I spend all day every day restoring parts for the sake of the process, no intention to sell or ever put on a car...just to see if I can do it to the level of the original part when new. I compare parts that I restored 10 years ago to the ones I did this year and while the early ones were not bad, I redo them to my new standard. These parts are wrapped in plastic and stored in plastic bins or displayed around the shop for me to ogle. That's all gone.
The last fire investigator pointed out that copper melts at 2000* and that's why they can only theorize about the cause of the fire since the only thing left is some steel and cast iron and even that is unusable. I picked up a transmission input shaft and could bend it in my hands...things like gauges melted, oxygen cylinders melted, cast iron cracked, the concrete floor spalled and crumbled, torches melted.
All that said I will rebuild my shop and attempt to replace the parts, but I think my restoration days are behind me. I'll enjoy my finished cars and repair them when needed, but a full restoration is just too much no matter how much I love it. I'll keep reading and studying and watching your projects and live vicariously thru you.
Rut

Rut,
You are down right now but you will be back. There's still a lot go juice left in you. I get tired of of these cars every once in a while. I have a week or two away, then I am ready to start again. You do have a big task in front of you. Eat that elephant one bite at a time.
Marv

What Marv said.

And in the meantime, you're more than welcome to come up to Townsend and join me in playing with the Victor TF build.

Thanks guys! Between dealing with the aftermath of the fire and the insurance company it feels like a near impossible task.
Rut

Hang in there Rut.

When the BS with your insurance company is behind you I'm sure you'll get excited about the new garage build. After that accomplishingment I'm betting the TR bug will bite you again. One step at a time.

Best regards,

Brian

Wow Rut, truly an unfortunate experience. I wouldn't wish that on my most hated enemy. Well, ok, I probably would but in your case, you truly have my condolences. I doubt it helps much to hear don't get too discouraged about it because afterall, it was just stuff but the reality is we all get emotionally attached to our stuff.. it's a bond that, intelectually, makes no sense but from those of us that understand it, we are truly sorry..hang in there..it'll get better. On the upside, look at it this way, you traded some stuff for the chance to get a brand new shop with possibly some upgrades you always wanted that will make future restorations go a little smoother.

Rut said:

I'll keep reading and studying and watching your projects and live vicariously thru you.

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I think this forum is a great place for vicarious living. We share each others failures and successes. We share our issues with parts, designs, retrofits, misleading instructions, and knowledge gained. I've been thinking about your post since I read it Saturday morning. I've also been thinking about your fire since I read about it. I too live vicariously, and rarely comment when I have nothing positive to add. Nobody understands how you feel about your loss but you. -Maybe not even you. I do remember how I felt when decades of my life goals, property and aspirations were involuntarily stripped away. It wasn't fun. I think I can feel your pain, vicariously. I hope we are still sharing when you sift through those ashes and find the happiness that comes from understanding what you've gained from the things that cannot burn away. You've already begun to describe how you have become better. We are all together, vicariously in a better place.

Restore or don't but enjoy what you can.

Cheers