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Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
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smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
PeterK
Yoda
Offline
A long story, a long project, a long illness, life gets in the way.
My wife and I purchased the 4A to build an autocross car. We chose the TR4A because we couldn't find a decent 16V VW Scirocco or GTI. This was 1996ish because in 1997 we built a barn to work on cars. Before I knew it I had then entire project car, that was already mostly in boxes, completely disassembled.
The new car needed a new frame, most important. While searching, I started rebuilding everything I took off so everything would be ready when I finished the body & paint. I jump in both feet most projects and learn as I go. I have a background in cars and pretty much everything mechanical and electrical so I am not a master by any stretch but I can usually hold my own.
We wanted an autocross car so we bought a Formula 500 SCCA racer while I worked on the 4A. Then my wife's breast cancer came back. Hard. We fought it together. I semi-retired to take care of everything. Cathy, a programmer, continued to work from home.
We sold the Formula car, TR4A still not done and up th this point I'd never even heard a TR4A run or driven in one.
Cathy continued to amaze all with her progress. We bought a 1958 TR3A for her and she was thrilled to be the passenger. We autocrossed it, she my navigator as I piloted, and won FTD in our class. Cathy's treatment stopped, she regained her health and all was well.
Until she had this mole that bothered her. Had it checked, not good. It was Melanoma, metastatic melanoma already spread to her lungs first thing, then her other organs. She had many major surgeries, tried every designer drug, all the latest DNA specific drugs. All drugs to prolong your life.
After 5 years of battling the ups and the downs, I lost my beautiful wife September 20th.
The shop stayed empty, my heart wasn't in to it. Her 3A sits on the lift waiting. The 4A project is in the other side of the shop, chassis complete, nearly all parts done except the body. It 's the rear fenders that I am so challenged with. Originals are full of braze, beyond my skill. I bought a set of new repros 2nd hand, 1 good, the other obviously made by a different person. I have two Smoothline fiberglass but I am trying to stay all steel.
So finally, I mounted one of the repros this morning, started tweaking it a little and sanding a bit. It's tough but good therapy. I just wish the Garage Pros came to do my car as I wouldn't turn around and sell it for a profit the next month like the TR6 guy did.
I chuckle when I read posts about people picking up their car from paint and body shop then sending out the engine to someone else to do the rebuilding. I wish.
So watch the sun in these open roadsters. And I hope one of these years I get the car done before I am.
My wife and I purchased the 4A to build an autocross car. We chose the TR4A because we couldn't find a decent 16V VW Scirocco or GTI. This was 1996ish because in 1997 we built a barn to work on cars. Before I knew it I had then entire project car, that was already mostly in boxes, completely disassembled.
The new car needed a new frame, most important. While searching, I started rebuilding everything I took off so everything would be ready when I finished the body & paint. I jump in both feet most projects and learn as I go. I have a background in cars and pretty much everything mechanical and electrical so I am not a master by any stretch but I can usually hold my own.
We wanted an autocross car so we bought a Formula 500 SCCA racer while I worked on the 4A. Then my wife's breast cancer came back. Hard. We fought it together. I semi-retired to take care of everything. Cathy, a programmer, continued to work from home.
We sold the Formula car, TR4A still not done and up th this point I'd never even heard a TR4A run or driven in one.
Cathy continued to amaze all with her progress. We bought a 1958 TR3A for her and she was thrilled to be the passenger. We autocrossed it, she my navigator as I piloted, and won FTD in our class. Cathy's treatment stopped, she regained her health and all was well.
Until she had this mole that bothered her. Had it checked, not good. It was Melanoma, metastatic melanoma already spread to her lungs first thing, then her other organs. She had many major surgeries, tried every designer drug, all the latest DNA specific drugs. All drugs to prolong your life.
After 5 years of battling the ups and the downs, I lost my beautiful wife September 20th.
The shop stayed empty, my heart wasn't in to it. Her 3A sits on the lift waiting. The 4A project is in the other side of the shop, chassis complete, nearly all parts done except the body. It 's the rear fenders that I am so challenged with. Originals are full of braze, beyond my skill. I bought a set of new repros 2nd hand, 1 good, the other obviously made by a different person. I have two Smoothline fiberglass but I am trying to stay all steel.
So finally, I mounted one of the repros this morning, started tweaking it a little and sanding a bit. It's tough but good therapy. I just wish the Garage Pros came to do my car as I wouldn't turn around and sell it for a profit the next month like the TR6 guy did.
I chuckle when I read posts about people picking up their car from paint and body shop then sending out the engine to someone else to do the rebuilding. I wish.
So watch the sun in these open roadsters. And I hope one of these years I get the car done before I am.
