Tuesday 28 October 2008

Suzuki set to buy Triumph marque from BMW!

Well that headline might get me a few more visitors to the blog! However, my best attempts to make the Swift look like a Vitesse at the Restoration Show at Stoneleigh on Sunday were thwarted by eagle-eyed 'experts'.

I have now got some early learning fridge magnet letters to spell 'Triumph' out accross the bonnet so I won't look so daft at the next classic event.




Back to the car, Garth (TSSC area AO and all round decent bloke) has created a little colour chart for me so I can start to get ready for painting. Just need some sun so I can work out whether my car is (mostly) Delft or Sapphire. It's worse than Dulux (Oatmeal Vs Barley white etc.)


Still need to finish removing the electrics and steering column from the car before I think of paint - but won't be long!

Sunday 19 October 2008

Dash removal

Now it's time to start getting ready to remove the bulkhead so that it can be replaced with the lovely new one I got from Clive in Brighton.


Once the battery was removed, I managed to remove the dash carefully photographing the connections as I went (I hope they'll make sense later on). For now I have reconnected everything as was - so that I can label them later this week. I did end up with six unknown wires in a lovely lilac shade - hopefully I can find out what they're for!!!

I'm seriously thinking of replacing the entire loom - but we shall see. I'll contact AutoSparks in Notts to see how many £££s it will be.

Before...


After...


I'll finish removing the electrics and then start removing anything else from the bulkead such as wipers, heater matrix etc. I'm hoping I can leave everything lent on the engine whilst the swap takes place. Should only be the steering column that I'll need to remove (hopefully).

So, progress at last!


I'm now also considering painting all of the wood rather than replacing it with varnish etc. Probably paint it body colour - the wood just looks too 'old duffer' for me. This could be a decision that I later regret!!!

Wednesday 15 October 2008

Another Vitesse saved!

The rear tub sold on eBay for an amazing £62! Now, I'm not ready to retire on this windfall, but it has kept another Vitesse alive. Pat came over from Leicester last night to pick up the tub - he's restoring a Vitesse that was taken apart over 20 years ago!!! Bet he gets his finished before I do!!! Really nice chap, with a nice family - I look forward to bumping into him (not literally) when both cars are on the road.

I still need to swap the bulkhead over - just waiting for a decent day to roll the car out and start work again. Really could do with another garage - but I'm still waiting to her back from the council on that....

Saturday 4 October 2008

eBay Bargain

The online tat bazaar now has a new entry....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=220289147915

Just got to check that my new one has all the appropriate fixings before anyone buys it....

Thursday 2 October 2008

Red Backside!

Well we survived the trip to Brighton. Luckily the chap I bought the tub and bulkhead from was more prepared than I was and rigged up the body parts in the back of the van as I managed to turn up without anything! Huge thanks to Clive for helping us out.
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So I now have a new rear tub, which I have already sat on the car - and it looks spot on.



The bulkhead is a minter too...


I paid £360 for both, which is a bargain when you consider the cost of repair panels or someone to have performed the welding.

Hopefully this weekend I can get the dash out of the car and start to contemplate removing the existing bulkhead. Then it's chassis time before paint and reassembly.

The old rear tub will be going on eBay tonight. Anyone know anyone that needs a rusty lump of Triumph.....???