Wot no pistons?

Well that's it I can't bolt anything back to the Stag motor until some pistons turn up. I had to drop back on to a TR5 spec customer engine I'm building in the meantime, same story with that now though as I'm now waiting for pistons for that as well (different supplier). If the pistons aren't here in the morning I could crack on with a couple of customer 1500's if I had more bench space, but a Stag V8, and a 2.5 lump take up most of my available space.
We have had the pleasure (oh missus!) of a very nice young man/customer turned apprentice, helping here whilst on holiday from college. I showed him how to strip calipers this morning and left him to it. He did a excellent job for a young un, restores your faith in the next generation.

Probing orifices!

Well Charlie (our preffered machine shop man) pulled out all the stops and managed to get the Stag block back to me all nicely bored to +20, and decked, before swanning off on another foreign holiday. Although it had been through Charlies steam cleaning chemical bath I still spent a happy afternoon with our steam cleaner probing every orifice and satisfying myself that it was squeaky clean. I then left it to cook in front of the heater before giving it a quick coat of black paint and some new core plugs, and very nice it looks to. I'm just off now to fit the crank. If the pistons turn up on Monday (from Rimmers)then i shall be cooking on gas, I love a plan when it all comes together.

More Stag stuff!

Whilst the blocks away being bored and decked I have been busying myself with one or two little jobs I had been putting off for some time (try 12 years!). Firstly I went around the car changing any of the indicator/sidelight lenses that weren't perfect. I had spent the last 12 years tracking down genuine OE lenses to replace any faded, or otherwise below par examples. Next on the list was fitting that tow bar I had powder coated nearly 15 years ago. This car has to work for a living post the RBRR, and a tow bar is compulsary on all our larger Triumph's. Amongst the other stuff I found in the boot requiring fitting was all the add on's to the fancy alarm system I had fitted back in 94. These add on's include central locking, and automatic window closers all activated from the key fob button. This requires servos to be connected up to the rods in the doors that operate the door locks, try finding space in a Stag door for anything! All this gubbins is interfaced with the alarm with a further two black boxs that have to be wired directly to the alarm/siren. I know it's not like me to be adding weight to our Triumph's, after all we are known as the lightweight aluminium specialists, but the Stag is a different sort of beast.
It had been some time since I had driven a Triumph engined V8 Stag, allthough I regularly drive Rover V8 engined Triumph's, including our own factory saloon prototype, but the chance came recently to reacquaint myself with Triumphs effort. Our friend Mr Chambers (ex-Kipping employee of old) turned up in his Jarva Green example I had helped him find many years ago. Anyway I wrestled the keys off of him and took it for a thrashing, WOW, fantastic, what a great engine! The Rover, and Triumph engines are like chalk and cheese, totally different beasts. What a revelation the Triumph V8 is after being used to the old slugger Rover effort. The Stag engine spins like a top all the way up to the red line at 6,500 rpm, and pulls strong all the way, where as the Rover throws in the towel at 5,000 rpm. I was particularly impressed with it's mid range punch, floor it anywhere between 50-70mph and the thing took off like a scalded cat. I seem to remember back from my real anorak days reading the performance figures that used to be published weekly in the Motor magazine of all cars available on the British market that this was the area where the Stag truely excelled. All cars used to be left in the Stags wake when it came to the crucial overtaking manoeuvre, Astons, Ferrari's, Porches, the lot! I seem to recall that there was only a couple of cars back then that were any faster, and not by much.

CT RBRR preperation begins!

Whipped the motor out of the CC 2006 CT RBRR entry Stag yesterday. Our Stag has been slumbering for 12 years awaiting the call to arms. Needing a re-bore and a set of pistons, (and the time to do it!)has meant it hasn't turned a wheel since 1994, and the previous tax disc before that was 1982, not a regular use Triumph in our fleet I have to admit. I'll finish off stripping the engine down to a bare block today and we can get it off to Charlies for a re-bore this afternoon.

Near death experience caused by wedgie!

I wonder what that would have looked like on the insurance/coroners report? There I was on this bright and beautiful sunny morning minding my own business on the way in to work in the Herald when it all went Pete Tongue. As I hammered past Seeswood Pool (local 'beauty' spot) at a respectable 70 odd mph, with not another vehicle in sight, I felt the need to adjust my undercarriage (sorry about this but it is a crucial bit of the story). As I raised myself up the seat putting pressure on the backrest the front seat fixings decided to pull through the floor. I ended up in a reclining position with my head resting on the back seat. How I maintained any sort of control I will never know. When I got back up I was on the wrong side of the road still doing 70. I managed to wobble the rest of the way to work only nearly coming a cropper again as I pulled away sharpish from Fillongley crossroads in an attempt to beat the local milk float accross the junction. In all this excitement I plain forgot about my trolley misalignment, priorities I suppose.

Workshop comings and goings.

The workshop continues to be busy as ever as work ramps up from customers old and new. One leaving us this week was a Vitesse MKII convertible bought sight unseen by it's new owner locally from the wife of the cars original owner. The new owner lives in Aberdeen so it was somewhat of a leap of faith to buy this one. Trailored straight to our door a couple of weeks ago Jason has been through the car with a fine tooth comb after it's 7 year lay-up. Needing a fair bit doing in the braking department, and a partially siezed engine, this one was fundamentaly sound however and finally went through it's MOT last week. Anyway it's gone now, and all the way back to Scotland on it's first real journey in 7 years! Still have the same guys 13/60 convertible here, nice low mileage, original car, in for service and MOT. Look out for this one as it might be up for sale after we have finished with it.
The workshop is crying out for a makeover but it's been just to busy with customers cars to think about it recently. A lick of paint, a re-wire, and maybe another ramp, is needed sometime over the winter, we will see.

MK1 PI's and that sort of thing!

Busy CC car park with two MK1 PI's in attendance! Tony Luxton's battle scarred example (the ex Chatters RON), and Colin Caines super white example nearing the end of a comprehensive resto.