I made a start on removing Becky's gearbox last night but I had to stop part way through as it was getting dark. This morning I went over to see my local Acclaim guru to pick up the replacement gearbox. It was still attached to the engine so I spent an hour separating the gearbox from the engine. That done, I then went to pick up the clutch kit whichb I'd ordered and atbthe same time I bought some suitable oil for the gearbox. As you can see from the pic I managed to get the gearbox into Snowdrop's boot. I will be giving it a good clean before I fit it. As I've quit my pub job I can keep on going until if finished fitting the gearbox and I can then give Becky some extensive road testing. 

Gearbox replacement

I've decided to replace Becky's gearbox so I've manage to source one from my local Acclaim guru's extensive collection of Acclaim spares and I've ordered a new clutch kit from my local motor factor for just under £40. It makes sense when Becky's done just under 119,000 miles amd I've got the gearbox off. The plan is to remove the gearbox tonight. Pick up the replacement, pick up the clutch kit (if it has arrived) and then fit the whole lot. The clutch kit might not come until Monday so the job might be delayed. it doesn't really matter because I've still got Snowdrop to run around in so I'm not totally without transport. I shall be taking photos and posting them on this Blog.

More gearbox woes

I fitted the torque rod bush and it made no difference so it looks like a replacement gearbox. Mind you, with 119,000 miles it has lasted well. I've also been advised to change the gearbox oil before I do any major work. I would've done it by now but I've got a couple of meetings this week which is why I've been running round in Snowdrop since I did the HCR.

Gear problem

Becky made it on the HCR. The one thing I (and my co-driver) noticed that she would sometimes drop out of 5th and into neutral. I consulted my local Acclaim guru who thinks that it is a worn engine torque rod bush. When I got back to Anita's I checked it and sure enough there was lots of play so I'll be getting a replacement from said Acclaim guru. It would also explain the judder I've experienced when setting off in 1st gear.

Good to go

Becky's now ready for the HCR. I checked all the fluids and topped up where necessary. I even found a couple of jobs to do on Becky. Last night I repositioned the steering wheel as it wasn't aligned when the front wheels were straight and I don't want Tony (my co-driver on the HCR) to be caught out by it. I think I know why Becky lost all that coolant. The top hose wasn't fully in at the thermostat cover so I loosened the clip, pushed the hose all the way in and tightened up the clip. Hopefully, it should be watertight now.

Hot stuff!

The past few days I've noticed that Becky's been oveheating whiile standing in traffic. Just what I needed a few days before Club Triumph's Historic Counties Run. When I got home from work yesterday I let Becky cool down, took the radiator cap off and topped up the radiator. I reckon I put about a litre of water in and ever since she's been fine. I will be rechecking on Saturday morning before I set off. I'll be checking the tyre pressures when I fill up with pertol today after work.

Steering

I've now refitted the steering column bracket and the dash has been refitted. I'm hoping to have another go at getting the old rack out once I can remove the coupling. After that it should be plain sailing fitting the rack from the spares car and then fitting the rebuilt steering column.

Back to Baby Blue yet again!

Work is now progressing on removing all the steering components. The steering column came out with some difficulty. I had to remove the bracket which involved taking the dash off. The real breakthrough came when I removed the top bolt from the coupling and the steering column then came out. The rack is nearly ready to come out once I've removed the coupling which won't come out for me at the moment. At last I was able to fit my new steering column bush. I've also found out that the 1500fwd has solid rack mountings so the poly bushes I've bought are useless but I can use them with Snowdrop.

Insurance

The insurance renewal for Becky is coming up so I phoned Lancaster to see how much it would cost to renew with then and they quoted me the best part of £400! As Snowdrop was insured with Footman James I thought I'd try them and they were able to add Becky to the policy for an extra £89 and better still both cars now have unlimited mileage! Well worth it. Becky's front bumper is now creased so I'll be straightening it tonight.

At long last!

I've finally done some more work on Baby Blue. I fitted the petrol tank that was in the spares car. I've also fitted the filler pipe and vent hose. I just need to connect up the fuel line and I can then put some petrol in the tank and fire up the car once again. I was able to fit everything back in the boot that I'd taken out! Just shows how much space you can save by being organised!

Back to Baby Blue (again!)

I was hoping to trial fit Baby Blue's petrol tank but I've just looked out of the window and it's raining so it's probably not a goer. I was reading the workshop manual and the steering rack seems easy enough to remove. None of this "raising the engine a few inches". Just undo the track rod end balljoints, remove the mounting bolts, undo the bottom pinch bolt, separate from the steering column and it should come out from the driver's side. We shall see...
I've not had chance to do anything with Snowdrop's rear axle and Toledo's axle is giving good service so no rush just yet. I've still gotta sort out the reversing light switch as well.
I seem to be doing less mileage in Becky recently. Since I filled up last Thursday I've only done 100 miles. in the space of 6 days)

Did some work on Becky

I bought a Sony CD player from a mate for £30 and I fitted it into Becky yesterday after work. I removed the original radio and the cassette deck and after an hour it was all done. The radio even has RDS and it will play MP3s as well so I'm quite pleased with it.

Parts arrived today.

The gaskets, oil seals, brake drum screws and flexible brake hose that I'd ordered from Rimmer's arrived in the post today. I filled Snowdrop's petrol tank and put some STP fuel treatment in. I've also bought some degreaser and some more brake fluid. I'll be having a relaxing night at home tonight. I still can't get over how quiet the diff is!

Done it!

The axle swap on Snowdrop is complete. It took me just over four hours from start to finish and it has transformed the car. I can't get over how much quieter it is. I can now refurbish the original axle at my leisure.

At last I've got the rear axle off the Toledo. It took a bit of struggling but I got there in the end! Hopefully, it will be a bit easier when I do Sonwdrop's. We shall see... 

Taxing stuff

The road tax for Snowdrop is due at the end of this month and the reminder from DVLA duly arrived through the post this morning. As Snowdrop had one of the computer generated MoT certificate I decided to apply for the tax disc online. It was easier than I expected & I didn't even need to supply any insurance or MoT details.
Tonight, I'm hoping to finish removing the Toledo's rear axle. Hopefully when I do Snowdrop's it will be much quicker.

Other stuff done

I've now covered the Toledo so things look a bit better now. Last night I went round the exhaust system undoing the manifold joint and reconnecting it with some exhaust putty. I also did the downpipe-to-centre section and now my exhaust is totally leak-free. I'm not 100% happy with the tappets so I'll have to recheck them and then I can recheck the timing. As to the diff problem, I'm now thinking about doing the axle swap from the Toledo. It appears to be less work than a diff swap and seems easy enough. We shall see...

Tappets

I had a go at setting the tappets on Snowdrop last night (for the first time ever!) and it made things worse so I left it until I went back after work today armed with my Haynes and a Gunsons Clickadjust. Job done and Snowdrop is running a bit better now! Well worth it! I also bought a new rocker gasket and I used some sealant when I refitted the rocker cover being careful not to tighten it up too tightly! When driving I noticed that the temperature gauge wasn't registering. It turned out that I' forgotten to reconnect the wire which I'd taken off to avoid it fouling the rocker cover when I was refitting it. The indicator problem has now mysteriously disappered and when I was jet washing Snowdrop one of the number plate lamps came apart so I had to spend a few minutes putting it back together. I've also gotta sort out the reversing lamp switch. One of the wires needs to be soldered back on. There's always something that needs doing on these cars!

Just a bit more

My mate Brian told me that I'll need to adjust the valve clearances on Snowdrop before I recheck my ignition timing. She'll be running even better after this. At least I don't have to spend any more money!

Cooking on gas!

I cleaned the timing marks and when I checked with the timing light the timing was way out so I set it statically then I checked it with the engine running. I gave the carburettor a clean with some carburettor cleaner. I took the plugs out and regapped them, (should've done it when I fitted them) increased the points gap to get the dwell angle down and it has done the trick! Snowdrop is running even better than ever. I checked the RPM and it was a bit high but at least she's idling. I took Snowdrop on a road test and she perfomred quite well but I discovered another problem. Whenever I indicated left the light would stay on constantly. I soon found out the cause. The left front indicator bulb wasn't working. That particular lens is broken so I might as well replace it at the same time.

Not good

I thought Snowdrop would run better but now she's running worse. I've just fitted new points and condenser. I've bought an automotive multimeter and a timing light. The dwell angle is 62 deg which is more than it should be. (according to the data sticker on the inside of the bonnet) Worse still, I think the timing is way out but the timing marks need a good clean before I'm sure about that one.

And here is the engine bay after I'd cleaned it up a bit and done the rocker cover. A big improvement. I've also replaced the distributor cap, rotor arm and spark plug leads so hopefully, Snowdrop will run a bit better. They were overdue for replacement! 

I managed to get everything done that needed doing. First I jacked up the rear of Snowdrop and put her on axle stands to refit the rear section of exhaust. While the back end was up I started her up and put her in gear to trace the whining noise. It was defintely the diff. I've already arranged to have the pinion bearing and oil seal fitted at my mate's a week on Monday. The boot light was easily fixed. The switch just needed connecting and it worked. I removed the rocker cover, cleaned it up (inside and out) repainted it, fitted a new gasket and put it back on. The pic is the engine before I started on the rocker cover. 

Oil slick...

Not quite Exxon Valdez but bad enough. I was checking Becky's oil and had to top it up and I didn't fasten the lid on properly and I ended up spilling Castrol GTX on Becky's boot carpet. I've managed to get most of it off. I'm glad it wasn't used oil which would've been a lot worse! On a slightly more positive note, I've got the rocker gasket. (£2.75 from my trusty local motor factor!) I've found another jobt to do on Snowdrop. The boot lamp will need fixing. I can always rob the bits off the Toledo to save me money yet again!

All is well again

I went out to Snowdrop, replaced the split hose, filled the radiator and got her back home. I then decided to fit the rest of the hoses and the stainless steel water pipe that runs from the back of the water pump to the heater. I've just road tested the car and she is now running fine so all the fluids have now been replaced. I didn't have time to paint the rocker cover so that can wait until I do the gasket replacement.

Problem solved!

After last night's breakdown I was pleased when the hose set arrived so I can just replace the split hose with the new one to get going again and fit the rest when I get Snowdrop back to her resting place. (chez Anita) I was so pleased that I ordered some more parts from TD Fitchett. I've decided to replace the pinion bearing in the diff in the hope that it will cure the noise. I've ordered a new oil seal as well. I think the diff is leaking there and I'll have to replace the oil seal anyway. I've also remembered another small job that needs doing. The rocker gasket is leaking so that will have to be replaced and I'm going to paint the rocker cover so I've bought a can of silver high temperature paint in readiness for the job. The road tax is due at the end of the month so I'd better keep that in mind as well!

Disaster!

Snowdrop has had her first breakdown. As I was driving the temperature gauge went into the red and the heaters were blowing cold which meant that I was losing coolant. My fears were confirmed when I saw steam coming out of the engine compartment. One of the heater hoses had split causing coolant to leak. Fortunately I was able to park up somewhere safe and I went to Anita's to get Becky. This is ironic considering that I'd already ordered a compete hose set. I knew that they were overdue to be replaced. Fortunately the split is right next to the clip so I reckon that the hose can be trimmed back, refitted, the radiator refilled it it would be good enough to get back to Anita's until I get the new hoses. Snowdrop is now in Anitia's sister's pub car park and Snowdrop will be safe where she is.

More stuff to do

The list of jobs for Snowdrop seems to be growing.

All the cooling system hoses have to be replaced. They've been ordered from TD Fitchett.
The radiator will be drained, flushed and refilled. Already got enough anti-freeze.
I really need to do something about the diff. I'm not sure which course to take on this one. Options are: Swap the axle, swap the diff (the Toledo will provide donor parts) or replace the pinion bearing and oil seal.

A nut on the exhaust bracket dropped off on the way to a meeting today. It was a good thing I'd replaced the nut because the weather turned soon after. As I'm typing the snow is still falling!

Gonna sort that diff!

Last night's North Yorkshire meeting made me realize just how noisy Snowdrop's differential is. 60-70 mph and the noise is almost unbearable so I'm gonna do an axle swap with the Toledo and then I can repair and overhaul Snowdrop's axle at my leisure (when time and finances allow!) With this in mind I've ordered a replacement set of nuts and bolts for the trailing arms and the tie bars (where they bolt to the body. I'll be leaving the other end well alone for now!) so I can afford to waste seriously rusted 30+ year old nuts and bolts that probably haven't moved since the 70s! I know that the Toledo's diff is a LOT quieter that the one that's on Snowdrop. Another job in mind will be to change the coolant, flush the radiator, flush the matrix and replaces all the hoses and hose clips. An ex-Rover mechanic recommended the Unipart antifreeze. I've been using Castrol in Becky so I might go along with the Unipart stuff. Worth a try.

Finally got it!

At last! My local Motosave have got my air filter. They've done their best even taking off the old one to get a part number but the result is what counts. I'll be going over to Anita's to fit it later on today. Snowdrop has served me well in daily use in the past week. Becky will be going back to weekday duties on Monday but Snowdrop will be used at the weekends and when there's a meeting on.

Servicing

I did a basic service on Snowdrop last night. I changed the spark plugs, (the v-grooved NGKs which cost just under £10 from Halfords for a set of 4) engine oil and oil filter. The oil filter didn't look right and before taking the plunge I went down to the garage and tried it out on a 1300 engine that I keep there. It was the wrong one so I went to a motor factor that was still open (it was about 8pm at the time) and got the right oil filter. The oil I used was a £4.99 own brand 20W/50 from my local Motosave which is perfect for a 1977 Dolomite 1300. The old oil was WAY past its best. I don't know when the last oil change was done as the previous owner had not done any servicing on the car in the 8 months he owned it and prior to that it had been left in a garage for 5 years. I'm surprised that Snowdrop was in such good condition considering her recent history. I'd noticed a Dinitrol sticker in the back window and thought it was fuel related but when I saw another Dinitrol sticker on the inside of the bonnet saying that the car had been rust-proofed it made sense to me. The rust-proofing had obviously done its job preserving Snowdrop. I took the oil filter back to where I got it from and got an air filter ordered. When I went back to pick up the oil filter it was the wrong one so I'll have to go back again when they've got the right one.

A bit more work

The brakes seemed fine or so I thought. WRONG! On the way to the pub where I work the pedal sank. When I'd finished at the pub I went straight over to Anita's and on the way I called in at an Esso petrol station to get some more brake fluid as I'd used most of what I already had. It cost mw just over a fiver for 500ml, a tad expensive but safety is paramount and you can't put a price on that. I bled some more fluid through and I wasn't surprised when more crap came out. Since I've done it my handiwork seems to be holding. I've had a fuse blow on me again so I really need to investigate. I may have to re-wire my CD player as it's connected direct to the battery and was the only electrical mod I've done on Snowdrop. There should be a radio feed that I can use to power the CD player. I can't think what else it could be.

Did a bit of work

The brakes on Snowdrop didn't feel too clever so I decided the chenge the fluid. With my trusty one man brake bleeding tube (it had a non-return velve at the end) I got the job done without much trouble. I don't think the fluid has been changed in YEARS as the stuff that came out was dark, cloudy, full of air and didn't look like brake fluid! At the same time I checked the engine oil which was below the minimum mark on the dipstick so I immediately topped it up with some Castrol GTX which I had to hand. (for Becky's next oil change) I also checked the dashopt level in the carburettor and topped it up. Snowdrop has been blowing fuses so I had to rob the fuses out of the Toledo. (there'll be nothing left of that car when I get round to putting it back on the road!) I also fitted the wheel trims I got at Stoneleigh on to Baby Blue. The next thing planned will be to service Snowdrop. (engine oil, oil filter, air filter and spark plugs)

Stoneleigh bargain

I got a pair of wheel trims for Baby Blue costing me only £10 from the Club Triumph spares stand. They were priced at £8 each but I negotiated a discount. Being an area organiser has its advantages! Somebody suggested that I check the oil level in Sonwdrop's rear axle before I start taking anything apart so I bought a litre of gearbox oil from my trusty local motor factor and tonight I managed to get just under half of it in. I'll be going to my local TSSC meeting tonight so it will be the ideal opportunity to road-test Snowdrop.

And here is what Snowdrop looks like. I've managed to cure an exhaust knock (although it is still there when reversing) I forgot to mention that this car came with a CD player and it has a tape input so I could hook up my MP3 player. The Toledo has become a spares car donating a gearbox, starter motor, temperature sender and clutch slave cylinder. 

I've got a Dolomite

Last week I saw a Dolomite 1300 on eBay. As this one was local to me I thought I'd take a look in case anyone was interested. (I'd no intention of buying the car at the time) The car was exactly as described and the only major thing wrong was a whining which both the seller and me thought was the gearbox. As I had a spare gearbox that I knew would fit and that I had the money to buy the car I made the seller an offer and bought the car privately. The first thing I did was replace a piece of chrome trim that was missing from the rear wing (as donated by the spares 1500) and then I set about swapping the gearbox. After a major struggle I completed the job but the whining was still there. At the moment I suspect the differential. Then another problem cropped up. The clutch wouldn't engage making it almost impossible to select a gear and the biting point was very low. The problem turned out to be the slave cylinder on the clutch so I ended up using the slave cylinder out of the Toledo and it was fine after that. I'm hoping to do a service on the Dolomite. (now known as Snowdrop because she's white)

Fresh rubber

Becky had to have new front tyres so it was off to a local independent tyre fitter. (I've used them before when Becky had a puncture) The cost was only £24 per tyre which included a valve and balancing. Cheaper than the "fast fit" places. The first thing I noticed that the steering was a LOT lighter and hopefully, I shouldn't need anything else just yet. I've been given some more Castrol GTX which should see me through the next oil change.

Back ot Baby Blue

Work on Baby Blue has resumed. First I gave the rebuilt steering column another clean. I then removed the parcel shelf. I disconnected the steering column wiring plugs, loosened the adjusting bracket, removed the bottom pin, loosened the top end of the steering coupling but the column still wouldn't come out so I've decided to leave it for now. The whole car needs a good clean which is a job for my pressure washer when I finally get it up and running!

Let there be light!

As I mentioned earlier one of the courtesy light switches on Becky was playing up and another wasn't working at all. I got hold of a replacement switch, fitted it removed the one that was plating up, cleaned up the connection and success! The interior light comes on when all four doors are opened. Aside from getting a set of jump leads I don't need to do anything with Becky.

Back to Baby Blue

The bushes for her steering rack and the bulkhead bush for the steering column arrived from Rimmer Bros today. I can't see them being fitted just yet but I've now got everything I need to swap my steering rack and steering column and then I'll be able to start Baby Blue with the key! Next on the shopping list will be some sheet steel. A guy who comes in the pub on Sundays who works "on the busses" says he can get me some so I might be able to get Baby Blue's bodywork done without any more expense.

More filler removed

I resumed my attack on the front end of the Toledo. I'd bought an angle grinder but I realized that it was overkill on bodyfiller so it was back to the wirebrush on my drill and a claw hammer. It is amazing what you can cover up with filler. It looks like I'll have to replace both front wings but I can probably patch up the front panel. Once I've stripped down the front end I'll get a better idea of the extent of the rust.

I've finally resumed work on the Toledo. I've made a start on cutting out all the filler and rust (plenty of it!) using the wirebrush attachment on my drill. Maybe I should invest in an angle grinder to speed things up a bit.
Becky's had a new set of wiper blades. I had a bit of trouble fitting one of them but I succeeded in the end and the wipers work a lot better now. 

Did a bit of spending...

I've just ordered a few parts for Baby Blue. Rimmer Bros are offering 20% off this month so I've ordered new poly rack bushes and the steering column bulkhead bush. I've just had a quick look at Baby Blue and it looks like the parcel shelf has to come out when I get round to fitting the rebuilt sterring column. I was given a couple of small pieces of steel sheeting and it looks like I've got enough to plate the inner wings and the sill.

I've added to my Triumph collection. I was given this model Acclaim as a belated Christmas persent from somebody who comes in the pub. He's a big Mini enthusiast and one of ht e model Minis he bought had the Acclaim included so he gave it to me and is in excellent condition. (but it doesn't have the box) It now takes pride of place on top of my monitor. 

Done at last

I've got my service done. Got an oil filter from my trusty local motor factor yesterday and did the oil and filter change so now my service is completed. Hopefully, Becky will just keep right on going as she's been doing.

Not quite what I'd planned

I'm all set to do my service. When I looked at what I thought was the oil filter box it turned out that there was a dizzy cap inside so the oil and filter change will have to wait until I can get to my trusty local motor factor and get an oil filter. I carried on and fitted the air filter and spark plugs. I road tested Becky and performance has improved. Once that Castrol GTX is in then she'll be running great!

Some more work to do

At last! Something to do on Becky. I've noticed that the courtesy light switch on the drivers' door is playing up. Probably a bad earth. As I'll be servicing her I can sort it out then. Talking of which, I went to my local Halfords today and bought a new set of spark plugs (Champion's double copper core ones) and 5 litres of Castrol GTX so I'm now set to do the service that I planned on. I was going to do it tomorrow night before the meeting but I've decided to bring it forward to tonight so I'll be off up to Anita's to get the job done as soon as I've finished writing this.

I was thinking about breaking the Toledo but after protests on the Club Triumph and Triumph Dolomite Club forums I've followed my heart and I hope to restore this car. I shall be replacing panels where necessary so this will be an opportunity to learn my welding skills. I reckon that the bulk of the work will be the bodywork so I'll be stripping the front end down first and see how much metal is actually left! I thought that I might have to replace both front wings but I reckon that the drivers' side wing can be left untouched.

I'm bidding for a steering column bush on eBay for Baby Blue. There's also some alloy steering rack mounts which I'd like to get then I'll never need to buy rack bushes again. I had a look at Baby Blue's steering rack today and I reckon that the only problem will be getting the rack out once I've removed the bolts. Time to consult Haynes on this one. I've dug out my rebuilt steering column in readiness for this job. I'll give the plastic shrouds a clean as well.

On the move

I've finally done it! The Toledo has now been moved to it's new resting place at Anita's next to Baby Blue. A large chunk of filler from the front end broke off so I think this car's fate is sealed unless I'm brave enough to fit that front end panel that I have in the garage. The engine still turns over and fires with a dose of Easystart. Becky is none the worse for towing the Toledo. I hope I don't need to do any more towing!

Doing something with the Toledo

Yes, she's now for sale on eBay and if she doesn't sell I will tow her over to Anita's house and break her there. (I can't do it at home)

Watch this space...

Oh dear, this isn't good at all

I had somebody interested in the Toledo. When he came up to look he found some rust holes at the ends of the sills so it looks like it will get scrapped because there's too much work involved. As there's plenty of good parts to be had I won't get somebody to just take it away to be crushed. I will tow it to Anita's and strip it there. I don't feel I can really get the welding done so it might be better to concentrate on getting Baby Blue on the road.

Slow progress

I'm now a bit closer to starting the welding on Baby Blue. I went to a mate who has been restoring a Triumph Herald to help him get all his bits together in readiness for assembling it together. He gave me some degreaser, some offcuts of metal and some old gears on which I can prataice my welding.
Becky still keeps on going and performance is still good even though she's back on her regular diet of Morrisons unleaded.
The pressure is back on to move the Toledo. The word "scrap" has even been mentioned. There's no way I'll do that! That car is perectly saveable andf is more or less complete.

She keeps right on going

Nothing new to report on Becky since I replaced the water pump. She's running as sweet as a nut and I'm sure performance has improved since I fed her some BP instead of the usual diet of Morrison's unleaded. I nearly used the BP Ultimate until I saw the price! I suppose they have to find the money for the radio adverts (that I've been haring on Virgin Radio) somehow. I went to Club Triumph's North Wales & Cheshire meeting last night and there's my North Yorkshire meeting tonight so Becky's done a few miles this week! Good practaice for my Peak District Run, the HCR and the RBRR. All I need is a co-driver for the HCR & RBRR!

Done it!

I've finally got the new water pump fitted and Becky runs a LOT quieter now but it was an absolute struggle. I managed to get the bolt loosened by the garage and last night I tried and gave up. After work today I went straight to Anita's and started working on Becky. The job took a couple of hours and apart from a small scare with one of the water pump bolts it went quite smoothly. Somebody suggested that I change the cambelt but it looked fine to me so I've left well alone. There's just some routine servicing which I can carry out once I've got everything I need. I'm even thinking about using Castrol GTX as it's a bit cheaper and Becky deserves the best. We shall see...

Got the water pump

I picked it up today but fitting it is gonna be a nightmare! I'll need to remove the cambelt cover and crankshaft pulley to get at all the bolts. I've there fore enlisted the help of the garage that did Becky's MoT and one of the lads there is gonna loosen the crankshaft pulley nut saving me a lot of grief. I'll get him to do the same with the water pump pulley and then I'll be laughing.

Squealing like a pig.

That was because the alternator drive belt was slipping so I left it until I fitted the repaired alternator and it has been fine since. While I was doing that I noticed that the water pump pulley seemed wobbly and when I spun it by hand it was making a rumbling noise similar to one I've heard when Becky is ticking over. I was going to leave it because the water pump is working and there are no leaks. A mate strongly suggested that it would fail so I've ordered a brand new water pump from my trusty local motor factor which is gonna cost just over 14 pounds so it is worth doing. I just hope I can get the water pump off to be able to do the job!

Alternator repaired

Got Becky's alternator back today from the auto electrician. It cost me 35 pounds to have it repaired and it looks as good as new. Well worth it and cheaper than buying a new one. As for Baby Blue's alternator, once I did get a new one I would have to take Baby Blue down to have her wired up for the alternator and that isn't possible at the moment unless I get her road legal and that seems quite far off.

Alternator update

I took the alternators in for repair today and the news is mixed.

First up, Becky's alternator just needed new brushes and bearings. The news on Baby Blue's isn't so good but a brand new alternator will cost 45 pounds and will have more output than the original. I've decided to have Becky's alternator repaired and I'll hold fire on Baby Blue's for the time being.

Exhausted part 2

I rung the guy up and he still had the exhaust. Better still, he lived local and when I went down to his house to look at it I realised that it had been taken off fully assembled (Aclaim exhausts are two-piece systems) so there was no way I could take it anywhere to get it fitted. He kindly offered me the use of his gargage so I went over to Anita's house (where I keep Baby Blue) to get my tools. Fitting the exhaust wasn't too much of a problem except for one of the manifold nuts which I managed to round off necessitating the use of the nut splitter. I managed to get the nut replaced at a local tyre fitter. (the same place where I had the puncture repair done) The exhaust cost me £50 and the guy even gave me a spare headlight with a bulb.
On a positive note, I'll be getting Becky's other alternator and Baby Blue's alternator repaired. Somebody at the last local TSSC meeting recommended a place the does these sort of repairs and I've arranged to take them in. Both alternators are in Baby Blue's boot so I'll have to go back up there again tonight but I'm glad I'm making a bit more progress with things. I'll have to get the Toledo alternator off Baby Blue and back on to the Toledo.

Exhausted

Becky's exhaust has started to fall apart at the seams. (literally!) This is the first time I've come across this on an exhaust. I tried welding one of the brackets on the centre silencer that had split and it only improved things for a short while but I'm now back at square one. I was offered a complete exhaust which was almost brand new. Fortunately, I still have his number so I'll give him a call after I've finished working at the pub today. Hopefully, I won't have too much trouble fitting it as I'll have my Haynes to help and the experience of a few fellow Acclaim owners to draw upon.

And here is how the back seat looks. Those Dolomite Sprint seats were a real bargain at �1 on eBay and the seller lived local which was even better! A pity Sprint alloys don't fit... 

I finally finished refitting the door cards and cleared everything out of the interior. Not perfect but a whole lot better than it was before as you can see from the pic. Once I've fitted the rebuilt steering column it will be fine. 

I put on the third coat of varnish and it has done the trick. The pic is of the door cappings taken just before I fitted them back on Baby Blue. I even managed to fit the front door cards! It looks a lot better with the varnished door cappings. A job well done! 

More varnish

I put a second coat of varnish on and I'm still not happy with the finish so it looks like I'm gonna need at least 3 coats of the stuff. Hopefully, the third coat will be the last one so I'll five it a quick rub with some fine sandpaper and a wipe with some white spirit. (I bought some when I was at the local B&Q)

I've just been going through my pics of Baby Blue and this is the state of affairs under the bonnet. I reckon a good clean with some degreaser and a bit of Hammeriting will improve things no end! 

The pic is of the door cappings all sanded and ready to varnish. I bought some Ronseal clear interior varnish from my local B&Q. I've already applied the first coat. They're ready for the next coat now. I'll be taking more pics when the job's done. I reckon it will need 3 coats but we shall see. The door cards came up clean so once I've vaccuumed the car out and fitted the varnished door cappings and refitted the door cards the interior should be more or less done. 

Back to Baby Blue

At last! I've finally got back to working on Baby Blue! Its been too long. Fist I cleared all the remaining spares out and took them down to the garage where the spares car is kept. Before I went down to the garage I removed the door cards and the wood cappings off Baby Blue. The door cards had got a bit wet (it was raining when I removed them. Typical British weather and the forecast was going to be dry as well! You can't trust the Met Office!) so they're in the house drying out until I can get round to giving them a good clean. I got my knife and scraped the remaining varnish off the door caps in readiness for sanding and varnishing. I'm going to get some Ronseal (it does what is it says on the tin!) wood varnish from my local B&Q which should do the job. The dashboard seems to be fine so I'll be leaving it alone.

Something actually went wrong!

Yes, I had a problem with Becky last night. The ignition light came on when I was driving her. My thoughts immediately turned to the alternator as being the culprit. This suspicion was proved right when I got my multimeter out and took a voltage reading across the battery terminal when the engine was running. I got a reading of just over 12 volts and it should be 14 volts. As it happened I had an alternator among my colletion of spares so I dug it out today and swapped the alternator after work. Becuase all my tools are kept in Baby Blue's boot I had to go over to where she is kept to be able to do the job. The one thing I like about Acclaims is that they'll still keep on going even if something has gone wrong. Anyway, back to the story. (as Ronnie Corbett would say!) I swapped the alternator over and it has done the trick. I was talking about this to Brian (a work colleague and fellow Triumph enthusiast - He's restoring a Herald 13/60 covertible) who thinks that the brushes might need replacing. I'm going to have this alternator repaired and then I've got a spare once again. WHen I was over there I had a closer look at my new welder. The hand-held mask is absolutely pathetic! I've got a proper welding mask off Brian and that just needs a lens before I can use it. Unfortunately, the lens for the hand-held mask is too small. A trip to Machine Mart, Arco or Halfords is called for then I can get what I need to start welding.

More stuff

I now also have a welding mask. All I need are the gauntlets and some pieces of steel plate and I'll be ready to start practaising my welding skills. Hopefully, I'll be able to get Baby Blue patched up and ready for the MoT

I've finally got one!

In an act of great kindness Anita (at whose house I keep Baby Blue) has bought me a MIG welder. One of her daughters' boyfriends is a mechanic and can get this sort of stuff at trade price. Just need the protective gear, some steel and a pair of cutters and I can get started. My local Arco, Machine Mart and eBay are all beckoning..

Fixed!

Yep, I sorted out my slow punture. Following the advice of a work colleague I avoided Kwik-Fit and went to a local tyre place and got the puncture fixed for only 5 pounds (Why don't Blogs display the pound symbol? The British economy is the 4th richest!) Cheaper than a brand new tyre which is what probably happened if I'd gone to Kwi-Fit. All is well with Becky again and a good thing because I'm going to a Club Triumph meeting tonight.

Tyre problems

One of Becky's rear tyres has a slow puncture. Today I found out why. I jacked her up, put her into gear (to lock the front wheels. Becky's front wheel drive remember), released the handbrake and turned the wheel and found a nail in the tread. Looks like a job for Kwik-Fit. They do puncture repairs (if it can be repaired) but if the worst comes to the worst it will have to be a new tyre.

Other than that, she's still running fine.

Insurance problem solved!

Yes, I've solved the problem and saved myself a fortune! It just so happened that Baby Blue was still insured on my Lancaster classic car policy. I'd thought about cancelling it as Baby Blue isn't gonna be road legal for quite some time but I'd put it off. I can be really bad for putting things off! I ran Lancaster up to change it over to Becky and to up the annual mileage from 5000 to 12000 and it was only going to cost me an extra 30 pounds. Problem solved and I've saved over 1000 pounds. Sometimes it pays to procrastinate! Kwik Fit rang me back and I told them that I won't be renewing with them. Besides, it's not really a good idea to have a classic car on ordinary car insurance. Anyway, I'm pleased with the outcome and I will be a bit better off financially. I'm hoping to get the Toledo moved with the help of my mate Bob but I can't get hold of him. I know he'd help me out with these sort of things. I won't have to worry about the battery as it should be fully charged by now!

I'm really hacked off (for want of a better word!) The insurance renewal for Becky has come through and the premium is going to be �1240! This is crazy! I know there was a claim made which was my fault (losing me 2 years off my no-claims) but upping my insurance that much is ridiculous! it's nearly doubled and I can't afford that. No wonder there's so many uninsured drivers on British roads these days! It's not all bad though. Baby Blue is still insured so I could swap that over to Becky and save over �1000 in the process. I'm still gonna get a few quotes though. I'm sure I can do better than Kwik Fit. 

I took the battery out of the Toledo to get it charged in readiness for the move. Before the battery came out I took this shot of the engine bay. It will come up nice with a bit of a clean. With a fully charged battery I'm not restricted to daylight plus if it rains the wipers can be operated. Also, it gives me the opportunity to get the alternator off Baby Blue as I'll be charging the battery where she is kept. I can do some measuring while I'm up there to see if there's enough room for the Toledo. These things need planning with military precision! Becky just keeps on going. All I've had to do is fill her up with petrol and jetwash her every week. 

Toledo on the move...

I'm under pressure to move the Toledo. I don't wanna get rid of it so I'm gonna keep it where Baby Blue is kept. I just need the help of another person who can drive and enough daylight to complete the job as the Toledo's battery is flat. This car is something of a nomad as I keep moving it from place to place. It might be better being kept next to Baby Blue as I can do some work on it. I've neglected this car lately and need to do something with it. Lack of money has brought things to a complete halt at the moment and the dark evenings and worsening weather (so much for summer!) don't help either!

Not much.

Don't really have much new to say. Becky just keeps on going. When I filled her up with petrol on Thursday at my local Morrisons I decided to check her tyre pressures. They were fine except for the rear right. Anyway, I inflated them to 29psi (I always go a bit over to allow for them being warm)

Due to lack of funds I can't do anything else at the moment.

Clean up

I cleared out some bedding that was in the Toledo. I kept the pillowcases and quilt cover and took the pillows and quilt to the local tip. Next up was to go up to Baby Blue and give her a wash. I also made a start on cleaning up the engine bay. Baby Blue's inner wings were covered in some sort of grime. I'll need to scrape the stuff off the way I've been going.

At last I'm going to do something with the Toledo! My plan is to use some of that rust killer/primer on the areas that have rusted and then use some fibreglass filler. Before I can do any of that I'll need to wash the car first. I'll also see about fitting the original propshaft and getting the alternator off Baby Blue. I also wanna give Baby Blue a clean so I'll be going back and forth between home and Baby Blue. The pic is a view out of the front bedroom window and you can also see my brother's Astra at the bottom left. 

Been away

I've been to France for my brother's wedding so nothing really to add. I didn't see any Triumphs in France but the wedding car was 1933 Citroen. There were a few 80s cars (mostly Citroen BXs) and a few Renault 4s & 5s. On the way home yesterday I saw a yellow Spitfire 1500 on the M62. I didn't recognize the driver and he didn't let on to me. Becky made it to Stansted Airport without a single problem and she didn't miss a beat. When we got back she fired up on the button. Find me a 22 year old car that's as reliable as Becky. She did me proud although my mum complained about being hot and cramped in the back seat.

Nice and clean

I filled up Becky's petrol tank and washed her at the local jetwash. When I got home I polished her. I was going to use the vac but "rain stopped play". Typical British weather! She didn't need vaccing anyway so I turned my attention to the Toledo with the polish. Despite the rust some of the paintwork came up nice (the bits that I did!) It really needs a good wash as well. The car's been resparayed in places and underneath the faded paintwork is a half-decent Toledo. If only I had a welder I'd be busy getting all the welding done on the Toledo and Baby Blue.

See you when I get back from France next week...

Homeward bound

After 22 months the Toledo has finally come home. I managed to find somebody who can drive to steer the Toledo (a woman by the name of Dawn). I removed the propshaft (should have done it AGES ago) and found a battery with enough power to operate the headlights. It's been a while since I've towed but I took it slowly (Dawn's never been towed before! It was nerve-wracking for her!) and I got home without a single problem.

One Triumph less...

I've just sold one of my Acclaims. YNW561X was sold to a young lad for £50 (what I paid for it) He seems happy enough with it and I'm glad it's going to a good home.
I'm thinking about bringing the Toledo home. The driveway will be empty when I go to France later on this week and having a car there when I'm gone might discourage any would-be intruders and keep the neighbours' kids at bay.

I've got Becky back!

She now has a full 12 months' MoT. The welding wasn't as bad as first thought (only £30 worth) and it was the drivers' side floorpan where it meets the bulkhead and front inner wing close to a jacking point. Greg who is the garage's MoT tester showed me where it was and it looks good. The total cost including the test fee and VAT was £65.25 The cheapest MoT for as long as I care to remember.

And have you seen what the garage have given me to run around in while they've got Becky? A Rover 214SEi Because of the welding that's needed they've had to keep her overnight until they can get the work done. I used to have one of these cars so I'm familiar with them. 

I don't believe it!

This is really bad news! Becky failed the MoT! Only kidding, it wasn't all that bad. She only failed on a section of the floor where it meets the bulkhead. The garage reckon that it will take £50 worth of welding to make her pass so I've given then the go-ahead.

I did it!

Got the radiator swap done losing a jubilee clip for one of the hoses so I robbed one off the other Acclaim so as not to immobilize Becky. I'm sure I've got a spare in the shed somewhere. It has worked because Becky is still running fine.

Radiator swap

I've decided to do the rad swap tonight as the rain has stopped and the forecast for tomorrow is more rain. As the saying goes, make hay while the sun shines. Only thing is: I'll have to go over to Anita's house to get my tools out of Baby Blue's boot so that cuts into what time I've got left before sunset.

Better get my skates on...

This isn't good...

Don't worry. Becky's fine! It was me. I committed my first motoring offence in her. I was driving through Halifax town centre when I got stopped by the police. It was one of the police vans obviously watching out for Thursday night drunken revellers. It turned out that I'd driven down a street that is prohibited to cars so I was given a fixed penalty of £30. I've got 28 days to pay it so I'll leave it until the last week. They can wait for their money the bar-stewards! This is legalised theft! The 2 police officers were quite impressed with Becky. I'm glad I polished her now. One of them scanned the tax disc with a barcode reader. When I got back into Becky, Smiley Culture's "Police Offcier" was playing on my MP3 player. Ironic or what? I immediately cracked out laughing.

"police officer no give me producer..." (if you know the song!)

Did a bit

I washed Becky after filling up at my local Morrisons. When I got home I swapped the ignition leads (recently fitted) off the other Acclaim. I also bought some wax polish and used it on Becky and she has come up nice. I tried to start up the other Acclaim and it fired up without any problems. It had been standing for a week so that shows how reliable they are. I sprayed some penetrating fluid on Becky's raditaor hose clips in readiness for the radiator swap at the weekend. Makes things a bit easier.

Found work to do

I didn't think I'd need to do any work on Becky but my mate Brian had a look under her bonnet and said straight away that the cooling system needs flushing so I might as well swap the radiator off the other Acclaim. Also, I'll swap the new leads and rotor arm as well. I wonder if the new dizzy cap might fit Becky. Worth a try. I'll be doing the rad swap at the weekend and I'll be able to swap the leads this evening. Brian also said that the brake fluid needs changing. I think that I might need new front discs and pads because I sometimes feel the brakes judder.

Keeping Becky on the road

I've booked Becky in for an MoT next Wednesday as her current MoT runs out the following week and I'll be going down to Stansted Airport in her to fly out to France for my brother's wedding. I've used this garage before. They're honest, trustworthy and they're Rover specialists so the Becky won't be a problem for them. I hope she passes first time.

I had a look round and there were quite a few Triumphs about but this one caught my eye. The identical model to Baby Blue (1500FWD) and this one was a real beauty! The same age as the spares car. 

I went to the Woodvale Rally yesterday. 22 months into Triumph ownership and this is my first show. My only regret is that I hadn't done this sooner because I really enjoyed myself. Becky was looking great as you can see in the pic. She attracted a bit of attention as well. She did Club Triumph proud! 

I went to Barrow-In- Furness to collect Becky. The train joruney wasn't too bad considering that I was stuck in Manchester for 45 minutes but I got there! She's a real beauty! A sight to behold and the eBay pics don't do her justice! Looks and drives just like new. Becky drives a bit differently to my other Acclaim. She has been well looked after. Even the rear bumper is perfect! Becky came with a lot of spares including a set of front wings and front passenger door glass. I'd have got more spares but there's so much you can get into an Acclaim!! During the drive back to Bradford Becky didn't miss a beat or put a foot wrong. The first thing I did when I reached Bradford was to pay Barry McGrath a visit and he was impressed with Becky. Apparently, she's the same colour as Rupert should be. I donated the front wings and door glass to his good cause. After all he's helped me in the past. It's the least I can do in return. Isn't this what being in a club is all about? I don't think I need to do anything to Becky at the moment! She's near enough perfect and will be ideal for the forthcoming Woodvale Show (my first show, whaey!) 

Here's one of the pics of Becky from the eBay item description and she looks a beauty! 

I've got it!

I won the auction for this really nice Acclaim. I've arranged to collect her on Thursday 4th August. The car is in Barrow-In-Furness and I'm going by train then I can drive back down to Bradford. The insurance is timed to change over and by then I will have received my new insurance certifiate. I'll need it as the tax has just run out. When I found out the registration number (A846BEC) the name "Becky" sprang straight to mind and from now on the car will be known as Becky. I don't think I will have much trouble selling my current Acclaim once word gets round that I've got Becky.

I finally managed to get the threaded rods of the battery clamp off the spares car. The nut splitter made short work of those nuts. I used my tap and die set to clean up the threads and the wing nuts. I got the front tyres inflated to the correct pressure and I managed to make a start on removing the steering rack (I just unbolted the track rod ends) I also fired Baby Blue up just to keep the engine freed up. 

I'm still having problems with the overheating! I was driving this morning when I noticed the temperature gauge go past halfway and then the heater went cold which pointed to an air lock. When I got home and let it cool I took the radiator cap off and noticed that some coolant had been lost. I know that the radiator is definitely not leaking. (it was brand new!) This also goes to show that it should've been checked weekly! I've topped it up and it seems all right now. I haven't checked the coolant level since I fitted the radiator 4 weeks ago. I'm bidding for another Acclaim on eBay at the moment. This one is a real beauty, is more or less rust free and has been very well looked after. Well worth buying (if I win the auction! 

Not done much

It's been raining for most of the week so I haven't been able to get much done. I fitted the ignition leads and rotor arm on the Acclaim but the distributor cap wouldn't fit! The windscreen was leaking with all this heavy rain (must've been the remnants of the Birmingham tornado) because my handbook got wet when it was in the car. I'm now bidding for another Acclaim on eBay. I just hope that I win this one because it is a real beauty! I've spoken to the seller and the car's been looked after.
I fell that things on Baby Blue are being held up buy the welding that's needed. I'm still looking at buying a welder but the Acclaims are my first priority. Once the boot floor's been done I can fit the petrol tank and connect the fuel lines. No more of that petrol can! And while I'm at it I should put the spares car back together once I've done the steering rack and column. I've too many spare parts all dumped on the back seat and in the boot of Baby Blue. I don't think I can rob much else off the spares car and it will be next once Baby Blue is on the road.
I'm thinking of selling the Toledo. Being stuck on a pub car park isn't the best place for it and I don't have the time with everything else that's going on.

More stuff for the Acclaim

The ignition leads I bought on eBay came in the post today. I also bought a new rotor arm so I can fit the along with that distributor cap I've had kicking about for a while (another eBay purchase) I tried to fit them but I don't have the tools so that job will have to wait until I go up to Baby Blue because I keep most of my tools in her boot. I bought a nut splitter the other day in my local Halfords to remove the threaded rods for the battery clamp from the spares car. I can easily replace the nuts.