'75 TVR M Ford 331ci V8

Adapter plate is finished. Going to start pulling the body off Monday. These photos are intended to illustrate how much of an obstruction this would been in the under body air flow. I could have faired it in, but that's not an acceptable compromise. This way, the car will have decent ground clearance, guided underbody aero, and I will have dropped a large mass as low as it'll reasonably go. Also, moving the starter back is another way of pulling one heavy item closer to the CG. Besides, having the ring gear as the second lowest part of the undercarriage, after the bellhousing, to be dangling under the car, and the flywheel covered only by a piece of .070 Aluminium made me incredibly nervous.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=34&t=1080028 

That's the long, drawn out version of the story. 

There's also http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,12864, for the preceding several years. 

I think I can get you caught up faster. 

I'm building my dream car. 

Starting with my '75 TVR 2500M, which I loved even with the six, and imagining what a mid seventies Group 4 TVR M series homologation special might look like. Then add performance to match.

Looking forward to more!

Nice!  TVRs rock.

Very cool.  Looking forward to seeing this come together.

Good to see you finally making a proper build thread!

I'm really happy your motor was ok too.  What a weight to have off your shoulders.

Very cool. 
 

Is the body bonded to the frame on this car,  or can you separate them?

In reply to TVR Scott :

The engine still cost a bundle to rebuild. The previous engine builder definitely dropped it. Never told me about it. Destroyed my valve covers, water pump, and timing gear cover, and damaged one of the heads. Told me that I must have brought it to him without the valve covers or water pump, and convinced me that the timing cover had a crack in it when he first saw it. Never mentioned the damage to the cylinder head. 

Basically, once I figured it out, I no longer had any trust in the engine. Apparently it was ostensibly okay, except for a snug bearing clearance at a thrust face on the center main, and the use of some low grade rings. 

The rotating assembly had to be re-balanced, for the tiny flywheel to work with my 50oz imbalance crank. Pissed the balancer off, but he made it work. 

In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :

It's attached to the chassis via about a dozen bolts. You undo those and lift the ass end up, while sliding it back. Pretty straightforward. 

I put connections for the brake and clutch hydraulic lines near the body and chassis interface, to make it easy to separate the two. Will be doing the same when the rest of the plumbing and electrical system goes in. Bulkhead connectors wherever possible. 

In reply to TurboFource, wheelsmithy, and JoeTR6 :

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm looking forward to keeping you all posted on any forward motion I make. 

It's been a twenty+ year, 4 state build, so far, and that's what my screen name alludes to. Since I started, I've dragged this thing from Florida to Illinois, to Washington, and finally to California. 

Adding a little edit to explain: 

Whenever my disposable income dried up, it'd languish in a corner or a storage unit. The thought of selling it has never crossed my mind. That'd be like selling part of myself. 

Almost all of the work, that's been done by others, was of such poor quality that I've paid for much of it to be done over or re-done it myself. That alone stretches a time line, and it occasionally takes the wind out of your sails. 

I'm excited to see how this one finishes up!

Pretty wild! That's going to be a lot of car, with what looks like no cage?

In reply to ViperT4 :

Will get it running first, then worry about roll over protection. 

I'm probably going to have to remove some chassis reinforcing tubes, to get the starter to fit. Picked up steel to replace them, this morning. That's why the body's coming off. While there, I thought I'd attach some cage connection points. 

Quite a collection of Swedish metal!

TVR is awesome. Keep going strong!

Body shop?

In reply to TVR Scott :

Have to be work related. No sane person would have that kind collection.

The kindly folk who own the shop where my daily '05 V70 T5 is serviced. 

(I promised myself one car I don't have to wrench on myself.) 

WHOA. What's going on here, mang?

It's home to a fairly voluminous dry sump tank. 

On the right side, I'm going to have to alter the chassis tubing to allow the starter to fit. I emailed the starter/bellhousing manufacturer about a starter that can be oriented in a less obtrusive a way. (With the solenoid above or below it.) That would let me keep the upright tube in place. 

On the left, it looks like the outside end of the clutch fork may foul the corresponding upright frame member. That may push me into a hydraulic throwout bearing. Or into modifying the frame, or modifying the clutch fork. 

Had to whittle away at the transmission to get the starter to fit. It's going to be interesting to find out exactly where the solenoid ends up. 

The depth adjustable clutch fork pivot ball is essential in getting these randomly tossed together parts to work harmoniously.