My TL Light Restoration

[Sam Fish]

Thought I would introduce my recent purchase. I did own a Ts racer, but had to sell it during harder times. Still wish I hadn't. My Dad raced TS's, winning the 1985 championship, so its handy to have him around. Im not really a mechanic, so I'm learning.
Would prefer a Gordini, but for a fraction of the cost, I can get this one fast enough, and spot-on.

Bought this from Bob. Low mileage - 38,000, with complete service history and owners manual/stamps etc. It looked very good ontop, but I guessed there was more to see. And there is. Although to be fair, the shell is very good! There where a couple of suspect bits of fibreglass, but it soon knocked out, and will weld easily. I dont think that the paintwork is original, buit the windows must have been removed! Maybe the paintwork on all of them was a bit 'dry'....?
Im hoping to put TS suspension on it, and eventually a TS engine, but that will have to wait. Im also rebuilding the brakes, just to be safe. It will all be stonechipped and waxoiled.







Managed to find some TS carbs around, and exhaust manifolds. My Dad said that they used to run the Automatic cars carbs for racing, as they where the biggest. So some TS carbs where left, luckily.

Managed to get the rear arms and torsion bars off today (what a job!!!!). I found some TS front anti roll bars too. But the rear torsion bars I found are the same as the current ones. 18.7/19.7mm.
I have some scabby old rear arms that may be better than the ones I took off!

The LH rear torsion bar is 1mm thicker than the RH. Is that for different length rear arms?????
Does anybody have any thicker rear/front torsion bars?
Im also after some Koni dampers, and the K&N that fits the TS carb, if anybody can help?





Thats where Im at at the moment. Any help or advice is always greatly appreciated!
Sam

 

[ceebdub]

Looking good Sam, I too have a nice Gold one.(Atmo Gordini ,loved the ts tho)
I used to whoop your dad in TS racing (joke, he used to beat me mostly) way before 1985 tho'
Keep up the good work...(Brenton)

 

[Sam Fish]

What was your name? Im sure he will remember you. We have some old time sheets, photos, and classification pages that you may feature in/on! Would love to share

 

[Sam Fish]

Thought I would share a bit while I have time....













And this one was the graveyard that was cleared about 10 years ago. Shame some of it was scrapped, as some still had engines in. But it was pretty worthless back then....

 

[sparkie]

sam, i have some koni's although they arent the best at all - im sure one is leaky

 

[Sam Fish]

Thanks Sparkie. I could always get them rebuilt. Just depends on their length - apparently the rears from the racers where VERY short, and I wont be going too low.
What do you think, how long are yours please matey?

 

[ceebdub]

Ouch , did you have to put that time sheet in? I believe I was one of the few NOT running Gordini blocks.
My favourite moment was a race at Brands when Mark span in Paddock Hill , going down sideways ,I arrived moments later
to see the whites of his eyes thinking he was going to be T boned.......Needless to say we didn't make contact. I met
him at the Autosport show about 13 years ago when my lad was karting. Mark was horribly fast and also a gentleman, not
to be said of all 5TS racers.

 

[Sam Fish]

Thanks for the kind words.
I have a few other time sheets with your name on, Ill email them to you if your interested

Where they allowed to use gordini blocks? I didnt think they could...
Im certain my old man wouldn't stretch the regulations.

I remember him saying that when he started in 1983, either Russel Martin of Neville knight used to call him the 'mobile chicane'. And there used to be a few pushes out of the way by alot of drivers apparently.
He did tell me about that moment on Padock hill too!

Do you have many photos or bits and pieces remaining?

 

[ceebdub]

I have some pics, I will dig them out....
Timesheets would be interesting.
I am not saying that everyone used Gordini blocks, but when someone spins then overtakes you on the same lap having made up that much time in a one make series, one does have to ask questions. My engine was built by Mike Haines who was good at the time, but some cars (even allowing for my possible lack of speed on corners ) were at least 10 mph faster on the straight, it was laughable how much quicker some were.
I sold Neville his second shell.
There were drivers who took no prisoners and lots of cheats, no names I am sure mark was one of the honest ones.

 

[Sam Fish]

My TS I sold was a Mike Haines built car, I think. We have another in the shed which is owned by a customer. They had the metal tower near the gearstick that flipped over to prevent you from getting stuck in the reverse gate when changing. Apparently his nice idea. Is that right?

Yeah, I suppose there has always been people pushing the regs too far in single make championships. I heard of somebody hiding different fuel in their roll cage tubing!
Would be interested in seeing any pictures. Maybe we should start a thread.

 

[Hannu]

They had the metal tower near the gearstick that flipped over to prevent you from getting stuck in the reverse gate when changing. Apparently his nice idea. Is that right?

My ex-TS Racer, now a rally car, also has this flick-over gate. It is the ex- River Cafe car.

 

[Sam Fish]

Slowly been working my way round the car. Welding any small areas. Ill upload a few pictures soon.

I have realised how thin some of the original metal is, and how THICK the underseal is! I will tap out a bit of rust and find the underseal is supporting it - invisible from the other side! Beware if you think your car is rust-free, it may be hiding under the seam sealer/underseal

 

[Sam Fish]

Progress is slow. But the front end is all painted. Here are a couple of pictures. There where more repairs though.
I sealed alot of the open seams along the way. I dont have pictures of it painted gold at the moment. Ill be waxing it all after.....





















There are a few small repairs to the floorpan, and tiny patches here and there. But I can now say there is no rust anywhere on the front end. Very satisfying after all the work

 

[hutchy11]

hi i notice in the pictures you dont have a near side front wing not sure if you have removed it to get to do the welding or not but if you need one i have a new one keep up the good work regards steve

 

[Sam Fish]

Thanks Steve
Yeah I have one, just taken off to see the brown stuff.

 

[Sam Fish]

Does anybody have a drivers seat that will match?? long shot I know :?

 

[jeff67]

Hi Sam, just wanted to say thanks for posting up the pics and explanations - made it a lot easier for me taking the wing off my TL! Any further progress?

 

[Sam Fish]

I need to get this on the road ASAP now!

Here is how it looks at the moment.... The whole rear suspension has been apart, blasted, zinc'ed an then sprayed in 2K, so it will NEVER rust again hopefully. All new brakes on the rear. I got some braided brake hoses made up, new pads and other bits and pieces.

Fildini is helping me with Dampers and some ATMO wheels. Cant wait

 

[malcolm]

Looks lovely under there. Good on you for going for original style paint and anti-stonechip rather than plastering the hell out of it with underseal like the majority of restorers seem to do. Makes the car repairable in the future when there is paint on the underside.

 

[Sam Fish]

Thank you.
It was a lot more work, as the gold was a base coat and needs clearcoating over the top. I'm going to clear waxoyl alot of the underneath too..

The outside seems to have been sprayed at some point maybe. So eventually I may spray the whole thing, to improve the finish. Its a small car, and wouldn't take too long to do really.