PART 2
Everything I took off was badly worn. When I stripped the interior I
discovered that the car was signal red from the factory and that the
floor was coated with fiber glass under the paint. The underside of the
front valance had some rust and a fiber glassed rust through section on
the underside. The fuel tank area had lots of rust, some of it very
severe. I checked the lower wings by sanding down to see what was there.
It was fiberglass over rust.
That is when I made the decision to take the car down to bare metal to
see what was there and fix whatever was wrong. I ended up putting my
hand through the lower rear valance where the metal was held in place by
the paint.
Did I mention that I do not have a garage? I erected a pipe frame over
the car and hung a tarp over the frame. So all my work has been done in
the dirt at outside ambient temperature.
Removing the Chevy white paint I discovered a severely rusted TR3. It
looked like the previous owner wire brushed the rust then covered it
with fiber glass and paint.
After I stripped the car she went into the body shop for professional
help. She had the wrong bonnet so I purchased the correct post TS-60000
bonnet. The doors were rusted out along the bottoms and had severe
fatigue cracks around the hinges. So I got a pair of very good condition
used doors. The boot lid had a lot of rust through holes covered by
fiberglass. I picked up a very good condition used boot lid. The front
wings were rebuilt using new lower wing panels. The car got new floors,
inner and outer sills and rear valance. Several sections of Swiss cheese
like rusted through metal were cut out and replaced with new metal. The
dog legs behind the doors were rebuilt with new metal. Every bit of rust
was removed from the car. Previously hidden damage around the base of
the windscreen was repaired.
Needless to say this cost me a chunk of change. So much for my cheap
car. I did not have enough money to get the car painted at that time so
I had the car primed and sealed, and undercoat added on the underside to
help guard against moisture damage then brought her home for more work.
TeriAnn Wakeman If you send me direct mail, please
Santa Cruz, California start the subject line with TW -
twakeman@cruzers.com I will be sure to read the message
http://www.cruzers.com/~twakeman
"How can life grant us the boon of living..unless we dare"
Amelia Earhart 1898-1937
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