TC8126 lives again

[Mark McCombs]

It's been a really long hall (21 years to be exact) But I successfully drove TC8126 For the 1st time today.

Some of you know it story: I found it in a basement With the mechanicals all rebuilt But the tub 1⁄2 restored and a mess . As I knew the tub was going to be be a challenge I vowed I wouldn't try to start it or driving until the tub was completed. So after all new ash wood from craig at the Whitworth shop, new side panels, etc and twenty years (Well there was a house move, two kids all the way through college and numerous vintage Italian motorcycles thrown in there) I was able to start on the other aspects, including new master cylinder, brake cylinders and shoes over the winter, then onto waking other systems up this year. After the first start up indicated the oil pump issues a month ago, that was addressed with the help of Bob Grunau and Butch Taras and today, drove around the block as my first shakedown solid oil pressure, clean shifting and freely reving. It was terrifying as I was sitting on a wine crate but it runs, shifts an drives really well. Whew!

Mark

[Steve Simmons]

Congratulations! That must feel amazing. Although without photos. It never happened.

[Duncan M]

Fun! I sat on moving blankets for a while.

[Mark McCombs]

And yes, I put on my best garage clothes for this. Staring intently at that oil pressure.

I have a large battery at the rear frame until I can source a Miata battery, hence the cables. My old SCCA racing partner and I put it in the garage when I moved in 2003, front facing out...

[Steve Simmons]

You know, my favorite part of that whole picture is the motometer on the bare radiator.

[Franz Tenbrock]

some more work left
i know your feeling
just done it too some weeks ago

the rest parts you will do in the next 21 years
or in 3 weeks thats 21 days ;-)
i think the last one

[Mark McCombs]

Ha, Thanks Franz- with it running I have more motivation!

Steve, funny thing about that motometer, I went back to the basement where I found the TC a couple of days after i bought it to look for any other parts, and I found it under the bench, so it was an afterthought. I just refound n my own basement last week and figured it was dried up. Much to my surprise, it came to life when I put it in a cup of very hot water so on the TC it went, works nice!

[Franz Tenbrock]

Hello
when it's on, I have more motivation!
i know it :-)
now we want to see a new picture every day
so we can see that the car is not back in storage
and if it doesn't go on because you don't have motivation there will be a push from us