What a strange place to put his engine 😛

Here’s what mine looks like after I moved the battery all the way forward to help the weight distribution a little. (VW kit)  Wrecking yard battery tray (as mentioned), a bit of drilling and a small brace or two.Don’t know how much it helped the weight distribution but it cleared the way for a more usefull underhood space.  A toolbox resides t…[Read more]

Here’s what mine looks like after I moved the battery all the way forward to help the weight distribution a little. (VW kit)  Wrecking yard battery tray (as mentioned), a bit of drilling and a small brace or two.Don’t know how much it helped the weight distribution but it cleared the way for a more usefull underhood space.  A toolbox resides t…[Read more]

I believe that not-factory-original engines had their serial numbers stamped on top of the block and can only be seen with the cooling shroud off. Something to look for next time you have the shroud off. Mine is that way and I really don’t know why the motor has been substituted. Probably a case of gathering parts need to build the kit at the…[Read more]

Just curious. Is there provision for a horn button?Also, in jbarrys picture it looks like the steering shaft is mounted higher in the dash which is a good thing.Kall2015-08-13 14:23:37

A “suicide door” is the slang term for a door hinged at its rear rather than the front.[1][2][3] Such doors were originally used on horse-drawn carriages,[4] but are rarely found on modern vehicles due primarily to safety concerns.
Popularized in the custom car trade,[5] the term is avoided by major automobile…[Read more]

LRHIf I were an optimistic manufacturer ordering pre-engraved plates, I would order a big supply all at once to get a quantity break from the engraver. Also, with all the shuffling going on between successive owners of kit companies, who knows what might have happened.I think that some of these details are going to remain a mystery.

No, you’re not dense. The connection, very slight, was in response to the comment above that “some of the kits went to Japan”. Yes, any serious replica club in Japan would have a Japanese-language website which would make persuing this connection pretty difficult. 😕

Who Knew and What have I gotten myself into now?http://japanesenostalgiccar.com/about/
PMOSSBERG2015-07-20 22:12:55

Considering the Japanese tendency to organize things, is there a TDr club in Japan?

I second that. If you are determined to restore an older vehicle to factory condition and appearance you are locking yourself into all the shortcommings of a 30-60 year old machine. If you are simply “building” a fun car you can make it your own. 🙂 Kall2015-07-19 15:03:42

Seems worth it for the body alone if you have a place to store it till needed.  U-store rates might be low in Banning.Sorry to be the voice of temptation.

WelcomeThere are only a few TRr owners registered in the Pacific Northwest.  I am in Yakima and have had a used TDr for about 18 months.  So much great info and individuals on this forum.Rich  :-):-):-):-)

Uploaded pics from my PC desktop today.  Thanks for the help.

Be careful when ordering. The dash on mine is drilled for the 3-3/8″
speedo and tach. Believe it or not no one makes a bushing or bezel to fit
the smaller 3-1/8″ gauge into that larger hole.Just as an aside here, I have often made adapters and space fillers for dashboards using thin but rigid material such as Formica.  I usually cut the inside…[Read more]

Boat store?Also have seen similar product on van roofs to keep luggage in rack from scratching paint.Interesting to note that my TDr does not have that nice separation molding between the fender and the running board.

Kall2015-06-27 15:58:00

I don’t want to beat this topic to death but I am seeing some progress here.  Thanks for all the perceptive comments.I took a front-on picture and then added some reference lines geometrically parallel to the point where the front wheels touch the ground and to each other.  As previously pointed out the picture confirms that the bumper is level w…[Read more]

To further clarify/confuse the issue here are some pics:The car is sitting slightly downhill on the driveway, no driver or passenger.Yes, it does look like the pass. side is lower in relation to the bumper.  I suppose that means that it is about right with only the driver aboard.  😕

Kall2015-06-15 23:04:56

I agree that a narrowed front beam would put the wheels in a better position. There might be a slight widening of the turning circle because of reduced clearance between the tire and frame at full lock.I have not yet determined if the tire is rubbing on the inside of the fender or if it is rubbing on the outer edge of the fender when the wheel is…[Read more]

FYIThe visors are from a junkyard car – a big dodge as I recall.  Looked for a long time to find ones that big with exposed outer end rods to allow anchoring.  Measure, search and be sure to take all the hardware in case you need it. Still, some improvising will be necessary.:-)
Kall2015-05-24 14:50:21