T350 Retrim

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Discussion

pb450

Original Poster:

1,305 posts

167 months

Sunday 23rd January 2022
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So I bought my second TVR, a T350T (sold my Chimaera, which I'd had for 8 years and had it just how I wanted it...) towards the end of lockdown in the summer of 2020. The T350 was just what I wanted, after much soul searching although the inerior was a little on the dark side and the carpets were faded in places due to the sun. This week I collected it from Dave the Trimmer just outside Bedford after he'd worked his magic. Before and after pictures as follows:

Before: headache




After: cool






In answer to some inevitable questions:

a) It wasn't cheap! And no, I'm not telling. There were a few extras, like the steering wheel and the new side windows etc. Lets just say I could have bought another TVR for the final cost! I'll leave it there...
b) Yes, it's all leather.
c) Timeframe: Car was gone for around 8 weeks. (The roads are rubbish this time of the year anyway.) Good work takes time.
d) Am I happy and was it worth it? You bet! woohoo
e) Would I recomend Dave? Oh yes, most definitely! bow

Hope you like it. Let's see yours if you've had a retrim.

Englishman

2,237 posts

217 months

Sunday 23rd January 2022
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Looks like a lovely job!

Not used Dave the Trimmer, but had a full leather re-trim of my Griff done by D&C Trim in Blackpool in 2013 and very happy with the outcome. Not cheap either, but have been back several times for partial re-trims of other TVR's. Still smells lovely too!


subseamatt

80 posts

74 months

Sunday 23rd January 2022
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Yeah, I enquired with DTT when preparing for my Tamora retrim but couldn't justify to myself the few extra £000's for his perfection. DTT's work is absolutely beautiful though.
Admittedly, you've got your car back in 8-weeks and mine has now been "missing" in the Bermuda Triangle of a TVR specialist for almost 6-months (and still no finish date forthcoming)! Admittedly it's also having a full service and sorting some electrical gremlins, but you could just about do a full rebuild of a Tamora in a shed in 6-months! If it wasn't winter (and so I'm not too rushed to get it back), I would be fuming and would have visited them to check it's still actually there!
Gotta love some of the TVR independents but I suppose they are just taking after the parent company wrt continuous delays and no communication with their customers whistle

robsco

7,872 posts

183 months

Sunday 23rd January 2022
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That looks absolutely stunning, congratulations. The steering wheel finish really lifts the interior too, and the quality of the leather looks excellent even through the eyes of a lens. You must be thrilled.

pb450

Original Poster:

1,305 posts

167 months

Monday 24th January 2022
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subseamatt said:
Yeah, I enquired with DTT when preparing for my Tamora retrim but couldn't justify to myself the few extra £000's for his perfection. DTT's work is absolutely beautiful though.
Admittedly, you've got your car back in 8-weeks and mine has now been "missing" in the Bermuda Triangle of a TVR specialist for almost 6-months (and still no finish date forthcoming)! Admittedly it's also having a full service and sorting some electrical gremlins, but you could just about do a full rebuild of a Tamora in a shed in 6-months! If it wasn't winter (and so I'm not too rushed to get it back), I would be fuming and would have visited them to check it's still actually there!
Gotta love some of the TVR independents but I suppose they are just taking after the parent company wrt continuous delays and no communication with their customers whistle
I feel your pain Matt. (I've just retired after 45 years in the offshore business. Heavy lifting though, not subsea.) DTT said he would need the car for 8 weeks and sure enough that's what it took. Sorry to hear yours is with a (well known?) TVR specialist for so long. Good luck with an early completion now and do please post pics on completion.

pb450

Original Poster:

1,305 posts

167 months

Monday 24th January 2022
quotequote all
robsco said:
That looks absolutely stunning, congratulations. The steering wheel finish really lifts the interior too, and the quality of the leather looks excellent even through the eyes of a lens. You must be thrilled.
Thanks. You bet!

Edited by pb450 on Monday 24th January 18:27

pb450

Original Poster:

1,305 posts

167 months

Monday 24th January 2022
quotequote all
Englishman said:
Looks like a lovely job!

Not used Dave the Trimmer, but had a full leather re-trim of my Griff done by D&C Trim in Blackpool in 2013 and very happy with the outcome. Not cheap either, but have been back several times for partial re-trims of other TVR's. Still smells lovely too!

Looking good Dave. D&C Trim are the other top-flight TVR interior people; they're just a wee bit far for me to travel though. thumbup

plasticman

903 posts

258 months

Tuesday 25th January 2022
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It looks like you do not have the support spacer that goes between the dashboard and the centre console .

pb450

Original Poster:

1,305 posts

167 months

Tuesday 25th January 2022
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plasticman said:
It looks like you do not have the support spacer that goes between the dashboard and the centre console .
Support spacer? Not aware of that. Please do tell more...

Adrian@

4,386 posts

289 months

Tuesday 25th January 2022
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My understanding is that it is a set of packers that sit under main dash (radio area) , closing the gap between the top dash
I pinched this picture of the block whilst it was out of my mates car. A@

Gladers01

757 posts

55 months

Tuesday 25th January 2022
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pb450 said:
plasticman said:
It looks like you do not have the support spacer that goes between the dashboard and the centre console .
Support spacer? Not aware of that. Please do tell more...
Looks a very professional job indeed and worth waiting for, go on give us a clue £5k+, you can always say you're miles out, just not prepared to say which way though thumbup

Stever

1,540 posts

256 months

Tuesday 25th January 2022
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looks fabulous Peter thumbup

pb450

Original Poster:

1,305 posts

167 months

Wednesday 26th January 2022
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Adrian@ said:
My understanding is that it is a set of packers that sit under main dash (radio area) , closing the gap between the top dash
I pinched this picture of the block whilst it was out of my mates car. A@
Not aware of anything like that coming out or going back in. Not sure either what can (or can’t) be seen that’s missing from my original pics. Curious…

Adrian@

4,386 posts

289 months

Wednesday 26th January 2022
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As such this/it is hidden and it sets this gap ...TBH I only know about it because my Tamora has a dash with missing internal strips (strengtheners) in the top and bottom AND that my mates car (late Tamora) dash was in bits on my floor as I was fitting our new S/S hinges. He asked WTF it was when he took the car apart. (Someone with better knowledge will pop along soon, this is my first T car). A@



Edited by Adrian@ on Wednesday 26th January 11:24

Stever

1,540 posts

256 months

Thursday 27th January 2022
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it looks like there is a natural line where your lower dash should be lifted to?

If you look at my dash the radio pod bottom is higher up?


subseamatt

80 posts

74 months

Thursday 27th January 2022
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In case any of the above is not clear to you/others, that little carpet covered block which you should have fits between the centre tunnel and the lower dash section as shown below (in red) and supports the lower dash so it doesn't hang down or rattle about/stress the retaining bolts so much. When fitted, it lifts the front of the lower dash/radio by about an inch and closes the gap you seem to have between the upper and lower dash sections (circled in green below):

If you don't have it, it's quite an easy make out of a block of MDF or similar. The one in my Tamora is curved on one side to match where it sits against the chassis tube to stop it moving about.
Hope that helps.
Matt

ray von

2,923 posts

259 months

Thursday 27th January 2022
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Everyday's a schoolday. I've seen a few retrimmed T cars with a similar finish around that area and couldn't understand why they were like that, my Sag was like Stever photo. So now I know why.

pb450

Original Poster:

1,305 posts

167 months

Thursday 27th January 2022
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As far as I know, nothing is missing here on my car. But as said by others, it’s my first T. I’m happy though. thumbup

LucyP

1,738 posts

66 months

Thursday 27th January 2022
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The leather on the seat cushions is creased already. That's not very good for a car that has just been re-trimmed. Poor quality leather I guess.

pb450

Original Poster:

1,305 posts

167 months

Thursday 27th January 2022
quotequote all
Hahaha, LucyP strikes again! It been sat on by my middle-aged bottom. I always do that to the finest leather. hehe