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"....