What happened to Joe?

Some of you might be wondering what happened to Joe, recently ex of Canley Classics. Well I can now reveal that he has a pretty new wife.

Pictured above is the simple wedding ceremony. Congratulations Joe from us all here at Canley Classics.

Testing testing

Its been over a year since my last Blog, don't time fly! In the meantime they went and changed the Blog format again, so here is a little test to see how it works.

Last weekend my RBRR co-driver and I decided to get this years entry (our Herald Coupe) out or storage for a bit of fresh air. Daylight revealed it to be in better health than I remember only really needing a valet, and a bit of a buff up nearer the day.

MOT time

I reached a bit of a hiatus last year with roadworthy (taxed & MOT'd) vehicles in the fleet, I think it reached the remarkable total of ten. As the year progressed they started to drop off the list as MOT's lapsed, and the horrible winter made me disinclined to do anything about it. It got to the point recently where the only two legal cars left were the Atlas, and one of the 948 Heralds. The poor old Atlas soldiered on through the winter as my only form of transport, and Clare used the 948 when she wasn't using the daughters Focus.

First car back in the system was our Stag which was needed for a Top Gear film shoot in Blackpool a month or so ago. That continues to be used by Clare off and on.



Stag in old TVR factory on Top Gear film shoot.


As a back up to the Atlas I have decided to get this back on the road;



It will be good to get some miles under it's belt prior to the RBRR in October as I have never really used it since we restored it a few years ago

World Cup Rally 40 celebrations, Car Number 1 progress.

Car Number 1 at or near the start of the World Cup Rally 1970
Picture courtesy Ted Taylor



Jacking point detail, and corrosion evident on aluminium doorskin.




Front wing vent, and spotlight mounting detail.

It's been a while since any major work was carried out to our World Cup PI. I spent a couple of weeks just prior to the Christmas holidays before last on major surgery to the bodywork. Those of you who have seen the car know what's involved in putting the roof right!
All the recent hoo ha surrounding the anniversary of the rally has inspired me to pull the dust sheet off and think about starting again. Not that I need inspiration, owning a genuine World Cup PI was always one of my greatest ambitions. However one still has to make a living and private projects play second fiddle to paying the bills!
I'll try and keep you up to date of progress when, and if, I start swinging the welding torch again!

I hate electronic ignition!

MKIII V8 shares car park with famous Spitfire.

We taxed the V8 for 6 months (the only car we own that we have to pay the rent on!) during the 'summer' and used it on and off up until the end of November. Nothing much to report on this year regarding work on the car as it went straight through the MOT after a rear wheel cylinder change, and was subsequently 100% reliable (or 110% as they say on X factor).

That was up until the week before I was due to bring it back into work and put it to bed for the winter. Pulling off the drive at home it suddenly died, and refused to start. I've isolated it to the ignition module in the distributor which I had problems with a couple of years ago. My experience with electronic ignitions of all types is not a happy one, they have proven to be one of the most unreliable areas of my Triumph driving history over the years. The V8 is the last car we own that still relies on the devils work to get a spark to the cylinders. I might investigate swapping the distributor for an earlier points & condenser P6 unit in an effort to improve reliability in the future. Meanwhile it sits in the garage at home in disgrace waiting for me to fix it which might take a while as I don't work on cars at home, ever!

New pictures!

I am indebted to Ted Taylor for sending me a raft of new (new to me) pictures of BYE at the start of, and during the 1970 World Cup Rally.

Thanks Ted, that's all I needed to raise the enthusiasm levels and dust off the welding gear!

Everyday Atlas

Courier and Atlas towards the end of the summer (remember that?).

Since I put the oldest (roadworthy) Herald to bed in September I have gone back to using the Atlas as my everyday transport. All well and good for the first couple of months, but just recently the cold damp mornings are beginning to take there toll on my enthusiasm. Jumping into an ice box at 6am every morning and then suffering the hurricane force drafts, the terminally leaky windscreen seal, and a heater that's about as much use as a fart in a colander is getting me down. Don't get me wrong I still love my Atlas, but me thinks I need something more civilised back on the road during winters worst. Come back the Chicane all is forgiven!