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Triumph 1300 Restoration "And so it starts"


rappo984

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I bought this Wedgewood Blue Triumph 1300 for £200 from a lovely Gentleman in Suffolk. My original plan was to strip her and use her as a donor for my other car. However, my wife has fell in love with her and wants me to restore her back to natural beauty.

I started by stripping the rear of the car to assess the amount of rot and rusted panels (Bearing in mind the old girl had been sitting in a field for over 2 years exposed to the elements!!

After careful removal of the rear mats, spare wheel and other trim panels, I was pleased to find she had rotted in the usual places ( right corner by the wheel arch) Both trailing ends of the rear wings have corroded badly, but overall she is in good fettle.

Top tip: Obtain lots of clear self closing freezer bags and a permanent marker. When stripping a classic car, keep every nut bolt and piece of trim, even if it breaks or is rotted out. These parts are getting harder to source now and unless you are after a concourse or purist restoration there are Companies who can manufacture parts for you from the original damaged item.

More to follow!!

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Upon careful removal of the rather sodden carpet with associated mushrooms, spiders, snails and other field wildlife, I discovered that the floor pan was very solid and actually better than my other car!!

As you can see from the photos, the left (Passenger) sill has rotted through at the A post and there is some daylight through the bulkhead behind the foot pedals.

I have removed the windscreen and rear screen, the headlining and all the seats now. Bonnet removal and engine assessment is next.

More to follow:

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Bonnet removed. Apart from the usual wildlife making a break for freedom over my garage floor, the engine fired up after some fresh fuel and a new battery was fitted.

I did notice a very nasty rotted out area of the chassis which will require some urgent assessment when I have removed the engine and road wheels.

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Removed the headlamp cowlings and found the inner wing of the drivers side to be quite poor as you can see. Thank God for the new wing I already have. Front bumper and over riders removed and metal work cleaned up.

Rot wing, Engine and gearbox removal next.

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Thanks Mikeyb,

The headlamp cowls were in really good order, thankfully. I will make a repair section to weld to the rather thin inner wing surround, which will give it some strength and ensure the new wing bolts tightly to it.

I have just secured another brand new offside wing as well, so I will replace the other side as a matter of course.

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Hi Guys,

As you can see the offside front wing has now been cut off and the extent of the corrosion revealed underneath!! Oh my God, my MIG welder will be in overdrive this month!! My screwdriver went through quite a lot of the metal work, but I have seen much worse.

I have a brand new wing to fit and have just managed to find another NOS nearside wing, so I will replace the pair as a matter of course.

More to follow:

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I had missed a few of your earlier posts showing the extent of the inner wing rot - I can't remember which side but I'm pretty sure that I have a NOS inner wing stashed in the barn. My TC has no rot in this area (at least not the last time I looked!), so could be surplus to requirements

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I was at a mates house a few weeks ago working on his Mk2 Escort, 'Saxon', which is a signal orange more-door saloon. His inner panels were in this sort of state and the sills etc were bad too. But all the panels were readily available in a variety of qualities and prices for all budgets. Such a shame that Triumphs are not supported in the same way by the aftermarket trade. I hope your hunt for panels comes up trumps.

I DID know the whereabouts of a NOS boot floor if you need that too, but I can't say for certain that it's still there.

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Hi Mikeyb,

No great rush mate, I am in East Sussex now, but I see you are in Maldon. I used to be the Crime Reduction Officer with Essex Police based at the Nick in Maldon, so I know the area well and I am currently moving from Essex to Sussex. Just give me a nod when you are ready mate.

Jonny Jimbo, thanks for your message and yes, if the NOS floor panel is still available and willing to be purchased, I would love to buy it.

That man, thanks matey, I will give the Dolomite Club a look.

Thanks guys.

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Okay, I'll swing by the place I saw the one for sale in Coventry. If it's still there I'll knock the door and ask if the car / boot floor is still available. I know that the car had great sentimental value to them as it was their Dad's from new and his last car too. It must have sat for 30+ years, BUT the panels were kept in the loft in the house...

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