Well, we didn't cover ourselves in glory on this one coming 15th out of 15! It still means I am in a clear 4th place in the Club Triumph Driver Challenge though and as my aim is to be in the top 5 I am pleased enough with that.
The car was fine and very quick really but needs setting up or a service. It also rattles a fair bit and is burning oil off the exhaust manifold/down pipes so really needs some fettling.
This weekend though all I have done with it is get it up on ramps and hose all the muck and bullets off the underside. Next weekend I'll start the service and investigations although it might be wise to go round and touch up the paintwork where necessary first at the earliest opportunity.
Meanwhile, UNJ is at the front of the queue for use and will be the car Mrs R and I use in the next challenge round, the Club Triumph 3 Counties Rally in October.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Saturday, August 06, 2011
Speedfair and prep for the Little Devils
Well, the Speedfair rally was really good actually.
10th out of 17 on day 1, ok 15th out of 20 on day 2 wasn't so good but our day one performance put us into the "Shoot out".
This was a bit of a surprise and given that we had a 4 to 5 hour drive home in some ways wasn't all that welcome!
The format though was that the top 12 cars from day 1 (and that included us!) took another run through the test and the top 6 would then run again. OK, let's have some fun we thought and set our fastest time of 92.3 seconds whcih amazingly got us through again.
Now the top 6 were to be narrowed down to the top 4 and of course we wanted to see how well we could do and we really attacked the test but right at the end we drifted off slightly onto some gravel and our time was 94.3 seconds - oh well, time to go home.
Great fun all the same and I'll post up the in car footage soon.
Today though I worked on BRP with a mind for the Little Devils next weekend. This is an all together rougher event which has included farm tracks in the past so with this in mind 2hours workl this afternoon resulted in the sumpguard back on.
More to do but so little time - what will next weekend bring I wonder?
10th out of 17 on day 1, ok 15th out of 20 on day 2 wasn't so good but our day one performance put us into the "Shoot out".
This was a bit of a surprise and given that we had a 4 to 5 hour drive home in some ways wasn't all that welcome!
The format though was that the top 12 cars from day 1 (and that included us!) took another run through the test and the top 6 would then run again. OK, let's have some fun we thought and set our fastest time of 92.3 seconds whcih amazingly got us through again.
Now the top 6 were to be narrowed down to the top 4 and of course we wanted to see how well we could do and we really attacked the test but right at the end we drifted off slightly onto some gravel and our time was 94.3 seconds - oh well, time to go home.
Great fun all the same and I'll post up the in car footage soon.
Today though I worked on BRP with a mind for the Little Devils next weekend. This is an all together rougher event which has included farm tracks in the past so with this in mind 2hours workl this afternoon resulted in the sumpguard back on.
More to do but so little time - what will next weekend bring I wonder?
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Speedfair Rally day 1
Started the day by retorquing the cylinder head in the hotel car park.
Then over to Knockhill for signing on and scrutineering - thankfully no problems.
Four tests today and the main decision to be made was whether to stay in 1st or try and go for 2nd gear! On the first test I decided early on I'd grab second as soon as I could and hold on to it all the way round which I did but the car "bogged down" too easily - 101 seconds was our time.
Next run I stayed in first and rev'd the engine up to to 6000 (ouch!) and came in with a time of 96 seconds.
After that it was first gear near enough the whole time - sorry BRP!
But at the end of day 1 we are in 10th out of 17 so not too shabby.
Then over to Knockhill for signing on and scrutineering - thankfully no problems.
Four tests today and the main decision to be made was whether to stay in 1st or try and go for 2nd gear! On the first test I decided early on I'd grab second as soon as I could and hold on to it all the way round which I did but the car "bogged down" too easily - 101 seconds was our time.
Next run I stayed in first and rev'd the engine up to to 6000 (ouch!) and came in with a time of 96 seconds.
After that it was first gear near enough the whole time - sorry BRP!
But at the end of day 1 we are in 10th out of 17 so not too shabby.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Speedfair Rally 2011 - getting there
Writing this from the bar of my hotel in Dunfermline with BRP parked outside looking rather damn good actually.
The drive up at a steady 70 mph where possible was uneventful and it kept it at 3500 rpm which is no bad thing given the reconditioned head that is fitted.
Tomorrow morning I'll retorque the head in the hotel car park before we go to Knockhill for scrutineering and 4 tests against the clock.
Meanwhile, BRP is certainly very very noisy on a long journey! Since I stripped out all the sound deadening and carpets etc I have not driven it any distance other than competitively so now I know I couldn't use it in it's present form for a RBRR or the 10CR.
Something that helps make up for it though is all the admiring looks from people on the roads - a guy at a filling station really liked it and at one point a whole taxi full were looking at us and smiling.
The drive up at a steady 70 mph where possible was uneventful and it kept it at 3500 rpm which is no bad thing given the reconditioned head that is fitted.
Tomorrow morning I'll retorque the head in the hotel car park before we go to Knockhill for scrutineering and 4 tests against the clock.
Meanwhile, BRP is certainly very very noisy on a long journey! Since I stripped out all the sound deadening and carpets etc I have not driven it any distance other than competitively so now I know I couldn't use it in it's present form for a RBRR or the 10CR.
Something that helps make up for it though is all the admiring looks from people on the roads - a guy at a filling station really liked it and at one point a whole taxi full were looking at us and smiling.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
BRP on the road again
Back from holiday and my first trip out in BRP.
Just about 10 miles and it seems fine so far but by eck it's noisy with no interior trim etc! It also feels very different to the soft top as it so much more rigid and firm on the road.
Power seems good but I am trying to look after the head by keeping the revs down for a while. I will have to look into the fact it keeps stalling as soon as it comes to a halt though.
Speedfair Rally in 10 days and not much time to check things over.
Just about 10 miles and it seems fine so far but by eck it's noisy with no interior trim etc! It also feels very different to the soft top as it so much more rigid and firm on the road.
Power seems good but I am trying to look after the head by keeping the revs down for a while. I will have to look into the fact it keeps stalling as soon as it comes to a halt though.
Speedfair Rally in 10 days and not much time to check things over.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
A record for the Raider fleet!
As of today I have 3 Triumphs with MOTs, all insured and all taxed - WOW!
There are different degrees of "readiness" though.
UNJ - taxed, MOT and insured, radiator and dipstick tube replaced - completely roadworthy. In fact I was in UNJ at last night's Pendle and Pennine meeting. Probaly in use later today for a run out in the sun.
BRP - taxed on line today, MOT and insured, rear brakes freed off by the garage who did the MOT. Needs a good once over and a sump guard made up ready for the Speedfair rally and the Little Devils in August.
PMW - taxed, with MOT and insurance. Also with transmiaaion vibrations, without a distributor and under a dust cover! So not so ready to roll with this one.
There are different degrees of "readiness" though.
UNJ - taxed, MOT and insured, radiator and dipstick tube replaced - completely roadworthy. In fact I was in UNJ at last night's Pendle and Pennine meeting. Probaly in use later today for a run out in the sun.
BRP - taxed on line today, MOT and insured, rear brakes freed off by the garage who did the MOT. Needs a good once over and a sump guard made up ready for the Speedfair rally and the Little Devils in August.
PMW - taxed, with MOT and insurance. Also with transmiaaion vibrations, without a distributor and under a dust cover! So not so ready to roll with this one.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Back to BRP!
I have just been invited to take part in the Speedfair Rally at Scottish Classic Speedfair, Knockhill July 30th and 31st so this is another incentive to get back to BRP.
2 weeks after that though I am aiming to enter the Little Devils so it's a busy time ahead.
I had intended to get BRP entered for it's MOT this week but the wiper stalk simply broke, here it is removed from the car today and looking very sorry for itself as you can see.
In amongst my second hand spares though was a replacement from an early TR7 but that was held in by one bolt and two rivets rather than 3 bolts as on BRP. So I carefully placed the column switches in my vice supported underneath by a block of wood and drilled out the rivets.
That all worked out well but the bolts from BRP had nothing to grip on in the replacement switch (where the rivets had been) so off came the steering wheel in order for me to fit two small thin screws through the mounting holes and into clips which has done the job very nicely. The fixings are visible below, one bolt at the base of the stalk and two black screw heads further in above and below.
Re-assemble everything and it all works!
Next was a problem with the front near side headlamp not coming on when on main beam. I had a suspicion it was down to my naff wiring and sure enough a scotch lock was the problem where I was taking feed off so as to be available for the Cibie driving lamps when fitted.
I decided to remove the scotch lock, break into the wire and fit bullet connectors which then went into a rubber insulated connector and has solved that one too.
I really must get the heater working too which I think is a cable connector come adrift but that will mean removing the centre console to get at which is more than I can do today. The heater is important as I will need some demisting at different times of the year after all.
I could do with adjusting the rear brakes as well but with time running short I might put it in for MOT and get the garage to adjust them.
Another thing to note is that the car runs OK as regards tick over etc but there's a fair bit of knock from the top end which I suspect is camshaft related. Not entirely happy about that but it was an unkown when I had the head reconditioned so I have no problems with Dale, I took the gamble. I'll see how it goes and decide what, if anything, to do about it later.
2 weeks after that though I am aiming to enter the Little Devils so it's a busy time ahead.
I had intended to get BRP entered for it's MOT this week but the wiper stalk simply broke, here it is removed from the car today and looking very sorry for itself as you can see.
In amongst my second hand spares though was a replacement from an early TR7 but that was held in by one bolt and two rivets rather than 3 bolts as on BRP. So I carefully placed the column switches in my vice supported underneath by a block of wood and drilled out the rivets.
That all worked out well but the bolts from BRP had nothing to grip on in the replacement switch (where the rivets had been) so off came the steering wheel in order for me to fit two small thin screws through the mounting holes and into clips which has done the job very nicely. The fixings are visible below, one bolt at the base of the stalk and two black screw heads further in above and below.
Re-assemble everything and it all works!Next was a problem with the front near side headlamp not coming on when on main beam. I had a suspicion it was down to my naff wiring and sure enough a scotch lock was the problem where I was taking feed off so as to be available for the Cibie driving lamps when fitted.
I decided to remove the scotch lock, break into the wire and fit bullet connectors which then went into a rubber insulated connector and has solved that one too.
I really must get the heater working too which I think is a cable connector come adrift but that will mean removing the centre console to get at which is more than I can do today. The heater is important as I will need some demisting at different times of the year after all.
I could do with adjusting the rear brakes as well but with time running short I might put it in for MOT and get the garage to adjust them.
Another thing to note is that the car runs OK as regards tick over etc but there's a fair bit of knock from the top end which I suspect is camshaft related. Not entirely happy about that but it was an unkown when I had the head reconditioned so I have no problems with Dale, I took the gamble. I'll see how it goes and decide what, if anything, to do about it later.
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