Warm Weather Brings Out The Cars

As we enjoy the current record breaking warm late winter weather there are signs that some people are starting to get their cars out early. This is of course very welcome but as I’m still up to my eyes in engine rebuilds with two done, one in progress, a new one just in and two more waiting I’m not sure how we’re going to fit it all in. Never mind, I’m sure we will.

One of the (finally) completed engines is the modified 1500 unit in my own Herald convertible. This had developed a bit of a thirst for oil and when last used in anger on the Club Triumph Autosolo at Curborough Sprint Circuit was pushing enough compression past the pistons to blow the dipstick partially out of its tube. This then allowed oil to be blown out of the tube onto the exhaust causing it to make smoke rather like a Battleship Escort Vessel. It turned out that no fewer than 2 pistons had broken ‘lands’ between the lower compression rings and oil rings following the 35,000 plus very hard miles it had covered.

Even this wasn’t as bad as the one just in though. This has let go in a fairly spectacular way sticking no. 4 rod out through the side of the block with a pretty gruesome mess left behind.

Work continues STILL on the roundtail Spit, although we have now finished replacing the sills, floors, strengtheners, front riggers etc and rebuilding the bulkhead base/A post, B post and heelboard on both sides and are now well into replacing the rear wings, boot floor and rear valance and rebuilding the inner wings, wheel arches, spring tunnel and rear body mountings – will it ever end?

December

Well the Club Triumph Round Britain Run came and went and luckily enough all of the cars we helped prep which made it to the start also made it all the way round to the finish. Apart from a quick dip-switch swap on our chariot of choice the run was devoid of drama for us, which was nice.

We are now WELL stuck into the roundtail Spit I mentioned in my last blog. I t seems that the last person or persons who carried out repairs didn’t consider that actually welding in floorpans, reinforcing brackets or any other panels including the heelboard was necessary. These were cut to fit around the existing inner sill, A post, chassis etc and then stuck in place with a combination of fiberglass, filler, seam sealer and even silicon instant gasket!

As if that wasn’t bad enough there turned out to be no fewer than FOUR outer sills on the nearside, the original and three cover sills plonked on top – no wonder the bonnet and door wouldn’t shut properly! We are now moving on with the offside of the vehicle which doesn’t look much better.

In amongst the other winter rebuild work is a 2500 engine, a TR2 engine and a TR5 gearbox which has eaten its mainshaft tip and bearing, we knew this wasn’t going to be an easy one when we removed the drain plug and a dozen rollers fell out! This unit will be uprated, have the clutch cross-shaft mods carried out and then go back in ready for the start of the season.

Round Britain Prep

Round Britain prep work on entrants cars is now almost finished – including a last minute panic concerning the engine on one, the cooling fan on another and the failure of headlamps to operate on two others, one of which is the 2000 Mk1 which I am entered in! Luckily enough these are now pretty much sorted and ready to go.

A customer we haven’t seen for over four years who used to have a Herald 13/60 convertible has come back, having sold the car a while ago, with a different example of the same model. We are currently adjusting the door and bonnet gaps as best we can, sorting out some duff electrics and replacing tired and worn driveshaft UJs and engine mounts amongst other little bits of fettling.

Having had no fewer than four TR6s in at the same time for work ranging from gearbox rebuilds including clutch crosshaft upgrades, through a variety of suspension and transmission/driveline problems to brake repairs and injection work, we are now down to our last one – we do have a TR4 coming in tomorrow for a fair few bits and pieces though!

As the summer rush starts to slow down, thoughts turn to winter rebuilds with two 2500 engines and a TR2 unit already booked in and a roundtail Spit due in in a couple of weeks for sills, floors, heelboards and who knows what else might come to light. It’s never dull around here!

A Busy Summer

With the arrival of the unbelievably good long summer we’ve had this year came a deluge of work – don’t get me wrong, I am happy to be busy but it can be really difficult trying to keep up with deadlines when almost every job ‘grows’ a bit as is common with old cars and the next gap in the diary is 3 weeks or more away.

Apart from the usual service based jobs, we seem to have had quite a few engine repairs and rebuilds, yet more transmission work and a rash of new ‘put it back on the road jobs’. We have also gained quite a few new customers who have bought Triumphs for the first time or perhaps for the first time in a few decades and who want them to be checked over thoroughly before being pressed into service. These can turn up all sorts of things which we don’t usually see. One had the old OE static seat belts extended by simply tying some new seat belts to them while another had a hole in an inner sill ‘repaired’ with Gaffer Tape and then undersealed over! It can be quite scary to find some of the ‘Destroy-it-Yourself’ repairs which a few people carry out.

With the Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run fast approaching we have had a fair few customers booking their RBRR cars in for check overs and routine maintenance prior to the event, I only hope I still have time to get the one I’m going in done in time – oh well, back to it.

Gearboxes and Transmissions a plenty

Well the warmer weather has finally arrived with a quick taste of summer for three days before the return to typical April showers and that seems to be heralding the arrival of the usual suspects bringing their cars out of hibernation. There is now a positive flurry of spring recommissioning, servicing, tuning, MoT testing and the odd job left over from last year to be completed too.

In amongst this we seem to be experiencing an unexpected rash of gearbox and overdrive repairs, rebuilds and conversions on everything from Spitfires through Vitesses and TRs to 2500s with a couple having new propshafts to cure long standing vibration issues.

Work also continues apace in the body shop with a brace of Heralds needing structural repairs, both needing the right hand side of the boot floor to be completely remade from scratch to incorporate new body mounts and bolt the whole thing down securely to the boot outrigger with new mounting pads and bolts to complete the job.

The second one of these also needs the body mount brackets further forward under the treadplate area to be replaced although unfortunately we’re going to have to remove a whole lot of fibreglass, filler and mastic which some very naughty person has put in there where there should be good steel for the brackets to be welded to rather than stuck on with seam sealer! It’s no wonder the doors don’t open or close very well on this poor little car – oh well, it will be better soon.

Soon be Easter

Looks like I spoke too soon as regards the better weather arriving soon! In the meantime 2.5 engine builds continue now that the custom cams have arrived and at least one should be going back in with the appropriate carbs, manifolds, uprated radiator and associated goodies to suit very soon.

A few of our hardier regulars have already been in with their cars for pre-season commissioning work, any upgrades required and issues remaining from last year to be resolved and with more wintry showers threatened for Easter it really is beginning to feel like Spring has arrived………………..

In other news, Dale went along to the Practical Classics Restoration Show over the March 24^th/25^th weekend and spent much of the time helping refit Charlie Deards 2500S estate on the Club Triumph stand. The car had just been repainted by a local technical college and needed all of its brightwork and trim putting back on. The CT Events and Shows Team were perfectly happy to help out but didn’t show too much enthusiasm when it came to drilling out old, filled-over rivets, wielding a small hammer to tap the mandrels through plastic moulding clips or a rubber mallet to knock the odd piece of chrome fully home so close to all that nice shiny new paint – I wonder why?

While there Dale accompanied CT’s Competitions Secretary and Ten Countries Run organiser Ellis Stokes to the prestigious National Car Club Awards dinner where CT was nominated in the category of Outstanding Car Club Event – Run, Rally or Tour for the 10CR. After a sumptuous dinner and a few sherbets they were duly called up on stage to receive the award from Classic Car Weekly Editor David Simister and TV’s Mike Brewer on behalf of the Club – CT had won!

Two down and two more Triumph's to go

The engine work still continues with two down and two to go on the 2.5 litre front and a Stag V8 also stripped with various bits away for machining and the wet liner engine now being reassembled. The long awaited ‘custom’ camshafts for the 2.5s are threatened soon though, so they should be back together before much longer.

It’s funny how things go, as said before you wait ages for a transmission job then a gang of them turn up together. After the two non-overdrive to overdrive conversions, we got two o/d gearbox units to rebuild and we have also got a separate J type unit to fit to the back of a Borg Warner 65 in a 2500S. This conversion will be a first for us and promises to get around the old problem with the big saloons and estates that the automatics are way too short geared for touring and sustained motorway use. It also promises when we have worked out the details to be a fair bit cheaper than the four or five speed ZF conversion and effectively with the benefit of no fewer than six forward gears!

In the meantime we’re at the end of February and with the warmer weather expected anytime soon (it’s snowing as I type!), we’re starting to get the regulars in now for the annual service, MoT and sort out, ready for the start of the season so it’s all hands to the pumps.

For more info, visit our website http://www.triumph-car-restoration.uk.com