Thanks, as always, to everyone who replied. Iâ??m relieved to hear that finding
a good Triumph frame might not be as difficult as Iâ??d been lead to believe.
Iâ??m in Southern Oregon (making Kentucky a bit of a trek, Brad!). Whatâ??s the
price range on decent frames?
I *think* Iâ??d enjoy the frame swap work. Itâ??s well beyond anything Iâ??ve
undertaken, but I really enjoy learning on the job. As for cost, Iâ??m still
cautiously optimistic that the frame is the only major issue. Frankly, given
the photos I have of the POâ??s restoration and the binder full or receipts,
Iâ??m surprised the frame was mishandled so badly. The engine runs quite well
and the only other issues my local shop found were related to the rear: No more
adjustment available in the rear brakes, tired lever arms, etc.
As for cost, everything is relative. I do know that unless I find something
else seriously wrong with the car, I want to keep it. I still canâ??t believe
my wife signed off on the purchase in the first place, and Iâ??m not sure
sheâ??d be willing to sign off again!
> On Feb 18, 2015, at 1:42 PM, Jeffrey Gayton <jtgayton@icloud.com> wrote:
>
> Greetings. So after some trouble with the tow company, I did manage to get my
> ball-dis-jointed TR4 to a good local shop. Sadly, they found significant
> problems with the frame: Poor welding and alignment of the front suspension
> supports leading to front wheels with positive and negative camber (the tops
> of both wheels lean in the same direction â?? the top part of both front
> wheels lean toward the passenger side).
>
> On a lift, when pointed out by a pro, the problems are obvious. From one side
> to the other, things are just not aligned the same way. One looks pretty good
> and the other looks bodged, with what was colorfully described as â??bird
> shitâ?? welding in some areas. On the ground, the problems are less obvious,
> but still visible. The shop thinks the camber issue must have been present
> before my ball-joint failure. I feel Iâ??d have noticed the significant
> positive camber on the front passenger side, but hindsight is 20-20, so who
> knows?
>
> Anyway, the shop recommends replacing the frame because of the difficulty
> finding a place that has the knowledge needed to straighten everything out. I
> do have a full-size frame diagram from the previous owner, but have no idea
> how accurate it is. The shop is looking for a new frame, but theyâ??ve not
> had much luck so far.
>
> Iâ??m curious to know the listâ??s collective thinking about what I should
> do: Repair the frame, replace with an old frame, or replace with a Ratco
> frame. Given my penchant for (in-period) originality, Iâ??m surprised to find
> myself considering the latter, but Iâ??m still relatively young and would
> like to keep and drive the car for many years. A new Ratco frame would give
> me peace of mind for a long time, and has the additional advantage of not
> needing any work. Presumably, a Triumph replacement frame would.
>
> By the way, a shout-out to Hagerty Insurance for eventually making good with
> the towing issues. The truck and driver that turned up at my house on the day
> told me that they were not informed that a wheel was partially off when they
> accepted the job. I ended up having to pay out of pocket for another truck to
> come out and tow the car to the shop. Hagerty was not helpful on the phone,
> but when I emailed them a copy of the receipt and an account of what
> happened, I received a check covering the full cost in a couple of weeks.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Jeff Gayton
>
> 1962 Triumph TR4
>
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