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Neville Describes his car:

The car is pictured in May 1998, still wearing its WA registration plates. The Hopkins River Bridge in the background and it now lives just 800 metres along Hopkins Point Road on the right of the bridge.

I purchased my car in WA and it had been loved for 19 years by the 72 year old previous owner. He brought it with him (BY AIR , Qantas of course ) when he retired to Australia from Zimbabwe in 1995. The car had lived in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe all its life ?? ( Zimbabwe Reg No 111- 467J )

There has been a minor modification to the front corners of the front guards, but only the true sidescreen TR owners will notice as it looks quite ok.

I drove the TR about 300 Kms in WA and then transported it home to Warrnambool, Victoria, driving it on many trips to work ( always with the hood down ). The WA registration expired in June 1998 and I then commenced some restoration on the TR2, including:-

New outer sills, new battery box, rear bottom section of front guards repaired and repairs to the front apron mouth section, new bonnet hinges ( wrong hinges were fitted with different holes etc ). The major panels have yet to be assembled and painted etc.

I found there was some instability in the scuttle ( it bloody shook on rough roads ) so I have made a internal support frame bolted to extra brackets on the new battery box and two 2 X 1 RHS uprights welded to the inner sill and also bolted to the door pillar to stop the shake ( I hope ). I have also modified the drainage of the front guards via special rainheads and plastic hose as per a NSW suggestion.

New wishbone bushes, steering box bush, idler box and arm have also been fitted and the idler bracket to the chassis strengthened due to cracks.

During recent checking of the Gear Ratio's, I have fount that the TR is fitted with a MAGIC third gear of 1.24 to 1 instead of the standard 1.32 to 1. I would like to find any info / history about this higher RATIO and who made them etc.

I have not put any main dimensions of the frame, but the sketch below shows the basic design and materials used in its fabrication. The original "Scuttle to Dash" support brace was modified to bolt on to a new bracket on the new support frame

I used Cold Galvanising paint on the welds to the Inner Sill and the external support pillar.

Being a TR2 I had to design the frame to miss the Lockheed Master Cylinder Assembly and by using RHS I was able to do so. The frame is bolted from inside the car and can be removed if necessary by the removal of the upholstered side panels.

Neville Smith