The steering column is now ready to go in the car. I shall leave it until I get round to changing the rack. I'm also thinking of replacing the coupling. Jigsaw do a coupling for the Dolomite which should fit Baby Blue and it is supposed to improve the steering. I also want to fit some poly steering rack bushes. I know that Chris Witor sells these for the Dolomite and I think that they'll fit as well. The wheel swap has been completed and I made sure that the tyres had enough air in them before I fitted the wheels. (I don't know why I didn't think of it when I swapped the fronts!)  

Indicator stalk

I'vw now got myself an indicator stalk but when I compared it to my original I found out that the wires and plug are different so I'll have to cannibalise my old wiring swapping the wires over one-by-one, a pig of a job but do-able and when done it will work. I think that Triumph changed things slightly during the prouction run of the Dolomite as my replacement stalk came out of a later Dolomite. Once it's fitted I can assemble the steering column and it will be ready to go back in once I've fitted the replacement steering rack. I'll also see if I can finish the wheel swap.

The front seat head restraints came in the post today and I fitted them straight away and I think it has improved the car. The latest eBay bargain at 99p (plus a tenner for postage & packing but good value anyway) Once I've got that cambelt change done that's more or less it for anything major. 

At last I did it! I've now got my indicator switch off. I managed to remove the adjustable clamp and it was plain sailing after that. I did a bit of sanding down on the paaintwork and went over it with the last of my aerosol primer. 

Well I got the brake pipe sorted out. It only cost me a pound to have a new pipe made up at my local motor factor. After fitting the pipe I then fitted the wheels that came off the spares car. I noticed that one of them had a Firestone tyre. I knew the spares car had better tyres than Baby Blue. I also treated her to a paint job. Just an aerosol of blue paint to cover all the grey primer. I thought that Olympic Blue (that's what it said on the tin) would be a close match for French Blue but it wasn't. It doesn't matter because I can go over it again with the right colour and it's better to have too much paint than not enough. Anyway she looks better for it as you can see in the pic. Looks nice with those Sprint seats! 

Wheel swap

Taken the front wheels off Baby Blue and put them on the spares car. The tyres on the front wheels off the spares car are better than the ones off Baby Blue and they're in the boot of the Acclaim at the moment. I've had to come home to write this and when I've done I'll got back to Baby Blue to fit the front wheels and then I can do it all over again with the back wheels. I'll also need to sort out that section of brake pipe as well.

Triumph addict!

I missed out on the silver Acclaim CD on eBay. I was outbid in the dying seconds but the limit I'd set myself had been exceeded so I let it go...
There was another nice HLS in metallic bronze which looks like a beauty. The pics didn't seem to do it justice and by the item description it seems to have been well looked after. I'm hoping to tempt the seller with cash as I have the money after being paid out for my Ford Mondeo when the insurnace wrote it off. I might not even get another Acclaim. I had a go in a Dolomite 1850HL and it was a beauty! I'd love one! (or a Sprint if I could afford it! The 1850HL is the next best thing.)
I wasted an hour last night trying to dismantle the steering column which I need to do if I'm to fit a replacement indicator switch. If only I could get that blasted adjustment bracket off! There's a pin which I can't get out. Once that's out I'm there. How frustrating!
I had a go at changing the timing belt on the Acclaim but soon gave up. It is an absolute pig of a job and beyond me at the moment. On the plus side I was able to tension the alternator drive belt as it would slip now and again. One of the number plate bulbs failed so I robbed one off Baby Blue to get it working again. Did you know that in the UK it is illegal to have bulbs that aren't working even in daylight? It is also an MoT failure point.

Mot much doing at the moment

I received my new cambelt in the post today. Yesterday I won a pair of front seat head restraints on eBay for only 99p! I'm thinking about replacing the Acclaim with a better one. There's 3 nice ones on eBay at the moment. I put in a bid for a Silver CD and was immediately outbid. I might put in a higher bid but I'd better get my skates on because the auction for this one ends in less than 2 hours (the the time of writing)
Baby Blue needs a new brake pipe from the flexi hose to the caliper as the thread on the caliper end of the pipe is stripped. Not a big job really. Still got the wheel swap to do and the cooling system to flush. I'd better start her up as well.
I don't think that there's much more I can rob off the spares car. The nuts at the bottom of the battery clamp threads won't budge so I'm thinking of using a nut splitter to get them out. I can easily replace nuts and its one thing less to fail the MoT!

A bit of progress was made.

I went to the spares car and got the steering rack and brake caliper. I could only get the front section of the exhaust. I'd also noticed that the tyres on the spares car look to be in better condition than Baby Blue's. The middle and rear sections wouldn't separate despite my best efforts with the 2lb lump hammer and a couple of screwdrivers. I fitted the brake caliper on Baby Blue but the section of pipe that immediately joins to the caliper sheared. Fortunately I'd clamped the flexible hose with my Mole grips so there was virtually no fluid loss and the same part on the spares car is in good condition and can be used. I've not had to spend any money on any parts for Baby Blue but I'm sure that this state of affairs won't carry on for much longer.

Lovely day...

...to get some more work done. Bent the key for the Acclaim so I'll have to get a new one cut. As it is now weakened it's only a matter of time before it breaks so I'll pop down town to the local Timpson and get a couple more cut. I'll be going back to the spares car to rob some more bits off it that I need. I'm debating over whether to just replace the gaiters and track rod ends on the steering rack on Baby Blue or swap the rack with the one off the spares car. I'll also be getting the exhaust and one of the front brake calipers as well. I'm planning on flushing the radiator and refilling with fresh coolant. (I've got some antifreeze left which I can put to good use)

Good news

I managed to get the radiator road tested when I went down to the South Yorkshire meeting last night. Even though I was doing speeds of up to 80mph (in the rain!) the temperature gauge remained constant at the 1/3 mark and the heaters were giving out heat so I believe that the cooling system is now 100% I've got my West Yorkshire meeting tonight. I hope the attendance is better than the last one and the weather had better be nice for my little 15 mile run.

And here's what it looks like in the car. I got round to fitting the new radiator in the Acclaim. I also took the opprotunity to flush the engine block. I also tried the get the heater matrix flushed but the hoses just wouldn't budge! Anyway she's running a lot better with the new radiator and Barry can have his "loan" radiator back. That was the best �25 I ever spent on a radiator. Yet another of my eBay bargains! 

...and in with the new. 

Out witrh the old... 

Got my finger out at last

I finally went down to the spares car and got some more much-needed bit off it. I removed the steering column, petrol tank, the number plate lights, the passenger door lock and er, that's it. I wish I'd brought my trolley jack and axle stands otherwise I'd have had the exhaust and the steering rack as well. I'll defintiely get them next time. I don't think there's much left for me to salvage apart from the doors, glass, bonnet and bootlid. I also noticed that one of the brake calipers looks brand new. Just what Baby Blue needs. Talking of which, I fitted the passenger door lock, number plate ligts (and associated wiring) and the cig lighter. Once I've fitted the steering column I will have keys for Baby Blue!

On the Acclaim front the new radiator has now arrived and will be fitted as soon as possible. I went out to the car to check where the fittings go and I noticed a slight leak which was confirmed when I took the cap off so I topped up with water. It will do until I fit the radiator. I wonder if that's why the Acclaim was running hot recently.

Not a lot

Fitted the new bulb on Baby Blue so all lights should now work (except for the number plate light which I've gotta look at) I really need to get some more bits off the spares car soon. Brian, my mate has recommended a decent MIG welder to get but I'm a bit loath to spend lots of money on a brand new welder at the moment. I shall make a careful choice before I commit myself.

On the Acclaim front I've won a brand new radiator on eBay for only £25 plus £10 P&P. What a bargain! I'm really pleased with that and Barry can now have his "loan" radiator back.

The Toledo remains on the pub car park until I decide what to do with it. I don't want to part with it and once I've finally got rid of the spares car I'll have somewhere to keep it.

Here is a pic of Baby Blue's newly-painted rear end. Very Dolomite-esque and defintiely an improvement! I turned my attention to the electrics working on the fusebox first. I cleaned all the connections and got the wipers working (just need to replace the wiper blades) When it came to the lights I was scratching my head and gave up. When I was reading the Haynes manual an idea struck me (one of those "Eureka" moments) I decided the remove the outer headlights, test the plug to make sure electrical current was getting through (it was) then I did a continuity test on the light which turned out to be faulty and then I swapped it with one of my spare lights and it was working again. I did the same on the other headlight and now all my headlights are working. After a bit more head scratching with the rear lights I had another "Eureka" moment. I'd already tested for a live feed and did a continuity test on the bulb holders which left the earth as the source of the problem. A bit of rubbing with some emery paper which I found in the glovebox I managed to get the rear lights working except for one of the brake lights which had a broken filament. I didn't do anything with the number plate lights. Before the "Eureka" moments with the lights I managed to drive the car a short distance up the road (which I wouldn't have done before I'd got insurance on baby Blue) and yes I'm still using a petrol can as my temporary fuel tank! I feel that I'm getting to the stage where I need to get some more parts off the spares car if I'm to make any progress. This is the beauty of having an identical car for spares. I've not had to buy any parts so far except for the seats which was the best �1 I'd ever spent! One of the neighbours' kids commented on how the Sprint seats were more comfortable! 

Not much doing...

I've changed the Acclaim on to my everday car insurance (no point paying insurance on a car I no longer own) and Baby Blue is now on the classic car insurance so she can be legally driven to the MoT (whenever that happens!) My next job is to get all the electrics working and with the help of my Haynes manual that shouldn't be too difficult.

Painter man

I did the driver's side sill today and painted it with some more of the black Hammerite-type paint. I also did the rear panel and now from the rear Baby Blue looks just like a Dolomite 1850HL or a Sprint. Maybe I should fit some Sprint alloys, front grilles and a front spoiler as well. I've already got the seats! Anyway she's looking a lot better for having been painted and I've also found a few more holes to patch when I get going with the welder.

Ever since I found that hole on the boot floor it's dampened my enthusiasm a bit but I figured that I should just keep on going so as not to lose heart completely so I decided to do a bit of cosmetics. I'd bought a new wirebush attachment for my drill so I took the opportunity to test it out on the sills. I jacked up one side of the car and as I was jacking the rear end up part of the sill collapsed. Fortunately, I was able to bend it back into shape. More welding for me to do. Talking of which, somebody in the pub is going to lend me his MIG welder as he hardly uses it but I'll need to get my own wire, etc. This is gonna save me a fortune on buying one. I just need some steel plate for making up the patches. (and to practaice on) I'm surprised at the condition of the bodywork. It looks like it's never been welded before. Anyway, I wirebrushed the passenger side sill and then I sprayed it with some black Hammerite-type paint. I also did the Acclaim's front valence and the rear lip of Baby Blue's boot lid (a la Dolomite!) as you can see in the pic. I also put more primer on the bodywork where it had been primed before. Once I've applied the topcoat she will look a lot better. I started her up (must remember to get that exhaust off the spares car!) and I'm glad to report that the alternator is charging the battery as the voltmeter is reading about 13.5V so it is charging correctly. Manged to free the front passenger wheel a bit more and had a go at driving the car. It is moving a bit better but the clutch started to burn. I thought I'd burnt it out but it was better once it had cooled down a bit. If the worst comes to the worst I can always rob the clutch off the spare engine. I think it is a decent one. This is the beauty of having a spares car: I don't have to spend any money on parts! 

Ups and downs

Tonight I connected up the fuel lines to the tank and lo and behold it started to leak petrol. On top of that there's a hole in the boot floor that I'll have to patch before I can do anything. Its times like these when I'm glad I've got the spares car to rob parts off. I believe that the petrol tank on the spares car is a decent one but I don't want to fit it until I've sorted out that hole. The sooner I get a welder the better then I can patch those other holes I've found. On a slightly more positive note, I've finished fitting the Sprint seats and while I was at it I swapped the rear parcel shelf as the existing one was in worse condition than the one that came with the Sprint seats. I also worked out where the side panels for the boot were supposed to fit. Like I've said before this car is just one big jigsaw puzzle with some of the pieces still to fit and I'm slowly completing the last few pieces of the puzzle

More progress

I finally got stage 2 of my oil change done. Apart from spilling a bit of oil it went quite well. The engine seems to run a bit better now for having some quality oil (Duckhams) in it. The cheapo 20W/50 was just a short-term measure to flush out the crap and it worked. I've received the registration documents for both of the 1500s and I got a call from Geoff the previous owner to say that his son had taken the VIN plate off the spares car and it was ready to collect. Saves me a job should I wish to change Baby Blue's identity. The guy who sold me the Sprint seats has quite a few Triumphs including a 1300FWD, and a TR7 convertible. A sight to behold! I might be getting more parts off him. He's got an indiactor stalk which would be of use to me. I won't be able to give Baby Blue any more attention until Tuesday night because I'm working tonight in the pub.

I collected the seats this evening. The seller still has the Sprint that they came out of so I might be getting some more bits off him. When I got back to Baby Blue I couldn't resist the temptation to try and fit one of the seats. I had a go at doing the drivers' seat and it went quite smoothly as you can see in the pic. 

Not only but also

I forgot to mention that I swapped the bonnet release cable as the handle on Baby Blue's had broken on one side. I also swapped the drivers' door lock from the spares car so Baby Blue can now be locked. I'm hoping to connect the petrol tank up to the fuel pump rather than hooking up the petrol can.

I managed to free both front wheels (still sticking but not as bad as before). I've robbed some more bits off the spares car (not much. I couldn't get the steering column and the battery clamp out despite my efforts) and I even robbed the alternator and battery off the Toledo. I fitted the parts I've robbed and Baby Blue is now a bit better. The alternator is now charging the battery as the voltmeter is registering 14V as it should. The car does move a bit under its own power. I'm sure it will get better the more I do it. I've painted some more of the primer/rust killer and as you can see from the pic Baby Blue looks better for it. I'm hoping to do an oil and filter change on the Acclaim tomorrow. I won those seats on eBay and I've spoken to the seller and I will be collecting them after I've finished working in the pub tomorrow evening. They will look good in Baby Blue and driving comfort will be much improved. 

The spares car

Went to the garage where I keep the spares car and I got the spare wheel and the board for the spare wheel. I also noticed that there was a trim panel on the back panel which looked familiar. Its like a jigsaw puzzle and I'm slowly working out where all the pieces fit. I opened the bonnet and lo and behold the VIN plate was missing! I also grabbed some other stuff that I'd kept in the garage. When I went back to Baby Blue I fitted the spare wheel in the boot and now the boot looks a lot tidier. I'm bidding for a set of seats that have come out of a Dolomite Sprint on eBay. I've checked and they will fit in Baby Blue.

Making slow progress

I managed to free off the drivers' side front wheel on Baby Blue. I started her up and put it into gear and as I let the clutch out the speedo moved. I tried to remove the brake pads and when I was trying to get one of the pins out I damaged the brake caliper. Lucky I had a spare caliper. The only money I've spent on Baby Blue was the paint. Once I've freed the other side and fitted the replacement caliper. I'll have a go and see if she will drive.
On the Acclaim front the air filter that I bought on eBay for £3 arrived through the post so I'll be fitting that soon. Just gotta change the engine oil, filter and cambelt and that's just about it for now.
The Toledo will be donating it's alternator to Baby Blue which will buy me some time to get the existing alternator sorted out.
The spares car will be giving up some more parts for Baby Blue in the not-too-distant future as soon as I can get down there with my tools (ditto with the Toledo for the alternator transplant)

A bit of paint...

...was put on Baby Blue last evening before I want to the local TSSC meeting. I bought a tin of rust killer/primer (the only money I've spent on Baby Blue so far...) and after wirebrushing the rust holes and the scabby areas of the bodywork I set to work with my paintbrush. Hopefully I've kept the rust at bay until I can get the holes welded. (must remember to get a welder so I can do it myself and save a fortune) I'm planning on robbing some more bits off the spares car and freeing off the brake calipers. I was also thinking about cleaning the front suspension and repainting it. Might as well while I've got the front end up on axle stands with the front wheels off. Robbing the alternator off the Toledo has also crossed my mind. The pub isn't too far away from the garage where the spares car is. I could easily call in on the way.

I've decided to jack up Baby Blue at the front to find out why the front wheels are almost impossible to budge. I reckon that the calipers are binding and just need freeing (pads will probably need replacing too) . After I'd taken the wheels off I found some more work that needs doing. There's another small hole to patch. For a 1973 Triumph there's only a few places that just need small patches. My 1300FWD of 1966 had a LOT more rust than Baby Blue. I also found a split in one of the steering rack gaiters and one of the track rod ends has lost it's rubber. There's nothing seriously wrong with Baby Blue. Its all small stuff that can be easily sorted out. 

We have life!

Baby Blue is now running! After swapping the fuel pump from the other engine I managed to get her running. The car wouldn't move forwards or backwards, (the brake calipers meed to be freed off) the cooling system boiled over (needs a flush) and the fanbelt snapped. Fortunately, I found a spare fanbelt so that was easily solved. The ignition light wouldn't go out so I reckon the alternator's not charging the battery. I still need to swap over the steering column from the spares car and get the battery clamp. I might even rob parts off the Toledo for Baby Blue.

Still not running

I've done a couple of bits and bats on Baby Blue. I've fitted the centre bracket for the parcel shelf, fitted the right rear door grab handle, fitted the interior mirror (taken from the spares car) and sun visors (also taken from the spares car). I've resoldered the wire that runs from the igniton switch to the starter motor so I don't have to "hot wire" the car to turn it over. I still can't get her started but fuel isn't getting through to the carb. I reckon that the fuel pump isn't working. I can rob the one off the spare engine. I've already checked the points for a spark so I reckon it's sparking. I'm having problems with the headlights. The outer ones aren't working. Something simple no doubt.

A name at last!

CDB324L now has a name. Somebody called her "Baby Blue" and I quite like the name so Baby Blue it is from now on. I'm hoping to rob some more parts fron GGN for Baby Blue. The complete steering column, bonnet release cable (the handle on Baby Blue's is broken at one side), sun visors and the interior mirror. If I carry over enough parts I might be able to legally use GGN's registration and get free road tax!

It's life Jim...

...but not as we know it. I hooked up the jump leads from the Acclaim to CDB and there's life in the electrics. The headlights work and I've had the starter motor turning the engine. I've also found a key that fits one of the boot locks so I can now lock the boot.

I've already done a bit of work on this car. I've fitted the petrol tank, the passenger side headlights, replaced the rear bumper, fitted the front passenger seat and gave it a wash. There's the front footwell carpets and parcel shelf to fit and then I'll see if I can get the car running. 

I've just added to my Triumph collection. A pair of 1500FWDs that were free. The one on the left is a 1973 example and I'm going to get it up and running. The other which is a 1971 example will be my spares car. 

Cool running

The Accalim is still running cool even at high-speed cruising so I'm satisfied that I've finally cured the problem. The loan radiator will buy me enough time to either recore my old radiaitor or get a replacement (whichever is cheaper!) I was at the Pendle & Pennine area meeting last night and the Triumphs were voted for in various categories. I didn't get a single vote in any of the categories except for the "car most in need of TLC" which I won! I thought I'd harmed my chances of winning as the Acclaim has had plenty of TLC in the month that I've had it.

Gotta pick up the woodruff key from the Honda dealer and then I've gotta source a radiator because Barry will want this loan radiator back. Might as well test it out for him! He came to the meeting with me so I hope that I can persuade him to part with those front seats that he has that I want. They came out of the same car as the loan radiator.

The car is now running a lot cooler. I visited Barry the local Acclaim guru and he tried to check the ignition timing but the crankshaft pulley wasn't even lined up which points to a missing woodruff key. Barry kindly donated one of his spare radiators so I went off to the local motor factor for some antifreeze. Replacing the radiator went quite smoothly (apart from some seized clips - nothing a bit of brute force and some WD40 wouldn't solve!) and I took it for a road test. The gauge stayed on 1/3 only going up to just under halfway when idling in traffic (I'd done my road testing during the rush hour!) and all this with the heater on cold! A definite improvement! As you can see from the pic the old radiator is seriously in need of a recore. The local radiator specialist can do the job for �50 plus VAT. I've ordered a new woodruff key from my local Honda dealer for �1.65 and when I have it fitted I can do the cambelt change and stage 2 of my oil change strategy at the same time. I seem to be finding more and more stuff that needs doing! 

Just got back from a spending a couple of days at my mate's in the Teeside area. Apart from a couple of small problems the Acclaim performed fine. When I got there the exhaust was blowing. When I got chance to have a look I noticed that one of the manifold nuts was missing so I managed to find a local exhaust place and they replaced the missing nut and tightened the remaining ones. (which had worked loose) The fitter commented on how hot the engine was and this has prompted me to look at replacing the radiator and I've already put in a bid for one one eBay (pointed out to me by the previous owner) since I've got back. I've also get stage 2 of my oil change plan to do. I'll have done enough mileage by the time I get it done. 

Oil change

I've decided to to this in 2 stages. First I drain the old oil and fill with some cheapo 20W/50 that I have kicking about. This is to flush out any crap in the sump and it's the best way (so I'm told) of flushing the lubrication system. The next stage is to drive just a few hundred miles and then change the oil and filter using some decent oil. (Castrol GTX or similar) Regular oil changes will benefit the car and will get rid of any crap before it can cause any harm. As the Acclaim is in daily use I will be trating it just like my everyday car and spend whatever money is necessary to keep it in working order.
On a different note I'm going to be rescuing a pair of Triumph 1500FWDs and hopefully I can put at least one of them back on the road.
Going back the the engine torque rod bush, the judder is almost gone. It's defintiely a lot better. Maybe if I do the front one it might cure it completely. The previous owner said that it went through several clutches before he had it and that might be the problem. I reckon that I'm on the right track with these bushes.

More done

My rear engine torque rod bush came through the post today so I fitted it. I decided to remove the air cleaner to improve access and once it was out of the way I had discovered that one of the cooling system hoses had split which explained Thursday's mysterious loss of coolant on Thursday. Fortunately, the split was near the end of the hose so I removed the hose cut it back and refitted it. Problem solved! Fitting the bus was very easy once I'd managed to loosen the bolt using a breaker bar. Unfortunately, the clutch judder is still there but the bush was defintiely worn. I might have to replace the front one as well. I'm planning on changing the engine oil and replacing the cam belt. I want to get the job done before I go to Middlesborough next Tuesday.

I went down to Manchester last night but before I went I fitted a new set of spark plugs and put some Redex into the carbs and the petrol tank. It has worked a treat because the car is now running better that ever. Not only did I get everything I originally wanted, I also got a battery clamp. I've just fitted all the parts and everything works. The biggest struggle was threading the wire of the radio aerial down the windscreen pillar but I got there in the end. It is great to have perfect reception on the radio now! Sticking the bootlid badge was a problem (don't use superglue!) until my next-door neighbour suggested that I use bathroom sealant. He lent me a tube and it worked a treat. The stuff's waterproof too so it makes ideal adhesive for badges and suchlike. The rev counter cable wasn't too bad apart from the lack of space to get my hand in. I had to get at it through the radio slot and got the job done. I also fitted an extra pair of speakers and hopefully I'm getting a decent sound from the stereo now. As you can see from the pic the spares car is almost identical to mine. 

Getting more bits

I've been in touch with a bloke from Manchester who's breaking an Acclaim that's identical to mine. He only wants £10 for the parts that I need (rev counter cable, "Acclaim" bootlid badge, glovebox handle and radio aerial) I now have CD quality music. I've dig out my portable CD player with the adaptors to power the player and to hook it up to the tape deck. Nice to have some decent music at last!

I went on my first long journey yesterday to the first north east meeting for Club Triumph. It wasn't a bad turnout considering the meeting was arranged at such short notice. There seems to be some interest and hopefully it will take off. The Acclaim behaved itself and didn't miss a beat or put a foot wrong. 

Just like a bus service!

You wait ages and then 2 come at once! Andy Ellis, fellow Club Triumph member and the guy who runs the Triumph Plus website has a rev counter cable available. Also somebody on the Club Triumph forum points out that there's an Acclaim on eBay that the seller is going to break for spares and the car is in Manchester so I'll be sorted!

Now that my speakers are on the rear parcel shelf the sound is a lot better. The stereo is the most important driving accessory! 

Here is one of the replacement door switches and it looks better than the previous one having less rust! 

More things sorted out

I searched all over for a rev counter cable and the only place that could supply one was the local Honda dealer for about £38. I went to see Barry the local Acclaim guru and he gave me a couple of door switches for the courtesy light as the light never came on when the back doors were opened. I also called in at my local Maplin for some speaker cable so I could relocate my speakers onto the rear parcel shelf. Fitting the door switches was easy and now the courtesy light comes on when any of the doors are opened! As I was relocating the speakers and routing the wires the heavens opened which delayed things a little. (It's no fun when the rain is bouncing down!) There was even some thunder and lightning. Anyway I got done and I'm pleased with the result. It looks like I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and got back to Honda for that rev counter cable as I can't get one anywhere else.

More stuff to do

At the moment my Acclaim is now my everyday transport. When I washed it yesterday at the jetwash in my local Morrisons I was amazed at how much mud came off the inner wheelarches. It's looking better now. I'm gonna try to get the courtesy light switches for the back doors to work. It is just the red peril (rust) and hopefully nothing a bit of WD40 won't solve. I've bought a bush (on eBay) for the rear engine torque rod as there's LOTS of free play in the top bush on that one. This is probably the reason why the car vibrates when I set off in 1st gear. The vibration is horrible and the bush only cost me £15 plus £1 P&P. I'm hoping to win a timing belt on eBay and then get it fitted. I think I'm wearing Barry down on getting him to part with his front seats (came out of a low mileage CD) as the drivers' seat has seen better days and is getting saggy and worn. He's also got a radio aerial and a bootlid badge. Talking of things radio I've wired up a pair of shelf speakers which aren't ideally situated but once I've got hold of some more speaker wire I'll put them on the parcel shelf and the sound will be better.

I've fixed a few more faults. I removed the bit of broken key out of the drivers' door lock then realised that I didn't have a key to lock the doors so it was off to fellow Acclaim owner Barry who tried several sets of keys and the ones that worked was a set off one of his cars (not surprising really considering that 133,000 Acclaims were produced) so it was off to my local Timpson to get a new key cut. Imagine my surprise when I found out that my key worked on all of the locks. I've fitted a new ashtray bulb and I fitted a modern radio/cassette. Not in keping with the era but as this car is in daily use I need some decent quality tunes and this will do the job quite nicely.  

I think I've sorted it out...

I bought a new radiator cap for £4.50 from a local motor factor so now there's pressure in the cooling system. I took a closer look at the old cap and I noticed "Unipart" so I think it could be the original 1982 part! I bought some antifreeze, some radiator flush and some fuel additive. I put the additive in when I filled up the petrol tank (the Acclaim's in daily use now) and when I got home I drained the radiator, filled it up with clean water, drained it again, put some more clean water, added the radiator flush and ran the car for 10 minutes as it said on the bottle. I then turned the engine off, drained the radiator, refilled with a 50/50 mixture of water and antifreeze and then I took the car for a run and it seems to be running better. It hasn't made much difference to the temperature but some Acclaims do run hot (i.e. the gague hits halfway) and the cooling fan kicks in so at least the car won't overheat. I feel I've done all I can with the cooling system. The coolant that drained out was quite clean so I don't think there was anything seriously wrong.
While I was at it I checked the rev counter cable and lo and behold the inner cable was missing! I'll have to source a replacement. I gave the engine bay a degreasing with some degreaser spray (won at the quiz at the local TSSC meeting!) and it looks a bit cleaner! When I get time I'm gonna do a proper job with it.

Getting there...

I managed to fit the thermoswitch and the fan now kicks in but I think the engine's still running hot as the gague is on halfway. The radiator cap looks like it needs replacing and I might have to flush the radiator out. Other than that the car seems to be running fine.

Got some more done

The cig lighter is now working again. It was all disconnected so a simple reassembly job was all that was needed. I've bought a new thermoswitch for the cooling fan for £3.99 from my local Halfords (reduced from £10.49) I was hoping to just be able to replace it but I'll have to remove the bottom hose to get to it and I might have to buy a 30mm spanner if I don't have anything suitable to use that will fit.

Made a start

I bought a new thermostat today and fitted it taking only half an hour. I've taken one of the Club Triumph stickers out of the Toledo and put it into the back window of the Acclaim. The car is now running a bit cooler but the cooling fan still doesn't seem to kick in. It's either corrosion on the connectors or a faulty thermoswitch on the radiator. I've refitted the plastic trim that fits beneath the back doors, cleared all the rubbish out and vacuumed the interior. I've already found another job that needs doing. I'm missing an "Acclaim" badge off the boot lid. The carpets are really grimy and could do with a good clean. The mats I've got with the car cover a multitude of sins! I reckon a bit of coathanger wire should suffice for the aerial until I get a replacement. I won't have much time to do any more jobs until later on in the week. The Acclaim is now in sevice as my everyday car until I know what's hapenning with my Ford Mondeo (it was damaged in an accident on Monday 2nd May) The Acclaim will be making its first appearance at the West Yorkshire TSSC meeting. I hope nobody's too bothered about the Club Triumph sunstrip at the top of the windscreen! Maybe I should've left the TSSC sticker where it was! It'll be good to go to a Triumph meeting in a Triumph!

Jobs to do...

I've now got a list of jobs that need doing on the Acclaim:

Sort out the drivers' door lock. One of the keys broke while in the lock (the previous owner's mother!)
Replace the radio aerial (I can still get reception on the radio!)
Clear out all the rubbish
Replace the broken glovebox catch
Rewire the cigarette lighter
Replace the thermostat
Clean and vac the carpets and upholstery
Replace the rev counter cable

I'll be posting more jobs as I find them

I've now got the Acclaim. When I collected it from Totally Triumph I took it up to Morecambe. Apart from running hot it was fine. Upon returning to Bradford I visited fellow Acclaim owner who looked it over and came to the concusion that the thernostat had failed therby causing poor circulation. The cooling fan which wasn't coming on was checked and found to be working.

And here is a view from behind... 

Just after taking the Acclaim for the test drive I decided to take a couple of pics. Here is the first... 

A new addition...

I'm now the owner of an Acclaim. I'd seen the car on eBay and I seriously considered putting a bid in but decided to let it pass me by. Imagine my surprise when the owner was offering the very same car for FREE on the Club Triumph forum so I enquired about the car. I e-mailed the owner and he replied saying that he would take £50 for the car and leave the tax in. There was some welding needed on the rear floor by the wheel arch. I met up with Stephen the owner at a meeting just outside Preston on Thursday 28th April (which was the day the MoT was due to run out) and had a chat. We arranged to have a look at the car the following day as was I off work. Stephen told me about a few minor faults. These were a key which had broken in the drivers' door lock, the rev counter not working and the radio aerial had been snapped off by vandals. I wasn't bothered by these as I can easily fix them. The car was at Totally Triumph in Cheshire and it started up from cold without any problems. I took it for a short drive and it performed faultlessly despite the fact that not being used to the clutch the drive was a bit jerky when changing gear! (fault of the driver not the car) We had the Acclaim on the ramps and I had a good look underneath. It was absolutely solid. Max the guy at Totally Triumph reckoned that the car would pass the MoT so I decided to have the welding done (charged on the amount of labour which was 3 hours at £20 per hour which I thought was very reasonable) and get it in for the test. Money and documents were exchanged and the Acclaim was mine. The welding was arranged and the test was booked for the following Wednesday and the car arranged to be picked up on the Saturday. I had a look on eBay for a Haynes manual but a bid in for one at 99p and won the auction! As the seller lived locally I thought I would save myself some postage and collect the book. On the way there I was involved in an accident so while my everyday car is off the road I might have to put the Acclaim into daily use. I phoned Totally Triumph up on Wednesday and I was told that the car had failed on a small hole in the drivers' side sill and Max reckoned that it would be a maximum of 2 hours welding to put it right so I gave hom the go-ahead to do it. I insured the car with Lancaster Insurance who gave me the lowest quote at £153 fully comprehensive (this was a couple of hours before I had the accident!) including travelling to and from work. The insurance documents arrived yesterday so I'm all set now. I'd also bid for a handbook on eBay and won that auction too! The book arrived in the post today so another eBay bargain! Roll on Saturday!

Vacating the garage

As you may know I've now lost the pub garage so I'm having to vacate it as soon as possible. I've managed to get most of my stuff out and into another garage. I've just an engine crane (which needs to go back to its rightful owner), a Calor gas fire and a couple of butane bottles then that's it. The Toledo remains in the pub car park for now until I can get help with getting it towed to the new garage. I'm now all set for my meeting for next Wednesday. I'm thinking about doing a quiz and compliling a newsletter.

No progress with the car or this Blog as I'm too busy with my new area group. It will need towing to it's new home (been offered use of a garage). I think there's a leak in the cooling system (possibly the water pump) but apart from that the engine seems to be in good health. If only it was drivable. Just need to sort out the bits of rust and then just use glassfibre filler. I still start it up just to keep everything freed up. This pic was taken on Sunday (the 17th of April) after a bit of rain. Typical April showers!

Oh dear...

My makeshift repair didn't hold. I was running the car round the pub car park and one of the bolts sheared so I'll have to sort out the front end of the propshaft properly now. I can get a spacer made up and the weather's getting better so working outside isn't a major problem. I'm in the process of setting up a new West Yorkshire area for Club Triumph so the Toledo has been left alone for a while. I've also been trying to give him/her (not sure of the gender, probably "her") a name. Quite a few fellow Club Triumph members have named their Triumphs. I know of an Acclaim called Rupert for example!