44 days to go!

A little bird has just reminded me that there is only 44 days to go before the kick off to that highlight of the Triumph calender the 2004 RBRR. Other entrants seem to be in the throws of putting the finishing touches to their steeds. As usual (traditional) the Canley entry sits forlornly awaiting any attention at all! We (Team Canley; Jason Chinn, Jerry and yours truly) have entered in a real rarity, one of the 4 2600 MK111 saloon prototypes we own, Triumph's last ditch attempt to squeeze another few years out of the 2000 range pending the introduction of the SD1 6 cyl range, using the same engine, i.e the 2300/2600 Triumph developed OHC 6 cyl. Only the MK111 we are using never actually got 6 cyl running gear, as neither did the majority of the 30 + prototype shells produced, as far as we can ascertain only 4 or 5 of the cars got 2600 engines. Our cars have fitted TR7 16 valve engine and 5 speed box, 'normal' Triumph OHV 2500 running gear (the wifes everyday car), a 2600 OHC and 5 speed box, and our RBRR entry fitted with TR8 V8 and 5 speed box. Ray Henderson (Triumphs chief engineer) once explained to me on one of his visits here that very early on the whole MK111 project was soon sidelined and the spare shells were used in a variety of other projects mainly to do with the introduction of the TR7, hence the 16 valve car, and the V8. I remember as a lad (this would have been 1972-4) seeing the experimental guys tooling around locally in thinly disguised TR7's and these special saloons, distinguished by the raised centre section of the bonnet (originally there to accommodate the taller OHC 2600 engine). Even then the saloons looked, and sounded radically different to the normal 2000 family, I must admit to being quite confused as to the 4 cyl exhaust noise coming from some of them! As strange coincidences go it gets no stranger than having these cars not 50 yards away from our neihbouring business the owner of which's husband was actually one of those experimental drivers!

44 days to go, hmm, when was the last time I drove the V8? Come to think of it' it was 1998, I wonder where the keys are, and the exhaust system, and the radiator, and the ?!!!