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......
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
TR2 loaded up
Here's the GLB TR2 on the day my Dad and I went to Vermont to pick it up in October of 2005. We piled the extra parts in the interior, and the back of the borrowed Chevy truck we took, and strapped the engine to the trailer in front of the car.
Here it is 6 years later and it pretty much looks the same. Fairly solid, but cruddy.
Most all the parts are there, and I hope that this summer it will become much more of a car that a collection of junk
Here it is 6 years later and it pretty much looks the same. Fairly solid, but cruddy.
Most all the parts are there, and I hope that this summer it will become much more of a car that a collection of junk
Friday, February 11, 2011
The current state of disarray
Well, Like I said, it's mid-winter here in the frozen north. The TR is stuck out in the garage, unheated, buried under a pile of junk and recycling, but all is not at a standstill.
Last week I managed to retrieve a TR3 high-port cylinder head from under the workbench, locate the valves and springs, and tote them all into work to make use of some of the down time during the day. I cleaned it all up and lapped in the valves for a "down-n-dirty" workable cylinder head. The valves and seats cleaned up reasonably well, and should be just fine for an interim motor until I can afford to rebuild the TR4A motor I have in the wings.
This means the GLB TR2 will require lead additive for now. But I'll save the cost of the head work till later.
Last week I managed to retrieve a TR3 high-port cylinder head from under the workbench, locate the valves and springs, and tote them all into work to make use of some of the down time during the day. I cleaned it all up and lapped in the valves for a "down-n-dirty" workable cylinder head. The valves and seats cleaned up reasonably well, and should be just fine for an interim motor until I can afford to rebuild the TR4A motor I have in the wings.
This means the GLB TR2 will require lead additive for now. But I'll save the cost of the head work till later.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The journey begins
Welcome to the beginning of what may be an epic adventure. Let me start by introducing the cast. First, there's me. I'm a 30-something auto mechanic who has always been a bit of an off-beat person. I like living history, bluegrass music and old mechanical things among my other interests. then there's my family. My wife of almost 14 years, Gabrielle, and my daughter Em' who's 10.
But this blog is about a car, and the community that I'm part of because of it.
This car is a 1954 Triumph TR2. My dad and I drove to Vermont several years back and picked up the trailer load of parts that I hope someday soon will become a drivable car. I have had high hopes since bringing it home, but it always gets put on the back burner, and is currently languishing under a heap of junk in my 20x20 unheated garage here in the deep freeze of a New York winter.
the community is an online forum called the British Car Forum or "BCF". I have been an active member there since before I had the TR2. When I joined I had a 1966 TR4A that was barely hanging together.
I have made several great friends through the forum, and have had the chance to meet a few. I went to Puerto Rico and visited "Tinster" Dale Todd and his wife, and helped work on his infamous TR6 known as Amos.
I met up with "Doctor Entropy" and his wife while on vacation in warmer climates (Top secret security prohibits exact location disclosure hehehe) Got to ride shotgun with John Herrara in his Powder blue TR3 during the "Tour de Marque" at Watking Glen vintage festival 2 years ago. Had "AngliaGT" Doug and his wife over for a chat one fine evening, Met up with Nial Mcabe and his wife at Watking Glen International while he was racing his MG Midget, and later had a great dinner at Seneca Lodge. And a few others I totally can't remember right now.
Anyhow, how this all fits together is this.
I have put out a call to the BCF to help me out in making this pile of parts into a car. I need to get pieces as cheap as possible. I'm a professional Auto mechanic, and have experience working on vintage British cars, so doing the work is not the problem, but my budget had never materialized. So I need to get creative here.
I'm calling for all my fellow gearheads to find some of those bits they have been sitting on for years. Old gasket sets, and other odd bits, to help put this car together. All contributors will be added to the "Wall of fame" that will be on the front wall of the boot (That's the trunk on an American car). And we're gonna see where this all leads.
I hope to add regular updates both here and on the BCF, along with pictures and more, so everyone can be part of "The Great Low Budget TR2 Build"!
But this blog is about a car, and the community that I'm part of because of it.
This car is a 1954 Triumph TR2. My dad and I drove to Vermont several years back and picked up the trailer load of parts that I hope someday soon will become a drivable car. I have had high hopes since bringing it home, but it always gets put on the back burner, and is currently languishing under a heap of junk in my 20x20 unheated garage here in the deep freeze of a New York winter.
the community is an online forum called the British Car Forum or "BCF". I have been an active member there since before I had the TR2. When I joined I had a 1966 TR4A that was barely hanging together.
I have made several great friends through the forum, and have had the chance to meet a few. I went to Puerto Rico and visited "Tinster" Dale Todd and his wife, and helped work on his infamous TR6 known as Amos.
I met up with "Doctor Entropy" and his wife while on vacation in warmer climates (Top secret security prohibits exact location disclosure hehehe) Got to ride shotgun with John Herrara in his Powder blue TR3 during the "Tour de Marque" at Watking Glen vintage festival 2 years ago. Had "AngliaGT" Doug and his wife over for a chat one fine evening, Met up with Nial Mcabe and his wife at Watking Glen International while he was racing his MG Midget, and later had a great dinner at Seneca Lodge. And a few others I totally can't remember right now.
Anyhow, how this all fits together is this.
I have put out a call to the BCF to help me out in making this pile of parts into a car. I need to get pieces as cheap as possible. I'm a professional Auto mechanic, and have experience working on vintage British cars, so doing the work is not the problem, but my budget had never materialized. So I need to get creative here.
I'm calling for all my fellow gearheads to find some of those bits they have been sitting on for years. Old gasket sets, and other odd bits, to help put this car together. All contributors will be added to the "Wall of fame" that will be on the front wall of the boot (That's the trunk on an American car). And we're gonna see where this all leads.
I hope to add regular updates both here and on the BCF, along with pictures and more, so everyone can be part of "The Great Low Budget TR2 Build"!
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