Triumph TR3- Rear Valance-Metal Bashing Revisited

Today I was out in the garage for 0ver 3 hours. I decided to revisit the rear valance inner panel (what you would see if you were under the car looking towards the back of the frame) that I fabricated earlier in the year. Upon examination this morning I decided it really did not meet my standard of workmanship so I did some reworking, clean up and additional fabrication. The finished panel looks much better. A clean up with the angle grinder and then 40 grit pads has prepped the surface for final gluing and riveting.

I created some dust making another pass at rust clean up on the bottom panels (underneath the spare tire area etc. I think I have taken the bulk of it as far as I can. Some final clean up with Marine Clean, a coat of POR15 and then a couple of coats of primer should do it...

I couldn't locate my rivets which put a bit of a damper on the progress. Tomorrow I am going to venture back out into the garage and do another pass to look for them. If I can't find them they will be my first Triumph purchase for 2012!! I am really not sure why they are not with the rest of my bodywork supplies?

I also decided this afternoon that I am going to order replacement fasteners for the front suspension.

Triumph TR3- Now Go OUT and Build Something!!!

During the Christmas season I have been watching a few episodes of Gearz on SPEED channel.

Stacey David (the host) offers advise at the end of the show to "Now go out and build something". I enjoy his encouraging words because I think he really believes a gearhead should be in the garage applying what has been learned while watching his TV show. I really like his "can do" attitude and of course, his mastery of his craft!! A real inspiration for me to get back to work on the Triumph...

Adding to Mr David's advise, my wife also suggested (out of the blue) that I get out into the garage today and go "back to work" on my car. I checked my blog and my last entry was Nov 17th-Since then I have been in Maui and Kauai for over 3 weeks, doing a quick reno job on our spare bedroom and then prepping for Christmas so I have not had any wrench time for a number of weeks...same old story-conflicting priorities-this all changed today when I fired up the garage furnace and spend 1-1/2 hours on the project. A modest start to the next phase but at least I am moving ahead.

Today I cleaned up the garage for a while-then continued to remove surface rust from the bottom of the fabricated floor boards. I am almost finished the task...A good use of an hours time in my determination!!!

Triumph TR3- Project Update

Yesterday I turned on the garage heater and went out for an hour and a half and cleaned up my work space. My workbench was very crowded, dirty and covered with tools and parts as was the floor which really contributed to my sense of chaos!!! I had set my self an intention to clean up the space prior to my leaving on vacation next week. I really didn't want to leave things in a chaotic state any longer so it was "heads down" to get the work done. The CKUA tunes proved to be an excellent backdrop to the work....an enjoyable time for sure....

I realized this morning (based on a review of my blog entries) I have not been doing anything Triumph wise for over a month-wow times flies....Other priorities (many of which were truly higher priorities (caring for an ailing parent, end of the season yard clean up, contract work etc) continue to impact any available time to be spent on the project which in tern impacts the reassembly timeline. The project completion date continues to get pushed out...

Through the act of the cleaning up I started to contemplate where I am at with project and some largely constructive "self talk" ensued. I do firmly believe I am "over the hump" with respect to the difficult aspects of the reconstruction and but I also realize I really need to focus on my life priorities and be very discriminating with respect to how I spend my time over the winter. In order to complete the reassembly I need to take the position working on the Triumph is a high priority and that I should allocate appropriate segments of time on a daily basis to meeting my goals and completing the necessary work. In principle there are no "apparent" barriers that will prevent me from doing so. I have the skill set and with my contract work commitments for 2011 being largely completed (my last 2 days of work are this week) the time to refocus my attention. I am really going to need to be disciplined with my approach!!!

Triumph TR3- More Surface Rust Removal-'59

Yesterday evening I spent about an hour removing surface rust from underneath the floorboards of the '59 in preparation for primer and paint. It was a low stress excursion in the garage with some really great CBC radio playing in the background for company...I used some Marine Clean to start prepping the areas where I have removed most of the rust which resulted in ending off the evening with a sense of accomplishment and some visually apparent improvements in the quality of the surface for paint. I figure I am about 70% finished the prep. I really need to apply the hour now and then rule (trying to get out to the garage on a daily basis-this is the only way the project is going to get finished) to get out into the garage and get the job done vrs committing to long stretches of labor...

I also did some garage clean up earlier in the evening. Mainly putting tools away. I need to do a major purge again in the next few days to once again "clear the decks" in order to proceed with the work in an orderly, safe and efficient manner....

Triumph TR3- 1957 Next Steps

Yesterday I uncovered the 1957 tub and cleaned off the crud and took pictures from all different angles. I seem to be vacillating dramatically on what to do next with the car as winter is fast approaching and I will have to move it out of my driveway.(once again). I spent a few moments doing a reality check on whether I can actually reassemble the car and market it? (unlikely)... There are pros from a $$$ perspective but to actually accomplish the task from a time and priority basis is much more challenging? I am growing weary of the vacillation so a decision needs to be made soon!!

Triumph TR3- Out into the Shed

Yesterday I spend about 4 hours sorting through spare parts and getting my "parts" shed in order. I decided to do this now verses having to do it when the weather is far less hospitable. My motivation is that I have misplaced the new engine mounts I purchased back in 2010 and I wanted to make sure the plastic storage tubs were close to the front door of the shed so I can sort through them when the time comes? I also moved most of the 1957 body panels (with the exception of the hood and truck lid) into the 1957 tub (that is sitting in my driveway under a tarp)-to get them out of the shed and out of the way and ready for sale... I now have much better access to the contents of my shed...

Triumph TR3- Undercarriage Prep Started

Other priorities (work,travel, hiking, bicycle riding, gardening and other distractions) have "trumped" working on my TR this summer so not much progress to report for the last few months. The weather is changing rapidly (getting cooler) and I can see myself out in the garage more in the near future...

Some updates:

1. the body is now tilted on it's side so I can access the undercarriage for rust removal. primer and finish coat. The work got started on Thursday (3-1/2 hours spent) and I have made some good progress.

2. Yesterday I did some work on some floor board flange repair(and replacement) and some touch up on the rear valance patch panels I installed earlier in the year. (another 3 hours or so)

A fellow at work suggested I really push the body work portion of the rebuild and get it handled before winter sets in. Mechanical work and reassembly is fine in the confined space of a heated garage but bodywork is another issue (from a toxicity perspective) so that is my focus right now through the next month. I want to have the undercarriage and engine bay painted so I can start the re-assembly in an earnest fashion...

Triumph TR3 -Fastener Refreshing

Yesterday I fired up my Economy Vibratory Tumbler-Gen 11 purchased from the Eastwood Company and threw in some fasteners to see how the system works. After a few hours of tumbling clean fasteners emerged from the green media. I am impressed.

Triumph TR3 -Engine Compartment Primed/Rear Springs Installed

Yesterday I spent about 5 hours out in the garage, head down installing the rear springs, doing a final sanding and clean of the engine compartment and applying a coat of primer. The day was beautiful and warm and ideal for painting so I made the most of it.

I was " in the flow" for most of the time although I did notice myself snapping out of the flow and playing out a "fit for purpose" analysis related to the condition of the inner fender wells. There are a few minor ripples/dents in the sheet metal that weren't obvious prior to applying the primer and when examining my finished work I started to obsess a bit about whether or not I should spend some more time prepping the surface. For now I am going to move onto priming the underside of the floor boards. I might go back and do some touch up later but for now I consider the work to be "fit for purpose"...I have to continue to remind myself this is not a 100 point restoration and if the inner fender wells show a bit of wear and tear that is not a bad thing!!

Triumph TR3 -Spring Bushings Installed

Yesterday I had a suspension repair shop install my rear spring bushings-total cost $44-which I thought was reasonable.

The owner showed me pictures of his "frame off" muscle car rebuild which he is in to for around $28k to date with more expensive bodywork on the books before he is completed. He is doing it right for sure but with that vision $$$ are required... giving the car to a 3rd party to do the bodywork costs a lot of money-he was sharing the projected costs-I was somewhat surprised but he said there are only a few shops in my area willing to take on old cars and when they do it appears they add a contingency to cover the unexpected and the extra hours that are probably going to be required....plus there appears to be a pretty good mark up involved!!!

I was at a party last night and one of the neighbors has a mid '60's Mini Woody which he is totally rebuilding. He took me on a garage tour which was a good distraction. The car is completely disassembled, bead plasted and sitting on a rotisserie. The body work he has ahead of him is daunting (to me anyway) in scope. The upside is the body looks straight. I wished him well.

I experienced a bit of a tool challenge yesterday a tool supplier made a mistake and shipped me a bead blaster vrs a vibratory tumbler. Not sure what happened in their shipping department ? but they said they are going to rectify the problem and ship the right tool ASAP....a bit of a set back in the chassis reconstruction as I will have to wait at least a week for the correct tool.

52 years of grime, grease and assorted nastiness removed from the engine bay of my 1959 Triumph TR3 today while listening to excellent Blues programing on CKUA. Having the engine removed and the body off the frame makes the job much easier!!!! Now totally cleaned,most of the dents straightened (a few small ones left to add character) and the area sanded-Today the primer goes on....3 satisfying hours spent in the garage....

Triumph TR3 -Musing 101

Yesterday I was talking to a fellow sitting at the counter at my body shop supplier. He seemed like a real character...We struck up a conversation based on my purchase of a wheel well replacement panel for my Ford Ranger-the passenger side this time. He asked me how I was going to install it and we talked about my gluing on the panel which lead to discussion about his experience with amateur body work examples that turn up at his shop. We had some laughs and through our conversation I think I convinced him that I knew enough to do a "reasonable" job of installing the panel. (given I have already done the driver's side) He stated he never glues anything but there were some other fellows waiting who indicated they did and had embraced the technology big time. An interesting discussion followed which convinced me gluing was still the way to go vrs an amateur weld job or paying a shop to do it.......The conversation ebbed and flowed and eventually turned to a discussion about "rat rods". He stated as part of his auto body shop service he builds cars for people and was commenting on the fact that a customer had $20K invested in a 1928 Chev and the vehicle still lo0ked unfinished. He said he just didn't understand the trend and why people would pay good money for something that would not meet his standards?? The interesting trend for me is that it seems like the "rat rods" get lots of attention at show and shines vrs more "finished" cars that seem to be "a dime a dozen" types of builds. I know personally that I am drawn to homegrown examples when I look around and often walk by "slick" professionally built examples.

Which brings me to my latest musing: For the last couple of weeks I have been "obsessing" about the potential to reassemble the '57 Triumph as a "rat rod" example. I rejected this notion earlier but lately I have been steering back towards the idea... Spend a couple of weekends on bodywork-slap on a homegrown paint job, reassemble the body onto the powder coated chassis using all the new parts I have bought over the past year, paint the rims red and buy some wide white wall tires from Coker and start driving...probably sooner that finishing off the '59. Although the logic is basically misguided and faulty (particularly around the necessity to to re-buy all the needed parts) it seems like it might be a "fun" thing to do which may translate into a sale-able entity once I have finished. I haven't taken the cover of the '57 body for months and once I do I might change my mind? Not sure....

Triumph TR3 -A Bit More Chassis Painting Done

The final coat of Chassis Black was applied to remaining suspension parts yesterday. After 24 hours of curing the parts will be "OK" to re-assemble but I might be holding off a while longer to do so... I am still awaiting my "tumbler" from Eastwood (perhaps I should have paid the $6 surcharge for faster delivery vrs Parcel Post???) so I can clean all my hardware prior to reassembly!!! I also located a spring shop to re-install the spring bushings next week which will be another step taken. I am still holding onto the premise that I have "turned a corner" on my project and soon I will be assembling...

Triumph TR3 -More Chassis Black Applied

Today I applied a second coat of Chassis Black to the front suspension components and a first coat to the parts that were primed but not painted due to my running out of paint a few weeks ago.

I also switched over the brake and fuel lines from the '59 chassis to the '57-I plan to remove the rear axle and shocks from the '59 chassis tomorrow which will mean the frame will be totally stripped down.... I also removed one of the spring bushings from the powder coated rear springs but I couldn't install the replacement bushing without a press so I will need to search out a spring shop tomorrow that can do the job...

I spent about 3 hours on the Triumph today-overall progress is very slow this summer-much slower than I had envisioned-so many distractions....I just have to learn to go with the flow...

Triumph TR3 -Differential Painted

Yesterday the rains stopped and I managed to get the final coat of paint on the differential housing. A few days later than planned but it feels good that the task is completed..

My automotive focus took a bit of a turn on the weekend as I spent about 4 hours replacing the rear quarter panel (around the left wheel well) on my 1994 Ford Ranger. It was a weather dependent activity that was "on the books" last year but not undertaken. I felt I couldn't put it off any longer so I made it a priority. So far so good. Tonight I hope to do the preliminary skim coat of filler and get the panel into a semi completed state. Although not Triumph related it was still good to do some "shade tree" body work on the driveway on what proved to be our nicest day yet this summer...

Triumph TR3 -Parts Run

Yesterday I picked up another can of Eastwood Chassis Black paint and the rear axle/rear spring hardware/bushings I had ordered. I believe I have all the pieces now to reassemble the chassis? It is raining again this morning so I have decided to move into the garage and start up the furnace and work on painting the engine compartment. The number of rain delayed painting days is starting to mount up and I think I have to rethink my critical path and more some activities around.. I am really surprised how few days so far this summer (when I have been around to do the work) that have been suitable for painting?

Triumph TR3 -Black is Black-Rear Axle Painting

After a third round of cleaning the rear axle passed the cleanliness check and the first coat of Rustoleum Gloss black applied. (by brush). The finish turned out well with plans for a second coat to be applied this evening. Total time in the garage 2 hours.

Triumph TR3 -Back At It

It is hard to believe it has been a month since I worked on the Triumph? I was gone on vacation for 10 days and also spent a fair amount of time gardening after I returned (our garden had become very overgrown-requiring a lot of attention to say the least). In addition the neighbors are doing a major landscaping project and had extra loam sitting around so I harvested many wheel barrows full which got me extending flower beds and fixing my lawn. All good productive work but no wrench turning going on. Then there was weather impacts. Having the next item as painting collided with unseasonable cold and wet weather which was not conducive to applying paint. When I had time available to work on the car the weather did not cooperate hence no progress was made. I can see why Kijjiji has lots of unfinished project cars for sale!!!-it is all about keeping the dream alive and the managing the priorities so progress is made-not easy...

On Friday I got one tires remounted on the straightened rim and got the spare tire mounted on the newly powder coated rim. Yesterday (a beautiful warm sunny day) I spent 4 hours painting suspension components and brake backing plates. Lots of glossy black paint applied. I ran out of Eastwood Chassis Black paint when I was about 80% finished painting which means I have to get another can from a distributor next week in order to apply the final coat. Another critical path impact. Today I plan to paint the rear axle with Tremclad gloss black enamel.

Triumph TR3 -Chassis Task List

A friend came over yesterday for a garage tour. With coffee in hand we looked at my progress. I think he was impressed with how I had proceeded with the work in such confined quarters. His visit got me thinking about what was needed to get the chassis back together?

So late yesterday afternoon I set out to record the steps I need to take to get the chassis back together. More tasks than I had expected (no surprise there) with an estimated hours to complete number of 82. I was fairly generous on the hours allocation because I wanted to be "realistic" in my determination. Real execution time might differ (hopefully shorter)!!! That's 41 days of 2 hours a day work (if I look at what I have been averaging per work session) which means when I get back from vacation on July 2nd the chassis would take until the middle of August to complete. I think this is a "worst case" scenario but one never knows what life might provide to speed up the process or slow it down...??

I did some more garage clean up yesterday-hope to do some more today and get some primer sprayed on the exposed metal. I can't wait until July 2nd to do this...It looks like the rain is going to let up a bit today....

Triumph TR3 -Lower Wishbone Bushings Done/Wheels Back

$82 dollars later I have my bushings installed and reamed on the lower wishbones. A positive step towards reassembly of the front suspension.

I also got my straightened wheels back. They look good!!

I did some parts arranging yesterday utilizing a discarded shelf. All the parts that need painting are laid out and ready to go. This step was worthwhile as it gave me a sense of accomplishment.

Another focus yesterday was garage clean up. I am still not finished the task but I have made good headway. My confined space has definitely impacted my execution of my Triumph project because I don't have enough room to spread out and I have to continuously stop and "regroup" in order to maintain my work space. Sometimes it is aggravating to stop what I am doing in order to "clean up". I think I have about another hours worth of work to get this job finished.

Triumph TR3 -More Bead Blasting Done

Yesterday I spent 40 minutes renting a bead blasting cabinet and cleaning off the rear brake plates, rear drums and the upper front wishbones. I started to spray some primer on the newly prepared parts but the temperatures were just too low and lots of humidity in the air so I stopped. Hopefully today it will happen as I do not want to keep the metal exposed. I also took the differential to the car wash and did a final clean up using the high pressure soap and rinse options-looking much cleaner for sure...

Yesterday I contemplated the impacts of the cold rainy weather on my painting schedule. Very disappointing that I can't paint in an suitable environment based on lower than average temperatures and high humidity. I have boxes of parts ready to paint. Hopefully this situation will turn around soon!!! I am eager to get going...

Today I pick up my repaired wheels and my lower wishbone installed bushings...

Triumph TR3 -Rear Brake Assembly Disassemble...

I spent about an hour and a half out the garage last night ( I was away for a large part of the weekend). My main focus was finishing the disassembly of the rear brakes and doing some bead blasting. A fairly productive undertaking but still some more clean up time required before applying paint.

Triumph TR3 -Powder Coating and Rear Brakes

A few Triumph tasks undertaken yesterday:

Rear Springs: I got my rear springs back from the powder coater. They look great. Unfortunately the rubber bushings got "fried" in the powder coating process so new ones needed to be ordered yesterday. Not a big deal as they were probably marginal at best and only cost a few dollars to replace..

Spare Tire Wheel: I also had the spare tire wheel powder coated black. Not sure at this point if it was a good idea (the wheel is not perfect) but I got a really good price to have it done ( I had originally planned to have it just sand blasted) and it certainly looks a lot better than it did before.

Rear Brake disassembly: I loaded by differential into the back of my truck and used the bed as a work bench. I disassembled one side of brake assembly. The brake shoes look almost new which was an interesting find. In addition I would assume the drums have been turned as the one side looks very presentable.. More disassembly and investigation is required.

List: I plan to create a list of what needs to be done and whether or not there are any remaining parts issues? I am almost certain I have ordered a majority of the parts I need to take me to the next stage of the reassembly. Still not sure what I am going to do steering wise or my next steps with respect to converting to a narrow fan belt and pulleys and the required electric fan? More pondering required but for now have more than enough work to keep me focused.

Triumph TR3 -The Differential

Yesterday I spent about an hour and a half cleaning up the 1957 differential. I have decided to utilize it in the rebuild as I believe it is in better shape than the '59 . Lots of grime to address. I picked up some "Marine Clean" cleaner from my autobody supplier which worked really well. First I sprayed the area, then took a scrapper and took off the heavy crud, then used a tooth brush and a soft brush to remove the majority of the rest of the surface contaminants. Then I washed it all down with soapy water and rinsed it with clean water from the garden hose as the last step. It looks 95% clean at this point. Today I am going to hoist it into the back of my pick up and take it to the car wash for a final high pressure clean then move it to the front driveway where I am going to dismantle the brakes etc and look into the replacement of the axle seals.

I also cleaned up the rear shocks and upper wishbone assembly from the 59. I am still not sure if I am going to use the "boxed" wishbones from the '57. They seem to be in better shape but I am still sitting on the fence based on the feedback from one of my suppliers about potential rusting? I am just not sure if it would be an issue? I am going to have to do some more thinking about this...

Triumph TR3 -Powder Coating

It has been a quiet week Triumph wise with the garden remaining the major "spare time" focus. Hopefully I can redirect my attention to things Triumph today!!! I have the rear springs and one wheel in for powder coating this week. The work should be completed on Friday. Also the bushings on the lower wishbone arms have been pressed in and reamed and my wheels have been straightened so there has been some "work by others" completed. All good...

Triumph TR3 -It is All About the Frame

Yesterday I moved the powder coated '57 frame (it was leaning against the garage wall) and set it up on the garage floor with the front suspension area facing towards the garage door (to allow for easy access for reassembly). The chassis is sitting underneath the body which is suspended about 2-1/2 feet in the air on stands.

By having the chassis sitting there I can work on both the front suspension and the rest of the body prep for painting.

I did a visual inspection of the chassis surface and notice there is a small area that was not powder coated that will require some chassis black paint touch up. There is also an issue with the rear mounting brackets (where the body attaches to the frame at the very back of the car) being a bit bent. I am going to look at the '59 chassis to see how the brackets are supposed to look. I am anticipating I will need to do some straightening with a dolly and hammer.

I am taking the springs to the sand blaster on Monday and get them prepped for repainting. I moved the rear end out of my garden shed to the back driveway where I will do a thorough surface cleaning with a coat of paint being required.

Triumph TR3 -Mazda Miata Engine Swap-TR3 Revisited

This morning I was contemplating my options with respect to potentially moving ahead with a "winter build" and installing the Miata engine in the '57 and constructing the "rat rod" I dreamed up last September? It is wild-ass speculation on my part at best as there are a number of different scenarios playing out that have key decision point criteria associated with them?

Or should I just package up the remaining 1957 parts and sell them and focus on a different project next winter?

Triumph TR3 -Wheels and Parts

I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of the wheels that I received yesterday from my parts supplier. They look straight and well finished (surprisingly in gloss red). I think they will just require a light sanding and some new paint to bring them back to an almost "as new" state.

With the receipt of the rest of my ordered parts -my front suspension and engine parts requirements are met!!!

Triumph TR3 -Dad Asks the Question

My father and I spoke on the phone last evening and during the course of our conversation he asked me if I was going to finish the Triumph this summer? (I talk to him time to time about the project) Did I really want to get it done? I answered "of course I do" and "yes" I am still trying to do just that!!!

I told my father that I had already completed much of the time consuming work and that the "reassembly" could go fairly quickly because the car is simple in design and I have lots of shiny new/repainted parts to incorporate!!! Of course, in typical fashion I might be underestimating what is left to do and how long it is going to take me to finish.? Who knows? I attempted to visualize the remaining steps to see if the end of July date is still do-able. It all depends? I think (for sure) I have turned a corner and I am heading home -but how far down the road drivability is, is still an unknown?

I received confirmation my part order is being shipped today which include the two used wheels I determined to purchase last week. The wheel repair shop also got back to me on Monday and said they felt 2 out of the 3 wheels were fixable but the third was questionable due to how badly bent the rim was? At $45 per wheel for the repair I think the cost is reasonable to get a couple of wheels "trued up"... I think I will bead blast the wheels and paint them silver or white-not sure yet...

The reaming out of the bushings for the lower wishbone arms is not going to be completed until early next week- a bit later than anticipated at a cost of around $75 which is reasonable in my book...

The '57 has yet to be moved to the back driveway. Hopefully this will happen Thursday/Friday?

Gardening has "trumped" Triumph work for last week or so. Understandable for sure (given the priority)...

Triumph TR3 - The Primer Flows

Yesterday I took a box of suspension parts to a local shop and rented their bead blaster for 25 minutes and removed nearly all of the remaining surface rust from the front suspension parts. Very satisfying work and for $25 and change it was money well spent. Shiny metal showed through. It was difficult to totally clean up the front springs...there were trace amounts of light rust left which I treated chemically before painting. I had to continue to remind myself this is not a 100 point restoration and perfection does not need to be the end result. A "fit for purpose" approach will get my car back on the road in a reasonable amount of time. The pursuit of perfection takes much longer and costs $$$ more. The springs look fine and with a couple of coats of Eastwood Chassis Black they will look as good as new!!!

I cleaned off the remaining abrasive material with compressed air and primed all the bare metal. It is still cold and raining here and I didn't want to leave the metal exposed so I fired the furnace in the garage and kept the temperature above 60 degrees.

I am not going to paint the rest of the parts until the weather clears up and I can apply the paint outside.

triumph TR3 -Services By Others

Yesterday I left my wishbone brackets with a British sports car service shop in a nearby city for installation and reaming of the bushings. I made a determination to take this step rather than utilize a local machine shop. I figured the mechanics would have the right tools and expertise to do the job right. Unfortunately they couldn't complete it in the same day so I will have to go back and get them at a later date...

I also took 3 wheels to a wheel repair shop for estimates and potentially straightening. One is already powder coated black-the other two requiring refinishing. I am leaning towards painting the unpainted wheels the same color as the car (white).

So no hands on wrench turning yesterday but a couple of critical tasks out of the way...

Triumph TR3 -Transmission Mount/Suspension

Out in the garage for about an hour and a half last night. Cleaned up and prepped the transmission mount for painting-it was both very oily/greasy and rusted which was an interesting combination. Also worked on cleaning up the used front suspension trunnion, spindle, shock absorber brackets and disc brake bracket etc etc. I almost have all the suspension parts cleaned now. On Friday I am going to rent some blast cabinet time and clean up the front springs and hubs and finish off a few other pieces. I am eager to get a coat of shiny black paint on the parts...

Triumph TR3 -Scrub-a-dub-dub...

Another go yesterday at the final cleaning of the front end suspension parts. I sat on the front step and listened to the birds singing and my neighbors entertaining their young nephew while they worked on their flower beds. Once again excellent tunes burst forward from my I-Pod docking station as I cleaned and used a Scotchbrite pad to lightly scuff the surfaces in preparation for paint. There was a wonderful relaxed flow to the work and a sense of connection to the environment and to the 54 year old metal components. I am about 70% done with a desire to be 100% done today. There is interesting variations in surface textures with some components missing large areas of paint while other still have a very satisfactory painted surface that will act as a good foundation for the chassis black paint I will be using. Details. Details. Details.

Triumph TR3 -More Parts Sorting/New Parts Order/Vinyl Top

Yesterday I determined to continue the parts sort and get into the large plastic bins and get the parts sorted by task. I think it was time well spent!!!

Most of the chassis components are now in order but during the process I realized there are a few "gaps" that I need to address parts wise. Particularly with respect to utilizing polyurethane vrs rubber bushings for the upper A arms. For some reason I missed specifying the poly bushings in my original order (placed last year)-an oversight I my part ..I figure since I have everything apart I might as well do it right...

I surprisingly found a vinyl top that I didn't realize existed. It has no rear windows in it but for around $100 bucks it might be made useful vrs ordering a new top. I will probably get a quote next week from my local upholstery shop to replace the clear plastic windows..

My wheels are now ready (tires have been removed) to go down to the wheel repair shop for straightening (which I will do on Thursday).

I made arrangements with my son and his buddy to come over next week to move the '57 body and the '59 frame from the front driveway to the back parking pad.

So little by little I am working away taking care of the details...

Triumph TR3 -More Front Suspension Attention/Parts Sort

Yesterday I took out the large plastic container of previously sorted parts and went through the front suspension kit that I bought last year and categorized all the parts by suspension component. I sat at the dining room table and using the MOSS catalog for reference (coupled with my recent disassembly experience) I was able to account for all the components. They are all now neatly bagged and labeled ready to be utilized in the reassembly.

I also spent about an hour or so sitting on the front step (while enjoying a beautiful spring evening) sorting through and cleaning the front suspension nuts,bolts and washers. They are now sitting in a de-rusting solution which should have worked it's magic overnight.

I also made an interesting discovery (while sorting through the container) having come across a few Ziplock bags filled with front suspension hardware from the '57 which will provide me a wonderful opportunity to pick the "best of" the '59. I had originally thought the suspension parts where buried in my shed with the other bits and pieces so the container sort was "bonus time" for sure.

The discard pile is certainly growing. Lots of marginal and worn out parts that will either be recycled or re-bagged. It feels good to be making the determination of what is good and being able to put aside certain parts that will not need to be re-evaluated in the future..

Triumph TR3 -Wheels and a New Power Tool

It is gardening season and for the last week or so I have been focused on building raised beds and cold frames and not much TR3 work has gone on. However yesterday I ventured out onto the driveway and checked out the "quality" of my wheels. I determined the trueness by mounting them on the rear axle and rotating them. I have 9 wheels in total-2 are junk-bent with the bead messed up, 2 are in good shape and 1 is good cosmetically fine but requires straightening, 3 are slotted wheels which are non-standard that I am following up on to see if they are after market or what? Leaving 1 wheel of questionable status. Rather than dish out money for rim straightening I have decided to order 2 used wheels from my supplier @ $35 each which should give me 5 good wheels total.

I purchased a 12vmax Li-ion Makita Cordless Driver Drill which I have had under consideration for a year or so. A friend has a similar model that he uses quite extensively for his home renovation projects. I watched a car restoration video where the mechanic used one of these small drivers and it seems to be useful in that context. I purchased some 1/4 drive nut drivers and socket adapters so I am ready to go. I am a big Makita fan as I like their designs and quality. I have 6280D drill which I have used extensively over the last five years or so and only recently have both batteries died. I am currently searching out replacements as I think the drill still has lots of life left in it!!

Today I plan to get back into the garage and do some more parts clean up painting.

triumph TR3 -De-greasing/De-rusting

I spent a couple of hours on Saturday further cleaning the front end components.

I purchased a liquid that destroys rust and incorporated it in my clean up. I filled up a container and immersed the parts for up to 5 hours. The process worked pretty well.

I still have the coil springs to tackle and a few other parts that I may take to my local sandblaster to get the rust off...

Triumph TR3 -More Front Suspension Attention

A great evening in the garage. Soul soothing music on the I-Pod and some excellent "in the zone" time at the work bench further dismantling suspension components for final clean up and painting... 2-1/2 hours overall. The discard box continues to grow as I sort out the best components. So far so good. More parts cleaning planned for today.

triumph TR3 -52 Years of Grime

Last evening I ventured out into the garage and started cleaning up suspension parts. Lots of grease, grime and caked on dirt challenged me on the "clean up" of most of the components. The task was fairly routine and in a strange way meditative as I made my through the layers of crud to get me to a point where I can actually see most of the surface in order to prep for a new coat of Chassis Black paint. I pulled apart the upper wishbones-doing so I made an interesting discovery that the wishbones are "boxed" in on the underside vrs being open (on the '59). The '57 had an ice racing history so I can assume somewhere along the road a determination was made to reinforce the wishbones. I also noticed the springs off the '57 are about 1/2 inch shorter in height and appear to be more heavy duty than the '59. I am following up with Drake Motors to try and determine which springs I should be using? The '57 springs would lower the car 1/2". They are also in better shape (far less rust) so I am leaning towards utilizing them.

I am still sorting out my parts order for the front end components I need to bolt the front suspension back together. Hopefully all of this will be finalized by tomorrow...

Triumph TR3 -Front End Assessment

Yesterday I focused on further disassembly of the subcomponents of the front suspension supplemented with a visual inspection of the components. I have decided to replace the ball joints since I have everything disassembled. It is not worth reinstalling questionable components based on the reasonable cost of new. I also started to sort through 2 suspensions worth of components to pick out the best pieces to refurbish. Today I plan to finish that task and start on the clean up and painting. Lots of work to do before reassembly can begin. I am very eager to layout the powder coated chassis and start installing new parts..

Triumph TR3 - Dismantle of Front End Complete!!!

Last night I finished off the dismantling of the front end-all the components are now removed and the front of the chassis is bare. A major milestone reached. Upon reflection I figure I am about 3 weeks behind schedule based on my July 31st reassembly date. Hopefully I am going to catch up soon...

I now have a couple of boxes of parts to sort through in order to choose the best components and then I need to spend some time cleaning them up- followed by a new coat of Eastwood Chassis Black. I made a small bench by putting a piece of particle board on my table saw stand that I am going to use to work on the parts. It is sitting on the back patio out in the sun which will be a nice change to working indoors or on my shaded driveway.

I need to keep my head down and focused on the chassis reconstruction and try to make up some time in the next few weeks. It is going to be a great feeling to start incorporating some of the new parts into the rebuild..

Triumph TR3 - Back to the Front Suspension

My shade tree mechanical quest/adventure returned to the driveway yesterday. I have almost finished the front suspension disassembly (just the lower wishbones remain) having spent about 3 hours working on the task. It went a lot smoother and faster than the day before thanks to my neighbor's spring compressor and my improved knowledge of how the components are configured. Interestingly upon disassembly the '59 front suspension components turned out to be much more "worn" generally than I had anticipated particularly the trunnions. It looks like more $$$ need to be spent.

My son came along at absolutely the best moment to help me tilt the frame and rest it on the table saw stand like I did the day before . I tried to do it a couple of times myself and just couldn't seem to muster the strength and coordination to get the job done. There certainly was a degree of physicality required to move the frame around and disassemble the components-a pretty good workout all round . I will say it was great to have a hot tub to soak in afterwards-I really needed to relax my weary muscles...

I have decided to leave the rear end alone for the time being and start cleaning up and painting the front end components. This will be my main focus for the balance of the week.

Triumph TR3 - Who Knew?

Yesterday I tackled the disassembly of the left hand side of the front suspension on the '59 chassis to harvest the hardware(nuts bolts etc), the trunnion, and shock absorber fittings and hardware.

The task took me twice as long as I anticipated. There were numerous challenges. First of all the shock removal took some extra time and persuasion to free up the two fittings on the bottom of shock that refused to free up after the nuts were removed. The mounting arrange seems rather complex to me but I am sure it has a sound engineering basis? The next issue was the spring compressor. The tool I had rented didn't actually work out too well because the spring diameter was too small to appropriately insert the tool. I tried to jury rig it to but ended up spending a lot of time in trial and error fitting that turned out to be a fruitless endeavor. Fortunately, later on in the evening, one of my neighbors dropped by to see what I was doing and actually had the tool I was originally visualizing for the job. It was sitting on the shelf in his garage unused. I was very grateful for his gesture. During further disassembling of the components the cotter pins that hold the spring plate onto the wishbones became problematic to remove.. I would assume they haven't been removed for a long time which turned out to be another interesting challenge. They were badly rusted and broke off while I was trying to extract them. (5 out of the 6) requiring addition persuasion with a small drift and hammer.

After doing about 3 hours work with the chassis sitting on a jack with me kneeling on the cold cement of my driveway, I decided the best thing for me to do was to lift one side of the chassis higher and place it on a table saw stand to give me better access. I used a long bar of channel to lever up the chassis. The stand worked well resulting in a much better access to the underneath of the suspension-a problem solved.

All in all it was a 4-1/2 hour day to do a two hour job.....based on all my learning's yesterday and the loaning of the spring compressor tool today's work session should be more efficient and hopefully more expedient.

Triumph TR3 - Cleaning Up The Workspace

I spent about two hours last night cleaning up my workspace and sweeping the garage floor. Surprisingly I am not finished yet with some misc tasks left like cleaning off my workbench and getting my shop vac cleaned out and the filter serviced. The clean up needed to be my priority before I turn any more wrenches on the car so it was time "well spent". I also put a new tarp on the '57 shell as my original car cover that I bought about 5 years ago had become unserviceable (ripped and torn-deteriorated by the sun) which I ended putting into a garbage bag (no real value as a rag). The space is looking much better...

Triumph TR3 - Spring Compressor and Tarp

A quiet day yesterday with the only project events being the attainment (rental) of a coil spring compressor to disassemble the front suspension and the placement of a tarp over the chassis to make my driveway look more presentable.

Still contemplating the purchase of the replacement top-as the sale at Moss goes on into early June I might hold off until the end of May to order??

Triumph TR3 - The Chassis Has Left the Building!!!

A pivotal "project" day yesterday as I separated the body from the chassis and moved the chassis to the driveway. I left the body in the garage. This wasn't my original intent but when I thought about it I was not too enthusiastic about exposing all my hard work to the elements so I changed my plan... The chassis is pretty weatherproof. In order to facilitate working on the car I built a stand for the body (2' high) out of 2X6 which should help with respect to prepping and painting underneath the body and the final fitting of the fenders.. a down side is it further compromises my small work area space wise...

Re removing the body: I did all the "grunt" work myself which proved to be an interesting physical challenge as the TR3 body is fairly heavy. At one point (when my 59 year old body started to feel the strain) I considered soliciting the help of a couple of my neighbors (my son has a bad cold and couldn't help out) but I didn't want to bother them on Easter Sunday so I soldiered on. After I was finished I actually sat on my front step and admired the bare chassis contemplating what a great basis it would be for a 1930's rat rod-very low to the ground...front disk brakes etc etc....hmmmm...I had to shake my head more than once to clear out any misconceptions (delusional thoughts) I might have around pursuing such an outlandish idea...

I also spent a few minutes looking over the MOSS Motor's website checking out rack and pinion conversions, turn indicator and horn conversions, and the potential to switch the fan belt to a narrower version. Lots of ways to spend money for sure...I also checked out a couple of bookmarked sites around alternator conversions. Many decisions to be made in the next while..

The MOSS sale on interiors and roofs ends on June 2nd so I am going to hold off on my order until later.

All in all a good day....hopefully more of the same will follow today...

Triumph TR3 - Primer and Such

The major body work is now complete with all the bare metal primed which I believe is a "major" milestone achieved in my project. I am truly grateful to be at this point after a winter of toil. The body work has taken me twice as long as I had anticipated to complete which I guess in the world of car restoration this is not an unusual occurrence? The up side is I haven't had to pay a body shop to do the work! I know the car will be worth less when completed based on the "patching" vrs replacing of the rear valance etc but I am meeting my mandate of completing the project for a reasonable cost while creating a car I can drive without worrying about scratches and dings to expensive paint and body work. Maybe sometime in the future the body work could be readdressed and the appropriate panels installed? I am not sure this will happen while I own the car but who knows?

There is still a fair amount of "detail work" needed to get the car prepped for painting. This won't happen until after I get the mechanical work done and the underneath of the body prepped and painted. I also plan to prep and paint the engine compartment before I start the final block sanding and attention to edges etc. And of course there is the final trial fit and prep of the fenders etc to go.... Many hours left but hopefully less toxic in nature....

The car will be rolled out of the garage today...:>

Triumph TR3 - Skim Coat of Filler/Next Steps

Early yesterday morning I applied one more coat of filler to the patch panel repair (on the right hand side) I did the day before plus completed an hour or so of sanding and finishing before applying a coat of paint on the inner wheel well repairs. A "good" burst of activity before I left town for the rest of the day.

Today I want to finish sanding the patch panel repairs and apply a coat of primer before moving the car out of the garage.

I used my travel time to contemplate (while listening to some great "newly loaded" tunes on my I-Pod) my next steps with respect to the disposal of the 1957. Lots of options for sure. What has come to the forefront of my thoughts is my reluctance to impact the '59 resurrection by shifting my attention and energies to preparing the '57 for resale. I am also concerned about selling the 1957 drive train prior to sorting out the '59 which really means no action should be taken in the short term. The '57 will remain under the tarp until I get the '59 back on the road.

So back to "focusing" on Plan A... reassembling of the powder coated frame with the '59 engine and transmission and '57 rear end, probably utilizing the rack and pinion steering assembly. One step at a time......

The Old Car Hobby-Recycling

On a daily basis I enjoy going through the Kijjiji classic car ads and E-Bay auctions to see what gems are being offered. Very often "project cars" come up-vehicles that are being abandoned by their owners at different points in the disassembly-reassembly stages. I often wonder about the stories behind the ads? What pushed the owner to list the vehicle? Cars and trucks purchased with great expectations/potentials that somehow don't get met for whatever reason?

The good thing is these cars/trucks often get recycled . Kijjiji is a great resource for moving things out of a garage to a deserving new owner.

The other side of the hobby is being in the right place at the right time or knowing someone who is interested in unloading something that you need for a reasonable price and being able to value from the transaction.

Triumph TR3 - The Last of the Major Bodywork Done!

Yesterday I worked out the garage for a few hours. I did a bunch of grinding cleaning up the patch panels, then finished off the filler coating of the patch panels behind the doors and the right hand side wheel well followed by a skim coat of filler on the rear inner wheel well patch panels. Some 80 grit sanding followed. The car is now "buttoned up" repair panel wise. Today I am going to finish sanding the repaired sections and put a coat of primer on.

I have a bit of an allergy thing going on-probably a reaction to snow mould (not uncommon for me in the spring), which is making me feel quite congested. This made working on the car yesterday a bit challenging as I was finding contact with the filler fumes irritating and wearing the dust mask to be very confining breathing wise.

I have some additional filling to do once the body is removed from the frame. When the body is tipped on it's side I will have better access to the lower portions of the rear valance which I plan to finish off plus I have some smoothing out to do in a couple of other areas.

On Wednesday I was informed about the Moss Motors sale on tops, carpets and interior panels. I will need a top for the car when it is finished and given the good price (and strong exchange rate Cdn to US) I might order it sooner than later. Talking about parts, earlier in the week I sorted through the front end components for the powder coated chassis and realized that one of the trunions is slightly worn. I am looking at replacing it plus ordering a new rear pinion oil seal and speedi sleeve as the seal is leaking fairly badly. More $$$ to spend.

Hopefully my son and I will be removing the body from the frame this evening and moving it outside.

Triumph TR3 - Back into the Garage-Finally

Last night after work I had a short nap and then headed out into the garage for a couple of hours. It was another cold evening (we still have snow on the ground) so I bundled up and worked with the garage door open and used my imagination of what it would be like to be working on a warm summer night. All in all it wasn't too bad an experience-really grateful to have the opportunity to actually do something car wise.......I needed to have the door open in order to have access to the box of my truck where I was loading in parts (front suspension mainly) to be media blasted.

The focus of the evening was on parts sorting and garage clean up. I actually got to a point(again) where I could hardly move in my space-lots of clutter (mainly fenders and such) and tools everywhere. Once again I needed to regroup and get things in order...

I also spent some time on the internet looking at alternate wiring harness suppliers. I have a new peer at work who seems to be a top tier gear-head well connected in the local hot rod scene who recommended some alternate sources. I have checked out Mr Roadster and Rebel brands.

I am now two weeks behind in my new proposed schedule (once again other distractions have hit the radar but also a healthy dose of inertia settled in which I am struggling to overcome). More discipline is certainly needed to focus on the project if I am going to make my deadlines...the clean up is going to help restore some enthusiasm-the last few weeks have certainly been low energy for the most part...I blame it on the unseasonably cold weather-it certainly seems to be impacting others as well.....

Triumph TR3 - A Change in Direction?

I didn't get back into the garage on Sunday ( a very low energy day all round-I just didn't feel like working on the car) and so far this week other priorities have consumed my Triumph time so my project critical path has slipped somewhat... Hopefully tomorrow I will get back on track....

What did happen on the weekend was a download of possibility after reconsidering my friend's suggestion to build a TR3 rat rod. I got looking at the '57 tub (that I prepped and mostly painted last fall) that is sitting beside my driveway plus the fact I have "paintable" panels (with the exception of the two rear fenders-one of which would require major work) it started to make sense to combine the parts, hand paint them and reassemble the car. All the panels would be flawed but I think all the pieces would come together in a compelling way. The paint color is a kind of a dove gray. I could brush and roller it and then wet sand the finish...

I would reinstall the worn clutch assembly onto the extra engine, button up the transmission and utilize the 59 frame which I would clean up and paint. I have all the other parts I would need with the exception of the windshield and one door. I started to do the math and determined I would gain tremendously by combining the parts vrs trying to sell the car as a basket case or parting it out...plus I would get driving sooner. It all started to make sense. I wouldn't sell the car until the completed the '59 and I could use the rat rod to check out the engine, transmission and rear end "health" and pick the best components for the '59 build.

I have estimated the parts I would need to consume (hydraulics, etc etc) that I had earmarked for the '59 would probably cost about $1500 to replace all in. My head started to spin so I had to back away from further contemplation but I am pretty certain I am going to reassemble the '57 using the already assembled 59 frame, utilizing the rack and pinion and doing it all as cheaply as I can...true rat rod methodology...of course the purists are not going to be happy-but oh well...it's all about the fun.......

Triumph TR3 - Body Work-Ah Yes!!!

Over the past few days I have completed the patch repair (lower sill area between the doors and rear fenders), repaired the right hand front inner fender area (attached the flange etc I fabricated earlier in the winter) and completed the final attachment of the trunk floor repair panel which means I am getting very close to finishing up the "major" panel massaging on the car. Today I plan to do more skim coatings of filler and then prime the exposed metal and filler and move the car out into the driveway. If all goes as planned I will be right on schedule as per my revised project critical path.

As I stated in earlier blog entries the bodywork journey (which is not over by any means) has taken much longer than I anticipated ( a strong lesson for my consideration next time I contemplate purchasing a project car requiring extensive bodywork-I doubt if I will go down that road again) but I believe I have achieved a major milestone in my schedule which is boosting my enthusiasm for the project.

With the tub stripped down once again and all the body panels (including the removed engine) scattered around the garage, getting around is still a challenge so I am very much looking forward to the car being moved out so I will have room to roam about. This "freedom" will be short lived however once I start reconstructing the chassis.

I received confirmation my parts were shipped yesterday so I should have those by mid week-a key component in the next phase of the project.

Triumph TR3 - Critical Path Revisited

In the garage about 3 hours yesterday cleaning up the engine block and reconfiguring the garage space so I could move the engine out of the way and get the car moved forward. I realized yesterday I need to get a schedule published that I can manage to so I can get the car back together this summer.

April 3rd -April 9th-finish prepping the body tub and prime

April 10th-tarp car and move out into driveway.

April 11th -May 7th-finish assembling powder coated frame/reinstall engine and transmission/brakes/etc etc

May 9th-May 22nd-Prepare tub for final paint-paint and finish underbody area

May 23rd to May 31st-Reattach body to frame

June 1-June 18th-Final Body Prep and Paint

July 12-August 1,2011-Final assembly including wiring

I believe I have factored in enough contingency to allow time to finish the tasks taking into account other activities (non car related) that need to be taken care of..I also determined yesterday the schedule was necessary to keep me from too much "think time" consuming my waking hours considering project execution options. I feel better the schedule is down on paper and ready to be executed. (and managed to)

The most aggressive aspect of the schedule is the final assembly component. I am anticipating I can gain some days through the earlier part of the schedule to allow for an earlier start day and longer elapsed time to get the final assembly completed.

Hopefully by May 7th I will have the mechanical components sorted out so some decisions can be made about disposing of the 1957. I need to determine condition of the transmission/engine and rear end of the 1959 before the '57 can be moved out of the driveway.

Triumph TR3 - Engine Manifold Removed

This morning I started to pull the accessories off the engine-generator, intake and exhaust manifolds, oil filter and the oil pan. When I started to drain the oil -sludge started to pour out along with the oil. It wasn't a pretty sight... The pan was very fouled and when I removed it there was still gray sludge stuck to the bottom. I cleaned it all out and after about 1/2 an hour of cleaning I had the plan looking pretty good. I am glad it didn't attempt to start the engine up without removing the pan. I had a hunch the oil was not in good shape-I believe it was changed about 4 years ago and a new oil filter cartridge put in but the car has sat for so long the chemistry just took over. I have a spin on oil filter adaptor to install which will replace the troublesome cartridge style oil filter..I believe this is a worthwhile modification.

I contacted Drakes and they advised that I should replace the oil pump vane and cartridge which I have now put on order. It will make a difference at high temperature idle if it is replaced-higher oil pressure....and for around $30 it is well worth doing.

I went to Canadian Tire and picked up some engine paint and cleaning pads. Tonight I started cleaning up the block-there will be a few hours of work to do yet. Once again it is a toxic environment (the cleaning of the block) that I do not want to spend a lot of time in so I set a limit of 9:00 p.m. and left the area.

A good day in the garage....

Triumph TR3 - Engine Removed/Parts Ordered

On Thursday I assembled the engine hoist and removed the engine out of the car and lowered to the garage floor. The extraction went fairly well with the exception of the separation of the exhaust pipe from the manifold flange which required some persuasion with a hammer and drift.

I pulled the clutch and found out there is only about 1/16 of an inch of disc wear left which means the clutch will need to be replaced. This is probably a good move as I do not want to have to have to do a clutch job next year. The only issue remaining is the integrity of the rear oil seal after the start up. The car has sat for 20 years so it is hard to say what will happen? Right now it looks good so I am going to proceed and hope it is not an issue???

I placed an order yesterday with Drakes Motors for the remaining mechanical pieces I need to bolt the car back together. Master cylinders (clutch and brake) and clutch slave cylinder,complete clutch kit, misc gaskets and fender mounting kits-around $550 worth which burns up the remaining cash reserve. I took advantage of the MOSS Motors 10% off sale which saved about $75...

The garage is now full of disassembled TR3 parts....I have turned the corner

triumph TR3 - Bodywork-Rear Valance Revisited/Chassis

A couple more hours spent today on sanding down the final skim coat of filler and applying the sealer primer to the rear valance area. It is about 95% complete and looks good in all one color. There is some more body work that is required on the top area where the truck latch sits and of course there are nicks and uneven spots that will need to be worked when the final paint prep work is done near the end of April. I am planning to do the paint work in early May.

I travelled over to a friend's and picked up his engine hoist with the intent of removing the engine tomorrow night. He is in the midst of rebuilding a Suzuki motorcycle from the 1980's so it was an interesting visit to view his progress.

I have been visualizing the chassis rebuild most of the weekend. I am eager to get going on the work mainly from the perspective of finally being able to consume some of my purchased parts like engine mounts, brake calipers, spin on oil filter adapters etc etc and start emptying some of the storage boxes that contain the parts. These actions will show that I have turned the corner and heading towards project completion. Also the pile of "spare" parts will grow and become available for resale (still trying to figure out the best approach there)...

Triumph TR3 - Bodywork-Rear Valance

A couple of hours in the garage yesterday. I went back to finishing off the rear valance by applying 3 coats of skim coat of filler. Unfortunately I didn't get away with the 1/8" professional depth with some areas of the patches requiring more build to "smooth it out" and I am not finished yet.... Overall I am happy with the look-probably an 8 out of 10 overall-it felt good to see the panels disappear under the filler and it has been done much more cheaply than a replacement panel. More bodywork planned for today...

Triumph TR3 - The Body Comes Off -Nearly

Four hours in the garage today. Everything that needs disconnecting-has been disconnected and I was able to lift the body 6 inches off the frame (all round-front and back) so nothing is binding or still attached. There were a few mechanical challenges along the way and a couple of broken off bolts but everything came apart in a pretty straight forward way. It was probably 4 hours well spent.

With the body slightly hoisted I can see how "rough" the frame looks which further reinforces my resolve to continue with the overall disassembly and get the powder coated frame reassembled and slid under the body. I am so glad the 1957 frame is shiny black and straight-the "restored" condition saves me hours and hours of clean up work. I have been transferring bolts and brackets etc that I remove from the old frame to the new one so I can easily find them when I go to reassemble the chassis.

The mechanical work I have been doing over the past week has been very satisfying although I went through more than a few moments of "mental" hesitation about further disassembly but my resolve held and I stayed on track. What is done is done and there is no going back!!!

It is going to be so much easier to do the rest of the work with the body removed-one good car out of two!!!

Triumph TR3 - Sunday Sanctuary

"First things first" I changed out my less than stellar sounding boom box with one that was sitting unused in the basement. I like to listen to CKUA (public radio) and CBC when I work and the experience was starting to lack clarity..... The original unit has been slowly deteriorating sound wise for the past few months (also the CD player doesn't work) and I had put off any action until finally this morning I determined I had enough "dimness"/compromise when the solution was so straight forward-a change out was what was needed...the newer unit works great (I had to swap antennas first)...

Today I continued to disassembled most of the engine components and transmission mounts etc so the engine and transmission can be lifted out of the engine bay. I am going to remove the transmission first as it will make for an easier engine removal-particularly in my tight quarters (single garage). I removed the drive shaft and noticed the rear pinion seal is leaking and there seems to be a fair amount of play in the rear pinion gears. I will need to check out the other rear end to see how the play compares. Just a few more things to do and the engine can come out. I am going to pull the clutch (after marking the location and disc position) hoping the clutch has enough wear left that it doesn't need to be changed out and the flywheel surface is in good shape? I am going to change out the throw-out bearing one way or the other...

After the engine is readied for removal I am going back to do the skim coat on the rear valance and finishing up the bodywork. I really needed to take a break from bodywork but I think I am ready to go back now. I have been checking out YouTube videos to get some inspiration..

After that the body will be prepped for removal and the engine taken out and then I will move the car into the driveway and start building the powder coated chassis. After the engine and front suspension is reinstalled I will remove the body from the existing chassis and move it back into the garage...

Triumph TR3 - Turning Wrenches

I have been away from the garage for nearly 2 weeks. The time has gone quickly. Work and a 3 day cross country ski trip in between were the priorities although I will admit I spent a bit more time in front of the computer screen watching NETFLIX movies than engaging in some wrench turning...I have pondered the why and can only pin a "low energy" physical state on the default to the square screen.

Yesterday I determined to prepare the engine for removal. I really didn't want to face more bodywork so I decided to grab some wrenches and do some mechanical disassembly. Off came the radiator (a bit of a problem was experienced with the loosening of the lower hose so it took much longer than anticipated plus some antifreeze inadvertently spilled onto the garage floor adding more time to the task). I removed the fan and the front support that sits between the frame rails. exposing the front of the engine. Hopefully by the end of the weekend I will have the engine disconnected ready to remove. I am then going to go back to finishing off the body work on the rear valance and priming which I hope to have finished shortly. More to follow..

Triumph TR3 - Back to the Rear Valance

Yesterday afternoon I spent 2 hours in the garage-grinding and finishing the rear valance area in order to prepare the finish for the skim coat of filler. Interestingly I was prompted by the universe to check out the fit of the rear tire cover and when I placed it in the opening it became apparent it wasn't fitting. What I had done when I fabricated the new valance was use a jack to hold the flange and lower valance lip together for fastening and I must of pushed it up slightly when I applied the pressure. Luckily this situation was noticed and I was able to use the jack to push it the other way (the jack was placed inside the spare tire opening) and after a bit of fiddling the cover fit well. Had I not done this I would have applied the skim coat and realized somewhere down the line the cover didn't fit which would have meant a fair amount of rework.

It felt good to be back in the garage....

Triumph TR3 - Distractions Abound

My wife asked me last night if I am going back out to my garage today to work on my car. I felt pleased with her observation and support for my hobby. In consideration of her question I realized it has been a while since I visited the TR3 shrine and the time is probably right to fire up the garage heater and get back out there. June 30th is rapidly approaching and there is much more to do...

There have been a number of distractions over the last few weeks (I know, a common story) including my return to work 3 days a week and more importantly, our extended cold snap of -30 degree C. temperatures (now at least 3 weeks) which has really impacted my physical energy levels and enthusiasm generally. I have defaulted to indulging myself in less active pursuits like watching movies on Netflix. Not a total waste of time but getting close to the line.

On Friday morning I had a CD player installed in my Ford Ranger so there has been some automotive activity recently. I misplaced my faceplate for the Jensen unit that came with the truck and I have not had "tunes" in my ride for over a year. What happened to the faceplate is anyone's guess-I am leaning towards someone removing it from my truck on an evening when I didn't look my doors. I have searched through all the usual storage places with no luck so I needed to "bite the bullet" and get a replacement installed. I just so happened to have an extra unit available-a Panasonic which was installed for $75. Money well spent in my determination.

Zen and the Art of Non Triumph Work-Out into the Cold

Last October my 1994 Ford Ranger developed a cooling system problem (overheating) that seemed to correct itself for reasons that I can't identify although I knew instinctively the "weakness" would need to be addressed "sooner or later" as these things happen for a reason. I was distracted by my Triumph work and as such, ignored any further investigation or repair other than a partial replacement of coolant. The weather quickly turned cold and winter like which eliminated any further "shade tree mechanic" potential. "Later" came last week when the thermostat permanently stuck open and my truck failed to reach operating temperature. This condition at the best of times is not satisfactory but at -30 degrees C. the reduced cabin temperature made for an uncomfortable commute.

A call to my local repair facility of choice indicated a $100 charge for the change out with the potential of fitting in between repairs of other vehicles. I contemplated spending the money for a job I could do myself and decided to check out the long range weather forecast and noticed an "opening" of warmer weather for the weekend. I decided to tackle the job in the driveway yesterday.

On Friday night I spent some time prepping for the job. Out came the Haynes repair manual (which didn't have any specific information about the change out-just a general description) coupled with a quick review of available YouTube videos (which I often find very useful) and I was mentally prepared for the job.

The job took about 45 minutes to complete. It turned out to be fairly difficult based on the fact there was very limited access and clearance due to an electrical cable, an air conditioning line (that did not move) and the serpentine belt and related pulleys etc. I also found my hands were a bit too large to navigate the available opening so I had to "fumble" around a bit more than I would have liked. Fortunately I had all the tools I needed to complete the job-the 1/4 inch drive socket set and universal seemed to do the trick. The most difficult aspect was replacing the fastener on the bottom left hand side of the thermostat flange. I ended up having to pack the socket with wheel bearing grease to keep the bolt from falling out of the socket and with a lot of manual dexterity I was able to finally position the bolt and hand tighten it down.

During the process it started to snow fairly hard. I pushed on. Fortunately my driveway is somewhat protected from the elements but the engine compartment did fill up with snow flakes. Interestingly I did not notice the cold too much. The ambient temperature was about -3 degrees C. and I was dressed warmly enough to be comfortable. My hands stayed warm enough also. I very much appreciated a warm cup of tea afterwards.

The "Zen" aspect comes into place with respect to my inner spiritual work I am undertaking and my consideration of the replacement thermostat-the fact I had purchased it much earlier and not taken the time to install it (see above) and now had to install it in much less the optimum conditions (the Zen of procrastination playing out) plus my mind went into a "anticipatory" cycle around the "potential" that the replacement thermostat would not be correct (while I was unbolting the flange) and will have to make another trip to the jobber to get the right one. This internal tirade turned out to be completely unwarranted (and a waste of energy) as the replacement thermostat was an exact replacement.

Triumph TR3 - Back to the Right Hand Rocker Panel-Part 2

I was out in the garage 2-1/2 hours yesterday working on attaching a couple of additional "patch" panels to the rear right valance area. I wanted to do this to build up the area prior to the skim coat of filler being applied. If I didn't take this step the filler would be too thick in places. Not acceptable when the fix was so straight forward. I also nearly completed the right hand rocker panel (behind the door towards the rear right fender) with only the bottom insert left to do. I left the garage feeling satisfied with my day's work.

My activities flowed well except my pop riveter malfunctioned about 1/2 way through the job. It is a "consumer" grade unit that has served me well but it looks like planned obsolescence has kicked in. Every so often I wear out a tool and this is an example. Just when the malfunction happened my son turned up for a visit and just so happened to have a pop riveter in his tool box (commercial grade) in his truck-problem solved.

Triumph TR3 - Back to the Right Hand Rocker Panel/E-Bay Example

Yesterday I turned my attention to the right hand rocker panel-the area between the end of the door and the rear fender. Interestingly I had previously rebuilt the left hand side and for some reason I though the right hand side was in much better shape? It seems my assessment was inaccurate. The tin snips came out and when I was finished removing the rusted areas there was a sizable hole in the sheet metal requiring a fair amount of reconstruction. I have fabricated patch panels and today, I should be able to attach them with panel adhesive and rivets.

On Friday I also drilled out 2 rusted fastners on the left hand fender area.

Yesterday I realized I have consumed a majority of the sheet metal from the scrap left hand rear fender (the one used for the fender splice piece) and the right hand door skin that I replaced to patch up the car. It's satisfying to see genuine "vintage" TR3 sheet metal being used up. I have also used some sheet metal from 2 discarded fenders from my son/daughter's 1986 Toyota Celica (since sold) and an old sheet metal shower enclosure from my parent's house. An interesting variety of sources I would say.

Yesterday I took another look at the TR3 on E-Bay that is painted while with a black interior and steel wheels. I placed a "watch" on the auction as I am curious to see how much the car sells for? My car will look very similar when it is completed. It is great to have an example to view and to help me visualize my finished project.

Triumph TR3 - Fighting the Tendency to Want to Hibernate

Yesterday was a low energy day project wise. Outside daytime temperatures are still in the -20 degrees C. range which does not inspire productivity generally. I have a tendency to want to hibernate and try and stay warm. However my wife inspired me yesterday by her action of tidying her studio that I determined my best course of action for the day was to clean up and organize my tools and workspace. An hour or so was spent doing just that. I also ventured out and picked up more nozzles for the panel adhesive applicator, a half box of rivets and sheets of 80 grit sandpaper. A new plug for the space heater was also purchased and installed so some "project" progress was made even though there wasn't a lot of motivation present..

I left the furnace on overnight and plan to head out this morning...

Triumph TR3-Rear Valance Work-Part 12

On Sunday afternoon I finished attaching the bottom panel (below the spare tire cover) which means the rear valance structural work is fundamentally finished. I have a couple of small panels to finish off and attach and then a skim coat of filler will be applied. Hopefully this will happen today!!! Interestingly I ran out of rivets during the assembly process which really surprised me as I thought I had enough when I started the work.

I spent some time on Sunday evening reevaluating where I was in my revised schedule. As near as I can figure I am about 3 weeks late over what I had planned for and anticipated in early December. Staying on schedule is a difficult aspect for me to maintain but if I want to get the car back together by June 30th I have to continue to push and try to make up some of the time...

I have returned to work this week part time. There is another car guy who restores Model "A"'s that works in my department and think he will be a good resource for tools and advise. He is going to come over for a garage tour in the near future and it will be interesting to get his perspective on my project.

Triumph TR3-Rear Valance Work-Part 11

A good session in the garage yesterday (3 hours). The right and left hand rear panels are glued and riveted in resulting in a good foundation for the finish skim coat of filler. I am reasonably happy with the outcome-I could have spent more time on the trimming and fitting but to be honest, I am probably at the "upper" end of my skill level with respect to the panel fabrication and any additional time wouldn't yield a lot of benefit. I am taking the position the panels are "fit for purpose" . Upon visual inspection last night the panels appear line up as they should and the finished product will look good once some more finishing is done.. There is one area in the inner fender flange that is going to require some rework when I remove the body from the frame but for now I am happy with the progress. It feels very good to get the misc panels off the garage floor and onto the car for the last time.

Triumph TR3-Rear Valance Work-Part 10

Back in the garage late yesterday afternoon for 2-1/2 hours with a focus on gluing and attaching panels in the rear valance area. The weather in my region has been in the -30 degree C. range and I just didn't want to fire up the garage furnace and keep the area warm in such extreme weather conditions-the cold spell lasted for about a week so no progress made. It is much warmer now (around 0 degrees C) which is a better environment for working in the garage.

I set an intent to attach "all" the remaining panels but unfortunately ran into a problem with the rear left panel. The panel didn't fit properly (which really surprised me as I thought I had done a sufficient number of trial fits) after I attached the lower flange (a process that went really well) and after a couple of refitting attempts I realized I had to stop and revisit the problem with a fresh set of eyes (after a good night's sleep) because I was getting frustrated and tired. I know myself well enough to know that "pushing on" would have resulted in a miss-step and potential rework. A complication is I used up all my panel adhesive applicator nozzles so now I need to make a trip today to the bodyshop supplier to get some new ones. I decided this morning that I will continue fit up and make sure all the remaining panels line up properly before I start the gluing process again. The panel adhesive has a 1 hour working limit which does leave much time for rework if there is a problem.(which I experienced last night).....

Triumph TR3-Rear Valance Work-Part 9

I have been cleaning up patch panels and attachment points in order to start reassembling the rear valance for the last time (about 5 hours total). The work (to get the panels prepared) has taken much longer than anticipated based on some additional refitting that was required. I continue to strive for the best possible fit that seems to be getting closer but it certainly has been a challenging undertaking.

Triumph TR3-Regroup in the Garage

Today I ventured back out in the garage (after a few days away due to extremely cold temperatures) and cleaned up tools and generally brought order back into the space. The rear bumper bolt sheared off even though I had applied liberal amounts of WD-40 a few days prior-but in the overall scheme of things it was "just fine" to have it happen as I was able to remove the shaft from the housing. Total time to do all this: approx 1-1/2 hours.

In my haste to leave home last week I accidently left my panel adhesive in the trunk of the car (after I turned the furnace off) but checking with the manufacturer (the 1-800 number worked real well) I was assured no damage would be done as the material as it would not freeze but it is important to bring it back to room temperature which I have done...

I then decided to sort through a couple of plastic tubs that are full of purchased parts just to "jog" my memory as to what I have purchased over the past few years. I have been buying parts when extra money becomes available (mainly generated through my E-Bay sales) so it was good to recap in my mind what was there. I also updated the white board on the garage wall with "needed" items.

I also checked into air compressor capacity to run my small bench bead blaster (bought for a deep discount in 2009). It appears my Sears Craftsman compressor unit is too small (I had done some experimenting earlier) and to get something suitable would be in the $600-800 range so the guy I was talking to at the compressor supplier suggested I rent a gasoline powered one to do the work I need done. I also found out I can rent a bead blaster cabinet for $1.00 per minute at a local shop. I wanted to bead blast/sand blast the suspension components prior to repaint so I have a couple of options to consider. Another item that needed to be addressed on the long "to do" list...

"All in All a Good Day"....

Triumph TR3-Rear Valance Work-Part 8

A few days ago I tackled more final patch piece fitting plus removing the rear bumper bolt that had been ground off to remove the rear bumper. (done a few years ago). I needed to do this prior to attaching the replacement patch panel on the right hand side. Of course everything was well rusted and after a fair amount of effort movement was experienced. Unfortunately the bolt nut (under the frame) was too rusted for total removal so I applied liberal amounts of WD-40 and hopefully today I will be able to remove the bolt completely and put new ones on the purchase list...another step towards completing the rear valance.

The garage has "once again" become very cluttered with tools and piles of scrap sheet metal pieces everywhere so the first order of business will be to clean up and create some order...It is -37 degrees C. this morning so I will probably wait until later in the day to venture out to the garage and to fire up the heater....

Triumph TR3-Rear Valance Work-Part 7

A stellar evening in the garage (the classical music that played in the background added an interesting dimension). It was one of those work sessions where everything went well with very little rework. I spent about 3 hours riveting and bonding the rear valance brackets and repair patches for the right rear fender area. Earlier in the day I fabricated a bracket with a "captured" nut ( I spent about an hour on the task) where the right hand fender attaches at the back. The original area was completely rusted out so the attachment point needed to be reestablished. I am very pleased with the overall results and look forward to more productive work today. My plan is to finish off attaching the panels on the left hand side and getting the fabricated pan (that fits under the spare tire cover) installed...

Triumph TR3-Rear Valance Work-Part 6

Success yesterday....the right hand side patch panel is now fabricated and trial fitted. Looks good. There is a small amount of trimming to undertake and reconstruction of the flange piece that holds on the rear fender (the lower portion is rusted)....I estimate another hour or two to wrap things up on the right side.

I took a long straight edge and made sure the right hand panel lined up to the center piece ( I have clamped everything together with vise grips and screws). Today I will trial fit the left hand patch panel again then open up the garage door and step back ten feet or so and make sure everything looks good from a distance then final assembly with panel adhesive (and sealer), a skim coat of filler where needed and a primer coat then I can move on to finishing off the small patch panels by the rear of the doors on both sides. Then my attention moves to the mechanical work....

Note: in a well funded full restoration the complete back valance would be replaced. I priced out the panel last year and if I recall I found one for $800. Far outside the "reconstruction" budget. Yesterday I estimated I have about 20 hours in the reconstruction of the panels. It would not have been worth paying someone to do the work-buying the panel would have been the appropriate path forward vrs paying a third party to fabricate.

Triumph TR3-Rear Valance Work-Part 5

Back into the garage yesterday after being "out of town" for nearly a week. I am now a couple of weeks behind where I wanted to be at the beginning of January but that is "OK" as family comes first and some unexpected "events" occurred that took me away from the garage.

I fabricated a successful patch piece for the left hand rear valance (utilizing some of the components of the original fabricated piece-which was satisfying) and trial fitted it and it worked well. I embarked on a similar modification to the right hand side panels which I am not as happy with. I ran out of energy and enthusiasm late in the afternoon and decided it was better to leave the task and take a break than try and "force" myself to work on something that was not coming together in a way I had envisioned. Working on the Triumph is supposed to be an enjoyable pass time- not an ordeal so I walked away.

While I was out in the garage I started to contemplate the rear valance panel attachment process and what the critical path will be. I think I have that worked out now and today I will start prepping the panels for panel adhesive and attachment. It will be great to see all the panels fabricated and attached to the car so I can add the final skim coat of filler and get the areas primed.

triumph TR3-Rear Valance Work-Part 4

Yesterday I did another trial fit of the fabricated lower piece of the valance (and attached it temporarily to the car) and it fits well and looks good. Unfortunately the match up to the other patch panel (left hand side)was not as clean as I would like (to be expected as I fabricated the pieces separately and hadn't done a trial fit of the two pieces before) so I decided to remove it and do some minor trimming to see if I could get a better fit. Unfortunately it doesn't meet my standard for appearance (structurally it is sound) so through the process I decided I will probably reject the flange component (3rd time) I fabricated a few days ago and start again with a bit different approach. Rework.

Triumph TR3-Rear Valance Work-Part 3

Yesterday I started assembling the rear valance component that I fabricated out of a discarded fender, trial fitting and attaching my fabricated flanges for attaching to the body. The day was productive and enjoyable. I worked for about 2-1/2 hours or so all together. I determined to fasten the flanges with rivets and the high strength epoxy panel adhesive that I purchased for this type of work. The adhesive gives all the advantages of welding by providing a very strong bond.

I spent some time in the evening going over the Ron Francis wiring catalog looking at the different after market wiring harnesses and accessories like ignition and dimmer switches etc. I also contemplated moving over to "bright" LED tail and turn indicator lights to further enhance the safety of the car. I also determined to hold off on purchase of the parts until I get the frame reconstructed. Pricing seems pretty consistent.(no sales being offered etc) so no down side to waiting that I can see.

I think I am going to have to get myself a better air compressor to run my bead blaster cabinet and some of the air tools that require more capacity than I current have. I did some checking around on Kijjiji, Sears, Canadian Tire etc etc and found a 33 gal unit on sale for 399.00. A bit cost prohibitive so I may rent instead?

I also pulled out my TR3 reference book and looked at the great cars illustrated. It is good to dream of the finished state from time to time...

Triumph TR3-Rear Valance Work-Continued

Back into the garage yesterday for about 3 hours. Still wrestling with making and fitting the attachment flanges for the replacement "patch" panels on the rear valance. Some rework was required including the necessity to temporarily attach the panels (left hand side) to the car to revisit fit generally. I am happy with the progress but it as nearly every other activity undertaken on the car, taking much longer than I anticipated.

Triumph TR3-Rear Valance Work

I spent over 3 hours in the garage yesterday removing the paint from the rear valance and spare tire area and reworking the patch panels. The left hand panel has been done 3 times now. The first time my fabrication was too flimsy (not a heavy enough gauge sheet metal) and the second time just plain second rate (not a very good alignment with the cut out area) so I scrapped the 2nd panel and started again. This time I am happy with the results. I also reworked a couple attaching flanges for a better fit.

I crawled under the car and looked at the body attachment points (not too many) and exhaust system (looks like it is in good shape) and started to scheme on how to remove the body from the chassis. I also determined the amount of work needed to "refinish" the underside of the car. There will be a fair amount of clean up required (lots of dirt and built up grease and oil) but everything looks solid. It was interesting to note that the chassis is actually damaged around the transmission area and generally very rusty. It looks like the left hand strut was hit hard at one point and bent and dented. This increased my resolve to utilize the powder coated frame although I am sure the chassis is repairable.

I also revisited the Ron Francis Wiring site and looked at their offerings for wiring harnesses. I am for sure upgrading the electrical to an after-market fuse box and wiring configuration that will include a conversion to an alternator. I will have to go back and dig up the articles on doing so. Of course, the conversion to a negative ground electrical system is under consideration. I am also considering a gear reduction starter-I have one "watched" on E-Bay.

All in all a very productive day in the garage. The weather was in the -20 degree range C. but I was very comfortable in my work space.

Triumph TR3-Project Progress

I ventured out into the garage on Saturday (for a few hours) and brought order back to the space, temporarily attached the finished front fenders to the body (the front right fender required some alignment work on the back flange to allow the fender bolts to line up properly) to get them out of the way and started to work on the rear panel that surrounds the spare tire carrier. I have all the "patch" panels for the area fabricated-right now I am stripping off the last of the red paint and getting ready to clean up the areas where the panels are going to be attached.

I decided yesterday I am going to complete the rear panel attachment and primary finishing this week that will complete the bodywork segment for now. I will then turn my attention to the chassis reconstruction for which I have not yet figured out the critical path for. I am still leaning towards removing the 1959 body from the chassis (sooner than later) so I have access to all the parts in order to complete the powder coated chassis with the best parts from both cars. My confined workspace doesn't allow me too many options to contemplate...

Triumph TR3-More Fender Work

Front Fenders: I went back into the garage on Sunday and put another coat of primer on the front fenders (spent about 45 minutes doing so) . When I went out on Monday morning to check things out I also noticed a couple of runs in the primer that I subsequently sanded out. It also came to my attention that I had accidently spilled some drops of paint (I had put a piece of cardboard on the hood to act as a surface for painting (my garage is too small to spread the fenders out))-a good lesson around covering previously painted surfaces-a missed detail-I should have know better) on the front valance requiring some additional sanding (rework-about 20 minutes worth) which will eventually require more primer coat touch up. I have now taken the position the two front fenders are "fit for purpose" primed. I will need to do some additional touch up when I attach them to the body.

Rear left fender: I decided to run a rag over the surface (once more) and while doing so noticed some more imperfections. So out came the filler and yet another skim coat was applied. I then sanded down the surface to a smooth contour finishing off with a 220 grit paper. (about an hour and a half total). The surface of the fender is now much smoother and ready for a primer coat. I decided this will be my last go round until the fender is installed and block sanded.

The rear right fender was sanded with 220 grit ready for the sealer primer to be applied.

Triumph TR3-Priming Front Fenders

Great to be back in the garage for about an hour yesterday after way "too long" a break.

Applied a cleaner to the front fenders and primed them both. It was a good feeling to see the body filler disappear under a coat of primer. Both fenders look good (very presentable for now). Today I will make a determination as to whether or not I will add another coat of primer-(I probably will)...

I want to stay focused and make some real progress on the remaining bodywork in the next few weeks...