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excellent progress good luck and welcome
Welcome? ive only been here a month less than you have....
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I knew the speedo was the early 1850 one. I got mine cheap via eaby and the rest of the instruments came from a local member. I already had an early warning light cluster so it was a matter of rearranging the wires in the plug (it can be done with the 1850HL dash loom). You will need the manifold as well as the carbs off the TR7. Mine was like that when I bought it. I did a straight swap with Alun (xvivalve) for an 1850 manifold and HS4 carbs. I know where you're coming from about the paint but my circumstances dictate that I'm not going to do much more than blow over the outside with fresh paint. I don't have anywhere to store all the stuff if I stripped the car down to the shell, I need to keep the car in a drivable state to turn it round because there's isn't room where the car is and I need to keep the interior secure so the doors have to stay in situ. I'm planning on painting the doors everywhere and the door shuts. I'm also goint to paint the engine bay satin black (inspired by mach1rob). I wish you could come "up north" and give me a hand with mine. You've done an excellent job and your metalwork skills say it all. I wish I could weld that good (mine was described as like pigeon poo!).
Keep up the good work.
Ah yes, sorry. Mine was an ebay bargain too. Not so fussed about early 52mm gauges yet, just speedo and rev counter. as for TR7 carbs, i understand that, wont be for a while yet, probably when it comes back off the road next year for a paintjob. I had no plan to strip it back this far but its just how it happened!
You're very kind re: the metalwork. I did a evening class in welding but then didnt weld for about a year and a half so i forgot most of it. It wasnt great to start with, but it was all solid. Now its getting much more like it but i still think theres room for improvement. Best advice i can give is even if you're using a hobby welder (which i am) buy the best wire you can afford and invest in a full sized gas bottle. My welding improved craploads when i put better wire in the welder and i had no idea it made such a difference till i did it. When i buy a proper manly welder, and properly nice wire, i should be able to weld nearish to pro level as far as cars are concerned - as long as im neat.
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The early dolly rev counter is wired up a bit differently from the later ones and actually takes the coil feed through it IIRC so be careful
when wiring one up. Also if its duff it can short out the points, so no start and head scratching. The later one is just a pulse counter and only needs one wire.
Echo the sentiments on the great standard of work here. Very brave to save a car in such a state in the first place. I think you have the skills to do this professionally if you so desire.
I'd also keep the dolly lights....but hey its your car...
Jonners
I did have the idea of fitting an early face and needle to the later unit, that way i can fit electronic ignition later and it wont affect it.
Thankyou for the kind words re: professionally! My area of expertise is actually music technology (recording studios, live sound, lighting etc) but im proficient enough in this hobby that i might well like to do cars for other people in future. Ive already done a bit of welding on friends cars.
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The early 1850 rev counters are indeed wired differently to the others,
the feed is from the positive side of the coil.
Also, consider the ballast resistor wiring if using a later loom with this built in....
On an early 1850, if the rev counter fails, the car will start but die immediately.
Same sympton as a failed ballast resistor.
You can bypass the rev counter if necessary......
Ian.
Oh cheers for the info. Im not sure what the rev counter ive just put in is out of. Its a smiths positive earth unit, but i converted it to negative earth for use with this car. Are you saying it probably wont work?
Do let me know what i need to do for an early rev counter (as in details about the ballast resistor and such like), the plan was always to convert to one anyway.
And in other news, though its not much to look at, but after fitting the n/s hub and disk assembly, fitting the other rack gaiter and track rod end, i was able to drop the Dolly back on its wheels!
So for the first time since December 2012, i can move it around again. Well, by pushing anyway. Tracking at the front needs doing, engine needs mild reassembly. Need to fluid change the engine, already done the rear axle (after fitting its third vented filler), but once ive done that, and bled the brakes, it should move under its own power!
I have less than three weeks to MOT it now so im panicking a bit.