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Tr3aguy
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TR2/3/3A Beginning the TR2 Bodywork
- Thread starter CJD
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OP
CJD
Yoda
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Thanks, guys. Like I said, you were all a source for knowledge and inspiration as I went along. Helping each other out is the way these Triumphs keep living longer than we do!
Hoyt, here is the thread about beading sources. It all seems to be the same stuff, basically, but I ordered mine from the UK to get the black. That way when the beading gets scratched it won't show through with the white that Moss sells.
https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf/showthread.php?107965-TR2-Wing-Beading
At the end of the project I'll post all the threads that were essential in getting me here.
Hoyt, here is the thread about beading sources. It all seems to be the same stuff, basically, but I ordered mine from the UK to get the black. That way when the beading gets scratched it won't show through with the white that Moss sells.
https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf/showthread.php?107965-TR2-Wing-Beading
At the end of the project I'll post all the threads that were essential in getting me here.
OP
CJD
Yoda
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Today I have officially declared the TR2 "restored". There are a handful of things to work on, but I will consider those general maintenance. Anyway, just closing out this thread with the promised body pictures...
Hope ya'll enjoyed the ride to get here as much as I did.
I think I'm going to start looking for an XKE in need of attention...
Cheers!
Hope ya'll enjoyed the ride to get here as much as I did.
I think I'm going to start looking for an XKE in need of attention...
Cheers!
OP
CJD
Yoda
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About 1-1/2 gallon of color with clear on the outer panels. About 2 gallons of primer. For PPG the cost of paint is well north of $1k. Which brings up a good point. Once I was getting a bone stock 1971 Olds convertible back on the road. I was going bare bones low budget on it, so I went in and asked my supplier (same one I use today) for the cheapest paint he sells. He gave me the ole' side glance and asked if I was sure I wanted to go that route. "Sure", says I! I walked out for about $200. Painted the car, but I had to go back for a little more, since the coverage on that paint sucked. So that was another $100. The car looked great!
But, 2 months later it was starting to look dull. Wax didn't help, so I buffed it out again. That lasted a month. Same thing...wax to no avail and buff it again. This went on for 2 years...waxing every single week...buffing every couple months, until the paint started to show through. I had to strip the trim, sand and repaint the car again after only 2 years. And this is for a car kept in a garage!
Modern urethane paints impose significant sticker shock the first time you use them. But they will last 10 years sitting on the street...and the life of the car if you store it indoors. You can get by cheaper, if you truly want to try. But the thing to think about is that your labor is the most costly thing in a re-finish. Look at the 2 years I put into this tiny Triumph getting it ready for that final paint coat. Compared to the value of the prep time and the lifespan of a restored car, a couple thousand for paint is irrelevant. And if you think PPG or DuPont paints are pricey, check out a what a gallon of the Glasurit I used on my mid-year Vettes costs!
Edit: Just sitting here looking at the Olds. I really miss that car. The whole family could ride and it was in the Fort Worth Newspaper 3 times, just from reporters catching sight of it while I drove it every day. A neighbor pestered me for 3 years before he caught me at a weak moment and I sold it to him. Funny how of all the cars that come and go in your life...you bond with only a handful that you don't appreciate until after you sell them.
And note the different (old) tires I kept to stay in budget? The right front blew apart and beat the car so badly it broke the windshield. This is the restoration that cured me of going bottom budget. After that I don't buy the car if I don't have the money to restore it right.
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OP
CJD
Yoda
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No project is finished until the fat lady sings. Well, yesterday she sang. My oldest daughter is back living with us. With twins in the house of driving age, we are out of driveway parking space, so the TR2 is now stashed safely away in the storage shed where most of her has been living...in pieces...for the last 5 years. She'll come out monthly to get exercised. All that remained was the clean -up.
She was smelted of the last of the high grade iron ore in the United States, shipped to Coventry as pig iron, and rolled and forged into the Triumph that returned to cruise the highways of America through the great years of Route 66. Most of her is back on the road, ready for more adventure. Some of her is now returning to the steel mills, this time in Japan, to start a new life...
...but I bet it won't be a life as exciting as when she was a Triumph Roadster 20 series!
She was smelted of the last of the high grade iron ore in the United States, shipped to Coventry as pig iron, and rolled and forged into the Triumph that returned to cruise the highways of America through the great years of Route 66. Most of her is back on the road, ready for more adventure. Some of her is now returning to the steel mills, this time in Japan, to start a new life...
...but I bet it won't be a life as exciting as when she was a Triumph Roadster 20 series!
SteveBones
Jedi Trainee
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Not sure I can do justice but I will try....really amazing. Thanks for sharing it all. Including the "finished" pictures. If you are OK with posting a few more interior pictures, I would love to see.
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Hi John, This post was recommended and I am glad that i spent this weekend reliving your journey. I bought my 1960 TR3A a little over a year ago. I got the cart ahead of the mule. I got the car but only had a gravel floor pole barn to work out of. The work has been slow the last few months getting a concrete floor, LED lighting modern power to the shop to support electrical needs safely. Lots of patching, fabricating, welding, wire brushing, undoing PO poor patch work. At first I thought I could do one side at a time. The passenger side is the worst But it has become obvious it will be a two part restoration. The fantail is ready to come off the chassis. The motor, trans, front clip is still attached to the chassis. My question is would it be better to go ahead and remove everything from the chassis, check it to see how true the frame is and continue the repair work to the body as you did. I to am picky about the repair work I will be doing. I originally decided to do a complete frame off restoration and that is still the plan. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. It is refreshing to see the dedication and workmanship you have shared in this post. Thank you, Frank
OP
CJD
Yoda
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Hey Frank...Congrats on the project. I truly envy those who have a dedicated workshop. I must have spent a month of time shifting car parts around Texas as I worked out of a single garage space!?!
If you plan to do a full restoration, then I highly recommend removing the body. The time saved in the end is worth the minor effort it takes. Many sections are much easier to work on separately, and then it only take a few minutes to put them back together when you need to.
I look forward to following along!
If you plan to do a full restoration, then I highly recommend removing the body. The time saved in the end is worth the minor effort it takes. Many sections are much easier to work on separately, and then it only take a few minutes to put them back together when you need to.
I look forward to following along!
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Hi John, Thank you for the advice. It is so helpful to have guidance since this is my first project. I can only hope to be able to document it as well as you have. Almost finished with insulation in ceiling of shop and hope to get back to doing fun stuff working on the car. Have a great weekend.
Frank
Frank
I just saw this post and will need to go thru it page by page later.
Great work but I dont have the patients to stop and take a pic of each cut and weld that I do.
wondering what you did with the chrome fender strips. Im guess they were the SS standard trim. did you blast them before painting them.
I think I might paint them on a 250; maybe just blast and paint single stage without primer, as I dont want it too thick with primer and have them chip.
Great work but I dont have the patients to stop and take a pic of each cut and weld that I do.
wondering what you did with the chrome fender strips. Im guess they were the SS standard trim. did you blast them before painting them.
I think I might paint them on a 250; maybe just blast and paint single stage without primer, as I dont want it too thick with primer and have them chip.
OP
CJD
Yoda
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On the TR2's the strips are plastic. They come in a roll that you cut to length. The big 3 didn't sell them at the time, so I had to source them out of the UK. They once came pre-colored to match the body, but now black is the only color available. I painted them with the same paint, but added some plasticizer to make sure they didn't crack or chip. You could paint the chrome trim, but you'll have to rough it well with sand paper to make sure the paint sticks.
OP
CJD
Yoda
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I don't...that was one of the very few things in my body that was still halfway decent, but Frank Canale did a lot of work on his:
www.britishcarforum.com
There is another thread from down under where, I believe it was another John, formed a spare holder from scratch...but I can't seem to find it right now.
TR2/3/3A - Rear sheetmetal repair
I am going to take a break from the front end tub and inner sill alignment and start working on repairing the back half. There is an awful lot of repair work to be done and am very grateful for the post Lionel did with his incredible metal forming skills. I am going to start with some easy...
www.britishcarforum.com
There is another thread from down under where, I believe it was another John, formed a spare holder from scratch...but I can't seem to find it right now.
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Really weird place for a spare. I always imagine the first one rolling off the line with a decent size boot and someone saying 'darn Nigel, we forgot
a place for the bloody spare tire".
Bob
a place for the bloody spare tire".
Bob