Triumph Sports Cars

Picked up my re-done Miata seat's yesterday. I purchased the seats from Robert Milner awhile back. Each seat cost $175.00 + a little for the material. I used a gortex type material that is washable and will repel water. The material came from Honda and is used in the Element. Didn't want to use leather for the wear you would get over time, so went with vinyl on the sides and back. The head rest is a breathable material for speaker sound. I almost had some embroidery done here but didn't.

I uprated the speakers from Gomiata.com, had universal seat warmers for the buns and lower back while I was at it. I found a guy locally that did this all for me in his garage. He does good work.



These seats are so comfortable!












Next will figure out how I want to mount them. Rob F posted some info and have found some other info too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2009 09:23PM by 74ls1tr6.

Calvin, did you make the covers? I priced having mine recovered & quote was more like $850 for the pair. Plan was to use gator or ostrich patterned vynal in the center & a complimentry unpatterned color for the rest. I'm sure the patterned material is a bit more expensive, but can't account for double. If you had them done, let me know where & maybe I'll see if they'll do mine for me.

Rob,

These are what the seats looked like or this is the photo that Robert Milner put on this site in the parts for sale section. Also Robert gave me another back section and seat section that had better foam in it.

So I know this guy that does upholstery in his garage not more than 2 miles away from my house. He has fixed several canvas boat tops that were ripped for me in the passed. I have told some of my other car buddy friends about him. My friend has a couple of Porsche Turbo's that he took over to the upholstery guy and he fixed some odds and ends for him also. So the upholstery guy does great work at a reasonable price.

I took the pair of Miata seats that you see in the photo with, seat heaters, uprated speakers, and the extra back + seat bottom to the upholstery guy. He did everything for me for $175 per seat and $90 for the vinyl and gortex material. Buy the way the Gortex material was pricey he said. He also painted the seat pans black for me because they were rusted a little. He used the pattern that was on the original seats as an outline for the new work.

He will also cover my dash brace after I fab it a little more for my radio. I'm also going to put some of the gortex material in the door panels as well.

Rob if you like. You could ship up your seats to my house, I could be your go between to make sure you get what you want done, when there done I will ship them back to you in the same boxes you sent them in. I'm sure he wouldn't mind the work either. You could probably get yours done for the same price for the labor, then it's just the cost of materials for you.

Have you priced out for the materials yet?

Also I do know one of my clients, that does embroidery out of his house too, that I was going to use for my seats. This person has done several run of shirts for my business.


Let me know if you want to get going on this and I will help.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/02/2009 10:51PM by 74ls1tr6.

Calvin, thanks! I'll probably take you up on that. I'll have to find the material but that probably won't be too tough. Will PM you to coordinate.

OK, call them already done. I will call Steve( the upolstery guy) and let him know whats going on and he may even have the material or can find it here in the area. He does have a good eye on what looks good also. I will ask him about Ostrich pattern vinyl or if he knows what it looks like. He has tons of vinyl sample's in his sample books.

Do you want heaters? This is kind of what I used!

[cgi.ebay.com]|39%3A1|240%3A1318

Do you want upgraded speakers from gomiata.com? They have an ebay store also!

[www.gomiata.com]

Rob,
I called Steve today and he looked in his sample books today and found 2 samples of ostrich vinyl, one brown and one black. He is going to email me a link or photo to see if that is what you were looking for.

I have all the stuff that came off my seats which he gave back to me, original foam and fabric and some parts that went inbetween the bottom cushion and back seat rest. So I don't know how or what shape your seats are in?

PM or you may still have my cell number?

Rob,

Ostrich sample that Steve sent me!

will add captions soon!

Installed a steel tube throught the frame, to run 3/8ths stainless steel fuel line, and the brake line. Where it was ran before, the cross pipe in the exhaust was right up against it. Didn't want to get fuel or brake fluid too hot.



It was quit a task drilling it out and then final fit was hand filing with a rat tail file. The brake line fitting just barely slid throught the pipe.







The original way that Triumph at the factory ran the gas line and brake line was along this frame rail. The hole that the fuel line and brake line is running through now was from the factory. By using the hole that is already there and installing the pipe throught the frame, now it's running on the other side of the frame rail. Now both lines are away from the exhaust.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2009 08:32PM by 74ls1tr6.

Will add captions soon!

OK, this photo show's both fuel line and brake line on the other side of the frame rail using the factory holes in the frame.



Used a couple of rubber coated clamps and self tapping screws, with a few strong type tie wraps. too mount along the frame rail.



Photo showing both brake line and fuel line going through the pipe.



Coming out of the frame by the differential totaly away from exhaust.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2009 08:41PM by 74ls1tr6.

Will add info soon!

Fuel line runnig along the frame rail to the rear differential cross brace.



Ground out a little of the cross brace to tuck the fuel line in with rubber gas line split and wraped around it. Used another clamp and self tapping screw. There is a 6AN fiitting to transfer to high pressure hose going towards fuel pump.




Now that the fuel line and brake line are on the other side of the frame rail, welded 1/4 inch thick plates on all four sides to stiffen up the original transmission mount. Welded the horizontal piece together which the factory doesn't, you can see this in the bolt holes, two pieces of metal sandwiched together.



Was looking at this and thought it would be way to weak for the LS1, now it has a little more strength for the T56.





Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/16/2009 11:01AM by 74ls1tr6.

Added 2 more braces to tie in the differential cross brace towers. Was talking with Jim Prettyleaf when I was at Triumphest 2008 and thought I should do this also. Why not do it befroe the body tub goes back on for final fitment to check all clearances one last time. I'm going to strengthen Richard Goods front differential mount a little where Alan had broke his on the steel that goes over the front part of the differentail. Also will weld small pieces of flat bar on all four sides of Richard Goods adjustable trailing arm brackets. Jim Prettyleaf said they are prone to crack in half at the center mounting bolts. Details! and more detail.



Worked out both Nissan 240sx e-brake cables and figured out the routing and had to rework the e-brake handle some, where the ends of the cable insert. Just needed to open them up some. The original Triumph cabe is alot smaller cable. The Nissan ones I think are better made with thick rubber coating over the cable and the cable is larger in size.

I like the diff. mounting cross brace idea. When the new frame goes under our TR6, I will follow.

Keep up the good work with pics and process.

Send a few my way on the e-brake cable set up you used so I can add to our Rear Disc Brake folder so we can keep future users updated.

OK Don I will soon send some photos to you of the e-brake cables. Working on sending another set of brackets too Florida today!

3 sets left as of today!

Finished routing steering shaft assembly. Mock up was using 3/4" wooden dowels to get the lenght of the both shaft that were needed. Used Woodward steering products, on the ends the spline matched up to the TR6 spline for steering rack and column shaft. All the others matched their own spline. Used 2 Heim joint stand supports, one on the inner fender, and one on the suspension tower box. The bracket on the fender was made with bolt up exstrusion for plumbing to mount to walls. It was ground down to match the right angle, then tig welded to a flat plate, and mounted with 4 bolts and a flat plate on the other side of fender.The lower steering shaft on the top side was very close to the body. So the body was dished in this area for clearance. When the engine is in, this area is close to the header and number 1 spark plug, So by dishing the body gave more clearance everywhere all sides.

The steel shaft used was 3/4" OD with .490 ID. I drilled out the ID to .514 an 1 1/4" deep on all 4 ends. The slpine insert shaft OD was .512. Inserted the insert spline ends into the steel shaft then Tig welded on. Assembled all parts and tighen up all allen set screws and it's DONE.

Didn't have to change the TR6 steering column, just ran the shaft into the hollow shaft almost all the way in before installing the clamp, left enough spline out for the steering joint.

Some different photo angles.











Photo of the dished body area!



Next , the engine will be going back in for final fittment of all clearances. After that everything comes back apart for the body tub prep and paint.

Looks great Calvin. I think I can use a very similar setup on my TR4. I had spec'd out Borgeson ujoints, vib damper and shafts, but the Woodward hardware looks like better stuff. Did you use their .563-36 spline to .750-20 spline joint for the TR6 rack and column?

Hi Cliff,

Yes! The .563-36 to .750-20 spline is what was used coming off the steering rack and steering column. The rest used .750-20 spline for the rest of parts.

I did research and found that Ken Morrison's setup was easy for he did all the homework already. So I adapted for my application.

The Woodward products are well machined and look great! They may cost a little but worth it.

[www.britishv8.org] Ken Morrison photo's of steering setup and information.

Good luck on your setup!

Calvin

Have the engine back in the engine bay to check all clearance points. Everything fits well.

The brake booster is in with the Wilwood tandem master cylinder attached, which I was able to finish the SS brake line down to the front brake line. Then ran SS brake line over to a Wilwood proportionate valve, then down to the back brake line.

The clutch master cylinder in with SS braided line down to the slave connection on the T56.

The front runner is all installed to check for clearance with AC compressor, about the same as the Alternator.

The radiator is installed with the lower and upper radiator hose’s connected, and the steam vent hose.

The Header’s are in with all exhaust installed.

The steering assembly all in from column to steering rack.

The water pump fittings going to the heater core looped. All the fluids, water, engine oil, ATF for the transmission are in.

Installed the modified wiring harness (un-pined all wire from blue block and red block at computer, took out all wire’s that were not going to be used, and re-pined the blue and red blocks. These blocks had been numbered to 80 pins on each block, so all wire’s had to be labeled).

The fuel pump and fuel lines were all installed from the fuel tank to the fuel rail at the engine.

I have the Advanced Auto wire block from Steve Carrick, took my ignition switch, and wired for fuel pump, starter, and hot wires from Ls1 wiring harness.
Turned on switch for fuel pump, let pressurize, and checked for leaks. I turned the switch to start position, one revolution from the engine, and “SHE STARTED RIGHT UP”.I checked the radiator and thermostat housing, and all hoses for leaks. No leaks from looking under the car!

So first start up was 6-17-2009. For those considering that fuel injection is hard to deal with, well for the LS1 wiring is way too easy. The wires that will end up going to the fuse block, there is 2 12 wire blocks and 1 10 wire block. Al l I did was took 3 pink wires to hot with a fuse link to hot when ignition switch is on. I ran the orange wire with a fuse link to battery. When the ignition is on, you can hear the throttle sensor moving to find the home position, at the same time you will hear the fuel pump prime. With the engine running I can’t hear the fuel pump.

Ok now all needs to come back out to start on tub seal and prime to paint!

While the engine is back out, may install LS6 cam since it is so easy to do without doing a tune.

Congratulations Calvin! Great feeling isn't it?

Now where's the YouTube video of the start up?

Hi Ken.

Yes the first start up is always fun to hear it run for the first time.

Ken you asked for a start up video, so here is a 27 second video with my son Nick holding the camera.

[www.youtube.com]