I've added to the fleet. Another Acclaim and this one is a top-of-the-range CD with all the goodies. This car has been dry stored since 1994 and has on 22,000 miles on her.

Here is the old part. This has taken some ingenuity to do this presumably because the right replacement part wasn't available. Anyway it has worked quite well.

On another note I shall be adding to my Triumph collection. Once the car is definitely mine I'll be updating this Blog. Watch this space!

I managed to find a replacement part on the carburettor which came off the Toledo. As you can see it should be a ball-and-socket joint at both ends. This was easily fitted and all is now well again.

I started having problems with Snowdrop's throttle linkage. The bottom part which was a ball-and-socket joint kept on popping out so I decided to raid my parts emporeum to find a replacement. The part looked like it had been bodged before but more of that a bit later...

Carb problems

A new problem has cropped up. Part of the carburettor linkage keeps on coming off. There's a ball-and-socket joint that keeps on popping out. I don't think the offending part can be replaced on it's own (it ain't listed in the parts catalogue or on Rimmer Bros' website) so I can either cannibalise one of my spare carbs or fit Toledo's carb. (it is exactly the same - an SU HS4) Until I can sort it out I think I'll have to put Becky back into daily use. I can't keep on refitting the linkage every time it pops out.

Here is the finished job. I think the earlier units look better. Also, the back of the unit is protected by a rubber cover. I'm sure that the bean counters at BL did away with these as one of the many cost-cutting measures back in the 1970s. Anyway they work better now.

Here we are before work started. The passenger side was fairly straightforward but the drivers' side was a struggle by comparison. It turned out that the light unit wasn't passing current so I ended up using one off the spares 1500 (lucky I had the smaller parts to hand) and it was working fine after that.

I finally found out the cause of my indicator problems. I knew I had a bad earth somewhere and with the indicator/sidelight units being way past it I decided to fit the ones that I took off my Toledo. I bought a terminal block from Halfords, stripped the wires and connected the blocks.

Indicators

I've finally found out why my indicators aren't working properly. I'd suspected a bad earth and I've finally traced it to the indicator/sidelight units. The look like they've seen better days and I reckon the ones off my Toledo will fit. The advantage it that it won't cost me anything except my time and effort. The only thing is that they're not quite "right" but If they're fully functional who cares?

Here is the new exhaust ready to go on. I ended up fitting a complete system. For an extra £25 it made sense and I sold the old rear section to my local Acclaim guru for a tenner so I got something back and it was a win-win situation all round. When I got back home and checked my e-mail I had a reply from an enquiry I made about a stainless steel exhaust for the Acclaim. I'll be asking around to see if there's enough interest and I may be able to get them manufactured again.

MCC called me this morning to say that the exhaust had arrived so I took Becky down to get it done. Ths pic is the old exhaust.

Exhausting

I've decided to get my finger out and do something about Becky's exhaust. She has been parked up outside Anita's house since it happened. I'd got a quote of £90 from my usual guys. (ETC in Braford if you know them) Another independent tyre fitter Alba Tyres (just up the road from where I work) quoted me the same sort of price. Last port of call was MCC which is just a penalty kick away from the Bradford City ground. (the Intersonic Stadium - aka Valley Parade) And they quoted me £95 for a high quality exhaust and they can get it the next day so I bit the bullet and handed over a £30 deposit so I'm now committed. They've even offered me the rear section for £25 extra so I said I'd have it only if I need it. I might get it anyway if I can sell my old one cheap. I got hold of a replacement headlight bulb for £1.15 from my trusty motor factor.

Disaster!

Becky's exhaust has given up the ghost and has split at the downpipe as you can see in the pic. Also, I found out that the headlight problem with Snowdrop was just a blown bulb so I ended up using one of the Toledo's sealed beam headlights as they're an exact fit. I should be able to get a replacement exhaust section from my local tyre fitter. I tried my local Acclaim guru but he doesn't have one so I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and get a new front section. (which is most of the exhaust) I can't understand why it has deteriorated so quickly when it was a nearly new exhaust when I bought it.

Another job well done! While I was waiting for the paint to dry in the sun I cleaned and adjusted the rear brakes and the handbrake is better now. I also filled in a couple of cracks in the exhaust downpipe with some exhaust putty. I reckon I might have to get the MIG out if my handiwork doesn't hold up. I also had Snowdrop up on the ramps to fill in some holes on her exhaust. The next day I managed to improve Snowdrop's handbrake. One of the cables wasn't routed correctly. Once it was rerouted the handbrake was better. I also adjusted the brake shoes. The problem I had with the offside headlight has now affected the nearside one! It was suffering from a bad earth before but it has now failed completely so Becky's been put back into daily use until I can fix it.

A coat of silver Hammerite Smooth and it looked just like new. Definitely an improvement!

This one which was the offside front wheel was worse than the others.

This is what the wheels looked like when I took them off, removed the embellishers, removed the hub caps and cleaned them up.

The first thing to do was to remove all four wheels as it would be more efficient to paint them all in one go. I only have one pair of axle stands so I used my wheels ramps as well. They're a bit safer than another pair of axle stands as a fellow Triumph enthusiast will testify!

After I'd improved Snowdrop's wheels with nothing more than some silver Hammerite Smooth and a paintbrush I decided to do the same with Becky's wheels as they were looking a bit shabby. It was a sunny day so I decided to take advantage of the weather. This is what Becky looked like before I started work.

Job done! Everything is back together and it all works. I also cured a slight problem with one of my headlights which involved bypassing a broken wire. Not quite as British Leyland intended but it is 100% functional.

New stalk fitted and it was a perfect fit.

...and on with the new. Not bad for a fiver!

Off with the old...

...once I'd disconnected the connector. Beware! Earlier Dolomites have a different type of plug. The 1976 BL parts catalogue for the Triumph Dolomite shows the earlier type of plug on the indicator stalk. Snowdrop is a 1977 car so BL must have changed it about then.

...and then removal of the indicator stalk could begin...

...followed by the wiper stalk...

Next it was the turn of the bottom half...

The first thing to do was to remove the top half of the steering column shroud and disconnect the blue wire from the headlight switch.

I have been having problems with my indicator stalk and I finally managed to get one via eBay so I fitted it at the soonest opportunity. This pic is before I started any work.

Indicator problem

My indicator stalk arrived today and the connectors are the wrong ones! It ain't all bad though. They look like earlier ones that will fit Baby Blue. I'm sure my butchered indicator stalk is causing problems with that car. Now I've got a decent one I can use that.

Anyway, back to the story. (as Ronnie Corbett would say!) A quick search on eBay turned up somebody who is breaking a Dolomite 1300 and he's in York so all being well he will have exactly what I need. We shall see...

Here's a close-up of one of my wheels. Even though I used a brush to apply the paint it is a vast improvement on before and the wheels look like new! Well worth it.