Category Archives: restoration
After another week, the engine bay of the TR6 is nearly complete!
An important step included the decision to acid etch the carburetors to retain the original aluminum-alloy finish and texture which would be lost forever with blasting or painting. Afterward a light spray of oil made them look good enough for any concours in the world.
On Friday we also got our shipment from The Roadster Factory which included some impressive lenses that included reflective edges only seen on the early cars.They also supplied items like the white washer/overflow bottles which would be impossible to clean to a new level.
Another week and more good progress done on the 1973 TR3.
The engine is in with the intake manifold and thermostat housing painted with Würth Aluminium Spray Perfect Matt which has aluminum corrosion protection and nicely matches the silver CAD on brackets close by.
Both the starter and alternator were professionally restored by Brian Roberts Auto Electric who rebuilt and refinished the entire units.
The original grill was put back in place which took considerable work. The original pieces were rubber-dipped and the surround piece inevitably corroded badly under the top surface. The only option was to manually remove the rubber and get all the pieces coated by Professional Components Ltd who are always enthusiastic about automotive jobs. The result is a perfectly matching front grill that closely resembles the original finish.
This week the first few pieces of the puzzle went together on our TR6 which always starts with our box of bits back from the platers in both gold and silver cadmium.
After completely cleaning the main wiring harness and replacing all the connectors, then cleaning the entire ventilation system out, assembly could begin.
Luckily we were able to source two seal-beam Lucas/Mazda front headlights that are a perfect match for the vintage of the car from extraordinaire Paul Wakins of Bring a Trailer fame. These bulbs are completely sealed, which has extended bulb life in favor of outright replacement when the filament breaks.
Recently we got the TR6 back from body and paint. The level of quality with this job is simply wonderful, with the entire engine bay and fender being blashed and painted with the same care as the outer surface.
The pictures of this pimento red (really orange) car speak for themselves. Paint is a single stage Imron Polyurethane Enamel typically reserved for commercial vehicles such as trucks, airplanes, boats. In other words, very durable!
Work is well underway with the XK120 over at Jetstream Custom Auto. Jason fabricated new pieces for the front end and reskinned a door in aluminum.Here it is in primer getting ready for for more work by the talented Sean W to do his top coats.
