Speedfair rally July21/22 Knockhill Race Circuit

Thanks to the Classic Rallychat forum I am in I have been invited to take part in this event.

http://www.knockhill.com/events/speedfair.php

The organiser of the rally element thought he had an ex-works TR7 V8 but that looks a bit iffy

I'll take an in-car video which should look exciting enough

Not sure if I want any from outside the car tho as it will show how painfully slow a driver I am My daughter rebecca will be co-driving so at least that's one part of the crew that's reliable.

Still, who cares - it's being there that matters.

This is what the organisers have said in the event regulations

"We intend to run 9 tests on the Saturday, all sealed surface this year, with two on the circuit. Sunday will be two tests as a "shoot out" on the circuit.

It is intended that Andrew Cowan will present the awards for the rally on the Sunday in the main arena.

Details of the entire Speedfair event will be available soon at http://www.knockhill.com The final race programme is still being finalised. This years special guest is Stirling Moss."

Still loving it!

Took BRP out for a 20 minute "shakedown" and it still feels great.

Getting to know the car again is good fun - instant throttle response, power from 2500 RPM up and lots of it from 4000RPM up.

Again handling is good and the car feels taut.

I even let Rumpith take a drive and he is used to a Porsche Boxster. He enjoyed it too and it has given him a good reference to aim for in his own TR7 Sprint.

Back at base tho we had a slight concern about a burning smell - thankfully it's a binding rear brake drum so I should be able to adjust that no problem.

It makes the performance more impressive tho - going like that whilst being held back!

I love it!

Yes, tuner Steve has made a big difference to BRP.

Setting up the carbs again has resulted in a huge improvement.

But it's not just there - taking it on the usual test track, yes it revs to 6000RPM easily and pulls really well but the suspension feels taut, the tyres grip well and fitting the driver's competition seat has made an amazing difference too.

The seat is higher and it holds the driver in place so well that control of the car seems so much more emphatic. Even the driver's shoulders are braced well and then the steering wheel falls to hand at just the right point. Combined with a good view of the road ahead and instant repsonse from throttle and steering inputs means it's a joy to drive.

The potential of the car just gets better and beeter.

Let's hope I don't regret any of that on La Carrera- What I really need is lots of cracking driving roads to learn what the car can do before going onto full on rallying.

A hard day's night

Now I know what Ringo meant - hard work on BRP when I should be relaxing at the weekend but it was worth it.

Must have been 5 hours work on the car today but I have completed a service and fitted the sumpguard and ducting I made for the radiator. Tomorrow ace tuner Steve will be working his magic on the carbs etc.

In addition I have swapped the wheels over so that I have Michelins back on for La Carrera and re- fitted the driver's competition seat. All of this isn't visible in the pics although she does look great.

And finally I have taken the alternator off my spares car to keep in the boot for La Carrera - no idea if it's OK but after the RBRR experience I might as well have the option of fitting it if I have trouble (or loaning it someone else).

Goodbye old friend

This is "my"Vitesse being loaded onto a trailer to go to it's new home.

It was my first Triumph and has given me lots of pleasure and experiences over the years. If it wasn't for this car I wouldn't have joined Club Triumph and made lots of new friends.

I have also done 2 Round Britain Runs in it and it has taken me to Germany and back for a trip round the Nurburgring.

Buying a TR7 tho and then re-awakening my rallying plans meant that the Vitesse has had to go.

Stuart, the guy that has bought it tho knows his Triumphs so I am sure it will be saved and I look forward to seeing it again in the years to come.


Meanwhile, back to the TR7 and those exhaust manifold bolts - patience has finally paid off as it is bolted up as it should be and there's no blowing by the manifold so it sounds much better. A quick run this morning was great although the dawdler in a Golf suddenly speeded up when I overtook her - 4500RPM in top was what I had to get up to to get past.

I have also replaced the "emergency" fan belt fitted on the RBRR and the next job will be a carb gasket which should result in much better running. I can then ask Steve to come back and set up the carbs again and look forward to more perfromance again.

Enjoying the TR7 with Sprint power will help me get over missing the Vitesse.

4 out 5 isn't good

The exhaust manifold gasket has been blowing so I replaced it this evening.

But, of course, only 4 out of 5 bolts will go in. An hour's fannying about is enough for one night so I have walked away in the hope that when I come back to this job it will go straight in.

I am worried it only wants to go in cross threaded though which is not a good plan.


In the meantime though it looks like it's goodbye to my Vitesse which I ahve owned for 12 years now - sad but it had to go. I have been finding all the spares out as well this evening so that it can all go on Saturday.

The car has taken me round Britain twice, round the Nurburging and on many other adventures as well as teaching me alot about patience etc - never seem to learn tho.

Sprint power at last

200 miles in BRP today down to the Triumph event at Crich tramway museum.

Keeping to a maximum 4500 revs the car was just fine - by 'eck it's got some go now.

Fettling is needed of course but La Carrera here we come.

I should point out I was in the company of messrs Flexney and Darbyshire all day, including joining them for a meal in a curry house in Morley to finish off.

Great day chaps, thanks for the bacon rolls, the cornish pastie and Old Speckled Hen at lunchtime was good too. Sounds like a gastronimic event doesn't it?

Still, the said gents got up to some antics on a tram and here is the evidence.

Flying the flag or hanging the banner for Club Triumph in Crich, Derbyshire not Vienna, Austria!

That's better - at least for now!

Ace tuner Steve has made a huge difference to BRP.

I did manage to get it running myself but Steve spotted that the advance/retard mechanism wasn't working so we swapped in a spare dizzy.

Then work on the carb jets and linkages and a short test drive proved the car is the best it's ever been.

Combined with me re-torqueing the head I feel much more confident about it all.

But - confidence will grow with more miles and lots of "tidying" done.

Crich tomorrow though - hopefully in BRP so see you at breckie Burnerboy!

That just sums it up

Fed up with the car not co-operating I said I would go down the pub as part of the "3 Amigos" team.

So, we arrived (without sombreros, ponchos and moustaches on this occasion) to find the quiz was off this week as the quizmaster was ill.


Yup - that just sums it up

It's at times like these ........

I have ordered a new exhaust manifold gasket and a timing disc so that I can cure the blowing from the exhaust manifold and be ready if necessary to "time the cam in" which sounds like another voyage of discovery for me.

I also noticed the vacuum pipe had come adrift so I put that back as after all, it certainly won't have been helping.

Having had a little time to reflect I have also re-torqued the cylinder head tonight after advice from friends on the Club Triumph forum.

I then confidently turned the key to fire the car up and, of course, it rewarded me by refusing to start! Now it won't run at all.

It is at times like these that the only sensible thing to do is to go to the local hostelry in my role as part of the "3 Amigos" pub quiz team and forget about TR7s for a while.

Gorgeous but not happy

Gorgeous but not happy - that's BRP for certain.

I have been helping out on Club Triumph's Historic Counties Run by putting up a code board outside Harewood Hill Climb course.

This was a great reason to give BRP a 70 mile run but it was not at all happy, misfiring etc although occasionally I got a glimpse of what a Sprint engine can do.

I altered the timing by moving the distributor a few times but never got it right and then on the way back the temperature went way high. I had to stop and leave the bonnet up for 10 minutes then drive with the heater blower on as well as the electric rad fan.

Finally got the car home but I'll be using the Audi tomorrow to fetch the code board back!

By 'eck BRP is gorgeous

No point to this post other than to day how great my car looks - arrogant I know but it just struck me as I came out to it tonight from the Pendle and Pennine meeting.

Here it is under the new Club gazebo - this could be the shape of things to come (pun intended) - it looks like a service area on the Manx rally.

Shame it's a bit dark tho.

So far so good

What do you do when you have been away from home on business, finally get back at 8.45PM having driven 365 miles?

Well you take your TR7 16V out for a test run obviously!

Just 8 miles on the "test track" for now but oil pressures 40PSI+, temperature gauge never over 1/4, volts up and the fuel gauge working again.

The suspension feels fine and the brakes are OK - I don't want to push my luck too far tho as the wheels on tha car at the moment have 12 year old Pirellis on at the back and a set of Barum (of all things) on the front.

But what about the engine? Well it shows every sign of one that needs tuning - dieing at junctions, hesitating etc and blowing by the exhaust manifold (so new gasket needed) but, but,

It revs to 6000 and you can just feel it has lots to offer.

So, all in all - nicely does it and we should be on the right track