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.

Rally cars.

Got to swap motors with Andy Martin last night on the way down to the Manor pub in Fillongley. Not really a fair swap, I drove his Monte Vitesse 6002 VC, and he drove my 'living on the edge' 13/60 estate. He said he liked it! Over a glass of 'pop' we discussed one of Andy's other passion's his World Cup Rally test car, and Scottish Rally winning 2.5 PI WRX 902H. Andy had just aquired the last of the considerable history file for WRX from previous owner Tom Seal. As we sat digesting this treasure trove one picture stuck out as being a little differant. It showed the 2.5PI's lined up under assembly in the Abingdon workshops. One car in particular stuck out as having a completely differant fuel tank spec to the others, then the penny dropped, it's our car, car No1 the privately entered but factory built car. At last a picture confirming that it the majority of the build was done by Abingdon themselves, and a very important picture that will help considerably towards the car's restoration.

Projects

As trade settles down to manageble level after a cracking start to the season (runs through February to November), it's time to look forward to getting back to some long term projects in the workshop. If Jason grants me enough space amongst the customers cars in there, then it's only down to deciding which to pick from amongst the queue of likely candidates. First off we have to pull the engine out of our RBBR entry Stag last used and driven over 10 years ago, dosn't time fly! Needing only a bore and a set of pistons when it came off the road it's sure to need a bit more doing now. It will be interesting to see how our cars are standing up to long term storage in the museum, the Stag was a beauty when it went in there?
Next my Chicane needs less than a couple of days spent on it replacing some of the trim left off after it's last respray, and other odd's an sod's. I'm missing the Chicane, it's been over a year since I last drove it, and after nearly 300,000 miles it was/is the most reliable Triumph Iv'e ever owned, touch's a very large piece of wood!
I keep looking at the Macau and thinking it's about time that got sorted. After spending the last 4 or 5 years scouring the World successfully for all it's original 70X engine components from 1965, it's about time I put it all together again.
I would love to do the Gold Seal plastic Spitfire, I have tracked down enough spare 70X engine bits to build a motor for that as well. Only trouble is this Spitfire's restoration is a bit more complicated than an engine rebuild. Famous for running at the Maggelo (spelling?) circuit in the late 60's this is an exciting car as the other Gold Seal car was smashed to pieces during the same race.
One other Spitfire that's restoration has been on-going over the early part of this year (all be it slowly) is the Le Mans car we have aquired as a pile of bits from one of the ex-factory race guys. Difficult to hang an identity on it now due to the way the last few cars were used/crashed/disposed of, research is on-going. This car need's many years of careful work having been crashed very heavily in it's early career, and having spent the remaining 40 odd years in a disassembled state in various less than sympathetic storage.
The other monster restoration on the horizon is our World Cup rally 2.5PI, I'd love to do that, but there isn't enough hours in the day, week, month, year!

Le Mans Spifire owners club meeting tonight!

Not quite but it is the monthly Club Triumph meeting (any Triumph owner welcome) at the Weavers Inn at Fillongley from 7.30 onwards. We are hoping to be joined by the the other Le Mans Spitfire owner Herve Lequipe tonight who's over buying some alloy panels for ADU 3B from us. Along with John Baptiste Herve has been restoring 3B for some years, come along and ask to see progress on his lap-top. Also trying to persaude Canley's newest employee to come along. You may remember Jason if you are a Kipping customer of old, he was John's 'star' mechanic, the only Kipping employee to untake a full apprentership if I remember correctly? Jason has returned to the fold after a long break from classic cars in the dealership network (Audi). His credentials are most impressive, MOT testers licence, a spell with Jeremy Clarkson on location servicing his E type whisl't he did that pan european series on TV. He also sports the largest tool box ever to grace Canleys, it's larger than some of our competitors workshops! Also trying to get TR6 owner Adam along, ask him about his recent exploits with car trailer and new Jaguar saloon in tow!
If the weather stays like this you'll probably find us in the garden out back, bring some sun tan lotion!