Blue is for sale

Due to an imminent house move with not enough room at the new place I'm having to put Blue up for sale. This car is the top-of-the-range CD with the Triomatic gearbox, has done 46,000 miles is complete and in original condition. The engine turns but won't run. I suspect that the fuel line is blocked. Becky should be able to donate her's. If this car doesn't sell I will put it on eBay. I also need to funds to take on a Vauxhall Astra as I need a modern car for commuting.

Back on the road!

Oh yes, Brown is now 100% road legal again. I taxed it yesterday at the Post Office. I could've done it online but I didn't want to wait and besides, you can't beat the feeling of going to the Post Office and getting a tax disc without having to pay for it.

I put some fresh fuel in and the car's running fine. The exhaust started to rattle but it has now disappeared. I'm planning to use this car daily during the week to shake it down.

Fresh MoT

Brown came home today with a fresh MoT:

The total cost (not including the £40 test fee) came to £300 most of which was for the welding needed. Once I've taxed the car in the morning I'll be good to go. Here's to continued enjoyment of this car.

MoT failure...

Brown has failed the MoT. Nothing too serious but obviously bad enought to fail. The fails were:

Corrosion on the chassis rails at the front subframe mounting points.
Corrosion on one of the jacking points at the rear of one of the sills.
Play in the forint wheel bearings.
Poor and imbalanced handbrake.
Loose headlight and aimed too low.
Torn exhaust mounting rubber.

It will be just over £200 to put it all right (it might be more depending on how much rot is found) so I've booked the car in for repairs and retest for next Thurdsay. I don't have to pay for the road tax on this car (1972 Triumph Dolomite) so I'm not too bothered about having to fork out to get this car through the MoT and I might as well get it done when I can afford it.

The end of the road Part 2

This has now also come for Becky (Monza red Acclaim HL). I have had this car for 7 years and I have to face up to the fact that I'm never going to be able to put this car back on the road so I've come to the decision to dismantle this car for spares. I could take her apart and store the parts in the garage but I don't want to be stuck with parts I may not need for years if ever. I could be moving to another place which has no garage. The solution - get a few Acclaim enthusiasts together who can strip the car right down in a day and in return they can have whatever parts they need for free. Simples! I have participated in such a stripdown so I know it is possible.

Because of this possible move I'm going to have to put Blue up for sale. This is a 46,000 mile Acclaim CD Triomatic in a fetching shade of Zircon blue. The car will need some welding to the sills, an overhaul of the braking system (new pads, shoes, discs and fluid), a battery, new ignition parts and fresh fluids but is complete and original.

The end of the road

No it isn't quite THAT bad. Today is the last day of Brown's current MoT and with no job and the associated lack of income (literally ZERO income) I am unable to put this car through the test. Ironically, the car is in better shape than when it passed last year but I can't do anything when I've no money. On a slightly more fortunate note, Becky II is still road legal but I can't afford fuel so I'm not much better off and any major job could also take this car off the road.

It has been 2 months...

...since my last post and there has been plenty going on with both of my road-going Triumphs.

Becky II has been clocking up the miles and has already passed the 100,000 mile mark. I was even able to take a photo at the precise moment when all the zeros lined up.

During this week there's been quite a bit of work needed. The nearside brake light had failed because water had accumulated in the light unit. With all the recent rain I'm not surprised. This meant that the light unit had to be removed so I could drain it. The next job was to remove the remains of the bulb because it has rusted in. As always I prevailed and a new bulb was fitted which has restored it to working order.
Going to and from work I noticed that the steering was feeling wobbly. I found excessive play in the nearside track rod end and fitted new ones on both sides. I noticed that the nearside front tyre needed replacing so that was done and after putting a few miles on I got the front wheel tracking done so the commute should be a more pleaseant experience. Because of the mileage I've been changing Becky II's engine oil and filter every 3,000 miles. It never ceases to amaze me at how black the oil gets after only 3,000 miles.

Brown has also been getting plenty of attention from the spanners. I have finally got a blow-free exhaust. I fitted a brand new exhaust manifold (£20 from Rimmer Bros. Too good to miss at that price.) with new gaskets and some new bolts and made sure that all the joints were leak free. This car is so much better to drive. I wish I'd done it sooner. The horn is fixed and now works all the time, I've fitted the TRIUMPH badge on the front panel (the early Dolomites have them), the non-existent heater was fixed by repositioning a collapsed heater hose, I fitted an early type number plate light along with the rear bumper centre,

 fitted a new fanbelt, adjusted the choke cable, fitted early type sun visors,

 got a slow puncture on the offside rear tyre repaired, reinstated the original springs (I fitted Sprint springs when I replaced the dampers back in 2009) to restore the correct height and the most recent job was to fit new front brake pads which I'm still bedding in at the moment. Since I fitted the electronic ignition I've clocked up just over 2,000 trouble-free miles and the car is easier to start and runs better.

The cars are still running fine

Becky II is doing 500 miles a week taking me and a few colleagues to and from work. The car sharing offsets my petrol bill and I can claim not only for the mileage but also the fact that I'm car sharing which is offet against my tax liability. In laymen's terms, there is less deducted from my gross pay. In my previous post the windscreen got repaired the same day but the repairer turned up when I'd finished work. The chip is still visible but at least the windscreeen won't crack.

Brown is still running fine. Since I fitted the Sprint dizzy and the electronic ignition. My average fuel consumption worked out at just above 22mpg so I pulled the spark plugs out to check the fuel mixture and they're a biscuit colour so the mixture's fine so it must be the type of driving that I'm doing. I haven't uploaded any photos for AGES so here we go...

The plugs from cylinder Nos 1 &2

The plugs from cylinder Nos 3 &4











Back in February I listed some the shows I was planning to attend. It didn't work out quite that way. I missed Stoneleigh because I couldn't afford the fuel due to money being a bit tight. I thought I was going to miss the Bronte Vintage Gathering because I'd left it too late to send my entry form in and they don't allow entries on the day. The weather was dry and sunny (but windy!) so I went as a spectator so in a way I did make it. I caught up with the local plant hire company (where I used to work) who attend this show and exhibit their vintage excavators. I also saw this Triumph 1500TC which I've never seen before.

I eventually caught up with the owner and got talking to him. I've directed him to the Triumph Dolomite Club's forum and hopefully he might come across this Blog.

As for the remaining shows on my list I'll definitely be able to make Harewood House because my temporary job will last at least until the end of June and possibly beyond. Woodvale and the TDCIR are dependent upon me having a job and with the TDCIR it will also be dependent upon getting Brown through the MoT.

From oil change to a chipped windscreen

Becky II's oil change is coming due so I got it done yesterday evening while the weather was warm and dry. After a bit of a scare with the wheel ramps I got the car safely on them. It never ceases to amaze me how black the engine oil gets. I've started to change the oil every 3,000 miles and I'm glad that I do. While I was at it I decided to investigate the blowing exhaust. It was blowing at the manifold/downpipe joint and the first thing I noticed was that one of the studs was missing and the remaining 2 nuts were working loose so no wonder that the joint was leaking. I put some Halfords exhaust putty on the joint, bolted it all back together and it has cured the blowing. It has also cured an exhaust vibration I've been having.
My joy was short lived because on the way to work the windscreen got chipped. I've seen the Autoglass adverts on the TV & radio where they tell you not to leave a chip because it will eventually crack so I rang Footman James (my insurers) who gave me the number for National Windscreens who are their official repairers and I'm waiting for the local branch to get back to me. Also, if I leave it and it needs replacing it will cost me at least the windscreen excess and Acclaim windscreens aren't readily available.

Distributor replacement done

Last week all the parts for my dizzy arrived so I was able to build up the replacement dizzy.

I fitted the electronic ignition and fitted the dizzy to the car but this proved futile. Working in the rain and darkness (I was doing it last Thursday evening) certainly didn't help so I had to give up. On the Saturday morning I went back to it and got the car running with points and condenser. Once that was done I could then fit the electronic ignition and after ajdusting the timing it was fine. So I was set for the following day which was Drive It Day. To mark this day I tagged along with the West & North Yorkshire TSSC area group run out to the National Coal Mining Musem For England. Brown didn't miss a beat and on the way home I took the scenic route through Huddersfield and stopped at Scammoden Dam for a couple of photos before going home. After 100 miles Brown is still running fine. I've kept the points and condenser in the glovebox just in case. The electronic ignition will be cheap and easy to replace should it ever fail.

Total cost - about £40

Distributor replacement

It has been a while since I last posted so it is time for a small update.

Becky II is still in daily use. Aside from changing an engine torque rod bush I've not had to do any spannering. I've found out that the ones from the Rover 827 are an exact match. Apparently, one of the Range Rover bushes is also an exact match so I'll be doing my own investigations.

To get to the main topic of this post, I'm going to replace the distibutor in Brown. The electronic igniton that I had fitted died on me just before Christmas. The points and condensor were reinstated and Brown has been running fine ever since. I've had to adjust the points gap a couple of times and this is an awkward job due to the design of the distributor. I've been toying with the idea of fitting a brand new electronic ignition unit. Unfortunately, there aren't many options for the 1850's Delco dizzy and they usually involve dismantling the dizzy in order to fit it. An alternative is to fit a dizzy from the Dolomite Sprint which is a Lucas one. This gives more options in terms of electronic ignition kits and if nothing else, the points are easier to adjust in these dizzys. I've managed to source a Sprint dizzy and I've ordered a Britpart electronic ignition kit. Because I'm using a Sprint dizzy I'll need to get a mounting plate, rotor arm and dizzy cap. I've sourced all thes items and once I've got everything I can get it up and running. The beauty of the Britpart kit is that I shouldn't need to change my coil.

In nearly forgot to mention that I've swapped the instruments for the correct early 1850 ones. This was something I've been wanting to do for a long time. It started off with the speedometer not working properly. I bought an early 1850 one for a tenner on eBay. I then got offered a set of early 1850 instruments for free but I had to drive 40-odd miles down to South Yorkshire to pick them up. It was worth the cost of the petrol as they're difficult to come by. They went in without too much trouble. The tachometer is wired slightly differently but with the help of the correct wiring diagram I was able to get it working. I've also got the early type hazard warning switch and warning light cluster which will eventually be fitted. Some wiring modifications will be necessary but it is do-able.

The big stuff is out of the way

Becky II's road tax is due at the end of this month so I've renewed it online. I debated over whether to get 6 months so it doesn't fall due at the same time as the insurance and MoT. I decided to get 12 months because in 6 months time I might not be able to afford to do it (the joys of temping!). This means that I've got all the big stuff out of the way and I'm even spoilt for choice for which car to drive now that they're both running fine. I can concentrate on the enjoyment of these cars. I've started to sort out my club memberships (I had to let them lapse due to unemployment and the associated lack of funds) and I'm hoping to attend some shows this year. I only managed a couple last year.These are the ones I plan on attending:

Stoneleigh (this coming Sunday)
Bronte Vintage Gathering
Northern Dolly Day (at Harewood House, Leeds)
Woodvale
TDCIR

These will be dependent upon my employment status (or lack of it!)

The clutch is finally fixed.

I got the gearbox off (had it done in an hour) and it was the spring for the release mechanism that has come off. I got it back on and put the gearbox back on. When the time came, the clutch still wasn't right so the gearbox had to come off for the THIRD time. I made sure this time that the release mechanism was fine. I decided to check the rest of the clutch and I'm glad I did because the clutch cover springs didn't look quite right. When I removed it and compred it to the old one  I noticed that the new on was a few milimeters thicker than the old one so I re-used the old clutch cover and it went on fine. I'm normally loath to re-use parts but the alternative would've meant that Becky II would be stuck in the garage for longer and the old clutch cover had plenty of life left in it. I'd accelerated the demise of the old clutch plate last year when I tried to tow a Fiesta off the drive. I almost burned the clutch out so it was no surprise when the clutch started slipping when it did. The gearbox went back on and once again the moment of truth came. I started up and was able to engage reverse with a bit of difficulty and I managed to get to the top of the drive when diaster struck. The clutch felt loose again. I had visions of taking the gearbox off for the 4th time. With noting to lose I adjusted the clutch cable and it was working perfectly albeit with a low biting point. A bit more adjustment brought the biting point to where it should be. This has restored performance and the car is a lot more responsive. A result! The road tax is due on this car so I retaxed it online.

Brown started running like a bag of spanners from Thursday. Yesterday I started to investigate. I started with the ignition working back from the HT leads. No 2 wasn't firing. I eliminated the HT lead by swapping 1 & 2. I swapped the cap and then the rotor arm which didn't work either. When I checked the points I noticed that the gap had closed up so once the gap as adjusted Brown was running fine again.

Clutch change

I fitted the new clutch on Becky II on Tuesday. It literally took me all night. There were a few problems but I overcame them all and I got everything back together without any problems. The moment of truth came when I put my foot on the clutch pedal. There was no resistance at all. This means that the gearbox has to come off again so I can investigate the problem. I suspect that the spring for the release bearing carrier has come off. They're difficult to put back on and can easily come off. Hopefully taking the gearbox off should be a bit quicker this time. Because I was working well into the night I only got an hour's sleep. I don't know how I got through the day yesterday. I had to take a break from the spannering so I could catch up on my sleep but I'll be ready to tackle it tonight.

Good and bad

First the good: I swapped the carburettors and the carb mounts on Brown and it has helped with the high tickover I've been having. I had to use some silicone sealant because I've no gaskets so that might've helped. I had to tension the fanbelt because it was slipping and the associated noise was a constant reminder. I was planning on going to work tomorrow in this car so I'm all set.

Now for the bad: Becky II's clutch has been slipping for quite some time and it seems to have got worse. I'm considering taking this car out of use (she does the 45 mile commute to and from York where I work) until the clutch is replaced. I'm just waiting for the clutch kit to arrive and then I can crack on with it.

Been a busy week.

Brown had a new thermostat fitted which saw an improvment in warming up. The heaters felt warmer as well. The temperature gauge starting playing up so I ordered a new sender. Since then the temperature gauge started working again. The odometer has also been playing up so I'm on the lookout for a replacement speedometer. I might try to get hold of one at the Triumph spares day at Stoneleigh. I took Brown to the local TSSC meeting this Tuesday and apart from a high tickover the car performed flawlessly. I'm really enjoying this car now and I'm planning on going to work in it tomorrow. I might have to swap the carbs to cure the tickover problem.

Becky II has been feeling a bit twitchy at the front at motorway speeds so last night I retorqued the suspension arm and anti-roll bar bolts as these had been worked on for the MoT. The car now feels much better than it did before. The slipping clutch is getting worse so I've bought a clutch kit via eBay and as soon as that arrives I'll get it fitted at the earliest opportuity. Becuase I had new suspension arms fitted the tracking will need doing but I'll leave that until after the clutch is replaced because the suspension arms will be coming off again when I do the clutch.

Passed the MoT

Becky II has now passed the MoT.

She went in today to sort out the failure items (brake pipes, balljoints and brake pipes) and she passed the test. At £160 plus the test fee it wasn't cheap but this will be my 2nd biggest expense this year (after the insurance). The road tax is due at the end of this month and then there's the small matter of the slipping clutch...

Revival

Brown the Dolomite 1850 has finally been revived. The battery was put on charge, the earth terminal was cleaned up and I refitted the Newtronic to no avail. I reinstated the points and condesnsor and set the static timing with the help of a tesp lamp which I made from stuff that I had in the garage (indicator bulb holder, speaker wire and some insulating tape). Ther were a few minor problems but I got everything in place and I was ready to start the car up. The moment of truth came when I turned the key. Lo and behold Brown fired up instantly on the button. The only other thing I needed to do was to inflate the rear tyres and a quick road test showed that all was well. I rewarded Brown with £10 worth of unleaded which extinguished the fuel warning light. With Brown running again I can get the Citroen AX out of the garage for when I need to replace the clutch in Becky II. Talking of which, that particular car will be going in for the MoT repairs and retest this coming Tuesday so the clutch will have to wait a bit longer.

Halfway to the next oil change

I've decided to start changing the engine oil on Becky II every 3000 miles (as recommended by the Guru) and now I'm halfway there to the next one at 91500 miles. I've bought a Unipart oil filter via eBay for less than £4 (including the postage) so I'll just need to get some fresh oil and I'm set for the next oil change.

Blue will need to be in a saleable condition so I'll need to get this car fit to pass another MoT. The fuel line needs sorting out one way or another. If I could get the use of a compressor then I could blow compressed air through the fuel line to clear it. The brakes will be easy enough to sort out but at least one of the sills will need welding. There's also the valve clearances to adjust.

Brown has had the battery recharged in readiness for another attempt at geting the car running.

It failed the MoT

I wasn't surprised at this. It wasn't too bad though. Chris the MoT man said that a short section of brake pipe was corroded, the handbrake was poor and the bottom balljoints were worn. All easy to sort out but the balljoints are part of the lower suspension arm which Chris can source and liberating them might be a pig of a job. I've got 3 weeks before the current MoT runs out so I'll book it in to get the work done for the retest.

MoT time

I've dropped Becky II off for her appointment with the MoT man tomorrow. It is the same guy who tested Brown so I know she's in good hands. He's not the cheapest but I'd rather pay a bit more for the test to be done properly.

MoT preparation Part 2

Today I checked the front brake pads. There's plenty of meat on the pads (they're only half way down) so they don't need replacing. When I last replaced the pads I noticed that the seal in one of the calipers was leaking brake fluid so I left it. I seemed to have got worse so I decided to change the caliper. I swapped Becky's caliper over to Becky II. The job went without a single problem and it was much easier than I thought it would be. The Acclaim has a banjo type connector from the fliexihose to the caliper so once I removed the 14mm bolt it came off. Whoever designed the front caliper was a genuis because they are so easy to fix. Even easier than the Fiesta I had to do earlier on this week. I bled the air out of the replacement caliper, put some more air in the front tyres and took the car for a quick road test. When I was doing the brakes I treated any areas of rust with some Kurust. The only other thing I can do is to check the car over and make sure everything is working correctly. Last year I was caught out by a faulty bulb so I won't repeat that mistake this year.

MoT prepartion Part 1

I bought a set of brake pads & shoes. I fitted the brake shoes and it went without a single hitch. I'm getting quite good at it. The linkage for the handbrake needed freeing off again with the help of some PlusGas and I applied some grease to hopefully prevent any reocurrence. The handbrake is holding much better and should pass the MoT. I also greased the end of the cables where they connect to the linkage on each side. I also regreased the rear wheel bearings. While the drums were off I cleaned the brake dust off the drum and backplate.

More to follow...

MoT and insurance

I've booked Becky II's MoT for next Tuesday so I'll need to check the car over for any obvious stuff. I'll be doing the brakes now that I've ordered pads & shoes. I can change the fluid and get the handbrake adjusted at the same time. The insurance is also due so I got it renewed. When I removed Becky & Blue and told them that I live in Halifax the premuim went down to about £250 so I was able to pay for it straight off. The reason I've removed Becky & Blue from my insurance is that Becky is a spares car and is unlikely to return to the road (unless I win the lottery) and Blue is going to be put up for sale as I'll be moving home later on this year and there might not be enough room at the new place. Both these cars are on SORN so I can legally do this. Brown is still a non-starter so I'm looking at investing in brand new electronic ignition to get her running again.

Time for the service.

I was able to get the service done on Becky II after I'd picked up the air and oil filters from Champion Motor Spares. The service went without any major problems. One of the HT leads got damaged when I was replacing the spark plugs but a quick rummage in the garage soon turned up a usuable one which will see me through until they need replacing. I still managed to spill some oil though when I was filling up. I've seen a spout in my local Wilkinson which is perfect for filling up with engine oil without any spillages so I'm definitely getting one for the next oil change. With my daily commute to York (a 90 mile round trip each day) I will be reaping the benefits and my fuel consumption should improve with fresh engine oil, new oil filter, a clean air filter and brand new spark plugs.

It all comes at once...

...like buses. My insurance, MoT and tax will be due all next month. On top of that Becky II needs 2 tyres and a service having passed 90,000 miles. The car is doing 450 miles a week going to work in York. I give a couple of work colleagues a lift which offsets my fuel costs. When I set off from work today the car wouldn't start and I'd left my booster battery in the garage so I had to bump start the car in the car park so I could be looking at a new battery as well. I might try those Bataid tablets to buy me a bit more time.

It never rains, it bloody pours!

Clutch problems

Becky II's clutch is slipping. I've been expecting this since I nearly burnt it out last year towing a Fiesta off the drive. I've adjusted the cable which has improved things but has only bought me some time. I've changed the clutch twice before on Becky & Margaret (2 of my previous Acclaims) so I can avoid the pitfalls I've encountered before. Also, it isn't expensive. Being front wheel drive with a transverse layout the gearbox oil has to be drained and the driveshafts have to be removed before the gearbox can be removed. Unlike most manual gearboxes the Acclaim's uses engine oil which is cheaper than gearbox oil. I'll refill the gearbox with fresh oil as I don't know how long the oil has been in there. I hope it doesn't let go before I can do the work.

Not a good week.

Last week wasn't a particularly good week for me.

Having revived Brown after being stood for a couple of months I decided to go to work in it and the car died on me. The recovery guy diagnosed a faulty coil but the electronic ignition is also a suspect. The result was that I was and hour and half late for work. I took the battery off and recharged it and I ran a few tests and it is pointing to the ignition unit being the cause. To prove this I will fit the points and condensor to my spare distibutor (good thing I kept all the bits) so we shall see...

On the Thursday when I was out and about in Becky II (the other half was getting her hair done at her daughter's salon) I heard a strange sound coming from the NRS wheel. Fearing the worst I stopped the car to find that the tyre was flat. I tried to inflate it but it wasn't holding any pressure. There was a screw lodged in the tread. It is reapirable but because the tyre is worn almost down the the tread wear indicators it would be best to get it replaced. The rear tyres have been on the car for nearly 2 years and done about 30,000 miles so I've done quite well with them. I put the spare wheel on to get me going and one of my New Year resolutions will be to replace the rear tyres on Becky II. I'll probably fit 155s instead of the 175s that are on the rear wheels. This will help when the snow comes next year.

Exhaust fixed.

I was able to get a replacment exhaust for Becky II which came today. Fitting it didn't present any problems and it is totally leak free so that is something I don't have to worry about any more. The exhaust that came off should be repairable so I'll have a spare should I need it.

More exhausting

Becky II's exhaust is now blowing near the manifold/downpipe joint. I jacked up the front of the car and supported her on axle stands. Once I removed the nuts and separated the exhaust from the manifold I found out what the problem was. The flange had broken off. The worst case scenario is a replacement exhaust but lack of money means that isn't an option. It could be welded but my welding skills (or lack of them) rules that out. As a temporary fix I've put some exhaust putty in to seal the gap but it only seems to have been partially successful.

Handbrake woes

Becky II's handbrake has been virtually non-existent so I took a look at it. This means removing the rear brake rum and the rear barke shoes. I wasn't the least bit surprised to find that the part of the handbrake linkage that's inside the drum was siezed. I'd freed it off back in February for the last MoT and the car's been in regualr use so it is just something I'm going to have to check regularly. Once it was freed off and given plenty of PlusGas I cleaned everything up and put it all back together. It was also an opportunity to regrease the wheel bearings. I'm glad to report that the handbrake is now working better than before and it holds when parked on the drive.

Exhausting...

I have finally managed to resolve Brown's exhaust issues. I searched high and low for an exhaust clamp and ended up ordering one from T.D. Fitchett. I also ordered the nut, and washers. I already had the original style clamp so that has saved me a few quid. The part came in the post today so I got it fitted. It needed some fettling because Brown is a mixture of early and late Dolomite 1850 but I got there in the end and it has made such a huge difference to the driving experience. No more knocking! I refitted my previous set of carbs after I'd given them a good clean and I'm still having minor issues. I'll experiment with the ignition timing and see if that makes any difference. I'd like to fit solid carb mounts to eliminate any problems there but that will have to wait until my finances have improved. As it is, I can start to enjoy this car.

A few issues with Brown

In my last post I mentioned that the exhaust was knocking on the autobox crossmember. Also, I noticed that the engine seemed to be rocking more than it should. I've started to eliminate possible causes. First, I finally fitted electronic ignition. A secondhand Newtronic unit was bought from S&S Preparations and once that was fitted I managed to get it working and it has made a huge difference to how the car drives. I wished I'd done it sooner. I also noticed that one of the engine mounts had seen better days so a replacement was ordered and was fitted. This has also made a difference but the knocking is still there so the next thing wil be to fit the original type exhaust clamp and autobox bracket. I found what looks to be the correct type clamp among my collection of parts so I'm still on the hunt for the bracket. There's also the problem of the tickover which seems to be too high. I might have to fit my other carbs.

Brown is back together

The replacement flex plate arrived and I was able to put everything back together and reinstall the engine. The only problem was that one of the engine mounts wouldn't go on but I got there in the end and Brown is now up and running again. The main problem I have is that the exhaust is knocking on the rear crossmember. I suspect that the engine mounts need replacing. I've also noticed that the engine seems to vibrate quite a bit. I wonder if a good tune-up is needed. I'd like to fit electronic ignition which should help but the cost is a bit prohibitive now that I'm back out of work.

Plenty of work done on Brown

I managed to get hold of an engine crane. The guy who brought it down also gave me a hand with getting Brown's engine out. The only thing that needed to be done was to unbolt the exhaust manifold and once that was done the engine came out.

The autobox was easy to separate apart from the torque converter bolts which were a pig to undo but we got there in the end.

It soon became obvious what the actual problem was. The flex plate (which takes place of the flywheel) had broken in the middle. This explains the noises I heard and the loss of drive in all gears because the torque converter wasn't being driven by the engine. This means that the original autobox can go back in (once I've cleaned it and changed the fluid).

I've put in an appeal for an replacement flex plate and there will be one on they way to me next week. In a way this is good because I can get everything cleaned and painted at my leisure. They guy who fetched the engine crane down has let me keep it so I can refit the engine once I've got the flex plate fitted. I've already cleaned up the engine bay and beneath all the grime is a half decent subframe.

I'd already got the replacement autobox but it is now surplus to requirements and is now for sale.

Another disaster!

First Brown and now Becky II decides to break down.

I had sourced a replacement autobox for Brown. On my way to collect it Becky II's timing belt decides to let go when I'm dong 70 mph on the M62. Ironically, it was the same stretch between junctions 11 & 12 and even more ironic was that it was the same recovery driver who rescued me as before. Diagnosing the problem took some time as at first I thought it was ignition related. I was swapping various ignition bits from both Becky & Blue to no avail. I even checked for fuel delivery but the penny finally dropped when I was wondering why the engine seemed to turn quite easily when I operated the starter. Once I got to the timing belt it was obvious that it had snapped. Normally, this would mean the end for the engine as on most cars the valves would hit the pistons. I've read about other Acclaim owners whose timing belts has snapped and were fine again after replacing the belt. I had a belt in the garage so I set to work. Aside from the crankshaft pulley bolt it went well. Once I'd finished the car ran like a bag of spanners which turned out to be the No. 2 & 3 HT leads the wrong way round. After that was rectified the car ran perfectly and some road testing followed and I can say that Becky II is none the worse for the timing belt letting go. I will now be able to make the next local TSSC meeting.

Brown's engine/autobox is new ready to come out. The car is now back on all four wheels and I've even painted the radiator with some black Hammerite smooth. The engine bay will look better once I've fitted the replacment autobox.

Getting things fixed.

I put the spare radiator in Becky II and that has cured the overheating problem. I can now get the original rad repaired at my leisure. An oil change is overdue so I'm planning on doing that tomorrow.

Brown's engine is nearly ready to come out. I need to remove the centre exhaust section, remove the autobox crossmember and undo the speedo cable and it will be ready to lift out. I also need an engine crane or a few hefty blokes with a scaffolding pole. Can anybody help me? I've got a replacement box lined up and I'll go pick it up once I've done the oil change on Becky II.

Disaster!

This morning on the way to a show Brown's autobox decided to let go on me leaving the car immobile. Brown is now back in the garage and I've already begun to prepare to remove the engine/autobox. I've already been offered a replacement auto very cheaply so I'll end up taking the offer up. While the engine is out I can sort out the exhaust and the engine mounts. The radiator will have to come out so I can renew the coolant at the same time.

Having aborted my visit to this show (the TDCIR, the Triumph Dolomite Club's annual get-together) I ended up going over to Ripon in Becky II. On the way over the temperature gauge started going towards the red. I topped up the radiator but on the way back it did the same again so the problem needed addressing. Fortunately, I had a spare radiator that was known to be leak free (it was Blue's original radiator which I had repaired) so that was put in. I filled up with plain water and gave it a road test. I managed to get a couple of litres of ready mixed coolant from the local Esso/Tesco Express for £5 so I'll put that in and top up with plain water. It'll do until I get the original radiator reapired and refitted.

Brown's turn for some attention

It's been a while since I posted any photos so I thought I'd get a couple up. I've started making a list of post-MoT jobs for Brown and I got a couple of them done already. The first job was to top up the autobox. I bought a litre and it all went in. I think it might still need a bit more. I also managed to fit a replacement windscreen trip. This only cost me £7 from Rarebits4classics down at this year's TSSC International. Below are the photos before and after and it has made a difference to how the car looks.

I've still got the timing and the carbs to adjust. I could also do with a half decent stereo (the CD player went in Becky II) so I'll have a rummage round and see what I can come up with.

Back on the road

Brown is finally road legal once again after 2 years. The failure points have now been rectified and the certificate was issued on Thursday. It only cost me £160 (excluding the test fee) which was a lot less than the last time. With free road tax it was worth doing. With a week to spare I can now shake this car down. There's the windscreen trim to fit, the tracking to do and the autobox fluid to check. I'll be trying to use Brown as much as I can.

I did some work on Blue this week. I had partially stripped the interior in readiness for removing the fuel line. I decided to refit everything and tried to revive the car. Really, Blue needs a new battery but this will have to wait until I have recovered financially from getting Brown back on the road. The brakes need overhauling, one of the sills needs welding, the transmission fluid needs topping up ate least and then there's the fuel problem. Somebody has suggested blowing through that fuel line with an air line to unblock it. This would save me from trying to replace it.

At last!

I managed to put Brown through the MoT and it failed. The failure points were:

Headlight aim too low.
Play in the front wheel bearings.
A twisted front brake hose.
Handbrake efficiency below standard.
Corrosion around one of the front subframe mounts.

Mostly minor things and not bad considering this car has been off the road for the last 2 years. It is really down the the hard work I've put in during these last 2 years. It will be ready by the weekend which means I've beaten my deadline by a week which gives me some time to shakedown this car before the TDCIR in September.

Handbrake day

Yes, today's spannering has a common theme.

Becky II's handbrake has been getting slowly worse (only scraped through the MoT back in February) so I had the rear wheels, the drums and the brake shoes off. I gave the lot a good clean and freed off the linkage. The result is a better handbrake. I'm not 100% happy but I'll give it change to all settle down. Definitely an improvment.

Brown needed some hadbrake adjustment too. I only had to do the nearside because that side had the cable replaced. I haven't done anything with the offside (if it ain't broke...). This job was much easier than on Becky II. And after testing it with the help of a Citroen AX I declared it much improved.

There's been a slight problem with arranging the MoT for Brown. My usual testing station doesn't open on Saturdays. That means I either have to take some time off work or I'll have to use another testing station.

Tyre-some

Brown has had the front tyres replaced.

Due to cost and the use Brown will be put to (club meetings, shows and back up for Becky II) I decided to get some part worns. All the local tyre fitters were closed so I had to look a bit further afield and I found a place near to the centre of Bradford which had a pair for only £15 each. With the replacement rubber I am now one step closer to getting an MoT certificate. Just the handbrake to adjust, the exhaust manifold-downpipe nuts to nip up, and some basic checks to do (lights, fluids and suchlike) then I can book the MoT. I've been promising the tester that I'd bring Brown down and now I should be able to make good on that promise. To focus my attention I've decided to set myself a definite deadline. The Triumph Dolomite Club are having their annual get-together (the TDCIR) on the 4th September so this is my deadline for getting Brown road legal and this should be achivable.

SORNs all round

I had to SORN Blue last week before the end of June. Since then I've had the reminders for Becky & Brown which are due at the end of this month. They both came in the same envelope so the DVLA seems to be getting their act together. Unless I can get either of them MoTd they'll be getting SORNd at the end of the month.

Front wheel tracking.

After replacing the front tyres on Becky II I got the front wheels alinged. I rang round a few local tyre fitters and the prices ranged from £20-£45. The cheapest price was from the closest one who I'd used before when I replaced Blue's rear tyres on the morning of the MoT back in August 2009. As expected, the tracking was wayyyyy out so it was adjusted without any difficulty and the steering wheel was lined up as well. Well worth the money.

Time for an update.

It's been 2 months since my last post and Brown is getting closer to being MoT-worthy. The rest of the wheel nuts and the headlight surrounds have been painted. The engine oil and filter were changed (not without incident). I've removed the remains of the wing mirrors which put up a bit of a fight but as always, I prevailed. A brand new battery (£46 - ouch!), fresh petrol, new points and condensor saw the car running again. I swapped the voltmeter with a spare one I had which is more accurate. The exhaust manifold-to-downpipe nuts needed nipping up to make the exhaust leak-free. I still need to adjust the handbrake and replace the front tyres before I can put this car in for the dreaded MoT.

Staying on the subject of tyres, Becky II needed her front tyres replacing. Because I'm not driving to work any more (40 miles a day plus the cost of parking puts a dent in my meagre finances) I went for part worns at £25 each (ouch, again!) The old tyres were worn on the inside edges which is indicative of the front wheel tracking being out. The tyre fitters told me the same so I'll be getting the tracking done at the weekend.

Plenty of more work done on the Dolomite

I've repainted the back panel. I've repainted the bootlid. I've replaced the windscreen. I've replaced the exhaust. I've adjusted the nearside front bearings. I've sprayed the nearside wheel nuts. And that's just for starters. I've got a few more jobs to do before I put Brown in for an MoT. I've been promising my MoT man that I'd bring Brown down to test. With no road tax to pay for I can justifiy spending money on getting this car through the MoT.

A small confession...

...I should have posted this a few days ago. I finally did a bit of work on Brown (Dolomite 1850). Somebody on the TDC forum was offering some parts for free. He was in Leeds so it was handy for me because I'm working there at the moment. I arrange to meet up with him and I ended up with a set of rear light units and a windscreen. These parts will be of use to me to get Brown back towards MoT-worthiness. Some time ago when taking the trolley jack out of Brown's boot I dropped it breaking one of the reversing light lensse. When I checked the price of a new one on the Rimmer Bros website I decided to live with it. With these spare rear light units I was juat able to swap the one that had the broken lens. The job went without a single problem. It may be a small thing but I don't want this car to fail the MoT on something small which brings me on to the windscreen. Brown's windscreen has some scratches and if that's an MoT failure I now have a decent one which I can put in if need be. I'm also thinking about improving some of the poor paintwork. My plan is to start on the back panel. A rub down and spray with some satin black should leave it looking like new. This means that I'll have to strip the back end to prep it.

Service part 4

I got the coolant changed without any problems. I undid the bottom hose to drain the system, I then filled up with clean water and ran it up to working temperature. I then drained the system again and filled up with fresh coolant. I removed the overflow bottle and cleaned it and put some fresh coolant in after I'd refitted it. I put in two litres of antifreeze and then I topped up with clean water which should give approxiamtely a 50/50 mixture. I made a start on changing the timing belt but I couldn't undo the crankshaft pulley bolt so I've had to give up. If I had an air wrench it would have been an easy job. Oh, for a compressor!

Service part 3

I've managed to source an air filter from Champion Motor Spares so I stopped by on the way home from work to collect it. At £12.50 I felt it was reasonably priced. Just the coolant and the cambelt to replace and that's the service done. Next I can move on to Brown. The first thing I need is a new battery and some fresh fuel which will got a long way towards getting this car running again.

Service part 2

I went to my local motor factor and the radiator cap was there so I took it leaving me £5 lighter. I decided to swap it there and then and I wasn't really surprised to fin that there was no pressure when I removed the old cap. It was obviously way overdue for replacement. When I got back I removed the cap to top up the radiator and there was some pressure in the cooling system so all seems to be well. I'll be still flushing the system out and refilling with fresh coolant. I've had no problems and I want to keep it that way!

Service part 2

The brake pads have now been fitted. I got the job done inside of 45 minutes from start to finish. The time included getting my tools out of the garage and putting them away. Changing the brake pads on the Acclaim must be one of the easiest pad change jobs and it all went without a single hitch.

Next on the list will be the cambelt change, the air filter and the cooling system. The top hose appears to be fine when the cooling system is under presure so I might not have to replace it. The small amount of coolant lost must have caused a vacuum. In any case, I'll be flushing it and renewing the coolant.

Service Part 1

I have made a start on servicing Becky II

The engine oil, oil filter and spark plugs have all been changed. With the front end up on axle stands for the oil change I removed the front wheels to check the brake pads and they're in need of replacment soon so I've bought a new set. I'm still waiting for a new air filter which I can't get until next Tuesday. When I was changing the spark plugs I noticed the the top radiator hose had collspsed so I'll have to rob the on that's on Becky. I removed the radiator cap and found some sludge so I'll need to flush the cooling system and replace the coolant. This is turning into a major service. I think the cambelt will need replacing as well. I've also bled fresh brake fluid through the front calipers so they're fine.

I'll be fitting the new pads tomorrow.

Something sorted out

I was washing and vacuuming Becky II when I decided to take a look at the cig lighter socket as it has been loose. I had a spare so I canniblaised it for parts and put it all back together. WHile I was at it I decided to test my phone holder/charger as the charger wasn't charging my phone. After sorting out the socket I plugged in my phone holder and the charger is working so I'm pleased with my work. While I was in the garage I decided to make a list of jobs that are needed to get Brown roadworthy. These are:

Replace the battery.
Replace the front tyres.
Sort out the blowing exhaust or replace it.
Replace the ignition parts or fit electronic ignition.
Fit solid carb mounts.
Adjust the carburettors.
Change the engine oil and filter.
Replace the transmission fluid.
Adjust the handbrake.
Respray the car. The car has had a poor paint job at some point in the past.
The widscreen might need to be replaced because it is scratched. I'll need a new sealing rubber.

I've finally manged to get a job (albeit temporary) so all being well, I should be able to get Brown back on the road.

Taxing

I overcame the final hurdle this morning when I got 12 months road tax for Becky II. I'm £125 lighter but the car stays road legal for the rest of the year. On another positive note, I've finally managed to get a job albeit temporary (until the end of March). If I can get Brown through an MoT then that car will also be back on the road. A bit unlikely but putting the car through would give me an idea if what is needed to pass. I keep on promising to take this car down to the testing station that I use. One day hopefully...

Ups and downs

Yesterday (I'm writing this at twenty to one in the morning!) was an emotional roller coaster. Becky II went back to the garage for the welding and retest so I was without transport for the day. 5 o'clock came round and I hadn't heard anything so I made my way down and when I got there the welding had just been finished and the car was having the retest. Fortunately, she passed so I have that all-important piece of paper. All seemed well and on they way to get Anita from the local Sainsbury's where she works Becky II died on me and wouldn't start again. I ended up calling the breakdown service (included with my insurance) who couldn't get the car going again so they recovered the car back home. After some head scratching and component swapping (from Becky) I decided to consult my workshop manuals. To my surprise, it was the Haynes manual that provided the answer. I was getting a spark fron the coil but there was no spark at the plugs. According to Haynes, this is either a faulty distributor cap or rotor arm. Both these had been replaced recently with new parts. I knew better than to assume that the new parts were fine so after more part swapping the fault was traced to the rotor arm. I'd already swapped the HT leads earlier on and because they were in better condition I kept them. A short road test proved that all was well. In fact, Becky II seems to be running a bit better with Becky's HT leads. I'll be returning the rotor arm to get it exchanged. Lucky I kept the box it came in!

I think I've sorted it...

I took a look at the handbrake today. I removed the OS rear brake drum and I found out that the linkage had seized up so I freed it off, cleaned it, greased it and it has done the trick. The handbrake now works on both wheels and holds a lot better. I think I need to adjust it further to make sure it'll pass on Thursday's retest.

More MoT work done

I've now crossed 3 items off the fail sheet. I've completed the lower suspension arm swap with the donor parts coming from Becky. She also had to donate the anti-roll bar after I was unable to liberate the nearside lower suspension arm. It is a lot better and even Anita has noticed the difference. No more rattles.

Just the handbrake to do next...

Well well well...

...in the words of Jeremy Kyle.

Becky II failed her MoT. I was expecting this so it isn't much of a surprise. This is what she failed on:

Offside rear tail light.
Offside front suspension mounting corroded.
Offside front floor pan corrosion.
Nearside rear outer sill corrosion.
Nearside rear inner wheel arch corroded. I found this when I was adjusting the handbrake and is the worst of the corrosion.
Nearside lower suspension arm bush loose.
Offside lower suspension arm bush deteriorated. This explains a knock which I've been ignoring.
Offside rear parking brake recording little or no effort.
Handbrake efficency below requirements.

I've arranged for the garage to do the necessary welding and got the car booked in to have it done the the car retested. I'll do the rest of the work myself. I've already fixed the tail light. I had a spare bulb which I've fitted so that's one item ticked off the list. To fix the handbrake, I'll just have to clean and regrease everything which should sort it out. I'll just swap the front lower suspension arms with Becky's as they should be fine.

Looks like I've got my work cut out for me...

MoT time.

Becky II's MoT is due on the 21st so I've booked her in for Friday. That should give me enough time to sort out any failure points. The only thing I'm worried about is the handbrake efficiency so I'll adjust it before the test. I'm using the same testing station as last year so I know the job will be done properly.

Fingers crossed...

Phew!

I've just had a scare.

As mentioned in an earlier post, my insurnace was due for renewal and I was able to make the payment so a cheque was posted. I hadn't heard anything since. Because today was the last day of my current policy, I was waiting for the postman with baited breath. Nothing arrived from Footman James (my insurers) so I gave them a call and I was told the the documents had been posted yesterday so that's a weight off my mind and the first hurlde overcome.

The next one is the MoT which is due on the 21st. I shall be getting the car tested before this date like I did last year and I shall use the same tester again as they're classic friendly. I was looking at the soon-to-expire current certificate this morning in the car and noticed that the mileage was just over 56,000 when I had the car tested last year. Becky II's mileage is now just over 76,200 at the time of writing so it now comes as no surprise that the front tyres were worn. The joruneys "down south" I've been doing have contributed to a fair percentage of the 20,000 miles I've done in the last 12 months. This will be coming to and end soon and the trips to Thatcham will be to Ripon so less mileage and wear-and-tear. Fortunately, I have unlimited mileage on my insurance so that's not an issue.

The third and final hurdle is the road tax. I might put 6 months on to avoid it coming due at the same time as the MoT and insurance. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Tyre-some.

I was checking the tyre pressures on front tyres of Becky II when I discovered that the front tyres were seriously worn. Because I don't have any money buying new tyres wasn't an option but I had other options. Because I have 3 Acclaims and a spare set of wheels in the garage, I can just swap wheels over which have better tyres. The only problem is that all 3 cars have different size tryes. Becky has 155s, Blue has 165s, Becky II has 175s (with a 155 on the spare) and the spare set has 155s. What I ended up doing was picking the best 3 out of the spare set along with Becky II's spare wheel. I preapred the wheels by inflated them to 30psi, blackening the sidewalls with my tyre dressing spray (97p from the local Wilkinsons) and fitting the best 2 to the car with the other going into the boot in the spare wheel well. After that I got my torque wrench out and after looking up the figure I toruqed the wheel nuts up to 59 lb/ft (80 nm) as per the workshop manual. I now heve 155s on the front and 175s on the rear. This is not illegal and it certainly won't fail the MoT (which is due in 5 weeks!) I've since put quite a few miles on which included a stretch of dual carriageway where I got up to 70mph and all is well.

That's what I call a result!

Insurance renewal...

I got a letter from Footman James today. My insurance renewal is due on the 3rd of February. If things stay as they are then I won't be able to renew my insurance and this will finally force me off the road and put an end to all this. It is something I've dreaded for the last 12 months. It's as bad as losing my licence. I feel like a part of me has died. Things can only get better as the song goes.

Moving forward

Since my last post I decided "sod it!" I'm not going to let my personal problems get in the way. It'll take more than unemployment to stop me.

One of the first things I did was to tidy up the garage and it is now a much better place to be. It is certainly a good way of giving my "mojo" a boost. During my tidy up I came across an Acclaim cambelt which I'd originally bought for Blue. Becky II has done nearly 71,000 miles and will need a cambelt change during the next oil change at 72,000 miles so that'll save me some money. I also tidied up the interior of Brown. If I'm to get this car back on the road I'll need to get in the mindset of the car being in use which means a tidy interior. One of my pet hates is a car interior which looks like a bin on wheels. I was fixing a Fiesta last week and the interior was a mess so when I'd done my spannering I cleaned the car inside and out. Anyway, getting back to Brown. I charged the battery but I think it is past it as there's a label dated 2003 which puts the battery as at least 7 years old which in my book is past the useful lifespan of a car battery. With a duff battery I'm just using the nearest car (a Citroen AX) to jump start Brown. When I had this car on the road I've been having no end of trouble with the points. I bought an ignition booster kit from Maplin a couple of years ago which I'd assembled so I wired it up so that it was operational and jump started the car and it ran so the ignition booster works. I just need a permanent home for this booster and I think somewhere under the dashboard will be the best place. The reason I'm going to get Brown back on the road first is that the only money I have to spend will be getting the MoT certificate. The road tax is free. The other jobs I know will need doing will be:

New front tyres (the last pair I fitted have worn on the edges due to the tired front suspension prior to rebuilding and rebushing it)
Replace the scratched windscreen and the rubber.
Replace the battery
Finish fitting the handbrake cables (I only did one side. I unearthed the other new handbrake cable during my tidy up) and adjust the handbrake.
Replace the brake fluid.
Change the engine oil and filter.
Change the transmission fluid.

I've also got a list of jobs to do on Blue as and when money permits.

Change the transmission fluid.
Check the brake shoes and the handbrake mechanism.
Sort out the rust on the sills and front valence.
Clean/replace the fuel line
Fit a battery
Repair the aerial socket on the radio/cassette
Clean and repaint the front wheels

There will be no futher posts...

...for the forseeable future. Don't worry, I won't be closing this Blog. Due to my continued unemployment with the associated lack of funds (I've had my benefit stopped so my income is zero) I won't have anything to write about so I shan't be posting any updates unless my circumstances improve. Becky II is still my daily driver but if things stay as they are until next February then I'll be forced off the road as I won't be able to afford the insurance is it'll be due then along with the tax & MoT.

That's all folks! (for now)

A minor breakdown

I was on my way back this morning when I drove through a puddle and the Becky II lost power and then died on me. She wouldn't start again so I had to abandon the car. The ignition had got wet and the only thing to do was to leave it to dry out. Fortunately, I wasn't far from home so I walked the rest of the way. I'd just bought the current edition of Practical Classics so I had a read of that. An hour and half later I returned to Becky II and she fired up on the button. I wish they could all be that easy!

Not much to report...

I've not really had anything to report of note recently. I had to replace the brake pads & shoes on Becky II in late May/early June, Blue's tax ran out so that's on SORN, Brown's tax is also due so that'll be SORNd as well and Becky's SORN is due for renewal. Becky II will be due an oil change soon but fortunately, it isn't an expensive or difficult job. Just messy! The last few oil changes I've done (not on any of my cars) seem to have got more oil on the drive than anywhere else!

Cosmetic work on Brown

Having got Brown running again I decided to do some cosmetics on the car. First I repainted the rocker cover with silver Hammerite smooth and then I refurbed the alloy wheels with some wet & dry and repainted the segments with black Hammerite smooth. The beauty of these jobs were that I didn't have to spend any more money because I already had everything I needed to do both jobs.

Handling things

The driver's door handle on Becky II broke last night when I was at the local Sainsburys. I knew it was on it's way but I didn't expect it to let go so soon. Like I did on the passenger side before the MoT I robbed a door handle from Becky to replace the broken one. Apart from trying to undo a screw with the wrong size screwdriver everything went perfectly. Becky II now has MK1 door handles on the rear doors and MK2 door handles on the front doors. Not ideal but 100% functional.

Servicing on Becky II

With another journey "down south" and with Becky II coming up to 60,000 miles I decided to do a service. First was the engine oil and filter change costing me less than £10 because I still had an oil filter among my spares. The spark plugs cost me £15 for a set of four. I thought that it was a bit steep but I'm sure that not all NGK spark plugs are created equal. There's the ones made in Japan and ones made in Brazil (or somewhere in South America) but the Japanese ones are supposed to be better quality. My £15 plugs were the Japanese ones so I'm not so worried about the price. Due to the Easter holidays I'm unable to get hold of an air filter until next Tuesday. I still had Margaret's old air filter and that was in better condition than the one that was in Becky II so I swapped the air filter. I'll do until I can get a new one. All this has made the car more responsive and hopefully I'll get even better fuel economy on my long distance run.
While I was at it I decided to tacke some minor niggles before they got any worse. One of the windcscreen washed jets was blocked so I removed the vent panel to get the jet out to unblock it. I noticed the there was a patch of rust on the bulkhead (a common rot spot that often gets missed) so I wirebrushed it to get rid of the loose rust and paint and painted it with some Hammerite.
The handbrake seemed to have quite a bit of travel and wasn't quite holding on so it was adjusted and is much better.
The front bumper had been bent so I had a try a straightening it out. The best way would have been to remove the bumper but I didn't want to fight lots of rusty bolts so I removed the nearside front corner. The bolts came out surprisingly easy so I coated the threads with copper grease to avoid any future problems. Using a steel bar I was able to straighten the bumper. It still isn't 100% perfect but it is now much better. Maybe a visit to the Guru might be the answer. I had a bit of difficulty lining up the bolt holes for the bumper corner but with the help of my persuaders (2lb lump hammer and a jack handle) I was able to get the bolts back in.
I washed the car, vaccuumed the interior ,used my upholstery cleaner on the seats and blacked the tyres.
I touched up the bootlid badges with some silver Hammerite and this has made a big difference to the look of the car.
While I had the Hammerite out I also touched up the wheels where spots of rust had appeared.

Brown lives!

Brown is now running again. During a search for a Windows XP installation disc (this PC went down so I ended up reinstalling Windows. I turned the house and garage upside down to find it) I came across the print outs from the BL workshop manual for the Dolomite 1850 distributor. Today was a glorious day so I decided to open the garage doors and drag Brown partly out to do some spannering. Following BL's words of wisdom to the letter I removed then replaced the distributor and set it up. Hooking up some jump leads from Becky II I was rewarded with Brown's engine coming back to life. I set the timing with a stobe light and gave the car a short run. The car isn't quite running right but I think this is most;y due to lack of use, stale petrol and the need for some fine tuning. I've noticed that the front carb is overflowing but whatever the problem is it can be easily fixed as I have some spare carbs. It is either a sliver of rubber stopping the float valve from closing, a sticking float valve or a leaky float. I treated Brown to a wash afterwards. This is a big boost for me so I can now move forward.

Blue has had the replacement fuel tank fitted and the car is now running again. There is a fuel filter in the engine bay just before the fuel pump to catch the rust that's in the fuel line. Ideally, I'd like to replace the fuel line but because it runs along the interior of the car I'll have to remove the seats and carpet to get at the fuel line. I had the chance of a decent fuel line when I helped break the Acclaim at Paul Darbyshire's on the 31st of January. I wish I'd liberated it at the time. I can either rob Becky's or see if Barry McGrath has one in his collection of spares. Once a replacement fuel line is fitted Blue's fuel problems should be gone for good.

Becky II just keeps on going. I liberated the CD player from Brown and fitted it and got it working on all 4 of the speakers so I now have a decent sound system and FM radio which is better than the MW/LW radio that I had before.

IT LIVES!

Yessss!!!!!!! Blue is running again. The weather improved enough for me to be able to fit the replacement fuel tank in Blue. The whole job went without a hitch apart from one of the fuel tank bolts shearing off. Fortunaterly, I had some spare bolts from when I'd helped dismantle the donor car. To avoid a repeat performance (not that I'm planning to drop the fuel tank again soon) I coated the threads with copper grease. I had problems getting the car running again but once I'd got petrol to the carbs to prime them the car ran without any trouble. I road tested Blue and she performed faultlessly so I'm sure the fuel problems are banisahed for good. To be sure I've fitted a filter just before the fuel pump to catch any crud that's still in the fuel line (even though I flushed it out) as the replacement tank has it's original fuel filter.

Taxing times

Becky II's tax disc runs out at the end of this month and because I still had enough money from the sale of Margaret I bought a 12 month tax disc so I'm road legal on this car until next year. I wish the weather would get a bit wamer and drier. I woke up to yet another dusting of snow. Things aren't much better in the garage. The replacement fuel tank for Blue is getting under my feet and because it is so cold I don't particularly fancy doing any spannering on Brown. Once I'm earning a decent income I can lavish some money on getting this car back on the road again. Getting her running again would be a big boost for my "mojo" but it probably won't happen without some spending of money.

It passed!

Becky II has passed the MoT without even having any advisories so I'm pleased about that. I was quite confident that she would pass but not having had a good look underneath was the only worry I had. Barry had a good look on Friday at the Club Triumph Pendle & Pennine meeting and he identified a future problem. It'll give more something to do when the summer comes. Brown will be next for MoT when I can get that car running again.

Time for MoT

I've booked Becky II in for MoT for 10.30 this morning. I can't see her failing on anything major but there was one thing I had to attend to. The front passenger door handle had broken off (before I bought the car) so to get by I took a door handle from Becky and fitted that. Becky is a MK2 car but Becky II is a MK1 so the door handle is different to the others but it will suffice until I can get a MK1 door handle from the Guru. According to the current certificate there were no advisories on the last test and the car's done about 7,000 miles since so that bodes well.

Wish me luck...

Getting tanked up.

Among the haul of parts I got from the stripping down of the Acclaim last weekend was a petrol tank and filler neck. The tank that's in Blue has a ropey filler neck so rather than messing around with rusty fixings it is easier to drop the whole lot and fit a replacement. I had to leave the tank in Paul's garage becasuse I didn't have enough room to take it with me. I collected the tank this morning from Paul and on the way back I called in at the local Bodge-it (B&Q) and bought some black Hammerite smooth and some thinners. When I got back I made a start on painting the tank. I wirebrushed the top half by hand to remove the muck and loose rust then I brush painted it and it already looks better. Once it has dried I'll do the bottom half and when the weather gets a bit drier or if I can free up the garage I'll fit the tank to Blue. I'll flush out the fuel line and hopefully the fuel system will be finally sorted. I've been having problems with it since I bought the car nearly three years ago.

The key to it all...

Becky II's key had snapped and as it was the only one I had a solution had to be found. Margaret's original Triumph key opened the driver's door and worked on the ignition so that gave me some time to get a replacement key cut. I'd tried a couple of branches of Timpson to no avail but at last night's Club Triumph Pendle & Pennine meeting one of Barry McGrath's mates (Dan) was having problems with his Acclaim. It was due for the MoT and the nearside rear wheel arch was rotten and with no chance of getting through the MoT in time a replacement Acclaim was needed and Barry asked me if any of my Acclaims were suitable for Dan. Becky was ruled out as she's in worse condition than his car (Boo). Becky II was ruled out because Dan hated the colour (Opaline Green), Blue was also ruled out because she's a Troimatic and Dan doesn't like Troimatics. Besides, Blue has 46,000 miles and she's too nice to have the miles put on. That left Margaret which is the same colour as Boo and like Boo is a MK1 Acclaim. She was sold for £325 and I left the remainder of the tax. Dan has a solid base on which to improve the car. I'd sorted out most of the faults and the car has left me in better condition than when I bought her. I'm glad she's going to a good home and I can use the money to get Becky II through the MoT and I can re-tax the car at the end of the month.

Anyway back to the story, because of the sale of Margaret I had to get a key cut for Becky II. I tried one more branch of Timpson without success but the answer came in the shape of a market stall that does shoe repairs and key cutting. The stallholder had a box full of older key blanks and he came up with one that was perfect. £5.50 lighter I had a key for Becky II which works.

A productive couple of days

Yesterday was the day I went over to fellow Triumph enthusiast Paul Darbyshire to liberate some bits from his Acclaim that he was scrapping. With the help of Acclaim Guru Barry McGrath we got the car stripped down to a rolling shell within 6 hours and I got all the parts I needed inlcuding parts I'd robbed from Becky. Most of the parts I've got were for Margaret most of which I've already fitted. Becky II needed a boot seal and a set of steel wheels. Blue needed a fuel pump, petrol tank and a radio aerial. I rescued the battery and put it on charge last night and it is now on Blue. The firstthing I did when I got back was to fit the steel wheels on Becky II and she looks more like and Acclaim. They have nearly new tyres (Paul found the receipt when we stripped the donor) so I'm quite pleased with the result. Today I fitted the fuel pump and got Blue running but I'm still having problems. The Guru said that the fuel line could be the problem so I'll have a go at flushing it out. This will be done when I fit the tank which is still in Paul's garage. Tonight I replaced the steering column stalks (wiper & indicator stalks) and the steering column shroud and everything is now working perfectly. The fact that it also looks better is a bonus. I've got the air cleaner to replace the existing one which looks a bit shabby. This is purely cosmetic but it gives the impression that the car is being looked after. I've also got the cables and levers for the boot and fuel filler flap releases. I thought that Becky II's fuel filler flap release wasn't working but it is fine. I might fit it on Margaret as she only as a boot release. This is a very easy job which just requires the cable to be fitted and the lever assembly to be swapped over. I've got a few bits for other Acclaim owners and they will be winging their way in their respective directions.

What have I done?

I've only gone and bought yet another Acclaim. At £100 with a short tax and test it was well worth a punt and I would say that it is between condition 1 & 2 which makes it worth a lot more that I paid. The car runs perfect and starts first time on the button. There are a few minor niggles that I will deal with but the car is usable as it is. The previous owner had a brand new exhaust fitted which cost more than what I paid for the car. The only thing that I'm not happy about is the 15 inch alloys but the tyres are good and I can sell the alloys later on. I have a few spare steel wheels which will need fresh rubber but I can use Becky's front wheels as the tyres are good. (I've already robbed the back wheels for Margaret) I'm sure that Becky II (as I've called the car on account of the plate) will pass another MoT without any major grief as the car is virtually rust free and is in better condition than Margaret.

Good news, bad news

The good news was that I was able to renew my insurnce with Footman James for only £291 which is well worth it for all 4 cars. (3 Acclaims and the Dolomite) The bad news was that I've 3 points on my licence and £60 lighter (ouch!) which isn't nice considering that I'm unemployed. The other good news is that it won't affect my insurance premium. It happened back in November when I went down south. It was on the trip to Bournemouth. As I was coming out of Sailsbury I'd been snapped by a mobile camera doing 37mph in a 30mph limit. I never saw the van and I thought I'd been following speed limits. The evidence was there to view online and the photo was a good one showing me and Anita who was in the front passenger seat.

Earlier on this week I towed Blue from in front of the garage to further up the drive and parked it in a position to where I could jump start it from Margaret. This has the added advantage of being able to jump start Brown of which more later on. I tried to jump start Blue and with the last of my EasyStart the car would fire up so ignition problems have been ruled out. I removed the fuel pipe where it goes into the carbs and cranked the engine. Nothing. The problem is with the fuel pump. This car is going through fuel pumps like nobody's business. I might end up replacing the fuel tank as well as the pump. The fuel line is fine as most of it runs through the interior of the car so it is well protected from the elements. The first thing I'm going to try is to remove the fuel pump and operated it by hand to see if it works before I condemn it.

Brown had new points and condensor costing me £8. They were fitted and the points gapped. With Blue out of the way I was able to attache jump leads from Margaret but Brown wouldn't fire up. I'm going to start again from scratch and use the "dizzy out" method to set the points gap. This has the advantage of being able to clamp the dizzy in the vice which makes it easier to se the points gap otherwise I'd need several pairs of hands to do the job.

My planned trip to liberate some Acclaim parts has been put back because the owner of the car has been delayed by work commitments so it has been arraged for Sunday which is better for me as I'm kept busy during the week as the family taxi.

Trying to get Brown running again...

Last night I had a try at getting Brown running again. Staring from scratch I set up the static timing and the points gap but the car refused to start. I removed the points and upon closer examination they've seen better days so I'm going to get replacement points and condesnsor. When I was in the garage I noticed the courtesy light switches that I'd salvaged from a scrap Acclaim and I decided to turn my attention to Margaret instead. The courtesy light switches for the rear doors were corroded and getting them out had proved difficult because the screws were also corroded. I was able to get the passenger side switch out and fit one of my spares. The driver's side was a bit more difficult because the screw just wouldn't budge but the courtesy light will now work on the rear passenger door so I've got one more thing working on Margaret.

Clutch troubles

In my last entry I said that Margaret's clutch didn't feel right. After reading the Haynes and looking at Becky I realized that Margaret's clutch cable wasn't fitted correctly. Once that was rectified and the cable readjusted the clutch pedal feels a lot better. The road test has shown that all is well. The heated rear window does work so I'm on my way to eradicating all of Margaret's minor niggles.

A couple of more probems fixed

I've managed to fix a couple more of the niggles on Margaret. It all began when fellow Acclaim owner Craig was having problems with his car. He's now got a CityRover as a daily hack so the Acclaim as been out of use. I fetched some tools, jump leads and some EasyStart and we managed to get the car running. I took it out for a spin (he's swapped his insurance over to the CityRover so he's not covered) and lo and behold it ran perfectly. It even started up again on the button so all is well with this car. One thing I noticed that the clutch is light but Margaret's is stiff. I wonder if the cable's not been refitted correctly or is still maladjusted. He gave me the clock out of his Acclaim for Margaret so I now have a working clock! After I fitted the clock I decided to swap the rear glass. I didn't have any major problems but the finishing strip took AGES as you need to take your time to avoid any scratches as I was only using a screwdriver. Eventually, I got it in without mishap but I won't know if it has worked until the rear glass steams up next. The seal that came with the replacement glass was in better condtition than the one that came out so it is still an improvement. Paul has got in touch with me about the Acclaim that he'll be scrapping and I've arranged to go over next Friday to liberate the bits I need. Craig will be coming with me as he's after some bits as well.

New battery bought

I bought a new battery for Margaret and it has cured my starting problems. I can leave the car overnight safe in the knowledge that it'll start the next morning. I've even tried starting the car with the headlights on and it doesn't let me down. The instrument panel looks bright enough with the lights on so all is well. I need to get in touch with Paul who has an Acclaim which I can cannibalize for spares. He's been in Egypt on business since before Christmas and he said he would be back around this time so I need to give him a call soon. I can then sort out Margaret's remnaining niggles and have her 100% working.

Running again

I was able to get hold of a clutch kit for Margaret for £42 from Champion. Working outside in the sub-zero condtions I was able to get the gearbox off in just over three hours. While it was off I took the opportunity to clean it up with the wirebrush attachements for my drill and it looked a lot better. The release bearing was a absolute pig to remove and I ended up cutting the old one off with my angle grinder. Replacing the clutch was the easiest part but getting the gearbox back on was just as bad as removing the release bearing was. With the help of an extra pair of hands I got it back on and it was plain sailing from there. When the time came for starting the car it wouldn't even turn over. One of the terminal for the starter motor wasn't connected properly but once that was rectified Margaret fired up without any problems. I still wasn't able to get up the drive and I ended up getting towed out by a 4wd pickup truck which was being driven by the guy who helped me with the gearbox. He was a big help and I couldn't have done it without his help. Margaret's battery was put on charge when it was off the car and after letting it stand overnight after I'd finished charging it I checked the voltage and it had lost some charge so it defintely needs replacing. I've also noticed that if she stalls there's not enough power to start the car when I have the headlights on so I have to turn off all the electrics (heater, radio, etc) and sometimes that's not even enough. Fortunately, Margaet has a manual gearbox so I can bump start her. With all this cold weather I need to get a replacement battery sooner rather than later.

Disaster!

Last night when I was about to set off for work I couldn't get up the drive due to the icy conditions. To top it all the clutch has burnt itself out. I've had a look through the service history and there's no record of a clutch replacement so Margaret was probably on the original clutch and I've brought forward the inevitable. The clutch kit won't be too expensive but the hard work will be removing (and replacing) the gearbox. They weigh a ton and I haven't forgotten the time when I had to replace Becky's gearbox in May 2006. I'll have to do the work outside because Brown's in the garage, Blue's parked outside the garage doors with an immobilized Margaret in front of Blue but I'm no stranger to working outside in the fresh air.

Pre-Christmas update

I was able to procure some of the parts I needed to start tacking the niggles on Margaret. There was an Acclaim in Derbyshire that I was able to liberate the bits I needed and better still it was free (apart from the cost of the petrol but was worth it) I got the front door glasses with the all-important holders, the front grille, the lower trim strips off the front doors, the front grille, the headlight surrounds, two steel wheels, and the door panel for the passenger side rear door. I was able to fit the door panel without any problems but in the process I found out that MK1 & MK2 interior rear door handles are different. Well, they're not actually different. They were swapped over. The driver's door glass went in without any trouble so I can now wind the window up and down. The front passenger side wasn't as easy because half of the holder had rusted away so I tried to bolt the remaining half to the winder mechanism but it wouldn't work and I ended up bending the winding mechanism. Fortunately, I've been offered bits of another Acclaim that's in Leeds (from one of my Triumph friends) but he's woring in Egypt until mid-January. I'm not desparate so I can wait. I tested the heating elelments in my spare rear glass with my multimeter and I'm getting a resistance reading so I'm confident the heated rear window will work. If it hadn't been for this snow I'd have had the glass fitted. Ideally, I'd have liked to do the job in the garage but Brown is in there with Blue parked outside the garage and both of those cars are refusing to start. Brown is turning over but there's no spark so I'll have to set the points and that means a "distributor out" job. If I mark the position of the dizzy & and the rotor arm everything should be tickety boo. With Blue I replaced the fuel filter but fuel doesn't seem to be getting to the carbs. To get to the fuel filter the left rear wheel has to come off so while that was off I gave the wheel a coat of silver Hammerite smooth and it looks a LOT better. One down, three to go.

Margaret has been giving good service but I suspect that the battery could be on the way out as it is difficult to turn the starter over of a morning. I've topped up the cells and I'm getting 14volts across the terminals when she's running. I need to get the battery tested before I splash out on a replacement. I have considered fitting Blue's as that is a known good battery and has plenty of life left in it.

Taxed!

Margaret is now taxed and in daily use. After more than a year of autos I'm running something with a manual gearbox. I don't mind autos but cog-swapping is a better driving experience and I've had no problems with swapping back from autos. There's just a few niggles to sort out but I should be able toget hold of the parts I'll need. (more of that later on)

With Blue being relegated to the backup car I can now tackle a few issues that I've been putting off. The wheels will be taken off and given a coat of silver Hammerite to smarten them up. There's the fuel filler vent to sort out. The radio aerial needs replacing. There's an Acclaim in Derbyshire that's being broken and the owner is offering parts for free so I'm hoping to go down to liberate the parts I need for both Blue and Margaret.

She passed!

Margaret now has an MoT. I picked her up today £215 lighter but I now have that all-important piece of paper. Just the tax disc and then I'm road legal with this car. The quality of the welding is good. The sill has had an invisible repair done and once it has had the topcoat it will look like it was never welded. All in all I'm quite pleased.

A run out to Berkshire

This week on my week off from work I went down to deepest Berkshire in Blue. I'd recently fitted a new fuel filter and when I filled up before setting off I put some STP fuel treatment in the tank. The journey down went without a single hitch and when I filled up again at the Sainsbury's in Newbury I was pleased to find out that I'd averaged 40.9 mpg. I'm back and I clocked up a total of 600 trouble-free miles. I've got a couple of jobs to do on Blue. I need to top up the engine oil and sort out the windscreen washers.

Margaret is still not ready. Good thing I'm not in a rush.

I've managed to revive Brown. I put her in the garage before going away. I'll probably have to jump start the car so I reversed into the garage to make it possible.

A few issues to sort out.

I've been having a few problems with Blue's fuel system so it is time I addressed these. Since I changed the fuel tank I've had problems when filling up. If I fill up too fast the petrol filler neck overflows. According to the Guru this is due to a blocked vent pipe. Also, Blue sometimes runs like a bag of spanners. I'm sure that this is due to rust & sediment in the fuel lines. When Margaret is on the road I'll be able to deal with these problems. The windscreen washer pump has packed up so I'll have to rob the one from Becky.

I'm going to do some prep work on Margaret before I take her in for the repairs & retest to make life a bit easier for the garage and (hopefully) to save myself a few quid.

It failed...

...which wasn't much of a surprise. Fortunately it was only minor things. A brake pipe and a few small bits of welding so I'm going to bite the bullet and get the testing station to do it all so Margaret is booked on for next Monday (the 16th) for the repairs and retest which is convenient for me as I can't afford to tax the car until my next payday in December.

Getting ready for MoT

Margaret has been booked in for the MoT for Friday so I was in the garage sorting out the last few jobs. First up was to finish welding the sill. I got it done and primed as you can see below.
The nearside front suspension turret had another coat of the primer.

The nearside wiper spindle had another small piece of steel wedged in to stop the wobbling and after moving the car out of the garage I tested the wipers (it was raining) and it seems to be fine. The nearside windscreen washer jet was blocked so I cleared it out and the windscreen washers now work perfectly. After I'd finished I washed the car so it is now ready to be tested on the big day.