TReslaV8

Hi everyone, Some words of advice required for a hesitant DIY mechanic! Having ordered a new alternator for my 1981/2 TR7 dhc, Rimmers have supplied one that looks dimensionally the same as what is on the car but the plug sockets for the wiring are completely different. Rimmers are sending a plug conversion kit i.e. a plug that fits the socket on the new alternator but there are no instructions on which wires to connect to which connectors in the new socket. Anyone got any advice on this. I attach photos of the old, and still in situ, alternator, and I am mulling over whether to try to swap the cables and sockets over myself or surrender gracefully (chicken!) and book the car in somewhere. Last photo is the new alternator showing the completely different socket for the plug.

Great following up on all the comments, and dates (either 17/18 or 24/25) ok for me 😉- misses Le Mans Centenary on 10/11, so provided the TR7 isn’t marooned on a French autoroute that weekend, the 24/25 would be preferable but heyho you won’t be able to please everyone! A start somewhere near Skeggy might mean we actually make the start after this year’s breakdown in North Wales (RAC took longer to get us home to East Anglia than actually doing the run - Chester Services at 4am must rival 11pm in Skegness for being the pits🤪).

Is the C2C in 2023 likely to be the same weekend (close as poss to longest day)? Hopefully we will get further than 16miles short of the start this time, after our own C2C from Norwich to north wales last year! Would like to do the C2C as RBRR unlikely for me next year, clashes with my wife’s birthday and somehow I suspect it is not her idea of a good night out!!!

I would love to have a CD player (quality so much better than iPod and BlueTooth!) but perhaps the noise in my TR7 convertible would drown out the difference! I do have a modern DAB with phone bluetooth in my MGB GT but I have to say that using the phone is not easy as old cars are not as quiet as new ones, so its not that useful a feature. Anyway this link is to a classic looking one with a USB socket so an iPod could be connected https://www.classiccarstereo.co.uk/shop/classic-car-stereos/autosound-classic-car-stereo/black-retro-301-dab-bt/ Or this Blaupunkt one - https://www.classiccarstereo.co.uk/shop/classic-car-stereos/blaupunkt-classic-car-stereo/dover-usb80/ Blaupunkt may be a tad too modern for a 76 Stag however. Also this one - https://www.raysmith.co.uk/products/retrosound-hermosa-motor-2-dab-chrome-euro-black-chrome-bluetooth-usb-classic-radio?variant=42435614441694&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_campaign=gs-2021-04-02&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlJrApuDi-gIVD5ntCh1-fwspEAQYASABEgLaWfD_BwE There was a guy who did internal conversions of old period car radios but last time I looked his website was down with a one liner 'illness' message. Otherwise the NEC Classic Car show this November might throw up some alternatives.

MAny thanks both, and apologies for delay in acknowledging! Download worked a treat, but will keep searching for an original for the car glovebox!

That’s very helpful and apologies for delay in acknowledging - stupidity on my part for failing to check my post! Plus I am chasing a few other faults on the car. When I bought it, the temp gauge worked, now it doesn’t even though I have changed the gauge itself and the temp sensor. So another wire to work my way along to find a break, or a bad earth or whatever! Thanks anyway David

Many thanks all, the car is relatively new to me (just a couple of months) and have the standard discs and pads and whilst there is plenty of meat on the pads, I do not know their age. I will go back and check the springs and give the surfaces a clean as suggested. Mind it might be a day or three before I do, given the 40 degree heat - just not the weather for being in overalls and jacking a car up! Cheers

I have a standard TR7 convertible, 1981 build with standard steel wheels. Pads and discs in good order but without fail, as you ease off the brakes when coming to a stop, they let out an almighty squeal. Any ideas? Different brand of pads maybe? To be clear, it is gentle pressure that gets a squeal. Thanks! David

Hello, I am looking for an owners handbook for a 1982 TR7 convertible. I have found various handbooks but none feature the convertible. Anyone got one to spare ? Happy to buy at sensible price (& postage of course). To be clear, this is not a workshop manual, Haynes or similar but the one that is usually found in the glove box. Many thanks David

Hello, Recent TR7 convertible acquisition has a boot courtesy lamp apparently wired up to power, but not to the actual switch (the one the boot lid opens/closes). Should the wires run direct from the boot lamp or from the main loom? The light doesn't work at the moment (bulb changed, so not that) and I ran out of time yesterday to go through the wiring to check circuit was live regardless. But even my v. basic understanding of car electrics realises that it won't work as a courtesy light if the switch is not connected!🙃 Interestingly the door lights don't operate as courtesy lights either (although at least one will come on when switched on) but I suspect that these are separately wired, so probably an unconnected issue. David

Some great pics on the website. Over 650. Are modern vehicles getting bigger though? Take a look at picture 135…

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Hello, With huge appreciation for all the voluntary work done in organising the events, I was wondering when the C2C entry will be open, as the brief says 14th February but there does not appear to be anything in the club shop for it. Have I missed an important step? Sorry, I really don't meant to chase as I know everyone has other 'normal life' stuff to do, but just wondering as I missed out on the 10CR so am keen to take part in the C2C this year. Cheers! David

Likewise signed up to V Tree for the TR7 V8. And it is fair to say that Governments are not doing enough (save perhaps Norway with its rollout of infrastructure for EV charging etc - using sovereign fund money that actually came from North Sea Oil revenues!) but what seems to be overlooked is that we are all going to have change the way we do things. Like so many things a few can do a lot and make little impact, but if we all did a little, then we can change a lot. Tree V may not be perfect but it is a whole lot better than doing nothing at all.

First and foremost I love the sound of the V8, my TR7 V8 can sound awesome, but, as the conversion was done by a previous owner I have no knowledge of the engines age/wear (other than it is apparently an ‘82 SD1 Vitesse engine) and it is starting to drink oil (5 litres over the RBRR weekend) so thoughts of rebuilds being required in the foreseeable started to make me think - the car is already non original, so to e to a new power source isn’t actually that much different to putting the V8 in (not least as I have recently discovered that the rest of the car has only done about 20,000 miles, if only the 4 cylinder motor had been kept!) . So anyone heard of a TR7 (convertible in my case) having been converted to electric? If it could be done for a 200 mile range, about 0-60 in 7 ish and rapid charging then it could be tempting. Most of the magazine features seen on converting classics to electric seem to have costs in the £25k bracket which sounds steep but just wondered if anyone has any experience/knowledge of electric conversions, particularly to TR7s? I await the backlash…😉

Being fortunate enough to have two V8s (MGBGTV8 and a TR7V8) I had to use an EV as my daily, now done over 110k electric miles in 5 years. Love the power of both V8s and Electric, and perhaps 110k electric miles offsets some of the CO2 of the V8s (probably done around 20k in the V8s in the same time period) but… the Club is right, we have to think about it seriously or all in the classic community will face increasing criticism. Such criticism may be misguided in that the embedded carbon of manufacturing a new car, even an EV, is such that long use of the same vehicle is preferable to constantly making new ones, however old cars are a very visible and identifiable target for criticism. When offsetting for the RBRR, I used www.myclimate.org which was recommended on an ethical consumer website. They enable you to calculate the CO2 that you would need to offset for a specific activity (e.g. 2000miles in a weekend at 25mpg) and give a choice of the project that your calculated donation will go to, which themselves save CO2. These projects are not just tree planting, but all sorts of positive programmes that are worth supporting. Tree planting is actually one of the least positive ways to offset CO2, as young trees absorb MUCH less CO2 compared to established ones. And new tree schemes also tend to be mono cultures, when we need variety for best ‘green’ results. Sermon over; come what may we would be much better to be on the front foot and be seen to be doing something rather than nothing, so I welcome the Club’s proposal to offset the big runs, and perhaps CT could encourage members to look to cover local mileage in their classics?

Thanks guys, I will give the tyres a proper inspection and check full lock to see if they are rubbing anywhere but I suspect not. The tyres are about 3 years old from memory, but possible they have some damage, particularly on the inner faces. Appreciate the suggestions. David

Having completed a long 2000 mile journey in a weekend recently (!) I could feel a grumbling when turning left through the steering wheel. Wheel bearings was my first thought , but having jacked the car up and spun both front wheels they run fine and rocking the wheels side to side and top to bottom reveals no real play (teensiest amount on one but probably a mil or two ) so I am at a loss. Any ideas what the grumble might be?

RBRR newbie here. First and foremost, huge round of applause and standing ovation for the organisers. Brilliant organisation and finding fault would be churlish and picky. So here I go 🤪 We did have a breakdown but of something that has worked fine for the four years I have owned the car (& I have taken it to France several times, & long trips have not been an issue). I am not a mechanic so always have the car serviced and checked over by a specialist garage in the weeks prior and run the car frequently in the weeks before. Without a boot full of spares ‘just in case’ how can you predict what will fail if all is running well to start with?!?! Everyone has their own idea of what is essential. The help volunteered by fellow participants was welcome, even though they couldn’t resolve the issue, but we actually got a fix by a local Good Samaritan in Scotland who had 3 fuel pumps on the garage shelf. We were a little unclear on the rights and wrongs of trying to rejoin and catch up, not least as we had to miss a couple of CPs to do so. If there was a simple way to notify CPs as well as the organisers that would be great, appreciate that it is difficult for the organisers to keep CPs updated in real time, particularly at anti social hours. My mechanical knowledge isn’t too bad, but when you don’t work on your car regularly, having the confidence to attack it, at night, at the side of the road is something else. That’s what RAC membership is for. Anyway, I don’t think we held anyone up, and most driving witnessed seemed to be acceptable, although maybe a few saw dual carriageways (the A1 particularly) as an opportunity to show they could cruise at 80 plus with all the moderns. Final thought, whilst the normal use of classic cars is generally seen as a minimal contribution to global warming, we all did what is a typical annual mileage for most classics in just one weekend! I paid £35 to a Carbon Offsetting website myclimate.org who have a ethically checked series of offsetting schemes . Beware those run by oil companies, not be trusted apparently. The point being perhaps there should be suitable schemes for C2C, 10CR and RBRR in future before we get flak for not caring about the environment? And if the media are to be believed this is more important to younger generations who we are trying to attract to classic car ownership. Sorry that was longer than I had intended, but really a great RBRR and having thought I would only ever do one, I now am thinking about the next one!!

With huge thanks to David Aspinall (Anglian Triumphs) for sorting the alternator and battery this week, just sorting final packing, and losing what isn’t essential …48 +hours in here…going to be, er, warm! Tomorrow, the search for fuel… David D

Cheers Richard, sound like great leads, I will follow up first thing on Monday. David

Hello, Having recently moved to Norwich, I am looking for a reasonably local garage for servicing and (in due course) rust repairs for my TR7 V8 convertible. The V8 is a Rover SD1 unit with an Edelbrock carb hence the Rover reference. Does anyone have any recommendations in and around Norwich (c.20 mile radius is fine)? Many thanks David

Many thanks all, as suggested I will try the graphite first before stripping the door down, but fear it will be the bigger job. Still not going anywhere in it anytime soon, so could be a suitable distraction (bank holidays in the mid 20s, and roof down classic car drives probably not a wise thing to do!).

My passenger window is very stiff when winding up or down. I assume it is due to a lack of lubrication. What grease/oil is recommended? Anyone any experience of this?   Thanks   David

Some TR7s suffer from bumper droop, some do not.  Mine definitely shows the droop with the side returns pointing downwards, rather than running parallel with the wing trim and the ground.  (They look worse in 'real life than in the photo below). Reading the Haynes manual and the Workshop manual it suggests that this should be an undo the bolts, position correctly and redo the bolts. Is it that simple* or am I missing something?  * Of course 'simple' may mean hours of cursing undoing bolts, trying to support the bumper in the right place etc, but in essence that sounds simple.    Thoughts welcome   David