I gave TrackVRoad a call this morning to discuss the initial niggles with the car. No big problems, just a few things I had noticed. I got through to Ian, and he was very helpful.
Fitting new speakers should be easy. Self-tapping screws in the GRP bulkead is fine, and as used by the factory. I just need to make sure the screws aren’t too long as there is only a few mm of bulkhead and the carpet to go through.
To remove the CD changer brackets, it would be easy to pull the glued carpet off, remove the brackets, and then use spray adhesive to reattach the carpet. Best to leave the carpet attached at the bottom to act as a guide when re-attaching.
The play in the door card is hard to diagnose – it could have always been there. Removing the 3 screws at the bottom will allow the door card to drop-out of the frame at the top. The card apparently has a rubber membrane on the inside as the door is not completely waterproof. The card may be a little long, hence being bowed slightly when fitted.
The oil level checking was discussed. It is difficult, and a cause of contention among TVR owners. Most dry-sump systems would have a window and the oil level could be checked with the engine running. The TVR system does not have this. There is a baffle plate in the tank, and the oil level should be at, or slightly above this plate. Apparently it can be seen with a torch.
The dipstick should be attached to the filler cap, but it coming loose is a common problem. Some people have put a screw through the filler cap and dipstick, but this does not look good. The best approach is to thoroughly clean the parts, roughen the surfaces, and use a 2-part expoxy to attach them firmly.
We discussed the tyres. A lot of TVRs end up running on old tyres due to the low mileae. They would have checked them for condition, which I am sure they did as they look completely fine. We discussed use of 225/40 tyres on the front, which could cause rubbing issues.The sidewall would be 1.125 cm higher, which is noticable on that car. Given the geometry has been set for the proper tyre size, I don’t want to change anything.
My Tamora has been set to the correct ride height, but apparently a lot of Tamoras run even lower, which can affect the geometry as well as causing grounding problems. As thje springs settle, I might have the ride-height checked. I would consider a move to 225/40, to give a better range of tyres, but this would need to be done at the same time as the geometry and checks that there won’t be rubbing issues. That would be quite tricky, but might be worthwhile.
We discussed the ride and how different it is to the cars I am used to (Saab, Mondeo). I think the extra responsiveness will be useful on the track and smooth roads, but it doesn’t make for the most settled ride on bumpier roads.
Ian at TrackVRoad was very helpful, and any niggles that I don’t get sorted myself may be left until a trip up there for a check-over before the 3 month warranty expires. That will be in later January, so I will have to be lucky to get a sunny and dry drive up.