Pay it forward

Just thought I'd add....
Many people have been very generous to me when it comes to parts and information. It seems that the British car community is one of the best in the automotive world. Almost without fail, if I  get something from another British car buff through the mail, there are extra gems hidden in the package. SO, I'd like to do my part to pay it forward.
I have a pretty good stash of TR4A parts from a 66 solid axle model that I parted out. If you have a need for any TR4 stuff, give me a shout either through here, or over on the British Car Forum (Username Banjo) and I'll see if I can help you out.
All I would ask for is shipping cost. this stuff is only valuabe if it's being used. right now it's just boxes of stuff.

Cabin fever, even in the "winter that wasn't"

Well, here it is mid February and everything is pretty well wadded into the garage for it's long winter sleep. No heat= no working out in the shop. But that doesn't mean there is no activity.  There have been a few  projects since my last update way too long ago. I have acquired a Model A Maytag wringer washer to go with an old Maytag gas engine I've had for a little while. It just needs a few odd bits to make the conversion, and when it's done I'll be sure to post a video just for interests sake.

Also, the other big addition is a beat up old 1970 VW Type 3 fastback (In the pic above). Immediately named "Abby" as in Abby Normal because it's such an unusual car.  It took a few weeks of tinkering to get back on the road, but it's been fun tooling around in an old air cooled VW  while I wait to get the TR done.
Now, on the the TR2. About all I got done before temps prohibited me from any more painting was what you saw in my last pic.  The rear apron has been sanded, and worked out, and will be ready for paint in spring. All that's left is the passenger side.  The engine is apart and patiently waiting for measurements, and decisions about bearings, and hopefully I'll get an order placed for engine goodies also in the spring.
Right now I have the carburetors sitting on my workbench in the basement, needing rebuild kits.  I did not get a class to teach for the spring semester, and we have been on 8 hour days for a long stretch now at work, so unless someone magically comes up with a carb rebuild kit for the TR3 carbs I have, they will just get really well cleaned and also wait for a while.
Progress is slow in the cold. But soon  it will be green-up, and I can move the lawn furniture back outdoors to make room to play.

Fall is here

Wow, where did that summer go? Work is still ten hour days, and now school has started up again, so I'm teaching Automotive electronics labs 2 nights a week.  That pretty much just leaves me weekends to play with the TR. But, the last 2 weekends have been very productive.
Last weekend I got the patch work done on the bottom of the drivers dogleg, right in front of the rear wheel. I also got all the fender flanges sprayed, and the fenders on. Also I got the drivers door hung. And this week, so far, I shot the whole drivers side in DP primer, along with wire brushing the wheels, and painting them Valspar rattle-can red!
Minus the whitewall tires, I can actually , for the first tiem, see that this car will look like when it.s done.
I like it!

l;ong time no updates

I fiunally logged in here and realized the last post was in May!!! Holy cow! Anyhow, work has been slowly progressing on the ol' TR2.  I now have the Bonnet, boot, and right door in DP epoxy primer. That's a nice satin black, waterproof primer that will serve as the topcoat on this car till later.

Lately it's been on to the engine. I have 2 engine blocks for this car, so I hauled them out and got them bolted up on stands. the first one is out of a TR3, and is the one that came with the TR when I got it in Vermont. I tore it down to check it out. #4 cylinder was seized and the other bores are rusty. Being a wet-sleeve engine the cylinders are removable so I took the block right down to nothing.
the other engine came out of a 66 TR4A that I parted out. that engine has threads missing for some of the head studs, so the block is not much good, but the 86mm pistons and cylinders are good. So, Instant bore job for the TR3 motor.

That's about where I'm at at the moment. Next is cleanup of engine parts, measuring everything to see what's good, and ordering some parts to put it all together.
I have the TR3 head servicible, as I took it into work a few months back, and lapped in the valves. It'll do for now, while I save up to have the good flowing TR4A head done properly later.
And for now it looks like the TR3 cam will be used. the 4A cam looks a bit rough. Unless someone out there has a hot cam for an even hotter price.hehehehhe

Talk to you all soon.

Care package arrives

Happy Cinco de Mayo! as a treat here at the low-buck command center I got a care package in the mail today from fellow British car enthusiasts Dan and Terry Ludwig, and Pete, all members of the British Car Forum I hang out in most of the time. They heard mt plea, and responded with a box of goodies including brake hoses, a wheel cylinder, a clutch slave cylinder, a pair of windtone horns, a seedometer that should yield some good parts, an aftermarket temp gauge that should work nicely, and an original TR2 nose badge!!!!
A great treasure box indeed. I'm betting all of it will be used.
as the weather slowly gets nicer round these parts, work is getting closer and closer to beginning. I have had a few days out in the garage already, and the lawn furniture has been put back outdoors. Cleanup is occurring, and I can see almost all of the car now.
I hope to add several pics soon so stay tuned.

Back to the deep-freeze

Arrgh! things were starting to green up, and the snow came... now we're buried again. Predictions are for it to warm up again this week, but all outdoor activity is at a minimum. Currently It's clean-out time indoors. I've attacked the "room at the end of the hall". It's the old computer room, that was all but given up when the laptops cam into the house. Since then it's been a storage closet.  the last two days have found many of my missing books, a pair of safety glasses I was looking for for work,, some old pictures, a bag and a half of garbage, and a pile of cardboard. We could probably be on the show "hoarders".
Hopefully at the end of this it will be a craft room. with space for Gabrielle to have her stuff, and me to have my books and music equipment accessible.. Hopefully I'll find the bill of sale for the TR2 as well. then I need to go to the DMV to complete the paperwork.
Think warm, think warm......

Spring is coming...

The weather here in NY has, very slowly, been creeping back above the freezing mark in the last few weeks. Robins have been spotted, and flocks of geese are seen traveling North daily. The iceberg I shoveled in front of my garage doors as all but melted, allowing me to open the right side door for the first time in months. I even found a tiller buried in the snow.... It may have belonged to one of the members of  "The Lost Squadron". That'll be another small project soon, as I'll need that tiller for the garden this spring.
Yesterday, Friday, saw 60 degrees. Of course today, while I have off, it's back to 32 with flurries. I spent some time out in the garage anyway. It's a mess since I Quit my job as an auto technician 3 weeks ago, and started working in a shop that builds automation equipment for factories. That move caused me to bring home my "big ol'" tool box, and  try and stuff it in the garage. Also I brought my sand blaster home, and a roll around cart, and a mini fridge and my welder and some other random stuff... all of which is now stuffed in the bay where the BMW sat since it is back in daily service and no longer goes in the garage.
I managed to break down a couple of large boxes, and clear out 2 bags of junk. and I can actually see the TR that was under the pile. I'm attempting to keep working out there. It's gonna be a long process just getting the garage ready to work in this year.  the biggest issue it that I had major water intrusion this winter.  the front part of the floor is bad, and becomes a lake in heavy rain. This winter it flooded, then froze, then flooded more, and froze.... I had 3 mowers stuck in the ice, the sheetrock that was leaning on the wall is bad now, and the whole garage is still rather damp. Tools are already getting surface rust. I headed to the hardware store today for a fresh bottle of WD40 the help stop the problem.
Clean-up is first, then it'll be repairing the floor, installing a gutter, then starting on the TR.
All hinging on the weather cooperating.
I hope signs of spring are appearing where you are as well.