http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk Online TVR M Series and Ford V6 Essex Online Technical Manual en-uk http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/Icons/xmlcoffeecup.gif http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ 80 80 http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk Latest articles now online http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk Over the last few weeks of cold weather I've come across quite a few engines where the thermostat has either stuck open, or is opening too soon therefore meaning the engine can't heat up fully. The latest was today on a modern car with a diagnostic computer check showing at 81C the thermostat opened, then the temp dropped to 79C, then the thermostat closed, temp then rose to 81C and continued in thes cycle. This is of course easy to spot on a modern car with technology to support the symptoms, however on old vehicles this is not as easy unless you're prepared to wire up a digital temp gauge as a test tool. What seems to be (these days) a rare fault, it is unusual for me to see so many thermostats fail during the last few weeks. This brings me to the assumption that the cold weather allows faults with thermostats to be made more noticeable, simply as the heater inside the vehicle seems to take ages to get warm. It may also be possible (although I've no way of proving this yet) that prolonged periods of cold which have not been seen for many years (at least here in the UK) may have some effect on the thermostat's reliability. All vehicles tested had a good anti-freeze mix incidentally so ice was not a factor. So....if your car or car seems to be taking a lot longer to warm up, the best way to check the thermostat is to touch the radiator after 2 or 3 minutes running, and before the temp gauge reaches the normal position. If the radiator warms up across its width, then the thermostat is most likely opening too early (or is stuck even partially open). It's a cheap part to replace and will benefit the fuel economy and your driving comfort. Just be aware that the fan and auxilliary belts are usually close to the radiator so be careful ;oP http://www.youtube.com/tvrmfix TVR Track Day Castle Combe 24th September 2010 - Another year's gone by - and the 3000M still isn't finished (yet). However, this time I took my HD Camera so check out the videos on the M-Fix YouTube page (click on this thread's link). No classic TVRs were on the track but it was still good with some quick cars! http://www.wolfrace.co.uk/vote/ Wolfrace are to remanufacture one of three styles of their old wheels. One of them is the Slot as fitted to many TVRs fromt eh 70's and possible 80's. The one with the most votes gets put back into production, so anyone reading this please click on this link to vote now! Thanks for your support! http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk Ive managed to update the website today and change the menu page to white at last. Also added is some interesting information regarding 3.4 Litre Essex engines from South Africa plus some other info. regarding a carburettor problem which may be overlooked. http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=18142 MOSS Europe are now selling new rear hub units for the TR6 - at last you can replace the whole item including flange, stub axle and wheel bearing without trying to dismantle the old one. Many reconditioned hubs don't always true as I found out when I bought one a few years ago. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk I'm finally getting some more work started on the car - so to follow once completed will be a step-by-step guide to modifying the front brakes. This will be a conversion to modern performance 4 pot alloy calipers and vented discs. I am also hoping to publish video footage of this mod. and all further published work will be viewable in video to keep up with modern times. Dashboard refit to follow the brake mods. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk A rare chance to buy a 1600M - check the Marketplace section for details! http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk Do you miss going to Classic TVR gatherings, or fancy meeting up with other owners of the classic TVRs (you don't have to be a TVR Car Club member)? Any owners of the early Griffith, Grantura, Tuscan, Vixen, 2500, M Series, Taimar, Wedge and S Series cars who would like the opportunity to meet up occasionally for a more car talk type get together in the UK, please let me know! http://www.youtube.com/tvrmfix New items added to the members area this week. Also a new M-Fix TVR YouTube Channel has been added - have a look on the link on this thread to see a couple of test videos. Much much more M Series footage to appear including in car track day driving, tuning procedures etc etc http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk I have started some new work on the TVR now the weather has finally improved. Wiper mod, rear suspension geometry adjustments underway. Write-up on homepage but new articles to appear in next week with photos etc. http://www.regaliarockercovers.co.uk A new high good quality rocker cover kit has just been launched by RegAlia Rocker Covers - click on the link for more details http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk Can anyone help Frank get the numbers up to make a reasonably priced order for some TVR cap badges to match the old M Series TVR badge? If so, please see the wanted page or homepage for more details. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk At last! HAPPY NEW YEAR and welcome to the M-Fix TVR website to all, including the new members. New additions to the technical questions section have been added this week. Again my mobile car repair work has taken up most of my time recently, with some interesting work on a Chimaera involving the central locking "black box" controller. Rather than fit a new CDL/Immobiliser setup I have decided to go down the diagnostic route, and have got involved in some serious electronics including microprocessor reprogramming and creating a wiring diagram to allow the complete system to be checked. More to follow once complete. I am also looking into getting some hard to find TVR parts remanufactured in the Autumn of 2009 so please email me with any requests and ideas you have regarding this. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk New section in the members area on clutches, added to assist when deciding whether to change your clutch. Also notes on sizes and I.D. markings to make purchasing a new clutch possible without stripping out the old one first. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk 3 Ebay items worth a look if you need a 3000M Bodyshell. One useable, 1 fire damaged but rear half ok, also some alloy gutter sections. Auctions end Tuesday 9th before 1pm BST in UK. Check my Homepage for details. http://www.tvrcarclubitalia.com/ New link to the TVR Car Club Italia - This is worth a visit as there is a Tour planned in October to the Chianti Valley on 10th-12th of October. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ I'm selling my SE wheelarch kit (never fitted) - check out the parts for sale section in the marketplace. Mark, M-Fix http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk One kind owner is giving away his 2500M Weathershield fold back sunroof. All he asks is that you pay the postage and packing costs. The sunroof has a broken handle, and is in the USA. Please contact m-fix for owner's email address, or you can email him direct from the M-Fix TVR home page. THIS HAS NOW BEEN GIVEN AWAY - thank you for all of your interest! http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk Air-Fuel calibration now underway with the 3000M, therefore at last correct carb jetting can be carried out. Initial tests show a mixture that is far too rich on both acceleration and cruising. Should be able to save a bit of fuel now and get rid of the power loss between 1850 and 2500 rpm. Full report to commence in members area in next few days with graphs, explanations etc. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk Website updates this week include gallery photo update (nice wide bodied Taimar), plus usual additions to technical questions. http://www.ebay.co.uk Taimar spares - Shame to see it but a good number of rare spares available on this Taimar shell and /chassis that is on ebay. Item has just been relisted - go to ebay and enter this number in the search box - 120265109607 http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ I will be attending this track day (as a spectator as long as it's not raining, forecast is not good unfortunately) but not in the TVR again due to ongoing work, may see some of you there?! http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ I will be attending this track day (as a spectator) but not in the TVR this time due to ongoing work. Hope to see some classic TVRs there! http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ April is here so time to get the car work started again (in-between my usual mobile car work - http://www.m-fix.co.uk) I am going to try to attend the following TVRCC track days this year (see dates below), hopefully running the 3000M on the track once I've sorted the exhaust (now in progress), carb jetting fine tuning, modified brakes, new wheels/tyres. Just about to purchase an air/fuel diagnostic setup for on the road fine tuning, may be of interest to owners of older TVRs out there without fuel injection. I have also been doing more and more work on Chimaera models recently so am happy to quote for work on newer TVRs (if under 15k value) now as they are not all that different to the old ones! TVR Car Club Track days 2008: Monday 28th April - Castle Combe (99db noise limit), Tuesday 27th May - Cadwell Park (105db noise limit), Wednesday 25th June - Oulton Park (105db noise limit) - I hope to take part, Wednesday 27th August - Oulton Park (105db noise limit) - I hope to take part. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ For a V6 Essex, please email M-Fix directly as potential customer is from South Africa. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ New technical questions this week, plus additions to the parts sourcing list re. rear brake cylinders. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ Due to a server fault I've moved this RSS feed page to a new one, more suited to this file type. Please re-subscribe to this feed to make sure your browser continues to notify you of updates. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ Gallery updated, technical questions updated this week. Also get your car ready for spring driving - see the home page for car check tips. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ Cry wolf is not the way I meant it to be, but it seems to me thats what I've been doing when I gave a date for the hardcopy manuals first publication. All I can say is that I have managed to produce a similar manual for another car which has been very successful, so please believe me when I say there will be a TVR manual! My self employment has resulted in having to be on call most of the time, and although I've had more spare time in general, the unpredictability means there is less time to sit at the computer. No excuses, once I have the work van engine rebuilt I can get back and concentrate on things TVR. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/m.htm Further photos now available for a nice 3000M for sale in the Marketplace section. It's an unifinished restoration project car, but with little work left to do would suit someone willing to do a little work to finish it. (2nd advert from top on the M Series for Sale page). http://www.m-fix.co.uk/tvr/ I have added a new section to the members area, showing a list of M Series related articles found in the TVR Car Club's Sprint Magazine between 1990 and so far to July 1998. I plan on bringing this right up to present day so it helps newer TVRCC members also, however I am browsing through all the mag's so it may take a couple of weeks to finish ;oD If you are a member, log in and check it out. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ The new M-Fix Workshop Manual version 1.0 expected release date delayed until sometime in December 2007 due to my current workload. Please accept my apologies if you are waiting for this. I have the hardware to make the manuals, it's simply the amount of time it takes to collate and sort the information into a readable document. Once the first version is complete it will obviously make future releases much quicker to publish, giving me more time to create new interesting additions. Thanks for your patience. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ The new M-Fix Workshop Manual version 1.0 now being prepared for first issue. Expected to be available from mid to late November 2007. This will include all of the information, photos, data etc available in the members area, and will be available from the online shop. Updates will be available as and when deemed necessary. Update packs will be available to allow previous versions of the manual to be updated. News of the launch will appear both on the RSS feeds here, and also the homepage at http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ Things have been busy since the last update, so I am finally getting round to some more much needed improvements to the 3000M. Vented front brake conversion, new wheels/tyres, fine tuning of the triple webers are all on the way. Not to mention getting round to finally sorting out the seats and interior trims. All of this means some interesting new articles for the website, and also the publishing of the first edition of the M-Fix Technical Manual. I have been working on a V8S recently - body off chassis repairs, engine diagnostics, interior electrics, also have Serviced a Chimaera 4.0. Anyone else interested in some TVR related work please get in touch - see feed below for details. http://www.m-fix.co.uk/ I am now able to do work on a mobile basis - please see the new website for details here: www.m-fix.co.uk . Rates are really suited to local work however, but I'm willing to travel outside the area shown if you need assistance on your TVR. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ For July I hope to be starting a service to help international owners of classic TVRs find parts for their cars. I am now thinking of ways/means to do this so any ideas would be welcome. Perhaps you may need a V6 Essex crankshaft, a piston for a 2500M, a carburettor for a 1600M (new or secondhand) etc etc. The idea is for you to be able to order a part and I can search for it, then ship it to you. This will also be available to UK owners if you perhaps don't have time to look for such parts. If you have any idea, or wish to express an interest in this service please email me using the link on the m-fix homepage. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ I have decided to expand the wanted and for sale adverts to cover all models of classic TVR i.e. any model up to and including the S4 models. This is due to the good search engine coverage this website is now achieving thanks to years of being online, so I hope it will help anyone who owns an old TVR and needs to find or sell a rare part or vehicle. Please send any adverts you wish to place using the enquiries link on the webiste. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ Getting the 3000M ready for a rolling road session tomorrow (Sat 2nd June) arranged for club members by the TVRCC Cotswold 3 Counties...should finally see a printout of the performance for work done so far. Will be able to share this with you so you can see how much a triple carb setup produces along with the other mods. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ My latest task was to change a core plug in a tricky situation. Not a TVR engine but technique may be used on many different engines where access is restricted. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ I have updated the MOT Emission Test page to show an actual MOT emission test simulation of a 3000M. Other various changes have been made to make the content more up to date. Am now working on the "coming soon" items which you will have seen while navigating through the site. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ While I will offer the mobile service initially, I am now in the process of checking out some local workshops as I feel this is the only real way to offer a good service to you in terms of mechanical work. If this is possible, it will be in Banbury or the immediate surrounding area. The above work means I will be working full-time on this business, therefore expect many new articles, photos and even streaming videos to appear once this has begun! Also due to popular request I will finally be producing the Technical Manual in hardcopy which will be available for purchase. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ News this week (apologies if you saw a new RSS feed for 1 day and then it vanished, problems with the server). From May 2007 I will be offering some new services which will include (I hope) a home visit service where you can book a visit to help you sort out a problem with your car, to carry out some maintenance, MOT preparation or pre-MOT check, or just for a helping hand with some heavier jobs such as lifting off your bodyshell etc. I will also offer a mobile Air Conditioning service which I am hoping will keep me busy between TVR work (not sure many TVRs have air conditioning!). I am also looking into the possibility of a telephone helpline where you can reach me when you need to talk about a car problem rather than wait for an email reply, however this has possible legal implications so I am seeking advice before going ahead. I am also going through the many survey replies received in the past 4 years to see what else I can offer with this new venture, including offering work/advice on other TVR models. Please feel free to drop me a line if anything mentioned above is of particular interest. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ MOT test results for Triple Weber Carbs now available in members area. Hydrocarbons now low enough for MOT pass. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ Finally I got round to testing the car to see if all the tweaks to the triple carbs and camshaft have finally sorted out the problem with high hydrocarbons (HC). I'm glad to report that it now sails through the MOT requirements but has to be fully warmed up (i.e. cooling fan must have cut in a couple of times before testing). More on this in the members area by the end of the weekend! http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ A new technical question has been added, also I am working on the members area to make printing the pages easier by removing the frames from the webpage. I intend to remove the frames totally from the members area, as it is pretty old fashioned now and not suitable for most modern computers. However this will make the site easier to use whatever system you have. On the actual car side of things I am prepping the 3000M so it can finally be given a clean bill of health regarding the Hydrocarbons emissions down at the MOT station. It scraped through last year but since then the flooding problem has been solved and the carburettor jetting has been fine tuned. The car is a lot more responsive now and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. http://www.m-fix.co.uk/tvr WAP Site updated (members only) with extra data to help you when you're getting some tyres, checking the geometry, going for an MOT etc. Further updates being prepared. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ New this time is another Vixen 2500 for sale in the USA - see Marketplace section. Server still being updated in my spare time,and more articles to appear soon, apologies for few updates this winter, I am hoping from spring 2007 the site will be more user friendly and contain loads more once I've finished some important work on my house! Also to be altered are the website photos (too bright as my old CRT monitor made everything look too dark, so I lightened already ok pictures and made some extra work for myself)! The complete site needs updating as it's looking a little old fashioned now too. Don't forget that members can access the M-Fix WAP site on their mobile phones - allowing access to useful technical data when you're out and about. Ideal situations for this are when you are getting a tyre changed and the tyre shop want to know your tyre pressure settings or front/rear wheel alignment data. Further updates to this will include torque figures and consumables info. such as oil type, quantity, basic procedures etc etc http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ New this week is a Vixen for sale - see Marketplace section. Also a few new technical questions have been added. Server still being updated in my spare time, with new software and hardware to improve speed and operation of website, please bear with me as some of the tasks involved take a lot of planning! http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ Server currently being updated with new software and hardware to improve speed and operation of website. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ Technical questions section updated this week with a few new items. http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ RSS page undergoing final testing, please be patient! http://tvr.m-fix.co.uk/ New RSS Feeds for M-Fix to keep up with the latest browsers. Also allows me to update the website when away from the office!