TC Body tub

[Jim Buell]

As I get into the tear down of my TC I am encountering some serious problems with the body tub. I have the option of redoing the wood, sheet metal etc. but I also want to explore the options of a new tub. What experience do the listers have, who are potential suppliers, and what are the approx. costs of a new tub.

Another option may be to have my tub rebuilt. Same questions as above.

Thanks for the information.

PS. Does anybody have a good, ready to use tub for sale?

Jim Buell

[seabrook@en.com]

Dear Jim, We build body tubs for the TC & also supply wood kits. For more information, would be best to give me a call & we can discuss the project is it is quite involved & too much for eMail. We also have a catalog avaliable detailing our dashboard restoration services. If interested, send me your postal address & I will send you one. Craig Seabrook Whitworth Shop TC/0911 Jim Buell wrote:

> > As I get into the tear down of my TC I am encountering some serious > problems with the body tub. I have the option of redoing the wood, > sheet metal etc. but I also want to explore the options of a new > tub. What experience do the listers have, who are potential > suppliers, and what are the approx. costs of a new tub. > > Another option may be to have my tub rebuilt. Same questions as > above. > > Thanks for the information. > > PS. Does anybody have a good, ready to use tub for sale? > > Jim Buell > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

[Rono07@aol.com]

Hi Jim, I have completed a body tub rebuild this year. The bottom rails and about 4 inches up the door pillars were rotted. Some of the other pieces had some wood that was soft due to rot. Here's what I did. Cut the door pillars and lapped a new piece of oak on to it. A belt sander was used to shape the wood and I didn't get it right the first time. Several pieces were disguarded. Ordered new Bottom rails. On the pieces that had soft rotted wood. I ordered a penetrating epoxy. This stuff worked great at restoring strength to the wood. It is very liquid (like water) and soaks right into the wood. I kept putting on epoxy until the wood would not acept any more. On the top pieces, most of the wood was in good shape. Even the screws were ok to use after being cleaned up on a wire wheel. The tub was put together using the old screws on top and stainless steel screws on the bottom. All the joints were epoxied. A new piece of plywood had to be cut for the rear of the tub and some of the frame pieces around the scuttle were built up on the bottom with another epoxy. I have not completed the doors as yet. The epoxy also worked well on the plywood dash board. Hope this is some help to you. Ron Oldfield, New York. TC 8343

[seabrook@en.com]

Group, There is only one way to build a T Series body tub, the RIGHT way. I would NEVER lap in new pieces of oak, use penentrating epoxy to strengthen the wood, use stainless steel screws, & epoxy the joints. Just use quality new ash coachwork wood pieces & do it right. In our opinion, some of the following post is bad advice. Craig Seabrook Fred Kuntz Whitworth Shop Coachbuilders Rono07@aol.com wrote:

> > Hi Jim, > I have completed a body tub rebuild this year. The bottom rails and about 4 > inches up the door pillars were rotted. Some of the other pieces had some > wood that was soft due to rot. > Here's what I did. > Cut the door pillars and lapped a new piece of oak on to it. A belt sander > was used to shape the wood and I didn't get it right the first time. Several > pieces were disguarded. > Ordered new Bottom rails. > On the pieces that had soft rotted wood. I ordered a penetrating epoxy. This > stuff worked great at restoring strength to the wood. It is very liquid (like > water) and soaks right into the wood. I kept putting on epoxy until the wood > would not acept any more. > On the top pieces, most of the wood was in good shape. Even the screws were > ok to use after being cleaned up on a wire wheel. > The tub was put together using the old screws on top and stainless steel > screws on the bottom. All the joints were epoxied. A new piece of plywood had > to be cut for the rear of the tub and some of the frame pieces around the > scuttle were built up on the bottom with another epoxy. > I have not completed the doors as yet. > The epoxy also worked well on the plywood dash board. > Hope this is some help to you. > Ron Oldfield, New York. > TC 8343 > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[Rono07@aol.com]

Hi again Jim, I knew that I would take a hit from someone for the advice given to you. The list has alot of different types of people and everyone has there own ideas. I chose to do as much work as posible myself. The car I am restoring was in bad shape and I am tring to put it back on the road as a product of my own labor. I will get back to you in the shortly with the name of the epoxy. You should get a copy of "TC,s Forever" from one of the parts suppliers. Ron Oldfield

[Jennifer and Hugh Pite]

Hi Ron, 20 years ago I restored a TD and did much the same work on the wood as you did. Carefully spliced some pieces in and made a few new pieces of wood. Twenty years later, the body and wood is as solid as when the work was done. Like you, I prefer to do as much of the work as possible myself. If I remember correctly the cost of replacing and repairing the wood was under $20. To me, the restoring of a "T" series or anything for that matter, is not a process of contracting out the work but to do as much as possible myself. I would get very little satisfaction in letting someone else do the restoration even tho' the end result may be more correct and I could say "it was professionally restored". Besides I couldn't afford it. As you say, everyone has there own ideas. Best Regards, Hugh Pite '48 TC '33 J-2

----- Original Message ----- From: Rono07@aol.com> To: jim@lambgroupinc.net> Cc: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2002 8:58 AM Subject: Re: [mg-tabc] TC Body tub > Hi again Jim, > I knew that I would take a hit from someone for the advice given to you. The > list has alot of different types of people and everyone has there own ideas. > I chose to do as much work as posible myself. The car I am restoring was in > bad shape and I am tring to put it back on the road as a product of my own > labor. > I will get back to you in the shortly with the name of the epoxy. > You should get a copy of "TC,s Forever" from one of the parts suppliers. > Ron Oldfield > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > >

[Chip Old]

On Sat, 26 Jan 2002 Rono07@aol.com wrote:

> I knew that I would take a hit from someone for the advice given to > you. The list has alot of different types of people and everyone has > there own ideas.

Don't be too quick to blow off Craig's comments. He's an experienced woodworker, and what he said is based on good woodworking and coachwork practice. The body tubs he builds are first rate. Oak is more readily available than ash, but it's heavier and more rigid. The epoxy consolidant you mentioned using on rotten wood also makes the wood very rigid when it hardens. Epoxy glue in the joints also makes the joints more rigid. When finished, your body tub will be much more rigid than the original. Bolt that rigid body to the VERY flexible TC chassis, and you could have problems unless you stay on very smooth roads. Note I said "could". Without knowing exactly what you've done, it's hard to predict I've seen rebuilt body tubs come apart very quickly because they were made too rigid. I've also seen body tubs rebuilt with limited use of epoxy consolidant and epoxy glue do very well.

> You should get a copy of "TC,s Forever" from one of the parts suppliers.

Agreed. It's the best source of TC restoration info currently available. To bad author Mike Sherrill isn't on this list. He's a gold mine of information. Anyone here from Mike's part of Australia? How about setting him up with a PC and teaching him how to do e-mail. -- Chip Old 1948 M.G. TC TC6710 XPAG7430 NEMGTR #2271 Cub Hill, Maryland 1962 Triumph TR4 CT3154LO CT3479E fold@bcpl.net

[Frank O_ The Mountain]

In a message dated 1/26/02 09:34:49 Pacific Standard Time, fold@bcpl.net writes: > I just had a letter from Mike and he sez he'll be on email in a "year or two".......clearly not one of his priorities! When I was in Perth some years ago, I went so far as to buy Harry Pyle a modem.......it still took 2 years for him to get on with us! Time moves slowly in WA!! I'll send your comments back to him Chip in hopes that it will motivate him! cheers Terry

[Rono07@aol.com]

Jim, I was tempted to respond off - list, but there may be others that would be interested in my reply to you. The Penetrating Epoxy is made by Sea Fit. West Marine, a marine supply store sells it. Their web site is www.westmarine.com> In my catelog it is on page 311.They also have stainless steel screws, etc . Another good sorce for this tpye of material is Jamestown Distributors. They sell boatbuilding and woodworking supplies. Web site www.jamestowndistributors.com> I have ordered a number of things from them. Also, don't forget about "TCs Forever" . It will be a great help. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Ron Oldfield