As we're in lock down...A (hopefully) brief history of S
Discussion
So, the ownership began In April 2002 (purchased instead of a motorbike at the request of my better half – AKA Revlimiter)…probably the best advice I’ve ever taken 
A quick ‘test’ over the Pennines to show off my new purchase to my parents…
A note to be taken at this point that my eldest daughter was barely 6 months old when I purchased the S – the reason behind this note will become apparent later.
The first event I ever participated in was some 2 years later at Harewood House – the Father’s Day car show…aforementioned daughter now 2.5 years old…
We fast forward a bit now as nothing really happened with the car – the odd summer run out, but really, if I'm being honest, it spent a lot of time just parked up in the garage. Then in late 2007 I read an article in Sprint regarding The TVR Speed Championship & thought I’d like to give that a go…2 happy seasons followed of hill climbing the S around the country – wasn’t ever the fastest but it was great fun
Come the winter of 2009 I thought I’d like to have a go at seeing what I could do to make the S look a little smarter – so I had a go at the engine bay…
Before:
After:
Then came SCH 2010 and that fateful conversation around a camp fire accompanied by a few beers and with the amazing Mr Longers’ organisational skills the inaugural S Club Tour was born – off to France we went to undertake the ‘Italian Job’ route – calling in at Reams along the way…
Next up was the Scottish Tour in early 2011...
So, we come to October 2011 – time to properly inspect that chassis
So, on October 15th 2011 with the help of some fantastic fellow S owners the body was lifted off & the bonnet and body stored...
Leaving the rest of the car to be inspected…and the damage clear to see
Now, some two weeks after this, unfortunately, I was made redundant so the whole project was ‘paused’ for a time…
Back to work in 2012 and by 2013 was ready to arrange shot blasting of the chassis – which revealed some more holes…and then off to be welded…
Summer 2014 (as you can’t paint a chassis in the winter in a single garage I’ve discovered…a driveway & kind weather is a must) and the first undercoats were applied…
Summer 2015 was spent applying 3 coats of red hammerite…weather and allowing plenty of time between coats…
Summer 2016 I was kept busy starting the re-assembly process…I’d also like to mention at this point…for those who are thinking they want to undertake a DIY body-off…I have had no previous mechanical experience, it was through trial and error and A LOT of help and advice from people on the S Forum
that this project was undertaken. All I can advise is…go for it…it’s worth it in the end.
And in October 2016 – pretty much 5 years to the day that the body came off….through the help of a group of fellow S owners…the body was back on again…
After a bit of work over the winter and in Spring 2017 it was time to turn the key and see if there was life…there was (you need to click on the image and then un-mute the thumpsnap page & turn your sound up for this )
General tinkering followed through 2017 as it became apparent that the clutch plates had seized whilst the S was in bits and unfortunately the S wouldn’t drive…come to take the car out again in 2018 and discover it had been home to a family of mice over the winter…more work to do…
Despite various efforts throughout 2018 I couldn’t get the clutch plates freed….so I made the decision to have a new clutch fitted professionally…so off went the S to be ‘finished off’ by a professional mechanic…
So here we were in March 2019, clutch fixed (along with a number of other ‘issues’ that I wasn’t aware of until the MOT man looked things over) – amazing what you learn
And the first test run…up to Northumberland…300 miles covered and not one problem
July 2019 was a special time for me – I joined many others on the 10th anniversary S Club Tour trip back to our routes…the Italian Job again…this time joined by my (now nearly 18 year old) eldest daughter…
Back to Reams…along with some new and amazing memories made and stories to be told around those SCH camp fires
At the end of 2019 I took to S back up North and around Keilder….my last run out…
So, here we are, under lock down and looking forward to getting out there again…the S has passed its MOT with no issues and I am just spending time ‘tinkering’…I am booked on to one of Mr Longers amazing trips in 2020…the LeMans Classic…so hoping it isn’t cancelled due to this horrible virus...
Thank you for reading…my S isn’t just a car to me…it’s a member of the family. Here’s to plenty more happy years of motoring
Cheers
Jaye
A quick ‘test’ over the Pennines to show off my new purchase to my parents…A note to be taken at this point that my eldest daughter was barely 6 months old when I purchased the S – the reason behind this note will become apparent later.
The first event I ever participated in was some 2 years later at Harewood House – the Father’s Day car show…aforementioned daughter now 2.5 years old…
We fast forward a bit now as nothing really happened with the car – the odd summer run out, but really, if I'm being honest, it spent a lot of time just parked up in the garage. Then in late 2007 I read an article in Sprint regarding The TVR Speed Championship & thought I’d like to give that a go…2 happy seasons followed of hill climbing the S around the country – wasn’t ever the fastest but it was great fun
Come the winter of 2009 I thought I’d like to have a go at seeing what I could do to make the S look a little smarter – so I had a go at the engine bay…
Before:
After:
Then came SCH 2010 and that fateful conversation around a camp fire accompanied by a few beers and with the amazing Mr Longers’ organisational skills the inaugural S Club Tour was born – off to France we went to undertake the ‘Italian Job’ route – calling in at Reams along the way…
Next up was the Scottish Tour in early 2011...
So, we come to October 2011 – time to properly inspect that chassis
So, on October 15th 2011 with the help of some fantastic fellow S owners the body was lifted off & the bonnet and body stored...
Leaving the rest of the car to be inspected…and the damage clear to see
Now, some two weeks after this, unfortunately, I was made redundant so the whole project was ‘paused’ for a time…
Back to work in 2012 and by 2013 was ready to arrange shot blasting of the chassis – which revealed some more holes
…and then off to be welded…Summer 2014 (as you can’t paint a chassis in the winter in a single garage I’ve discovered…a driveway & kind weather is a must) and the first undercoats were applied…
Summer 2015 was spent applying 3 coats of red hammerite…weather and allowing plenty of time between coats…
Summer 2016 I was kept busy starting the re-assembly process…I’d also like to mention at this point…for those who are thinking they want to undertake a DIY body-off…I have had no previous mechanical experience, it was through trial and error and A LOT of help and advice from people on the S Forum
that this project was undertaken. All I can advise is…go for it…it’s worth it in the end.And in October 2016 – pretty much 5 years to the day that the body came off….through the help of a group of fellow S owners…the body was back on again…
After a bit of work over the winter and in Spring 2017 it was time to turn the key and see if there was life…there was
(you need to click on the image and then un-mute the thumpsnap page & turn your sound up for this )General tinkering followed through 2017 as it became apparent that the clutch plates had seized whilst the S was in bits and unfortunately the S wouldn’t drive…come to take the car out again in 2018 and discover it had been home to a family of mice over the winter…more work to do…
Despite various efforts throughout 2018 I couldn’t get the clutch plates freed….so I made the decision to have a new clutch fitted professionally…so off went the S to be ‘finished off’ by a professional mechanic…
So here we were in March 2019, clutch fixed (along with a number of other ‘issues’ that I wasn’t aware of until the MOT man looked things over) – amazing what you learn
And the first test run…up to Northumberland…300 miles covered and not one problem July 2019 was a special time for me – I joined many others on the 10th anniversary S Club Tour trip back to our routes…the Italian Job again…this time joined by my (now nearly 18 year old) eldest daughter…
Back to Reams…along with some new and amazing memories made and stories to be told around those SCH camp fires
At the end of 2019 I took to S back up North and around Keilder….my last run out…
So, here we are, under lock down and looking forward to getting out there again…the S has passed its MOT with no issues and I am just spending time ‘tinkering’…I am booked on to one of Mr Longers amazing trips in 2020…the LeMans Classic…so hoping it isn’t cancelled due to this horrible virus...
Thank you for reading…my S isn’t just a car to me…it’s a member of the family. Here’s to plenty more happy years of motoring
Cheers
Jaye
Great post Jaye!
I know what you mean that your S has become part of the family. I bought mine over twelve years ago when my son was just a few months old (mid life crisis I hear you say! Probably some truth in that ) and could never imagine selling. Especially because it's currently an as yet unfinished rebuild project after having undergone a lot of the work you've completed. I'm 'only' a couple of years into it so you've given me hope that I will get it done eventually.
I know what you mean that your S has become part of the family. I bought mine over twelve years ago when my son was just a few months old (mid life crisis I hear you say! Probably some truth in that
) and could never imagine selling. Especially because it's currently an as yet unfinished rebuild project after having undergone a lot of the work you've completed. I'm 'only' a couple of years into it so you've given me hope that I will get it done eventually.This is always impressive to see people spending years to rebuild their car. My Chimaera is also in the middle of a body-off restoration but my brother, who is a professional, is doing 95% of the job (and due to the virus I cannot help him those days).
Speaking of the virus, unfortunately, Le Mans Classic has been canceled and will occur next year.
Speaking of the virus, unfortunately, Le Mans Classic has been canceled and will occur next year.
Many thanks to you all for your kind comments ...I have today received the sad news that indeed the Classic Le Mans is now postponed until 2021. Doubly sad for me as I was taking the eldest again as a 'last blast' father/daughter trip before she heads of to Uni...
If someone can let me know who to contact for Sprint then I'm happy send this in....if they'll have it
Cheers
Jaye
If someone can let me know who to contact for Sprint then I'm happy send this in....if they'll have it
Cheers
Jaye
magpies said:
Hi Jaye - good read and informative photos 
I had been organising The Cobweb Run on the North Yorks Moors when Covid19 stopped it.
We will be rescheduling for the first available Sunday when we are allowed out to play and we are not far from you
Fab I had been organising The Cobweb Run on the North Yorks Moors when Covid19 stopped it.
We will be rescheduling for the first available Sunday when we are allowed out to play and we are not far from you
PM me please when a date finally appears & I will do my best to join you Cheers
Jaye
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