Dion

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-13-1966-triumph-2000-the-masterly-new-triumph-2000/

Naah - that would be too harsh. 😄 But then, 30 years ago mind, Spitfires were everywhere and I wanted something else. Nowadays I would not mind a nice (slow) Mk1 or Mk2 Spitfire. But no what would I do with it?

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-9-1963-triumph-tr4-my-perfect-sports-car/

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-7-triumph-2000-2500-mk2-triumphs-big-saloon/

Must be the camera angle. Never noticed toe-in wear at that tyre. Hope not to find too much rust when I about to tackle the rear wing! That's about the time I will get started practising my stretcher/shrinker too - bought at a discount some years ago.

Thank you for a reminder how rusty a Mk1 can be! Good to see proper welding repairs. Still hope mine is not that far gone - but have bought new inner and outer rear wings because I know the arches are gone inside & out. Just hope the rear floor and sills do not need too much metal.

Hope there is space for one car left - can we enter please? 1963 TR4 Sylvia & Dion Fluttert

BIG job! It did not look half bad on the "previous" pics. Very brave to cut off the whole front end - Americans call it the front clip (which always sound weird to me as "clip" should be a small thingy to hold something. Paper clip. A clip to hold trim pieces).

Any pics available for a GT6 with TR3 rear lights? Wondered how they look on the car.

We have to cancel our participation due to illness.  Very sorry for this as I have enjoyed last years Border Raiders a lot and was looking forward to this one. Packed the TR4 full with spares and tools (remembering our mishap with a faulty rotor arm last year) so was all ready to go. Maybe next time, wishing you all a very good weekend.

Who was the kind gentleman who supplied the contact points to my existing distributor? You know - the first try to get the engine running. Which it did with the rotor arm from Tim. I want to send back the contact points but need a name.... sorry I forgot at the time.

I will send something in with a couple of pictures.

Top tip! 😆

Of course, go ahead please.

What a wonderful experience!  We almost did not make it because on Friday evening, just 20 miles before the hotel / start point of the tour the next morning, the rotor arm of my TR4 decided it was time to break up. The AA man was so kind to tow us back (I admire the electric folding A frame from/into the back of his van) to the hotel where we knew a great deal of Triumph experts would be waiting - and possible someone would have spares? Of course I did not carry a spare as the TR had been proven a reliable and trustworthy car over the last years (including the 10 Countries Run last year). The rotor arm was just a few years old so why should it fail? We will never know. What we do know is that the club has members much smarter than me, and one even did bring a complete distributor as a spare for his TR4a (currently running a 123 dizzy). That man of course is TIM HUNT. In Capitals yes as he was our Knight In Shining Armor!   Just exchanging the rotor arm did work but it seemed my distributor cap was different, because a knock could be heard (arm against cap). We (Tim and all the rest of experts) therefor decided it was best/easiest just to swap over the complete distributor. Which we did on Saturday morning, an hour before the tour was started.    The tour itself was fantastic. Wonderful roads that makes you really use the car to the limit (if you like that sort of thing). We will never forget the Tesco van that was in front of us. Must have been a local because he drove through the corners and hills with break neck speed - I had a very hard time just keeping up with him (as did the four other Triumphs behind us). Great fun. Wonderful also were the views over the landscapes. Truly amazing and beautiful.    The organization of the tour was excellent. A fantastic road book, almost faultless and printed with a big size font so no reading glasses were needed :-) We had a very good B&B (the Bellevue) in Kelso, recommended! It was very good to see everyone together in Kelso and have dinner. Great to speak to so many people.   Rightfully chosen by all for “Man of the Event” (not sure of the exact naming but you get the point) was of course Tim Hunt. Without him we probably would have spent the Saturday trying to find a good rotor arm somewhere, and not be able to go along with the tour. “Car of the Event” (not sure of the… etc)  was the delightful dark green Triumph 2000 Mk1 of Darren. An amazing beautiful original car.   Many many thanks should go to the organisers, Chris, Mike, Mik and Ian who did a very good job. Many thanks also to all who offered to help us out, much appreciated!  Hope to see you all again next year!   Dion and Sylvia “the Dutch couple” 

Just turn them on a lathe and take just that little off that would make the inside clean and smooth. You could have done that with the old brake drums too 🙂

Twenty years ago my brother (6'4") tried to sit behind the wheel of a Mk1 GT6 and found out he did not fit, no room for his legs. He decided then he would not try to find a Mk1. I have no problem (6'1"). Looking back at the pic it seems it was a Herald wheel?

Problem usually is these only work on very clean and smooth garage floors. Which not many DIY classic car owners have in their garage.

Things to improve: brake master cylinder leaks a little, thermostat needs replacement, middle exhaust box needs renewing (a very annoying rattle inside), passenger side window needs to be reseated, passenger door lock needs adjustment, find out what little thingy is needed to attach the vent lid rod to the knob, attach the windscreen washer tubes. New narrow v-belt conversion / alternator / electric Revotec fan worked like a charm.  

Just got back from the tyre fitter. The rear tyres were very old - I remember buying them back in 1997! I managed to buy a set of old TR4 steel wheels locally yesterday. Two wheels that were on the car were quite bad - they wobbled. So from the 8 wheels the best 4 were chosen, and the 2 best from them went on the front. 165/80-15 Continental tyres. Drawback is that the rear wheels now are much less in appearance - my "old" original wheels were quite good and still had original paint. Maybe I will spray paint the rear wheels this weekend. Or maybe not, will see.

Shiny new parts...

Got cold feet (the opposite really) so ordered a new electric Revotec pull fan to replace the old mechanical fan. And to remove the existing elec fan which I put in front of the radiator, which was helpful but of an unknown quantity (in make and in performance). A calculation made me think again about keeping the dynamo so going to install an alternator. Which means new mounting brackets, new pullies for the waterpump and crankshaft as I will switch to the narrow type of fan belt. I have a new alternator waiting on the shelf , so lots to do this weekend.

Thanks gang and Nick. Just found the special page on the CTH site (whistle) [Sorry, link no longer available]

Tomorrow I am going to have a look at a six cylinder engine. It came out of a Vitesse, but the owner thought it may be non original and possible be a GT6 engine. He does not sound too knowledgeable and for all I know it may wel be a Saloon engine. A main clue will be the engine number of course. I am sure I saw somewhere a list of the engine number prefixes but cannot find it. If I cannot find it, how to distinguish a 1600 from a 2000? And a 2000 from a 2500? Do "small chassis" cars use other mountings compared to TR250/5/6 and Saloon? Any other obvious differences? Many thanks in advance.

So what is the correct number of splines we have to look for? Not 20 I presume