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Crypt Car punching back

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Tinster

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Well.. the Crypt Car is putting up one heck of a fight
in it's personal efforts to remain non-streetable.

This morning while ripping out some more miles of
the PO's speaker wires from under the driver's seat
area, I gave a mighty tug and the whole freakin'
driver's floor pan popped out !!!! My garage floor
was looking back at me.

A figgin' boat hull fiberglass hack job.

Now, I am just guessing here, but this is probably
a bad thing that just happened, correct?

Particularly with the Crypt Car dead as dirt and parked
only 10" inches away from the concrete garage wall on
the driver's side. Cannot open the driver's side door.
I have to hop in from the passenger's side.

I can maybe grind out most of the rust but after that
I'm kinda lost as to what I can accomplish myself within
the tight confines of my garage with the Crypt Car dead
and stuck in one place with almost no access.

https://rides.webshots.com/photo/2837601410085748235LPhbGZ

Any suggestions appreciated.

Photo attached

d
 

Attachments

  • 271626-floor1.jpg
    271626-floor1.jpg
    104.6 KB · Views: 140
Dale:

Man, I hate to see this kind of thing happen, especially to a good guy. Judging from the pictures, I'd say that you need to have some work done by a good body shop to insure that the rust is properly removed and that there is no frame damage as well. Panels are available for the floor, but you want to insure that they get installed properly.

Do you have any good body shops down there that you can trust?

Speaking of trust, can you still contact the jerk who sold the car to you? If for nothing else, just to bust his you know what's about this nightmare.
 
Paul, yes we have body shops but you need
to get the car to the body shop for the work
to be performed.

It would never fly with my personal financial analyst
(Wife) to have this rag towed out for body work when
engine is not yet running and might never run.

BTW: This is my first experience with a "restored"
British auto. Is my experience thus far fairly common business practise?

thanks for your help,

d
 
Dale,

No this is not generally considered to be very good. However, if you had to rate the difficulty of installing new floorpans it would probably rank as one of the easiest tasks. Any halfway decent bodyshop should be able to do this.

On larger note, it really stinks that you've had to go through this trouble. I know all of us have been through similar disappointments (I was ready to send mine to the crusher two weeks ago), but it does seem that the crypt car is making you out to be a glutton for punishment.

I know you've come a long way, so hopefully you'll stay in the fight. I for one think we should all start a Tinster Fan Club.
 
First thing's first Dale, get the old girl running before you touch anything else. At this point you need a victory.. any victory. Wait until the dizzy gets there and see if she fires up. That would be a huge moral restorer IMO... Then you get put it together enough to drive it to the bodyshop.
 
As mentioned above, floor pans are available, but at this point, I would make an evaluation of the state of the whole car concerning the rust. With the extensive damage to the driver's floor, I would check out the passenger's side as well. There are lots of other areas that are prone to rust also. I know where they all occur in the TR3's, but am unfamilar with those areas on the TR6. It's hard to tell from the photo the extent of the rust on the side sills, but if they are also gone, then the project becomes fairly large. The frame is another consideration that must be looked at. Most damage on the frame seems to occur at the rear differential and A-Arm attachments. If the frame needs repair, along with the state of the body, this almost means that the body will have to come off. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif

I feel that the whole body and frame must be assessed before considering any work. If you aren't capable of doing this type of work yourself, and/or you don't have the room to do it, costs can escalate pretty fast.

I'm not trying to paint a gloom and doom picture here, but right now you need ALL the facts concerning the state of the body and frame. It might only be the driver's floor that has problems, but at this point I'd be looking everywhere for more. Hopefully you won't find any.

Edit: I'll agree with Shannon that you need to get this running so at least you can get it somewhere for evaluation.
 
Dale,
I agree with other posts, too much money and to much energy into it now to quit. The floors look ugly, but parts are available and they are relatively easy for a body shop to install.

For now, get the engine running, have a celebration, then address the floors.
 
Dale,

What has happened to you is not a British car thing, it is a dishonest PO thing.

I have wondered for a while just what you had there. Can you get someone to come to you and evaluate your car to determine what the overall condition is and what work may be needed to get to drivable condition?

Personally, I would not put one dime more into it until I had a better idea of what surprises might be in store.

For example if you put a certain amount into this car, how would it then compare to a different car you could purchase with the same amount.

Even if you keep and repair this car it would cost less in the long run if you knew what it was going to need and plan a sequence to accomplish the work. The way you are going you will most likely be doing some things twice.

I also would think that you would have fewer false hopes and moments of despair. You might even be able to enjoy the process. And there is the chance it is not as bad as you may fear.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Well.. the Crypt Car is putting up one heck of a fight
in it's personal efforts to remain non-streetable.

This morning while ripping out some more miles of
the PO's speaker wires from under the driver's seat
area, I gave a mighty tug and the whole freakin'
driver's floor pan popped out !!!! My garage floor
was looking back at me.

A figgin' boat hull fiberglass hack job.

Now, I am just guessing here, but this is probably
a bad thing that just happened, correct?

Particularly with the Crypt Car dead as dirt and parked
only 10" inches away from the concrete garage wall on
the driver's side. Cannot open the driver's side door.
I have to hop in from the passenger's side.

I can maybe grind out most of the rust but after that
I'm kinda lost as to what I can accomplish myself within
the tight confines of my garage with the Crypt Car dead
and stuck in one place with almost no access.

https://rides.webshots.com/photo/2837601410085748235LPhbGZ

Any suggestions appreciated.

Photo attached

d

[/ QUOTE ]
Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Beinz
My Friends all Drive Triumphs & MGs
I must make Amends ;-)

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nopity.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nopity.gif
 
Dale's Situation reminds me of this Old Tune,

Danny's Song
By Kenny Loggins

People smile and tell me I'm the lucky one, and we've just begun,
Think I'm gonna have a son.
He will be like she and me, as free as a dove, conceived in love,
Sun is gonna shine above.

Chorus:
And even though we ain't got money, I'm so in love with ya honey,
And everything will bring a chain of love.
And in the morning when I rise, you bring a tear of joy to my eyes,
And tell me everything is gonna be alright.

Seems as though a month ago I was beta chi, never got high,
Oh, I was a sorry guy.
And now I smile and face a girl that shares my name,
Now I'm through with the game, this boy will never be the same.

(To chorus:smile:
Pisces, Virgo rising is a very good sign, strong and kind,
And the little boy is mine.
Now I see a family where there once was none, now we've just begun,
Yeah, we're gonna fly to the sun.

(To chorus:smile:

Love the girl who holds the world in a paper cup, drink it up,
Love her and she'll bring you luck.
And if you find she helps your mind, buddy, take her home,
Don't you live alone, try to earn what lovers own.

(To chorus:smile:

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif
 
I think I can whup this floor pan fiasco
right in my garage. I cleaned out all the
fiberglass and gook down to bare rusted metal.
I think I can fabricate a decent temporary pan
so the beast will be streetable if the engine
ever runs again.

I am one heck of in-the-field design architect.
I have 2 nice vertical support locations and a nice
steel beam spanning the opening. Frame member)

The side rails are rust free and the frame underneath
is rust free. The floor pan is decent up to and including where the seat bolts thru.

For those who asked about frame rust:

Yes, I have had the TR up in the air any number
of times, always looking for frame rust. Banged it
with a hammer when in doubt. I personally restored
the rear end and it was rust free. Three mechanics
also looked for frame rust-none found.

But I need a litle help first. The attached photo shows a total of 5 rusted bolts. What is their function? What do they attach into?

I will certainly post the do-it-yourself photos when thi
task is accomplshed- Tinster style.

thanks,

Dale
 

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  • 271685-5bolts.jpg
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The group of four bolts in the lower left of the picture hold the floor pan onto a bracket that is welded to the frame. IIRC, the side sills have brackets that are also bolted on there. Be sure to soak those in good penetrating stuff (PB Blaster or Kroil) for a couple of days. You can get at the bottom of those bolts from underneath and spray them there also. The fifth bolt you pointed out I'm not familar with. I'm sure someone has an answer to that.

I'm glad to hear that you've checked out the frame and all is well.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
sorry to hear about your discovery.

Checking out the rest of the car makes good sense (so you know where she really stands), but floor pans aren't a huge deal to replace.

Keep us posted and keep the faith!
 
Hurray, forever the optimist! The five bolts hold the front of tub and floor to the frame. Be especially careful on how you approach the repair in the area of the four bolts. This is a structural point important in adjusting the door gaps and supporting the tub.

Try not to remove a lot of material or damage the inner sill lips (side rails as you say it). If they are sound a body shop can easily trim a new floor panel and weld to these edges.
 
The rust on the floor pans like this is not uncommon for TR6's that have sat in weather for a while. Typically, the windscreen seal stops sealing and when it leaks water leaks in follows the metal facia behind the dash and drops to the center of the floor boards where it will pool. A common visual for this is that the floor pans start rusting from the center (near the rubber floor plugs)out to the sills.
 
Dale, there are also 3 more bolts to the left of the single bolt in your picture- that is, up near the front of the floor panel. It would be best to clean off all the underseal and remove these then cut out the floor close to the sill leaving a small flange to weld to.
If you cut out the bad metal and weld in a new front half of the floor panel you should have a reasonably sound repair.
Good luck , Simon.
 
Dale, I feel your pain. I got screwed as well on a "rust free" TR6. The panels wouldn't line up just right, so after trying to loosen bolts to reline discovered new sills that were pop riveted over rusted out sills and door posts that were eaten away and frame rust at the trailing arms that was camoflauged. I picked up another truly rust free 6 and restored it for my immediate gratification and intend to restore the rusty one over this winter. I'm currently taking a body restoration course at the local community college and have found it's not rocket science. All the folks up here in Maryland are pulling for you. Hope you sort things out. Phil
 
flintstones-car.JPG

It's NOT all bad, Now Dale has a Flintstone's Car--- No Engine Required!

Lets Head for the Dinner!
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif
 
Hey Mike!!

I was trying to keep a homefront lid on this recent
Crypt Car debacle ............

But Wendy walked by the beast, looked inside and sa
the white concrete garage floor where car floor black
should have been.

Wendy pointed out, the cost of the dead Crypt Car
(67 miles total driven) has now exceeded the cost
of my two week old, brand new, fully loaded, Special
Edition Jeep Wrangler (783 miles driven).

Wendy is not a happy camper today.

d
 
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