RBRR '14 plans B and C

Plan B for the RBRR in the event of problems with FRanK is Dad's mk1 2000 Cecil.
If we have to go to plan C we will use Dad's T6 (mk1 GT6 LeMans body).
I don't fit in that very well so we will really have to have exhausted all possibilities before we turn up at 'The Plough' next year in that.



RBRR '14 Team 78 preperation starts here......

In 2010 and 2012, we used HOE for the RBRR, for 2014 it's FRanK's turn. Figuring that it's never too early to start preparing for an event like this, back in September we started on new preparation facilities.

First thing to do was a good clear out. So after many trips to the tip and back, my work, Amanda's parents cellar and the loft the garage was empty. We had managed to squirrel everything away.



So then we knocked the garage down........carefully though, as we wanted to re-use as many of the rooftiles and bricks as we could. Then we handed over the reins to our next door neighbour and builder Kevin.



Along with some of his mates he dug holes, filled skips and layed concrete. Bricks and blocks were layed, drains re-routed and scaffolding arrived.

One of the holes was lined and bricked up, with a steel frame around the top, I'm sure this could come in useful in the future, not sure what for yet though.

This is how the 'facilities' were shaping up this morning, although I did help Kevin with some felting and battening on the roof after this photo. By this time next week the roof will be finished and the windows fitted. Roller shutters front and back will make everything weather tight and secure after that and then Amanda and I can start the interior fit out of our new bedroom with ensuite and dressing area. Time to make use of being an electrician and building services engineer.  

Once that is done, I can start on the cars' new room and then FRanK's preparation for next year's event. So in a roundabout way preparation had already begun before the entry form arrived from Club Triumph. Hope we started early enough!

New arches for HOE

After what seems like an age, we now have repair panels or full panels to give HOE a much needed lift in the bodywork department

The final pieces needed were repair sections for the front wings.

These will look great on the car with a new front valance, rear wings and new rear valance.

The sills were replaced (Stanpart full outers and Earlpart middles) just before the 2010 RBRR so I guess the panel gathering has been going on since then.

The repair sections have plenty of metal in them and I fully expect Pete Johnson (Yorkshire Triumphs) to trim them a bit before welding them in, they do seem to have a very good profile with the arch shape flattening slightly at the top as per original.

I am very pleased to have got hold of these...Cheers Phill.

So by the start of the 2014 RBRR HOE should be looking very ship shape.

STAR90 and continued convalescence.

Last Sunday was show day at Gaydon for part of the STAR90 celebrations. We were blessed with possibly the nicest day of the year so far, certainly a lot better than the weather I can see out of the window as I write this post! As always Amanda and I were organising the 2000 Register stand for the event and had arranged (we felt) a good selection of mk1 and 2 cars for visitors to enjoy.

We also had a row of big saloons opposite the stand, basking in the sun, the whole day was a very enjoyable affair and I must publicly thank everyone who provided cars and helped with the stand including Sharon, Derek and Jamie Furnell and Amanda. She not only does all the driving at the moment, but had to do the lion's share of the stand setting up as I still have a cast on my ankle.

There were lots of superb Standards and Triumphs on display and in attendance, my favourite has to be the Stag fastback though, a car that Triumph surely should have put into production (GT8?).

Back at home this week I have managed to do a few small jobs on HOE.

The offside rear door handle had decided to stop working over the weekend, the button seemed a liitle proud of it's normal position. A quick strip of the trim panel and removal of the handle proved all that was needed, the bolt in the back that presses against the lock mechanism had loosened off. So that was sorted.

The temperature gauge had stopped working, so after proving the gauge by earthing down the sender cable I replaced the sender with a second hand one and the gauge reads far more accurately than the outgoing Lincolnshire sourced temp. sender ever did!

Also the standard S steering wheel has developed a split in the leather at the 2 o'clock position, the stitching had also started to come apart in the same place.

Pete Johnson at Yorkshire Triumphs had given me a very good late Stag wheel (the same apart from the centre pad). After some cleaing of the spokes with Autosol it was installed. It looks far better than the old one did even when we bought the car in early 2008. Amanda assures me it is much nicer to drive with too.

Yesterday I spent the day at Yorkshire Triumphs helping out with some admin and words of encouragement. I think the lads have taken pity on me and are trying to reieve my boredom.

Pete currently has a GT6 with a difference in for some bodywork. The front and rear arch flares have been fabricated on site in steel, even though the bonnet is fibreglass. Pete is having to use a skim of filler here and there to blend in. The engine is a Volvo T4 unit which has over 250bhp, the rear end is an un-narrowed Sierra Cosworth item (I think), the car is fully caged and has a lowered drivers side floor to gain some headroom. In the flesh it looks like a GT6 which has been morphed with an early 911 RS. Looking foward to seeing this on the road and at Blyton with it's owner Ian Cottam.

Richard at Yorkshire Triumphs was getting a customers TR6 running after a body resto and general freshen up, the injection system can be a challenge to work on and everyday is a school day.........we got it there in the end.

All change but no change

In the last few weeks I have been chauffered around by Amanda, we have done a run in the estate at the beginning of April, also on drive it day and last sunday to the coast for a fish and chips run. To say I am a little fed up with not being able to walk or drive would be an understatement, but hey ho.

I had an appointment with the consultant yesterday for the latest check on my ankle's progress. So I started the day in plaster much as I finished the last blog entry. After Xrays it was time for a look with the latest cast taken off. This is the third rendition so far as they have removed them in the past to check the healing progress. I knew that I was starting to show signs of muscle wastage on my thigh but when the cast was removed I was surprised by how much my lower leg has lost.

The Xrays were thankfully showing no problems and the healing process seems fine after 7 and a half weeks. the picture below shows the main incision site on the side of my foot (which is a little swollen) 

The photo below shows the wound where the screws were put in to secure the heel bone. This wound is taking a long time to heel due to the lack of air around it in the cast. Monitoring this was the reason for the casts being removed previously. I have photos of how it looked after 10days, horror make up best describes that.

So I have now got a cast back on, just as before with the next review in 4 weeks time......All change but no change!

Stoneleigh, a non starter and a new vehicle.

First blog update for some time then.

So what have I been up to? Stoneleigh spares day at the beginning of March was the traditional season opener, as always Amanda and I were putting on the Triumph 2000 Register stand with a little help from our friends. The lovely mk1 pi below belonging to Norfolk Pete was only just released from the workshop of Pete johnson and Yorkshire Triumphs that morning. It was on our stand two years ago at Stoneleigh in 'barn find' condition. It's a long way from that now since spending a lot of time having a full restoration at the Rawcliffe based Triumph specialists.

By the Sunday morning show start we had 12 mk1s, both saloons and estates on the stand, with lots of people looking athe cars and chatting with both old friends and new.

It was typically quite cold but it is March. Darren Stone's excellent two tone 2000 was one of 3 two tone cars on the stand and attracted a lot of attention. 

Also debuting were two new designs of pull up banners depicting just mk1s (in honour of the 50th anniversary this year)

Also attracting lots of attention was Andy Borris's valencia mk1 with motive force from Bavaria. There has been no surgery to the body in transplanting the 24valve all alloy 2.5 litre six and E30 5 speed box into the car, just modifications to the engine and gearbox subframes. There isn't much spare room under the bonnet now though. Dad and I were lucky enough to take the car out for a drive. WOW doesn't really cover it, but what Andy has achieved is fantastic and a far better transplant than the default Rover V8 so commonly found in big saloon engine bays. Well done Andy.

Back at home I had the monday after Stoneleigh booked off, so I got to unpack the trailer and sort the garage and cars out. Shuffling the cars about I found the PI was a little reluctant in the starting department. When I went to put it back in the garage it wouldn't even turn over! Once I had checked a few things and decided it was the starter motor at fault I had to wait for Amnada to get home and help me tow start the pi so I could get it back on the drive. I had a spare starter motor in stock so jacked FRanK up nice and high to give room to extract the failed one.

Once out I noticed a difference between this motor and the spare I had. A quick chat with Dave Harvey confirmed the compatability of the spare as the photo below shows the original is physically bigger, it doesn't show how much heavier it is though!

After bolting the 'new' starter in the car it was still not turning. I gave up then as it was very cold and returned to it a couple of days later. I found that the motor was just reluctant to awake from it's slumber. After bridging the solenoid out half a dozen times the starter turned as it should and once the small connections were re-instated the starter was business as usual. In fact the replacement 2M100 starter seems much more energetic than the original M418G that it replaced, something that Dave Harvey had told me would be the case. And so to the new vehicle.

Last year I had an ankle op which was not as successful as was hoped, so I was back under the scalpel last week for a much bigger procedure. This time I have a half leg cast which is non load bearing for the next 3 months (possibly) so even using crutches is much harder than before. This has left me with having to obtain new wheels for the foreseeable future and being its my right ankle even an auto was out of the question.

At least it's easy to park .

And the offending limb as it rests now. I'm not really enjoying the forced convalescense so far.