Baldrick's Winter Makeover

[Brosky]

Great job Robyn!

That really inspires me. I've got to start my frame and chassis side floor pans soon. I also bought the POR 15 package after I bought the Eastwood and saw how long you had to wait between applications.

How long did the floor take to dry and how bad was the smell?

I keep having other things crop up that prevent my starting the cleaning process, but somehow in the next few weeks it's gonna happen!!

 

[PeterK]

Hey Paul,

Eastwood "new" Extreme Chassis paint can be recoated anytime, no 7 day wait. And they say it's something like 3 times harder. I used it on the 3A and really like it. I hated the old chassis black because if you didn't wait at least 7 days, the next coat would lift. But still very hard. Rust encapsulator as a base coat.

I found POR-15 will flake off if everything is not perfectly prepared. No so with the Eastwood stuff, but that's just my experience.

 

[TRDejaVu]

Russ, this Ian is from Downingtown, but my wife grew up a few miles south of Croydon...







Surrey, UK.

 

[IanF]

Hi Robyn;

Hey; I have to give you a ton of credit: Your a Better Person than I`ll ever be! "Super Nice Job"! Best Wishes with your endeavors: Will she be ready for Jim Thorpe?

Hey Robyn; "IanF"; Is that the same Ian who has a Red TR4 in PA & is on this Forum? The reason why I ask is cause I see Croydon, PA in there and I belive "Ian" is from down that way somewhere: Just curious:

Keep on Motoring;

Regards, Russ

Nope. I'm "IanF" as in Robyn's b/f and in-house wrench. She lives in NJ, I live in PA. I have a Volvo 1800ES as well, although not anywhere near as nice as hers - and will hopefully be sold within a few months, which will put me back to 2 cars and no old ones. No Triumphs in my personal stable... and there probably won't be any for some time.

We're hoping to have the car ready for the Jim Thorpe run... After posting last night, I continued working and started in on the headlight wiring, which required removing the headlights I just installed...

 

[IanF]

Russ, this Ian is from Downingtown, but my wife grew up a few miles south of Croydon...

Surrey, UK.

LOL. Whenever I'm giving my address over the phone, I always have to spell "Croydon" - unless the person I'm speaking with is from the UK, then they know... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/yesnod.gif

 

[Tinster]

Robyn:

Were you able to get the bullet connector crimping tool
and bullet pliers?

If not, you can borrow my set to install your power block
wire harness. The bullet pliers are really helpful in
pressing the bullet connectors into the sleeves.

PM me if you need any advice on the Power Block install.
The Power Block car rewire and TR6 rear suspension rebuild
are actually two areas I'm not totally lacking in knowledge.

regards,

dale /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/savewave.gif

 

[YankeeTR]

I'm a big fan of POR-15 but I question using it over a surface that's already been painted. It's really designed to be used over bare, rusty metal.

I hope it works well for you...keep us updated.

Rick

 

[IanF]

Robyn:

Were you able to get the bullet connector crimping tool
and bullet pliers?

Yes, I posted over in the "Tools" section and Jeff lent me his bullet crimper. I've been using quite a bit.

I hope the power block fits into a TR6 easier than it does into a Spitfire. The phrase "square peg -> round hole" comes to mind... There's just no good place to mount the thing and routing the main wiring bundle across the underside of the dash was no picnic either.

There are a couple of items he left out of the wiring diagram and one fundamental difference of opinion that I redesigned, but otherwise it seems fairly straight forward. Not to mention a lot of discussion about an electric fuel pump the car doesn't have...

When I'm finished, I'll have to CAD up a revised wiring diagram to keep for records. The one that came with the kit has been so marked up with revisions and corrections that it will barely apply...

 

[Tinster]

Hey Ian- glad you got the tool. After using it, you might
want to buy one for your tool box. I use my crimping tool
all the time for other home projects. It is a multi-use
tool.

My TR6 was badly butchered by DPO Pedro and I have no other
TR6 available to go look at. I found a platform beside the
battery that was a perfect fit for the Power Block. Maybe
something else was there at one time? I have no idea.

No, it is NOT a tupperware box. It is a fishing tackle box
I am using as a temporary cover. I will build a proper
lucite box at a future date. Crypty is dead and on jacks
right now, so what does it matter?

 

[PATR8]

OK, here is my question, "Baldrick", where did that name come from? The only place I ever heard of is a british series called the Black Adder...

 

[IanF]

OK, here is my question, "Baldrick", where did that name come from? The only place I ever heard of is a british series called the Black Adder...

That would be it! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/jester.gif

When she first picked up the car, it was at a guy's house in Western PA. To get to the street from his house, we had to drive through an adjacent parking lot that will covered with about 1/2" of mud... Which instantly covered a good bit of the car after the test drive and subsequent drive home to NJ.

So he was a smelly little dirt-ball = Baldrick. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif

Not far from us is another Spitfire for sale. A '78 in white with green driver's edge stripes. I've joked about buying it and naming it Percy. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

 

[PATR8]

I did not think anyone else in the US had ever watched the Black Adder. I had a friend who works from the BBC send me the series after spent two week in Iraq. My son and I watched the series and after laughing about Bladrick we too though about Percy but it is not even close to as good of name as Baldrick.

 

[IanF]

Work has been continuing... although at a snail's pace and not without set-backs...

We decided to forgoe isntalling the twin SU carbs so as to reduce the number of "new" potential running issues after I finish the wiring harness (and I'm not very confident in my rebuild of them). So I go to install the old Z-S manifold... wing tabs interfere... crap... cut them off... now the main plenum interfers with the center two tubes of the new Bell header... CRAP... So in the end, I remove the header and reinstall the cracked OE cast iron manifold... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif

The wiring has been slow... very slow... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/nonod.gif

On the plus side, we added a shed and thus removed all yard-related equipment from the garage so I have more room to work now. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[IanF]

The snail has moved along a few more inches...

Let's just say I seriously considered bagging the whole thing and putting the old harness back in the car...

I'm hoping to have more substancial progress completed by the end of the weekend.

 

[Tinster]

Ian-

Where are you bogged down with the new wiring harness?
I installed one and it functions. But yes, SLOOOOOOOW
is the action word to wire harness installs.

I read about a guy who claimed he installed a new Dan
Masters wire harness in like 2 weekends. I think it took
me 5 months or so working on average 3 hours per day.
Ten months to get all the bugs worked out.

Let me know if I can help.

dale

 

[IanF]

Ian-

Where are you bogged down with the new wiring harness?

Same problems as before: big square peg -> little round hole...

I still want to hear from another person who has actually installed one of these harnesses in a Spitfire... When I was told, "gee... nobody else has said anything about not having the correct grommets..." I get suspicious...

Oh well.. I get a break tonight due to our bi-weekly MINI gathering... back to work tomorrow.

(original post heavily edited due to too much whining... still probably too much... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/nopity.gif )

 

[IanF]

Made some good progress tonight.

The engine bay wiring is basically done. Front lights have been wired up and most of them have been tested.

I'm planning to finish up testing the front lights tomorrow and then I'll move to the dash... oh boy... I took some pics... Hopefully Robyn can get them posted.

 

[Jerseygirl]

Well a little late, but I finally got around to uploading the pictures of Ian's latest progress on the wiring. Here's where we stand right now...

Ian's manufactured plate to conceal the large hole left by the old fuse panel, which is no longer needed:

The new fuse/relay panel mounted under the battery tray in the passenger footwell:

Engine bay wiring:

Wiring out to headlights:

Trunk wiring:

More trunk wiring:

<span style='font-size: 14pt'><span style="color: #FF0000">WARNING:</span></span><span style='font-size: 12pt'>The picture below is not for the faint of heart. If your stomach is easily upset or your nerves easily frazzled, DO NOT continue reading this post. You have been warned...</span>









The wiring still left to be done in the cabin, not including the heated seat wiring, overdrive wiring, amplifier wiring, or rear speaker wires: /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rolleyes.gif

 

[Guest]

I have not heard either of you refer to this project as a "labor of love".

I envy your patients!!!

 

[IanF]

"labor of love..."

Yeah... I suppose that's one way of putting it...

Patience... well, let's just say I hadn't planned on Beta-testing the harness kit... Can't go back now, so just have to forge ahead...
/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wall.gif