Not a surprise!

It's not a surprise the 2000 was making a "clonk" on the run back from the Essex Winter Rally - see below!
Yes, that's a completely snapped shock absorber on the offside rear. PMW hasn't seen anything like the kind of use it's getting now in a long long time and bits are starting to complain!

So I'll be using the Rimmer Bros vouchers I got at Christmas to buy a pair of rear shock absorbers and a ball joint for the front.

Meanwhile, BRP is closer to running but not yet there - we are getting first a very slow engine turnover (but at least with no nasty noises) and then only the dreaded click of death! Further investigation of earth leads and starter motor connections next week.

Soon though, if it's not running I'll be switching the focus on to PMW and making that ready for the HCR.

A Standard TR7 Sprint

Standard - that's what I am aiming for after previous experience! Well, as standard in the engine department as a 16valve TR7 can be anyway.

So here's the standard camshaft sprocket - the vernier one is in the boot!

Having a day off work gave me the chance to carry on with the build and the picture below is at a very good place in proceedings; putting oil in.

What it can't show though, is that I had got on well with bolting up the front engine cover only to have that sinking feeling I get when I think thoughts like "I think there's a couple of gaskets missing".

Yes, there was so it had to come off again! Still, it was worthwhile as the sump gasket had been moved out of place where it joins the front engine cover so I was able to get that fixed as well.

After all that and putting the oil in I fitted the radiator and filled that with coolant too. Along with the alternator and fan belt back on it's looking close to an effort to start it this weekend.


Just the exhaust manifold to go on and then it's finger's crossed - wish me luck!

HCR & BRP

I have posted the entry off for the Historic Counties today and am certainly looking forward to it.

My co-driver will be Sarah and the car is BRP so it will be great to get the three of us back together again.

Which leads me on to BRP - not running but slowly coming back together. Thanks Kevin for coming over this afternoon and three hours work resulted in not alot to write up but a long way forward. The timing chain is on, new tensioner fitted and the standard camshaft sprocket used (need to fit the second bolt!).

Not only that but we made sure the jackshaft was in the right spot for the dizzy cap to be pointing at number 1.

Then with the engine front cover fitted we turned the engine over by hand and no horrible noises were heard and neither did the engine jam up in any way.

Looking hopeful then. If BRP isn't running though and all hunky dory by mid Feb I'll abandon the plan to use it for the HCR and switch focus back to PMW and use that. It will need TLC before another outing though but mid Feb to end March should give me enough time.

Talking of PMW, here's photos courtesy of Mike Banks of us competing last weekend

PMW & the CT Essex Winter rally

Collected PMW from my brothers' on Saturday.

Malcolm and Harvey had fitted the "new" distributor as well as the new speedo cable - thanks chaps! They did advise me though that there was a dodgy ball joint and that it would be wise to turn round and go home.

So obviously I headed south!

Being cautious down the M1 and then A1 I arrived in Potters Bar OK and had a lovely meal with Ellis Stokes, his wife Ann and another CT member, Keith Compton-Bishop.

Sunday saw us head off for the 12 car rally and on the 1 hour run up to the start a vibration began to develop - could be propshaft or driveshaft UJ(s). So, bearing in mind the dodgy balljoint a steady run was in order.

After plotting section one we set off and obeserved as best we could with a "waving speedo" the average speed tie breaker. It's clear why Ellis is one of the best navigators in the club - solving a circular herringbone in itself shows that.

There were some enjoyable roads on the route but I was very conscious of car preservation on quite a few rough surfaces where the tarmac had broken up.

The result of our efforts though was third overall, which I am very happy with and is pretty much down to Ellis - thanks mate.

Then back to drop Ellis off when more clonks started to be heard . These were not helped by an awful pothole on the M25 just east of the M11 junction which I couldn't/didn't avoid and the car dropped into with a right clonk and a twitch from the rear.

All that remained then was a 60 mph steady drive home up the A1. I remember quite a noise from the rear of the car near Blythe which sounded like something broke (!) and the car became very twitchy. Arrived home at 9PM after all that though but with at least a ball joint needing replacement and some investigation/rectification of various vobrations and "clonks" to be done.

Finishing as I mean to go on

After the philosophy of the last blog entry here's my update on working on Triumphs - again!

Yes, back to BRP and bolting everything back together again. There we are - cylinder head on and the front cover on temporarilywith the front pulley whilst I set it to TDC.

Then, following the works manual the front cover comes off to check that the jackshaft is in the right place. It's not possible to see here but there's a scribed line on the jackshaft sprocket that is at 9 o'clock but should be at 3 0'clock so just 180 out then. Setting it right meant though that the rotor arm is pointing at number 4 not number 1 - ho hum, if I remember rightly now come to think of it we did move the distributor back in April to get the car running. More of this kind of stuff to come!

Still, for now I contented myself with bolting the inlet manifold on and getting back into the swing of things. Not sure when I'll get back to the task though as there's Pendle and Pennine "Not the Xmas meal" coming up followed by the Essex Winter rally in the 2000. Kevin, if you are reading this I will probably be giving you a ring in a couple of weeks to see if you fancy helping out again!

Meanwhile, having mentioned the 2000 Bryce and I collected the original engine for it from Craig along with the manual non overdrive gearbox. It would need cleaning, some investigation and some bearing shells but these earlier "flat top" piston 2000 engines have slightly more power according to Chris Witor (the 2000 guru) and it would be nice one day to restore the original engine back into the car - just not anytime soon!!

I have bought a good secondhand distributor though from him, suitable for the later 2000 engine fitted and without the wear of the one that's in it - just a question of dropping it off with my brothers and seeing if we can get it fitted and the car running as reliably as I would like.

Round and round

Now and again I start reflecting on all this Triumph business. This is usually when one of the cars is acting up or when I have some time out of the usual routine to think - both have happened recently!

This week we also took my wife's Peugeot in to the main dealers for a recall which was no big deal but I couldn't help but notice they had for sale a 53 plate Mazda MX5 £4995. Just downthe road from us there's another one at £3800 ish complete with very smart hardtop.

Now, if I sold all my Triumphs and their spares I could buy an MX5 and enjoy reliable fun motoring for years without having to spend at least 2 hours every weekend working on a car under my carport (as I will be again later today).

Sounds good to me - all those roadtrips just enjoying the driving.

But then - what about the part Club Triumph plays in my life. Sure I wouldn't have to own a Triumph to be a member but how much of an "enthusiast" would I be if I had sold all the cars I owned? Not much!

It would also be the end of entering the Club Triumph driving events which quite rightly must be done in a Triumph car - I can't see myself coming to terms with that.

What about the historic rallying? Did Tony Pond drive a Maxda MX5? That answers that one then.

So it's back to "I just need to do this to the 2000, rebuild BRP and fit the group 4 brakes followed by upgrading the suspension and brakes on UNJ before sorting out the misfire". Not much there really (!) after which I will experience trouble free driving in 3 Triumphs - oh yeah!

In all seriousness though, in normal driving a TR7 convertible is perfectly capable of modern motoring and is far more striking than any MX5 so I have made the right decision again - haven't I?

Brian Hanrahan - a real memory

Sad to hear that Brian Hanrahan, BBC correspondent has died at the young age of 61.

His reporting from the Falklands War in 1982 will always be a strong memory for me.