1957 Triumph Rat Rod Project

Time in Garage: 30 hours-20 over the last week..10 in mid June

I am back in the garage. I decided to resurrect the '57 Triumph and place the body on the chassis I have been building for the past few years. This is a definite change of direction but I feel the right one to get on with my project.

The rationale to do so is complicated and multifaceted.

1. Selling the '57 for parts was not successful when attempted in 2013.
2. The value of the car is not realized if "parted out"
3. The '57 tub is very structurally sound
4. The '57 is an ideal candidate for a rat rod project
5. I can use the  '57 as a test bed for checking out the other motor and transmission and components
6. The rat rod approach seems appealing to people who have viewed the project.
7. I can get a sports car on the road sooner than the '59
8. I can get a much better return on my investment.
9. etc etc

Painting TR6 Wheels

Money Spent $15
Time in Garage: 2 hours

Focused on cleaning up the wheels and painting them. Job done...pleased with outcome. Looking forward to remounting the tires and installing the wide whitewall tire inserts.

Wiring Harness,Electrical Components, Tires and Wide Whitewall and Fixing the Exhaust System

Time in Garage 0
Money Spent- around $800

Last week I took the plunge and purchased a 12 circuit wiring harness from Hot Rod Wires along with a component package, turn indicator switch, ignition switch, cut off switch, wire covering and light switch with built in dimmer. Total bill including freight around $550. The package should be delivered to my door around June 5th...customer service has been great so far. I am looking forward to the challenge of wiring up the Triumph..

I also spent $250 for two new tires and a set of 2" wide whitewalls that get mounted in the wheel bead. Cost is about $80 for the 4. Hopefully my local tire shop has experience with these inserts. There are YouTube videos to show how it is done.

I took my exhaust system back to the muffler shop and got them to expand the pipe so the down pipe fits easily into the rest of the system so I have space to adjust one I get it installed. They did the modification for free and I appreciated it...

There has been no time or energy for garage work in the last week...

Driveway Mechanics

Time in Driveway : 4.0 hours

For the last week or so I have had some driveway work sessions. A few moments here and there. Today I installed the water pump and oil filter assembly and the top bracket for the new alternator. Also attached the fuel line to the fuel pump. Earlier in the week I worked on the rear fender for the 1957..making patch panels..some progress being made..still lots of distractions....work, year end tax filing and gardening being the main focuses..

Garage and Daydreaming

Time in Garage: none

I bought a new rechargeable electric lawn mover yesterday and through the process realized my garage is a mess.

I did my research on the internet and chose a Black and Decker model that our local Home Depot had on sale for $100 off. Bonus time..They only had one left and the clerk that located it for me, stood next to it and held it for me (while  I went to find a cart) in case someone else came by and took it...his gesture was very much appreciated. Last night I unboxed it  and  assembled the handle and grass catcher and set the machine up for charging and realized I had no room inside my garage to move the mower in and charge it.... Garage clean up is definitely on the agenda for today....

It is gardening season and there is lots to do around the house to get the garden prepared for planting. Triumph work is put on the back burner for now but the daydreaming continues...

Hopefully I will get out in the garage and turns some wrenches soon??

Hammering Away

Time in Driveway: 3.5 hours

Money spent:$500 or so

The replacement master cylinders came in yesterday along with the replacement reservoir, connector lines , front suspension kit, ball joints and the TR6 brake calliper mounting brackets. A very nice young women at the Greyhound freight desk asked me what I was working on which I found interesting. I am sure lots of people have Greyhound ship their purchases and she sees gearheads regularly. I am pretty sure she did not know what a Triumph TR3 looked like but she seemed interested..I explained I had been working on the car for 5 years and it wasn't finished yet. She smiled and told me to go home and have fun....sometimes encouragement comes from unusual places?

I removed the back brake drum and inspected the brakes on the differential. They look good...lots of wear left and they are dry. I sorted through removed suspension parts and separated the ball joints etc. An enjoyable time in the driveway and garage all round. Did some garage clean up also.....

Chassis Developments

Time in Driveway: 2 hours

A beautiful evening working outside in the driveway. Very quiet neighbourhood wise and a bit on the cool side but great to be out of the house and away from the TV set. It felt good overall and I had a sense of accomplishment when I was finished.

I finished pulling apart the front suspension on the purchased frame. The fasteners are ready for cleaning in the Eastwood tumbler and today I will start the clean up process on the removed suspension parts. I also want to remove the brake drums from the rear axle and see the condition of the brakes etc. I am still pondering the validity of the purchase price of the spare frame vrs  the value of the parts harvested (vrs buying them separately which would have a freight and time component attached)  but I need to move on and focus on the reassembly. There is no use at looking  back at this point? I think it will be a bit of a wash overall...

I have started looking at the wiring harness purchase which I hope to do early next week. I plan to order a replacement ignition switch, light switch, horn button and wiper switch..I may need a new solenoid...not sure yet....

I have the chassis parts on order that I need plus the parts needed to put the spare motor back together. Included is 2 TR6 wheels and tires that I am using for the rear wheels on the '57 reassembly.

Today I have to focus on cleaning up the garage and putting tools away. Also my wife bought me a set of combination wrenches at an estate sale that complement my tool box collection in a good way. Now I have multiply versions of the same size which comes in handy when working on cars. All for $10.00