Took an engine out last week

OVERLORD Thu Jul 06, 2023 2:29 pm

Last friday afternoon, I took the V8 engine out of a Tatra 603 T3 of 1972. The engine itself dates from 1966. This is a 1 man's job and is eay and straightforward. After removing the rear bumper and the rear plating with the thermostat housing, and undoing the common electric cables, rods and fuel line, the engine can be unbolted from the gearbox on which it is attached with four M10 studs and nuts. The engine then just comes off with fans, mufflers and guide plating for the cooling air.

This is a donor car and is totally rusted. I don't understand how it hasn't broken in half yet!

rsv1cox Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:10 pm

I'm green with envy Lieven. Wish I had been there to help/watch.

Engine looks good on the outside. The body on that rare car...........I would be tempted to restore. It can't be much worse than the MG I did a couple of years ago.

Thanks for sharing. Updates, updates!

Bob

balogh Thu Jul 06, 2023 5:26 pm

TATRA and SKODA have been traditional vehicle brands in former Czechoslovakia dating back at least 100 years in history.I noted Lieven's affection of Tatra cars of the 60-s. In my recollection of the era in Eastern Europe those days, these were not that popular cars behind the Iron Curtain, maybe it was their futuristic, streamlined body that had some appeal?

But Czechoslovakian (after the split of the 2 countries, Czech today) industry has always been many paces ahead of the rest of the Eastern European region..

Skoda car factory, the other historical Czech car maker, was acquired by the VW group 30 or so years ago, and the brand today belongs to some of the most reliable and attractive middle category sedans and SUV-s made in Europe. German engineering of VW alone could not have established the reputation Skoda has earned by today. had it not been for the Czech industrial culture. The other branch of Skoda has for long manufactured industrial steam turbines, and was recently acquired by South Korean power plant construction giant Doosan. The turbines made in the Czech factory work in medium size thermal power stations around the world, on all continents, thanks to their quality and competitiveness.
So the nucleus of Czech engineering that once produced the Tatra cars have grown by today into s major industrial conglomerate that is present in the global industry among brand name, reputable peers in the auto and power plant domain.

OVERLORD Fri Jul 07, 2023 3:31 am

I remember using Skoda lathe tools in the past.

The Tatra 603 was never sold to the public. Exceptions can be counted on 1 hand. They all were destined for government and official use in czechoslovakia, DDR or USSR. I know of 1 car that was exported in the mid 60's to a Dutch importer of Tatra trucks and the 603 that was at the Brussels motor show in 1959 remained in Belgium.

OVERLORD Fri Jul 07, 2023 3:22 pm

rsv1cox wrote:I'm green with envy Lieven. Wish I had been there to help/watch.

Engine looks good on the outside. The body on that rare car...........I would be tempted to restore. It can't be much worse than the MG I did a couple of years ago.

Thanks for sharing. Updates, updates!

Bob

Bob, the bottom part of this car is just a carastrophy. It's a car for the Flintstones. The car is at my dad's place in Belgium. The one I have in my garage is a 1963 model and one of the first T2 603 's. The production started in December '63. The body is very sound with only some minor body work and has still got it's original engine. So I 'll concentrate on that one. I bought the car in the late 90's and I' m decided to get on with it.
To be continued...

roddie Fri Jul 07, 2023 4:06 pm

Hi Lieven! It's really great to see you working on a Tatra. A few questions; Is that 1966 engine itself made/designed by Tatra? What is displacement in litres? How about the gearbox in your "63"? How many forward gears/ratio? I would assume that the ignition system is a mechanical distributor with breaker-points/condensor with a coil to provide the spark? Then again; the European Automobile industry was decades ahead of the United States auto makers of that era. General Motors "did" produce a mechanical Rochester fuel-injection system in 1957 for select Chevrolet Corvette and Belair models. That system was however plagued with unreliability issues.

Wishing you all the best of luck getting it roadworthy. I miss our emails.. it's been a long time. Smile

rsv1cox Fri Jul 07, 2023 4:49 pm

I posted this here once before, but it's always good for a revisit especially for new members.

https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/the-death-eaters-chapter-1-tatra-t87/

I love the thing!

OVERLORD Sat Jul 08, 2023 4:57 am

roddie wrote:Hi Lieven! It's really great to see you working on a Tatra. A few questions; Is that 1966 engine itself made/designed by Tatra? What is displacement in litres? How about the gearbox in your "63"? How many forward gears/ratio? I would assume that the ignition system is a mechanical distributor with breaker-points/condensor with a coil to provide the spark? Then again; the European Automobile industry was decades ahead of the United States auto makers of that era. General Motors "did" produce a mechanical Rochester fuel-injection system in 1957 for select Chevrolet Corvette and Belair models. That system was however plagued with unreliability issues.

Wishing you all the best of luck getting it roadworthy. I miss our emails.. it's been a long time.

Thanks Roddie, The engine is a 2,5 litre. Nothing wild. There is even no valve overlap.The gearbox is very classic with 4 forward gear and reverse. The engine has coil ignition and became electronic in 1970 or so. 4 disc brakes were introduced in 1967.

OVERLORD Yesterday at 11:34 am

I took off the 2 right doors and removed both benches. Underneath the front bench is the fuel powered heater with its proper electric fuel pump, fuel filter and the electrics to ignite. The bonnet went off as well, the 2 rear air ducts and the rear quarter lights. And then a lot of cleaning and sweeping the rust that covers the garage floor.

rsv1cox Yesterday at 12:17 pm

Rust! AKA "The tin worm."

I gather this is the better of the two, the really bad one is still at your fathers house?

Everytime I see pictures like that it stimulates me to do another restoration. My morning news feed usually features some sort of a "barn find" and I think..."if I could only get my hands on one of those forgotten treasures" ................

I'm looking forward to see what you do with it.

roddie Yesterday at 1:37 pm

Hi Lieven! It's good to see you're working on the Tatra again!! To recap; you're restoring a 1963 T2 603.. and you have a "66" donor engine. Will the "66" engine (or some of its parts..) be going into the "63" chassis?

OVERLORD Yesterday at 4:02 pm

rsv1cox wrote:Rust! AKA "The tin worm."

I gather this is the better of the two, the really bad one is still at your fathers house?

Everytime I see pictures like that it stimulates me to do another restoration. My morning news feed usually features some sort of a "barn find" and I think..."if I could only get my hands on one of those forgotten treasures" ................

I'm looking forward to see what you do with it.

No, this one is to take apart and to save every part that can be salvaged. The body, or what's left of it, will be cut in pieces.

This is the good one of 1963:

This car has its original engine that still runs fine. The 1966 engine needs to be overhauled. Both engines are exactly the same.

roddie Yesterday at 4:08 pm

Nice! Same identical engines.. Cool

Looks like X2 1bbl carbs/throttle-bodies on these?

OVERLORD Yesterday at 4:31 pm

roddie wrote:Nice! Same identical engines.. Looks like X2 1bbl carbs/throttle-bodies on these?

2x double carburettors Jikov 30 SOPP

rsv1cox Yesterday at 5:03 pm

This is the picture that caught my attention Lieven....

It reminded me of the old Southwind heater that came with my 1937 Ford Coupe. It should have been named Northwind as it never worked.

roddie Yesterday at 6:25 pm

I wonder when the first "heater-cores" found their way into our automobiles? Huh...

Conventionalradiators for cooling the engine were already in use for how long?

A little research on the web came up with Cadillac offering the first "heater core" in their 1926 models as an accessory/add-on.

old timers talk about the old gas heaters in vehicles

rsv1cox Yesterday at 6:41 pm

roddie wrote:I wonder when the first "heater-cores" found their way into our automobiles? Conventionalradiators for cooling the engine were already in use for how long?

A little research on the web came up with Cadillac offering the first "heater core" in their 1926 models as an accessory/add-on.

old timers talk about the old gas heaters in vehicles

Colorful bunch....Mudpie, Slooper cat, Analogeezer............ One fellow mentioned Southwinds were an option on 30's Fords. Maybe mine came that way.

OVERLORD Today at 2:56 am

Another page of car heater history

https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/early-days-of-car-heaters/

This page has an image of an advert for Bob's Stewart Warner heater. It really has the look of a 30's streamlined steam locomotive front.

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Tatra 603 wreck. the dismantling continues

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