Our TVR Restoration Schedule

This is our current schedule of works. We are now putting in lots of hours to allow up to finish the Elephant for August 2010 - so keep an eye on this schedule - there should always be something happenning...

  • Re-fit the Holden Lump - July 2010


    Having collected the rebuilt V8 Holden lump, which will have been fully bench dyno'd, we will then spend many happy hours re-installing it into the chassis.

    Even though the chassis has been widened to accommodate the larger Australian unit, re-installation will still be a very tight squeeze as the manifolds actually have to sit inside the chassis rails and the engine slips down between them - so not the easiest job in our schedule...

    Unfortunately the Holden V8 cannot be taken out of the car with the body on, so we must carry out this install before we can take the completed rolling chassis to Surface and Design to mount the newly painted shell back where it belongs. Hopefully with having had the engine bench dyno'd it should be completely leak and trouble free. Quite a novelty for a race engine!

  • X Works Service - July 2010


    Before Nelly is returned to Surface & Design, she will pay a visit to Paul & Heath at X Works Service so they can put a basic geometry setting on the rolling chassis before the body is mounted back on.

    Before the car hits the road for the first time she will be back to Heath & Paul for them to tweak the geometry further once the body has properly settled.

  • Body on the Chassis - July 2010


    So having installed the engine and gearbox into the chassis, and the bottom end bodywork completed, we can now put the two together for the first time in 3 years.

    The Surface & Design team, with much encouragement from some old factory regulars, will help re-fit the body on the chassis.

    It's been a long time coming - but well worth the wait.

    A momentus day!

  • Powdercoat & Paint! - August 2010


    The second batch of powder coating will now be taken to Steve at Fine Line in Preston, including all of the door internals. Any small or intricate items which cannot be powder coated will be carefully finished by hand to the same standard.

    All this work must be completed as soonas possible to give us a chance of running the car later this year.

    There will also be an amount of cermachroming to do - well you can't have a Tiv restoration without a bit of bling now can you!

  • Re-fit the Elephant - September 2010


    If we are to keep the restoration on track we now have a reasonably short space of time to re-fit Nelly with everything from wiring and wipers through to windows and wheel covers.

    The car will not be completely re-fitted, as she has to be returned to Surface & Design and D&C Trim before we install the front lamps and the rear trim strips, but 90% of the re-fit must be completed now if we are to stand any change of having the old girl running by mid-summer.

    All offers of help will be gratefully accepted...

  • Surface & Design #2 - October 2010


    So having wired up the car and fitted as many ancillary parts as possible, we will take her back to Surface & Design for her finishing spray.


    We wouldn't take her anywhere else!

  • D&C Trim complete the trimming! - November 2010


    Ex-factory trimmers D&C Trim will complete the final re-trim detailing while S&D are puting the finishing touches to the bodywork.

    Items like the centre console, the door panels and the seats can be trimmed before re-fitting to make the task easier.

    We mustn't forget to install the radio aerial in roof space first either...

    Ocean green leather with brown piping - well I suppose it was all the rage in '88 wasn't it!

  • Complete the Re-Fit - Jan/Feb 2011


    So we now have to complete the job by fitting the rear trim sections, the front & rear lamp units, installing the seat belts, re-fitting the seats and tidying up dozens of other smaller and altogether more fiddley jobs!.

    We are hoping to have the car completed by the end of the month, but are allowing plenty of time for snagging and testing before we put her on to the road for the first time. We also have the small matter of an MOT to go through too...

  • Green Star MOT - March 2011


    So with the old girl back on the road, she will return to Blackpool under her own steam for the first time in over a decade to visit Green Star Service Centre on Lytham Road to gain her MOT Certificate.

    We wouldn't want to take her anywhere else.

    Come on Mickey - stop posing & get the kettle on!