Bargains to be had!

As ever we are always struggling for space here. As I'm sure you are aware, the more storage space you are given the more stuff you seem to be able to cram into it, but eventually something has to give. That time is now, time for a very early spring clean, and we are using our ebay shop to do it. Initially we are sorting through the bulkier (because it takes up more space!) secondhand panelwork. Stuff like Dolomite doors, bootlids and bonnets, I don't know where they came from I'm sure? All good stuff, but it has to go, so we are putting no reserve's on anything, and very reasonable 'buy it now' prices. Could be your last chance to get some real bargains. Other models are being catered for as well, so it's worth taking a look whatever your Triumph. Don't wait for the next time, there might not be one! One more thing, keep looking because we shall be adding stuff to the shop as we find it over the next few days.



http://www.canleyclassics.com/ebay

70X Le Mans forged pistons aplenty!

As will probably already know we have been gathering parts to restore the Macau Spitfire back to 1965 70X running gear specification. We have had one or two lucky breaks including returning it's original aluminum 8 port head to the UK with the help of the guy who took it off in the first place, the great Kas Kastner. Other engine parts came back with the head including the Weber inlet manifolds (the original 45 DCOE Webers still being fitted to the 6cyl Kastner engine up to recently still fitted in the Macau [with the addition of a third carb obviously!]). Up until this week the only parts we were going to struggle with were the unique forged Alcan 70X 1200 pistons, well not any more! Since returning back home from our jaunt around the Caribbean I have found time to start chasing down leads on all sorts of bits and pieces we are going to need for several of our cars in the restoration que (including one or two whole cars maybe?). One of these leads bore fruit, and vitually on our doorstep, several sets of original Alcan 70X pistons! It's amazing what's still floating around Coventry if you know where to look.
Only early last year we collected what we thought was the last of the Cox/Clarke, Gold Seal Spitfire racing parts cache when our good freind Peter Clarke finally retired and cleared out one of his lock ups in Coventry before moving to deepest Wales. How wrong I was! Imagine the excitement when I got the call in August last year from Peter up in the area again clearing out yet another lock up of mostly TR stuff prior to heading off to the Malvern TR International. It went like this, 'Boy (Peter calls everyone boy?) get yourself and a van down to Allesley village (a stones throw from the former Canley Triumph plant) in 15 minutes, I might have something here to interest you!' Well he most deffinately did have something to interest me, and a few quid lighter, we struggled back to Canley Classics not quite believing our good fortune. A little more research is required on exactly what we have before we go public, but lets just say it requires careful analaysis of the fates of the various 'works' Spitfire racers!

World Cup Rally / Roy Fidler / Paper pants!

I had a long and interesting (and very amusing!) telephone converstation with Roy Fidler (ex works Triumph rally driver) the other day on the subject of the 1970 World Cup Rally (London to Mexico). The reason for my call had initially been to further investigate one of the lesser known Triumph's involved in that rally, entry number 1, a works built but privately entered 2.5PI, which Roy had been one of the crew members in. Roy was a fountain of knowlege and a great help. Just the day before he had been staring at a picture in his office of this very car before the start of the rally at Wembley and wondering about its fate, spooky or what? I was able to put his mind to rest about the current location of his World Cup drive as its been safely ensconsed in our workshop under a cover for the past 12 months or so.
The conversation eventually got around to underpants (as it does), or more correctly the provision of underwear for the worlds longest and most ardous rally. Worrying about the provision of washing facilities, and/or the weight penalty of carrying sufficient undergarments for the three crew for the duration of the rally, the cars owner/sponsor provided disposable paper pants for the crew! Oh dear, sounds a bit sore to me, its probably a good thing that they only got as far as the South of France!