Winter 2010 - The Toronto Triumph Club

Transcription

T h e M a g a z i n e O f T h e T o r o n to T r i u m p h C l u b Winter 2010
British
Car Day
STAGgering turn out
for GT Triumphs
Goodwood Revival • Tired Tires • Austin Seven Van
contents
Shop Online ... www.VictoriaBritish.com
or Request Your
FREE Catalog Today!
Winter 2010
Fully Illustrated
FREE Catalogs
Member’s Pages
From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
From the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Club Hub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Owner’s Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
16
22
Activities
29
Events:
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/13
Club Events:
British Car Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-21
Features
Triumph Travels:
Goodwood Revival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-26
London to Brighton . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32/33
32
Quality Parts & Accessories
Fully illustrated catalogs with the parts you need. Specify your
make and model to get a FREE catalog.
Fast Service, Simple Ordering and Convenient, Quick Delivery.
TR2, TR3, TR4, TR4A
TR250, TR6
TR7, TR8
GT6, Spitfire
MGA
MGB, MGC
Midget
“Keep’em On The Road™ ”
The Magazine Of The TOrOnTO TriuMph Club
100-4, 100-6, 3000
Sprite
Alpine Tiger
www.VictoriaBritish.com
Shop Online ... Fast, Simple & Safe
1-800-255-0088 Orders - Catalog Request -Status
WinTer 2010
Photo by Michael Cleland
Ragtop
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Friends of Triumphs:
Austin Seven Van . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29-31
Routine maintenance:
Wax On Wax Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34/37
Tired Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36/37
Triumph Tunes:
Carb Balancing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
On the Cover
Rick & Jane Moss of
Toronto were part of the
‘STAGgering’ turn out of
Stags at British Car Day
2010, to celebrate 40 years
since the first one was
produced
The Wedgetarian:
John’s Farewell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
British
Car Day
STAGgering turn out
for GT Triumphs
Goodwood Revival • Tired Tires • Austin Seven Van
www.TorontoTriumph.com Bits & Pieces:
Bleeping Trafficator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Stag Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Restoration:
Six & Two Threes Part 7 . . . . . . . . . . 42-45
3
INSURANCE
INSURANCE
INSURANCE
ANTIQUE, CLASSIC
AND SPECIAL
INTEREST
ANTIQUE,
CLASSIC
AND SPECIAL INTEREST
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AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE
AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE TM
TM
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SUBMISSIONS
N o w ava i l a b l e a c r o s s c a N a d a
ANTIQUE, CLASSIC AND SPECIAL INTEREST
TM
AUTOMOBILE
INSURANCE
ANTIQUE,
CLASSIC AND
SPECIAL INTEREST
Format: MS Word files are preferred. Send via
email or on CD, 10Mb limit on email files. Send
photos separately, do NOT embed in the text file.
Hard copy submissions are acceptable, but not
preferred. Graphics must be in major graphics formats, jpeg, tiff or Photoshop files. In Person: To the
editor at the monthly meetings.
Mail: 2421 Poplar Crescent,
Mississauga, Ontario L5J 4H2
E-mail: Ragtop@TorontoTriumph.com
TM
TM
ANTIQUE, CLASSIC AND SPECIAL INTEREST
from the editor
TM
TM
ADVERTISING
Contact the Club’s advertising representative for
details of dates and submissions. Submit ads as
high resolution (min 300 ppi) PDF files, saved for
print in CMYK format, fonts embedded, by E-mail
to Ragtop@TorontoTriumph.com
The advertising year is from Jan.1 to Dec. 31. A
copy of Ragtop is sent to all paid advertisers.
2011 ADVERTISING RATES
TM
TM
TM
TM
TMSTREET
MODIFIED,
ROD AND
CUSTOM
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STREET
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Rear Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500 per year
Inside Front Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $475
Inside Back Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $450
Full Page Inside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $305
Half Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $185
Quarter Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $115
Business Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $70
Full colour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $115 extra
Second colour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $75 extra
Flyer Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . $190/issue (max 4 pgs)
(All rates are for 4 issues, except flyers)
Advertising@TorontoTriumph.com
2011 SCHEDULE
Issue
Deadline Mailed
Spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 1 . . . . . . . . . End of April
Summer . . . . . . . . . . . June 10 . . . . . . . . . End of July
Fall/BCD Program . . .August 12 . . . Mid September
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov. 18 . . . . . . Mid December
General Enquiries
Info@TorontoTriumph.com
Like most males of our species, I haven’t even started my Christmas
shopping. Well, that’s what Christmas Eve is for. Right chaps? Quite apart
from gifts for my family, I haven’t even had time to plan and order my
own pressies... the all-important parts for Rosie’s winter projects!
Rosie has done me proud this (long) season, she deserves some
pampering through the cold, dark days ahead. She’s covered somewhere around 6,000 miles this year (I don’t know exactly, the speedo
is still broken!), with only a leaking heater valve, which Fred at BAS replaced under warranty, to slow her down. We went to, Around The Lake,
Canadian Classic, Ottawa, Leaf Peeping Tour, Dayton, OH and back for the 6-PACK TRials,
she’s really done well.
So what’s on the fix list?
Rebuild front suspension and steering, new springs and shocks all round, replace front
rotors and rebuild calipers, renew flex brake pipes, replace front bumper, new windscreen
and trim, retune my wire wheels (so I can return Tush’s spare set of steel rims and tires!), rehang exhaust system and paint (hangs too low), connect my fog/spot lamps, balance the
carbs properly and... fix her speedo!
There’s other small stuff too, so plenty to keep me busy during the off season. I’m sure
many of you will be doing the same sort of work, so why not take a camera into your ‘man
cave’ and make a photo record of it? It’s good to keep notes and photos of the work you do,
it helps if you ever sell your pride and joy and for... well let me see... sending to your editor
for Ragtop! There, I said it again. It wouldn’t be my editorial without a plea for material, now
would it?
Lot’s to read in this issue, a British Car Day round-up, stories from the UK, restoration and
technical tips. So, make a hot toddy, pull a chair by the fire, curl up and enjoy... while the rest
of us are freezing in a cold garage!
Have a Happy, Peaceful and TRiumphant Holiday Season!
— David Fidler
Ragtop is published quarterly by the Toronto Triumph Club Inc. (“TTC”) and is distributed to its
members as part of their annual dues. The TTC or
the Editors cannot accept responsibility for the
safe return of any submitted material. We will do
our best, but accidents do occur.
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We accept no responsibility for errors or omissions.
Opinions expressed are those of the authors and
do not necessarily reflect those of the TTC Executive or Membership.
Copyright © 2011 by the TTC.
Non-profit groups may reprint articles from this
publication, where the author has not reserved
rights, provided we get credited and both the author and TTC receive a copy of the publication in
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Ragtop
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Your director of
communications
in action, being
interviewed for
Sun TV at British
Car Day
www.TorontoTriumph.com 5
Obsolete Auto_MG&TRIUMPH AD2.pdf
19/02/2009
8:22:06 PM
from the president
Toll Free Order Line: ............................................. 1-800-265-7437
Customer Service / Technical Advice: ............ 1-519-337-3232
24 Hour Fax Line: ................................................... 1-519-336-5936
Website: ............................................................www.obsoleteauto.com
Business Hours: ........................... Monday to Friday - 8 AM to 5 PM
142 Kendall Street, Point Edward, Ontario CANADA N7V 4G5
Executives
President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Tushingham 905.830.9124
Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ian Parkhill 905.637.2034
Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Grace 416.763.3824
Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Lindsay 416.233.7360
Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott Douglas 905.334.4020
Director of Communications . . . . . David Fidler 905.829.9340
Director at Large . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wayne McGill 905.847.5532
Director at Large . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott Douglas 905.334.4020
Past President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Johan Aaltink 705.456.4276
MG & TRIUMPH Specialists
C
Browse the website
www.obsoleteauto.com for
updates on stocked parts and secure
access to online ordering. The parts
you need, any time or day.
Ragtop Magazine
Editor & Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Fidler 905.829.9340
Distribution . . . . . . . . . Rod Jones - Pillar Direct 416.755.9494
Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Cleland 905.873.7704
Advertising Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ian Parkhill 905.637.2034
David Fidler 905.829.9340
Club Photographer . . . . . . . . . . Larry Llewellyn 416.245.9217
Website
Web Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Copping 905.827.6970
Website Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . Vic Whitmore 905.889.7261
David Copping 905.827.6970
Club Coordinators
Meeting Coordinators . . . . . . . . . . Ian Parkhill 905.637.2034
Scott Douglas 905.334.4020
Interclub Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tony Fox 905.632.0479
Ambassador at Large . . . . . . . . . . Wayne McGill 905.847.5532
Regalia . . . . . . . Clive & Jacquelynne Huizinga 905.884.2091
Historians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wayne McGill 905.847.5532
Frank Manning 905.643.2359
Volunteer Coordinator . . . . . . . . Chris Lindsay 416.233.7360
Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank Manning 905.643.2359
Motorsports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simon Rasmussen 905.853.2514
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Marque Coordinators
TR2, 3, 3A & 3B . . . . . . . . . . . . . Malcolm Taylor 905.880.0079
Alistair Wallace 905.627.2941
TR4, 4A, 5 & 250 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Lille 416.231.3092
TR6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fred McEachern 905.727.2987
Spitfire-GT6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Don Johnson 705.721.1231
Ron Pincoe 519.941.0976
Stag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tony Fox 905.632.0479
TR7 & 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Larry Llewellyn 416.245.9217
Request a FREE copy of the
Sports Car Chronicle.
Call: 1-800-265-7437 or 519-337-3232
Email: mail@obsoleteauto.com
GARAGE SALES!
That’s right. Check out our annual
Spring or Fall Garage Sales and browse
endless deals.
Each issue is packed with super deals
on parts and accessories along with
technical articles to help you do the job.
A great resource for YOUR sports car!
Payment Options:
Visa, Mastercard and American Express
Event Coordinators
British Car Day Co-Chairs . David Tushingham 905.830.9124
Tony Grosso 416.266.7589
26th Canadian Classic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T.B.A.
Spring Fling 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Don Johnson 705.721.1231
Around Georgian Bay Tour . . . . Clive Huizinga 905.884.2091
Annual BBQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian Clark bclark4@cogeco.ca
Jack Willekes 905.820.0269
One Year Already?
Its hard to believe that a year has passed since
I began my term as President of the Toronto
Triumph Club. The then newly elected Executive set a few goals to focus and improve upon,
in order to move the Club in a more positive
direction.
Our first goal was to improve communication. I think that we have utilized the TTC Website in conjunction with regular bulk email and
newsletter capabilities to communicate much
more effectively to the membership. We have
also introduced a new online forum for members to interact with each other and to post
questions and receive answers on a wide range of topics including Club Business, Upcoming events and Technical issues. David Fidler has been doing an outstanding job with Ragtop magazine. I hope that you all look forward to getting your next issue in the mail as I do!
Our second goal was to try and “grow” the membership. We have made some improvements to the membership process and have made it easier to both join the club
and renew your membership via a PayPal link on the website. I am happy to report that
Membership numbers are up significantly, from just over 200 last November to just under 300 currently. However, there is still work to be done in this area and it will remain as
a focus issue for 2011.
Many thanks go out to the departing members of the Executive and Coordinators who I
had the pleasure of working with over the past year. I would also like to welcome the “new
recruits” into the fold and I thank you for volunteering your time and energy to a most
worthwhile cause!
We certainly had a terrific driving season this year and we have already started working
on populating the events calendar for next year. Have a quick look on the website and you
will see that the Spring Fling, Canadian Classic, Around Georgian Bay Tour and of course
British Car Day dates have already been confirmed. Be sure to book these in your calendar.
Here’s to a short winter and an early Spring.
Cheers!
— David Tushingham
General Mail/Membership
Mail P.O. Box 39
Don Mills Ontario
M3C 2R6
Shipping: Canada Post and most
courier services
Ragtop Mail & E-mail:
2421 Poplar Crescent,
Mississauga, ON,
L5J 4H2
Ragtop@TorontoTriumph.com
ALL TO PRESERVE AND DRIVE THE TRIUMPH
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club hub
Meeting Reports
TRF Is the World’s Greatest British Sports Car Company
The Roadster Factory is large enough to be a major parts
manufacturer and distributor but small enough to know our
models very well, also small enough to offer very personal
service to all of our customers. TRF is British Motor
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reasonable prices, and we offer expert engine, gearbox, and
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includes links to current Web Site Specials and Weekend
Features which change every week. To subscribe to the
newsletter, please follow the simple instructions found
on the TRF home page. Note that unsubscribing is also
easy if you change your mind later.
by
September
late season drive and we had 6 Triumphs
that braved the chilly evening.
November
Shawn’s GT6
Just a few days after British Car Day, but
still a good turnout at Jake’s Boathouse for
a mini Show ‘n’ Shine and a great slideshow
of BCD, which was presented by Larry
Llewellyn. About 35 members and guests,
including Andrew Grace’s dad from South
Africa (see his article on page 29), enjoyed
refreshments, food and good company. We
had a dozen cars there, , including Shawn
Vromann in his gorgeous GT6. Shawn won
his class at British Car Day, well deserved!
October
Join TRF Car Club
Hundreds of customers of The Roadster Factory
belong to TRF Car Club. The club exists to promote
TRF Customer loyalty, and it includes $300.00 in gift
certificates each year that you can use as cash to
purchase parts. Dues are $100.00 per year, but you also
get a parts credit in the amount of $100.00 every year
after the first. You will receive a membership card and
sticker. Beautiful club logo. Great T-shirts available.
Please join on-line, or just phone the sales line, and ask
to join TRF Car Club…
The Roadster Factory
P.O. Box 332, Armagh, Pennsylvania, 15920, U.S.A.
Telephone: (800) 234-1104 • Fax: (814) 446-6729
Internet: www.the-roadster-factory.com
David Fidler
Fred’s presentation
We were back to Jake’s for a pub night
and presentation by Fred McEachern of
British Autosport, ably assisted by his
son Mitchell. Fred showed the latest and
greatest new products and replacement
parts available from his suppliers, including high intensity headlamps and wiring
harness for TR6, high output alternators
and Pertronics electronic ignition systems. Some took the opportunity for a
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Our AGM was held as usual, at the Canadian Aerospace Museum, Downsview,
although due to a double booking, we
were relegated to another area, right outside the ladies washroom! I couldn’t attend in person, due to a business trip, but
I was told some interesting stories about
the proceedings being interrupted by
passing ‘customers’! A stormy night kept
some members away, but approximately
35 braved it to participate in the voting
to elect the 2011 Executive and Club
Coordinators. We would like to thank all
who volunteered to take on positions
left vacant by retiring officers and some
new positions, created to fulfill new mandates for our Club’s future growth. We
also extend our appreciation and sincere
thanks to those retiring from their posts
for a well earned rest, Jack Willekes (secretary), Larry Llewellyn (membership),
Mike Hale (web manager), Bill Alexander
(volunteers) and Brian Clarke (meetings).
Ron Pincoe was the lucky winner of a free
auto appraisal provided by Vintage Car
Connection. ragtop
List of Executives and Club Coordinators (*new appointments or positions)
President:David Tushingham
Vice President:
Ian Parkhill
Secretary:Andrew Grace*
Treasurer:Chris Lindsay
Director of Communications:
David Fidler*
Director at Large:
Wayne McGill*
Director at Large:
Scott Douglas*
Club Coordinators
Membership Chairman:
Scott Douglas*
Meeting Coordinators:
Scott Douglas* & Ian Parkhill*
British Car Day Co Chairs:
David Tushingham & Tony Grosso*
Volunteer Coordinator:
Chris Lindsay*
Classified Coordinators:
Vic Whitmore & Dave Copping
Interclub Coordinator:
Tony Fox*
Ragtop Editor:
David Fidler
Web Manager:
David Copping*
Ambassador at Large:
Wayne McGill*
Advertising Sales:
Ian Parkhill & David Fidler
Sponsorships:Frank Manning
Club Historians:
Frank Manning & Wayne McGill*
Regalia Officers:
Clive & Jacquelynne Huizinga*
Marque Coordinators
TR2,3,3A,3B:
Malcolm Taylor* & Alistair Wallace*
TR4,4A,250:John Lille
TR6:
Fred McEachern & Wayne McGill
Spitfire, GT6:
Don Johnson & Ron Pincoe*
Stag:Tony Fox
TR7,TR8:Larry Llewellyn*
Contact information can be found on page 7
club hub
Lots of parking at
the Graham’s waterfront property
clouds were forming and we had a long
drive ahead. Did it rain? Did it ever! Clive and
I were top down on highway 401 when it
started, light rain at first, so we soldiered on,
then it got heavier. I didn’t get a single drop
on me, as long as I kept over 80kph. My dilemma was, stop to put up the top and get
soaked, or keep going? I kept going, much
to the amusement of truck drivers and other
cars I was passing. Amazing as it sounds, I
kept perfectly dry for almost 80km, only
getting wet when we stopped for coffee at
Port Hope!
It was a fantastic trip and we had a lot of
laughs. Thanks to everyone who came out
and to our Ottawa friends for organizing
such a great weekend.
Locks & Leaves
by
David Fidler
The Ontario/Quebec chapter of 6-PACK,
401-PACK, have been busy this summer.
We have two excellent tours to report,
both of which were well attended and organized & included many TTC members.
the Rideau canal, where
he and his wife Marjorie
had arranged ample parking on their well cultivated
lawn (sorry about the oil
spots Mike!) and a splendid BBQ/buffet. Scott McCoy arrived from Peterborough and we all spent
the evening reacquainting ourselves and meeting some new TR people
from the OVTC, family and
friends. Sitting by the water, watching boats go by
and drinking Guinness, what’s not to like!
Saturday was fine again and we headed
out on our main drive of the week-end, a
Mini-TRials 2010
Friday, August 13 was a beautiful day as
Rosie and I set off from home to meet the
other TTC members at a Mickey Ds on highway 115/35, I stopped to team up with Chris
Lindsay en-route and after an hour or so, we
both arrived at the golden arches at 9am.
David Tushingham, Clive Huizinga and new
member John Morton, all arrived around
the same time.
We were headed east for another 3.5
hours, via the scenic route to Kemptville,
just outside Ottawa, for our 2nd
annual mini-TRials. This was ably
organized by Mike Graham and
Martin Burtt and others from
the Ottawa Valley Triumph Club.
We had a good turnout, but unfortunately no representation
from Quebec, maybe next year
chaps?
After check-in at the local
Howard Johnson’s, we attended
a cruise night and afterwards
were escorted to Mike’s gorThe 401-PACK/TTC/OVTC mini-TRials group
geous home on the banks of
tour of the Rideau canal locks and lunch at
The Shipwreck, at Rideau Ferry. Despite a
rough and dusty 4km drive down a gravel
road (thanks Dave!), we all thoroughly enjoyed the drive and scenery, this included
many stops and one long(ish) walk at
Jones Falls, where Tush was motivated to
climb a steep hill with the (false) promise
of chicken wings at the top! Stephan Briere of the OVTC is still working on his TR6
restoration, so he joined me as navigator
for the day, I think he really was surprised
10
www.TorontoTriumph.com
Martin Burtt & Chris Lindsay showing
Chris’s patented TR cup holder (a wall
tile and a roll of tape)
when I let him drive Rosie on one of the
longer legs. He did an awesome job and it
was tough to wipe the smile off his face for
the rest of the day.
After a great lunch, we headed
back to Kemptville for some R&R
and to get ready for dinner at a local Irish pub (good choice Mike).
We were joined by Don Leblanc,
president of the OVTC and we
enjoyed an excellent dinner and
fun conversation. Stephan had to
leave a little early and when we
left later to get a taxi to the hotel,
I discovered he’d paid my Guinness tab. Naughty boy, but much
appreciated and I enjoyed every
drop, thank you.
Sunday dawned stormy and wet, after a
soggy drive for breakfast and gas we gathered at the hotel to depart for Kingston
and the annual Boot ‘n’ Bonnet car show. It
stopped raining and the 2 hour drive was
very pleasant, we picked-up two more Triumph guys en-route, one was an ex-pat
Brit called Dave with a 1974 Stag he bought
new in England. We stayed at the show for
a couple of hours and the TTC contingent
decided to head home, as some ominous
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Leaf Peeping Tour
One of the delights of living in northern latitudes is the explosion of color that appears
on the trees and shrubbery in late September and early October, usually just a couple
of weeks, when the trees display at their
very best. TTC member Robert Polutnik and
his wife Allison got the timing just right for
their 2nd Annual Leaf Peeping Tour, the
week-end of October 2nd.
16 Triumphs, including 2 Spitfires and
a TR3A, an Austin Healey Bug Eye Sprite, a
Mini Cooper and an Acura TLS, met at the
Admiral Inn, Lindsay, Ontario for a two day
tour of the area to the north east of Toronto,
which included Algonquin Provincial Park
and the Haliburton Highlands region, noted
for their fall beauty and great driving roads.
Apart from a little rain towards the end of
the Saturday drive, the weather was pretty
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good and the colors spectacular, particularly when the
sun popped out from behind
the mostly cloudy skies.
Some had stayed at the hotel the night before and others,
like Gloria, Rosie and I, drove
to Dave Tushingham’s place
in Newmarket, for a caravan to Lindsay. So
Rosie had already been going for almost 3
hours when we met everyone else, just in
time for departure at 9am. For the record,
although it was only about 9C, we drove
the whole day with the top down! As did
Chris Lindsay who’s
tassel on his toque
was an endless cause
of laughter as it constantly spun around
in the wind, a real propeller head! Those fortunate to have (just)
installed a hard top on
their car (Tush!), were
frequently heard complaining about how
hot they were! OK for
some.
The highlight of the
first day for many, was
the “exhilarating driving section”, between
Buckhorn and Haliburton. Quite cleverly, Robert stopped everyone
at a gas station, just before the start of about
30km of twisties and hills, and sorted those
who wanted to “have some fun” to the front
of the pack and the “leaf peepers” to the rear.
It worked great
and the whoops
of delight (and
tire squeals) could
be heard over the
roar of engines...
well those of us
who had our tops
down could! One
TR6 had a top
hose split just
afterwards, the
owner was asking
www.TorontoTriumph.com around for duct tape. I pointed him towards
Tush, our resident parts carrier, who said
“I’ve got a new hose... what do you want,
green or black?”
After a brief stop at the Haliburton scenic
viewing area, we went into town for lunch.
It was their fall festival, so there was a
car show on and the
town was packed
with locals and visitors. Lunch took over
2 hours, so we were a
bit behind schedule
when we left for Bancroft and our overnight stay. Interesting
hotel, the only one
for miles that could
accommodate all of
us, a throwback from
the seventies when
TV dinners and plastic
table cloths were acceptable fare! Breakfast was good though and we headed off full
for day two, through Algonquin Park on highway 60 and a stop for lunch in Dorset. This is
near Huntsville, Ontario, where the recent G8
summit was held. As a result, the roads were
beautifully paved and lined, a real joy to drive
on. After lunch, the pack got a little broken
up, with some heading to Fenelon Falls, as
per plan and some (Tush, me, Scott Douglas
and John Morton in the Acura) heading to
Bobcaygeon, to make the famous Bigelow’s
store for shoe shopping, before it closed. We
must keep our better halves happy!
Apart from the TR6 hose problem and
a fuel gauge/electrical problem with the
Bug Eye, everyone’s cars behaved well and
a fantastic time was had by all. Thank you
Robert & Allison, great job! ragtop
11
events
Welcome New Members!
Name
LocationVehicle
Year
Bill Montgomery . . . . . . . . . . Burlington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wayne & Peggy Dickey . . . . . Caledon . . . . . . . . . . . . Triumph Herald . . . . . . . . 1967
Cindy Douglas . . . . . . . . . . . . Mississauga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Corey Gaucher . . . . . . . . . . . . Barrie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1975
Kymm Gosselin . . . . . . . . . . . . Welland . . . . . . . . . . . . Spitfire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1971
Jim Irwin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sharon . . . . . . . . . . . . . TR6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1974
Gary Kristjansson . . . . . . . . . . Kanata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Andre Langlois . . . . . . . . . . . . Oakville . . . . . . . . . . . . TR6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1970
David Pallett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mississauga . . . . . . . . . TR6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1976
Stan Peszat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Markham . . . . . . . . . . . Spitfire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1976
Bruce & Caroline Pinch . . . . . Kingsville . . . . . . . . . . . Triumph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1976
Tony Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perth Road . . . . . . . . . . Triumph GT6 Mk3 . . . . . . . 1971
Steve Van Beers . . . . . . . . . . . Aylmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . TR6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1972
Tony van Kessel . . . . . . . . . . . Queensville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New Members from September 4th to December 13th, 2010
staying at the Host Hotel, the Nottawasaga Inn Resort.
Be sure to check back for updated Hotel and Event Agenda.
If you have any inquiries, please contact Don and Judy Johnson at
realdj@rogers.com
www.nottawasagaresort.com
Events Calendar
APRIL 2011
Sunday, 17th, 9:30 am
Ancaster British Car Flea Market
The Ancaster British Car Flea Market and Car Show is held on the
second last Sunday in April at the Ancaster Fairgrounds, at the
intersection of Hwy 2&53 (Wilson St) and Hwy 52 (Trinity Rd). This
annual event is Southern Ontario’s largest British car parts flea
market featuring both used and new parts for all types of British
cars. You will also find books, clothing, regalia, car club information
and much more.
www.ancasterbritish.ca
MAY 2011
Friday, May 27-29th, 1:00 pm
Spring Fling 2011 Alliston/Nottawasaga Inn Resort
Each year, the Toronto Triumph Club and the MG Car Club of
Toronto alternate hosting the annual Spring Fling Event. This has
become a tradition with both Clubs and is one of the first events of
the driving season where we get to share our love of LBC’s and have
some friendly rivalry with the “other” marque.
This year, the Toronto Triumph Club will host the event in Alliston,
Ontario. Escape, relax and enjoy the company of friends while
JUNE 2011
Friday, June 24, 25, 26th, 9:00 am
Around Georgian Bay Tour 2011
On the heels of the success of the “Around Lake Ontario Tour” we are
please to announce the First Inaugural “Around Georgian Bay Tour”
scheduled for June 24th, 25, and 26th 2011. Clive and Jaquelynne
Huizinga are once again busy in the planning stages of this next
great adventure.
Mark the Dates in your Calendar now! Check back for details.
Membership Status
Due Soon
Name
Member # Renewal Date
Alice and John Kingston . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Christine & Glen Morrison . . . . . . . . . . . .
Victor Fleishman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hugh Munro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brian McNamee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Michael Sullivan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brian & Bronwen Tregunno . . . . . . . . . .
James Dunkley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Garth Kerr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mike & Ruth Pratt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brenda and Malcolm Taylor . . . . . . . . . .
Erik Weeks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1558 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2357 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2666 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2866 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2067 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3127 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1934 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3132 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2629 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2569 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1462 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3124 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
01/15/11
01/22/11
01/25/11
01/25/11
01/28/11
01/30/11
02/01/11
02/01/11
02/01/11
02/01/11
02/08/11
01/20/11
JULY 2011
Friday, July 15-17th, Ottawa, Ontario, 1:00 pm
Annual Canadian Classic
This years Canadian Classic will be held in conjunction with, and
hosted by the Ottawa Valley Triumph Club. It has been many years
since we visited Ottawa and our friends in the OVTC. 20 years ago,
the 6th Annual Canadian Classic was held in Ottawa. The last time we
visited was in 1996 for the 11th Annual Classic.
Stay tuned for Hotel and Event information.
Block the dates now!
Due Now
Name
Member # Renewal Date
Herb Arnds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bob & Polly Youngberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
George & Fran Christie . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ian Blythin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2685 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2220 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1052 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2922 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
01/01/11
01/01/11
01/01/11
12/28/10
Please go to www.torontotriumph.com and renew today!
Valid as of December 13th 2010
TOYOTA TO TRIUMPH
5–Speed Transmission
Conversions
TR-2 through TR-6
• Diesel Engines
• Gasoline Engines
• Marine Engines
• Race Engines
• Vehicle Services
• Parts Store
• Complete Engine Machine Shop
• Gasoline Injector Service
• Engine Balancing & Blue Printing
• Cylinder Head Porting & Flow Testing
Winslow Delaney | Creative Solutions
416.871.2358
9 Forster Park Drive
Oakville, Ontario Canada L6K 1Y5
info@winslowdelaney.com
www.winslowdelaney.com
2338 Wyecroft Rd., Unit K5-7, Oakville, Ontario L6L 6L4
Tel: 905-825-2045 Fax: 905-825-0208
Your source for all your repairs
Herman van den Akker
P.O. Box 6812, Pine Mountain Club, CA 93222-6812
Phone: (661) 242-1253 • E-mail: handhvan@msn.com
www.hvdaconversions.com
12
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owner’s manual
Getting to know our members
PATRICK CARIA
Name: Patrick Caria
Born: 1957 in Altilia, Italy
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Member since: April 2010
Triumph owned: 1975 French Blue TR6 (Trixie)
Likes: Cooking, driving, Pink Floyd, darts, golf, espresso
coffee, tinkering with cars.
Favourite Films: Star Trek, Laurel and Hardy, the Italian Job,
Favourite Places: Canada (of course), Italy and the UK. I
have family and friends in all three locations and would love
to be able to spend an equal amount of time in each.
Favourite daydream: Owning a garage full of classic cars
that need loving care and attention and having the money
to pamper them!
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www.TorontoTriumph.com Background: I am of Italian background and
lived in Calabria in Southern Italy between the ages
of 7 and 12. Since then, my home has been in Toronto and my love of the city led me to my present
occupation as a driver/guide throughout Ontario,
particularly in the Golden Horseshoe area.
In earlier years I was employed as an ironworker/
erector but I grew tired of eating my lunch perched
on an iron girder, especially when I had to climb
down 64 storeys just to fetch the salt! This was when
I decided to come down to earth; I started driving
a bus for Greyhound and later became one of their
main drivers for incoming British groups, which is
how I came to meet my wife, Alexis, who was working for a UK tour company at the time.
I have a son and daughter from my first marriage
and both are in their last year of university.
Cars have always been my passion and over the
years I’ve owned many makes and models, my favourite being the TR6. However, I also own a 1964
Fiat Cinquecento (500) that I inherited two years
ago. I actually went with my uncle to buy it new
from a Fiat dealer in the city of Cosenza and I can
still remember the ride back home. When I came
back to Canada in 1969 I asked him to keep the car
for me and he did! Colour? Powder blue. I guess
blue is my favourite colour for those special cars in
my life. ragtop
15
club events
The Best of British!
by
Stags celebrate 40 years
David Fidler
Thanks to Our Sponsors...
Crescent Oil
Budds’ Imported Cars
Lant Insurance
...and our Volunteers.
I
E-types bow their heads, in celebration
of 75 years of Jaguar
16
t was all things British (barring the sunny weather!), at this
year’s British Car Day©. Once again almost 1,100 British cars of
all shapes, makes and sizes and their owners, made their way to
Bronte Creek Provincial Park in Oakville, for a day spent with fellow enthusiasts and to show off their pride and joy to more than
8,000 visitors.
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This year Jaguar was the main featured marque,
celebrating 75 years as the quintessential British
thoroughbred car manufacturer for Britain’s sporting and business elite. Prior to the end of WWII, they
were known as ‘SS’ for ‘Swallow Sidecars’, but the connotations of this weren’t positive after the war and
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Terence McKillen & Wife
Vic Whitmore & Wife
Glen Donaldson
Donald Gordon
Wayne & Debbie McGill
Steve Hall
Scott Douglas
Johan Aaltink
John & Joanna Lille
Fred Meyer
John Roden
Dave Tushingham
Chris Lindsay
David Fidler
Dave Copping
Herb Arnds and Daughter
Don & Judy Johnson
Jim & Willa Hopkinson
Bob & Dorothy Corbin
Helmuth Vorkoetter
David Dorward
Ron & Hilda Pincoe
Wendy Allan
Grant Leonard
Cam & Sylvia Theroux
Sandy McCrea
John Elvin
Paul & Tish Boyd
Neal Barkhurst
Michael Clustie, 2 grandsons & friend
Carmie McCormack
George Bechtel
George Broad
Duncan and Ann Page
Jack Willekes
Dave & Liz Wright
Victor Fleishman
Alan Adams
Andre Lapointe
Len Gilbert
Phil & George Christie
Dawn & Roger Elliott
Dave & Maureen MacKay
Patrick Caria
Kathy & Jack Vogel
Gary Allan
Paul and Josh Maltby
Alistair Wallace
Brian Tregunno
Tony Grosso
Brian Clark
Alistair Wallace
Tony Koski
Riley Boyd
Frank Bunn
Dave Heathcote and Debbie
Donald Gordon
Geoff van der Lee
Dave MacLellan
Jeff Fenwick
Steven Craib
Lynn Nicholls
Don Nichols
John Tusseur
Ian McLellan
Chuck McCormick
Mark and Kim Donaldson
Brad Lory and Son
Bill Alexander
Larry Llewellyn
Allan Watts
Jim & Sue Holubeshen and son
...and any missing from the list who pitched in and helped
club events
the name ‘Jaguar’, which had been just a
model name until then, became the familiar marque it still is today (see Fall Ragtop for
the complete history of Jaguar –Ed). Over 100
Jaguars were on the field and it was quite
something to see row upon row of them.
Also featured and celebrating a 40 year
milestone was the Triumph Stag, which
first rolled off the production line in 1970.
To honor this, our own Tony Fox encouraged his extensive network of Stag owning
friends to attend BCD. Although the final
tally fell 2 or 3 short, it was certainly an impressive sight to see so many Stags together in one place. Owner’s from as far away
as Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York
(city and state) and Michigan joined in the
fun. I spoke with one owner from Massachusetts and he said, “We’ve never missed
the British Invasion in Stowe, Vermont (held
the same weekend as BCD–Ed), but we’re so
glad we did this year... this is amazing! Your
show is bigger and in many ways better
than Stowe”. Praise indeed!
Range Rover also celebrated 40 years
in production and BCD sponsor Budds’
Imported Cars had the latest models on
display, along with Jaguar’s new XK and XF
series cars. Aston Martin’s were out in force
reaching 95 years in business this year, albeit with several different owners over the
last 20 years. We will celebrate their centenary at the 32nd BCD in 2015.
British Car Day 2010 Chairman and Toronto Triumph Club president David Tushingham was delighted with the turn out,
“... we’re certainly maintaining our position
as the largest one-day British car show in
North America. New ideas such as ‘Fast Lane
More of the 37 Stags in attendance
18
1953 Rolls
Pre-Pay’ we’re a big hit and, despite the unexpectedly incomplete road construction
on Burloak Drive causing last minute traffic problems, show car numbers were the
same as last year and traffic, once inside
the park, flowed much more smoothly”, he
said. He went on to say, “Now that the construction is finally complete and we have
the new road layout worked out, we will
prepare new traffic signs and speak with
Bronte Park about improving their operation of the public visitors parking lot, so as
not to block Burloak Drive, which was the
main cause of the problems for our show
cars this year. The additional lanes north
and east bound on Burloak Drive and Upper Middle Road will greatly improve traffic
flow into the show area next year”.
Over 60 vendors had everything from
British chocolate and traditional foods to
complete classic cars, new & used parts and
books. Our sponsor, Crescent Oil had their
range of lubricants available, including
Kendall GT-1 motor oil, which is fortified
with ZDDP to protect the flat tappet
engines, used in many British classics.
The 2010 BCD Committee and everyone involved would like to thank
all of our sponsors, programme advertisers and the almost 90 volunteers who gave freely of their time on
the Saturday & Sunday to make British
Car Day happen (see list on page 17) and
congratulations to all the winners in the
Participant’s Choice Awards (see page 21)
and in particular, our Best Of Show winner
Dennis Sheehan with his beautiful 1959 Aston Martin DB4. I’ll let the photographs tell
the rest of the story...
Crowd control vehicle!
Series I E-Type
Jaguar
Big Healey in
racing guise
Stunning Jaguar XK120
DeLoreans stretch
their wings
Fine replica GT40
Woody-Brit style! 1968 Morris Minor Traveller Austin Westminster
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Norton Commando
Participant’s Choice Award Winner’s
(for complete list go to www.britishcarday.com)
Best Of Show - Dennis Sheehan
Charlie Conquergood Award - Chuck McCormack - Triumph Stag
Morgan magic!
Over 80 TR6s in one
place-only at BCD!
Best of Show,
Dennis Sheehan’s
1959 DB4...
Mega Mini display
West Highland Terrier “Aggie” belonging to
Glen Donaldson enjoys the pipes
Spitfire engine
20
...Dennis’ meticulous engine
AC Ace, Cobra, Race Cars & Other Sport - Kim McCartney
Aston Martin - Dennis Sheehan
Austin Healey 100, Mk1 - Graham Secord
Austin Healey 3000 - Norboert Lefebvre
Austin Healey Sprite - Brian Young
Bentley, Austin Princess, Daimler, Lanchester, - George Morita
Commercial Vehicles - Ken Thomihiro
Daimler SP250, Marcos, Reliant - Ian Sim-Mutch
DeLorean - Michael Borthwick
Jaguar XJS 1975-1996 - Ross Hamilton
Jaguar Sedans (all) 1988-2008 - Graham Stokes
Jaguar Sedans Pre-1968 - John Chalmers
Jaguar Sports Pre-1961 - Jamie Powell
Jaguar XJ 1968-1987 - Dave Creer
Jaguar XK 1997-2008 - Doug & Chris Norman
Jaguar XKE Series I, 61-68 - Gil Melo
Jaguar XKE Series II , 69-71 - Robert Ward
Jaguar XKE Series III, 71-74 - Gordon Wallace
Jensen - Bill Martin
Land Rover, Range Rover up to 74 - Glen Canavan
Land Rover, Range Rover 1975 on - Ian Jeffrey
Lotus 7, Caterham, Super 7 - Mike Potter
Lotus, Other Elan, Esprit, Europa, Exige, Elise - Ken Ridley
MG Midget - Ken Ridley
MG T Series - Mel Smith
MGA - Drew Lebeau
MGB GT, MGC, MGC GT - Steve Finch
MGB Roadster, Chrome Bumper 62-74 - Greg Moores
MGB Roadster, Rubber Bumper 75-81 - Jim Speed
Mini sliding window - Joe Morizio
Mini wind-up window - John Wright
Mini BMW - Andrew Steel
Morgan - John Roden
Motorcycles - Brian Barrett
Production Sedans Post 59, Austin, Ford, Morris - John Tatham
Production Sedans Pre 59, Austin, Ford, Morris - Michael Stratford
Rolls Royce - Ian Hasler
Rover Sedans - George Morin
Sunbeam Alpine, Tiger, Talbot - Tom Tonks
Triumph GT6 - Shawn Vromann
Triumph Spitfire 61-73 - Jason Currie
Triumph Spitfire 74-81 - Don Diebold
Triumph Stag - Chuck McCormack
Triumph TR2, TR3, TR3A, TR3B - Alistair Wallace
Triumph TR4, TR4A, TR5, TR250 - Steve Hall
Triumph TR6, 69-73 - Afshin Lotfi
Triumph TR6, 74-76 - Paul Boyd
Triumph TR7 - Ed Knight
Triumph TR8 - Steve Wilkes
Triumph, Other, Roadster, Herald, 2000, Vitesse - Wayne McGill
TVR - Geoff Dupont
400 Squadron Pipes and Drums
(the drums got stuck in traffic!)
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Triumph travels
Back
Time
Step
In
by Ian
Racing can be
expensive with duct
tape at £5 per roll
These are just the cars
in the parking lot!
Parkhill
Glen Donaldson wrote about his visit to Goodwood, in the
Spring 2009 Ragtop, now TTC Vice-President, Ian Parkhill get’s
to check this experience off his ‘Bucket List’... “I say old chap, is
that a Wover or a Ferwahwee?” – Ed
M
Period
costumes on
parade
y German boss has a 1960 Austin Healey 3000 BT-7 and
he’s a British motor racing fanatic, to say the least. So, when the
TR6 came into my possession, he told me there was an event that
I would have to attend with him someday. I didn’t think much of it
at the time...
Eventually, dates were set for our next 5-year business planning
session, but this year it was a bit earlier than usual, in September
instead of November, and he told me to extend the usual schedule
by a few days, over the weekend. Lastly, I should arrange to fly over
to Germany and back via Heathrow. The cat was out of the bag…
Goodwood!
What is Goodwood? The best way I can describe it
is “...it’s like Woodstock for car buffs”, and the organizers describe it as “A magical step back in time”.
In either case, it is by far the most exciting and
unique automotive event I have ever had the
pleasure of participating in and one that I hope
will become a regular part of our future planning sessions. To be more specific, Goodwood is
a compound, run by the Earl of March in southwestern England that is comprised of several
elements. There is a beautiful horse breeding
and racing facility on the grounds, but more
importantly for this story, there is a vintage motor racing circuit there as well. There are actually
two events held at Goodwood racetrack each year:
22
the “Festival of Speed”
and the “Revival Meeting”. If you have to
choose one, make it
the Revival Meeting,
and you won’t be disappointed.
We began this adventure in Remscheid,
Germany, at 6:30am, when the boss and two of his childhood
friends (both certified gear-heads) picked me up at my hotel. Then
we were off for some early morning Autobahn cruising through
Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium and France, arriving at 1967
the Chunnel in time for our crossing around 11:30am Triumph
(you do the speed calculations). I knew we were in TR4A
for something special when we exited the
Chunnel train and fell in behind a Ferrari
Testarossa, an Aston Martin DB-7 and a
beautiful E-Type Jaguar.
We all headed off down
the same twisty backcountry roads, heading for Goodwood.
The weather was
perfect and we enjoyed
some “spirited” driving with our little convoy, finally
www.torontotriumph.com
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pulling into the Goodwood grounds at around 1:00pm. When we
arrived in the parking lot, I thought we were already at the show! I
was told that I was not the first person to have made this assumption.
We arrived in time to take in some of
the Friday afternoon practice sessions
and I could hear the engines as we walked
through the field to the entrance gate, but
my eyes were too busy taking in the automotive scenery, the likes of which I had
never seen in my life. There was an example of
every kind of car, with any kind of sporting legacy,
in every state of restoration from “held together with duct
tape”, to “Grand Champion of Concours d’Elegance” . And all of this
was just in the parking lot! My head was spinning and I couldn’t
work the camera fast enough. In fact, I had to download
the pictures into my laptop every night, just to make
more room for the next day’s extravaganza.
After strolling through a quickly
filling field full of everything
from Austins to Zephyrs, we
finally made it to the actual
entrance to the grounds and
this is when I started to notice
something else was a little
different. The patrons were dressed in
II
II
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inter 2010
2010
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1971 Triumph
Herald
period costume,
commemorating
the fashions from the
Roaring 20s, through to
the Groovy 60s and everything in
between. I was told that this started at the
first revival meeting, through the hiring of actors,
just to add a little atmosphere to the event, but the
attendees have picked up on this over the years and it is now more
the rule than the exception.
That afternoon consisted of some time getting the “lay of the
land”, a quick tour through the vendors area, a little time hanging
over the fence and watching the practice runs, and (of course) the
occasional pint of the good stuff to wash down the taste of rubber and petrol in the air. But, a long day was drawing to a close, so
we headed for our accommodations, a beautiful old B & B in the
English countryside, near Lavant, Sussex, to get settled in for the
weekend and go off to a local pub for a meal. The real fun would
start in the morning.
There are 13 races that take place over the weekend, with 2 of
www.torontotriumph.com www.TorontoTriumph.com
23
Triumph travels
First time a checkered flag
signals a loser
How do they keep those
overalls so white?
Lots of expensive hardware was on the auction block
them being run in 2-parts, over Saturday and Sunday, with a combined time producing the winner. These are primarily car races, everything from saloon cars to Formula 1, but one of the 2-parters is
the Barry Sheene Memorial race, which features motorcycles from
the pre-1954 era. Four wheels or two, these races are a blast and
the vehicles being campaigned are among the most unique, rare
and in some cases bizarre examples of automotive engineering
imaginable. From Austin A35s to Ferrari GTO 250s, with a KGB staff
car thrown in, just for good measure. And, as if it wasn’t already
enough, in addition to the owner/drivers on the schedule, there
24
were a few celebrities in the field as well; names like Stirling Moss,
Martin Brundle, John Surtees, Derek Bell, Wayne Gardner and Mark
Knopfler, of Dire Straits fame. And these guys were actually racing.
Cars that you might only expect to find on display in a museum
The cars are raced hard
and get scarred... ouch!
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are on the track, running wheel-to-wheel, and very often picking
up some battle scars along the way. It almost makes you want to
cry, but then you realize… this is what they were made for!
There is also a complete air show, including fly-bys with a Lancaster bomber, Spitfires and Hurricanes, interspersed throughout
the day’s racing schedule. History on the track, and in the air.
For me, I would have to say the highlight of the weekend was
having the chance to walk through the paddocks and get up close
www.torontotriumph.com www.TorontoTriumph.com
25
the wedgetarian
This will be the last Wedgetarian from John
Broomer, the man who coined the name
of this regular feature and is the “font of
all knowledge” where TR7s and 8s are concerned. John is Triumphless and “between
classics” at the moment, so he is taking a
well deserved rest. I say rest, because like
many of you, I certainly hope he will own a
Triumph again someday and I (or the editor
at the time) will be able to welcome him back
to Ragtop and benefit from his prolific writings and obvious love for our marque. All the
best John, thank you for many contributions
to Ragtop and the TTC and I’ll see you at the
shows! – Ed.
W
P51 Mustang on final approach
Battle of Britian Memorial Flight (l-r) Spitfire,
Lancaster, Hurricane do fly-past over Goodwood
War vets work on vintage motorcycle
26
and personal with the machines and their drivers. Everything that
raced on the track, was in the pits and available for an “up close” inspection. Nothing like getting some grease under your fingernails.
Last but not least, I am happy to report that although there
were no Triumphs on the racing schedule, they were very well represented out in the entrance field. These included everything from
a TR3 in “slight” need of attention (see photo top right page 23) to
a rare left-hand drive fuel injected TR5, complete with Surrey top.
The entire experience was something I could not have imagined beforehand and it certainly exceeded my expectations. The
setting, the atmosphere, the collection of automotive brilliance
on display and the smell of rubber and fuel for three days straight,
combined to make this one of the best experiences I ever checked
off my Bucket List!
I just might be back next year to continue my search for more
Triumphs at Goodwood. ragtop
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ell it has been a very “carless” summer, which goes without saying
as the TR8 departed last fall. I didn’t get to
drive my custodial TR6, which really isn’t
custodial anymore and I only got out to
one cruise night through the entire summer. It did bring a smile to my face though,
as I admired a Lamborghini Espada, whose
personal plate was “LIRA PIT”. I’m hoping to
get to Burlington Mall before the end of the
season, as that is where the Studebakers
meet, due to Hamilton being the last place
they were produced, for 1965 and 1966,
before production ended for good. I did
look at a couple of cars over the summer,
but each had their shortcomings which resulted in them being turned down. Luckily
I have my brother along for the ride which
means a wealth of knowledge and a keen
eye for things that I often miss. It is very
doubtful that I will end up with anything
that doesn’t meet with his approval. After
all, isn’t that what big brothers are for?
I’ve enjoyed writing these columns but
now it’s time to say “so long”, for now anyway. I’m hopeful someone in the club with
a 7 or 8 will pick up the torch and continue
on. It doesn’t take much; two or three pages in Word plus some pictures and pretty
soon you’ve got yourself a regular column,
just like that. When I started writing these
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By John Broomer
A Fond Farewell
columns it was for several reasons, but
most of all I wanted to raise the stature of
the wedge cars within the TTC and by extension, in the British car hobby. These last
Triumphs deserve respect, as anyone who
has driven them regularly will tell you that
they are probably the best Triumphs ever
built. Comfortable, good handling and really a car for their times; the last clean sheet
design that carried the TR designation and,
looking at many cars that followed, it really was the shape of things to come, even
though the motoring press at the time
panned the styling.
I know I promised last time that I was
going to try to polish up the inside of those
rear light clusters, but time had a way of
slipping by the past several months and I
never got back up to Tush’s to bead blast
them back to bare metal. It is one of those
nagging things that will likely lead me to
get it done eventually and I’ll probably report on it as a “guest” columnist.
I’ve enjoyed my time with the club and
have met many great characters during my
short tenure here. As I have said before, I
am a “car guy”, not a “Triumph guy” or even
a “MG guy”, as Glenn Donaldson likes to
dredge up. I enjoy all that is automotive. So
much so that even during my time out of
the hobby, it was rare that I missed a British
Car Day. Even now, nearly 15 years following the sale of the Midget, I still see people
I met in the MGCCT and enjoy a conversation as though I’ve never been away. I’m
hoping that this is the case with the TTC
clan and I expect it to be so.
Car clubs are much more than getting a
magazine or finding help when you need
www.TorontoTriumph.com it most desperately. It is having a common
bond, a love for things mechanical and
enjoying the camaraderie of sharing life’s
ups and downs with the most beguiling
of creatures, our cars. Those who populate
them are a special breed and most, if not
all, are governed by one of my favourite
sayings, “Money can’t buy you love, but
it can buy you lust, which is the next best
thing.”, for surely it is lust that brought us
into the fold. It may very well turn into love
over the course of time, but it was pure lust
that drove that initial plunge.
I would also like to thank my editors,
initially Dave Burman and then Fid, who
both pretty much let me type whatever I
wanted to and printed it with a minimum,
if any, editing. Sometimes, I wandered a
bit, throwing in some commentary here
or there on subjects that I felt needed addressing. Or like the last column (Summer
2010 - Ed), which was pretty much a walk
down memory lane of my car ownership,
even though they weren’t all British. I wondered about that one, it probably really
pushed Fid to the edge, especially having
to print non-Triumph pictures. Fid is always
asking for support and he richly deserves
it, for he now produces what I believe is
probably the best club magazine for the
buck in North America.
And so, that’s it. Short and sweet this
time around, with nary a single piece of
advice, other than to say to you that no
matter what kind of Triumph you have, remember they were made to drive, so keep
driving and enjoying them. I look forward
to seeing you all at least once a year, in
September, for years to come. ragtop
27
BACK THEN WE WERE THE EXPERTS
AT INSURING ‘57 CHEVYS
friends of Triumphs
Think your TR
is Small?...
by
AND WE STILL ARE.
Ronnie Grace
... try one of these on for
size! During a recent visit
to see his son Andrew and
after attending our October
meeting, Ronnie Grace offered
to tell us about his own passion
for Little British Cars and you
can’t get much ‘littler’ than
this! – Ed
G
A
L O T O F I N S U R A N C E C O M PA N I E S S AY T H E Y K N O W C L A S S I C A N D A N T I Q U E C A R S .
B E T T E R T H A N S TAT E FA R M .
AND AS
WITH
AFTER
BUT
WE BELIEVE NO ONE KNOWS THEM
ALL WE WERE INSURING MANY OF THESE CARS LONG BEFORE THEY BECAME CLASSICS.
T H E W O R L D ’ S L A R G E S T C A R I N S U R E R , W E C U R R E N T LY I N S U R E W E L L O V E R
S TAT E FA R M Y O U ’ R E A LWAY S S U R E O F G E T T I N G C O V E R A G E T H AT ’ S R I G H T
T H E M O S T C O M P E T I V E R AT E S AVA I L A B L E .
PERHAPS
120,000 O F T H E S E U N I Q U E M A C H I N E S .
F O R Y O U --- A N D Y O U R C A R . A T S O M E O F
T H AT ’ S W H Y S O M A N Y C L A S S I C A N D A N T I Q U E C A R O W N E R S I N S I S T O N
I N S U R I N G T H E I R A U T O M O T I V E T R E A S U R E S W I T H S TAT E FA R M T H A N W I T H A N Y O T H E R C O M PA N Y .
SO
C A L L Y O U R S TAT E FA R M A G E N T T O D AY A N D Y O U ’ L L L E A R N T H AT J U S T L I K E S O M E C A R S , S O M E I N S U R A N C E C O M PA N I E S
O N LY I M P R O V E W I T H A G E .
WAYNE C. MCGILL
AGENT
UNIT 21 - 2345 WYECROFT ROAD
STATE FARM
OAKVILLE ONTARIO L6L 6L8
INSURANCE COMPANIES
EMAIL:
AURORA, ONTARIO
BUS. 905-847-5671
wayne.mcgill.b3iu@statefarm.com
CANADIAN HEAD OFFICES:
L I K E A G O O D N E I G H B O U R S TAT E FA R M I S T H E R E .
reetings to all you Canadians from
sunny South Africa. I am your new club
secretary Andrew Grace’s dad and I want
to tell you all about my 1927 Austin Seven
Van, which I have owned for the past 26
years.
Everybody who knows something
about cars will know all about the Austin
Seven, the car which put the British motorist on the road, like Henry Ford did with his
Model T. Sir Herbert Austin designed the
first Austin Seven in 1922 and it took the
motoring public by storm. At that stage
families who wanted wheels could only afford a motorcycle and sidecar. Sir Herbert
gave them the first four wheeled car, which
the ordinary family man could afford. The
rest is history and the Austin Seven was
made right up to the start of the Second
World War. Many South Africans can recall
that their fathers or grandfathers or old
uncles started their motoring careers by
owning an Austin Seven.
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The “old car’ bug
bit me when I acquired an immaculate 1960 Austin A40
Farina from a family
friend, who became
incapacitated due to
a stroke. I joined the
Crankhandle Club of
Cape Town, but deep
down it was always my desire to own an
Austin Seven. Don’t ask me why. Maybe
it was because they looked so small and
primitive, but as we all know, Austin Sevens are scarce and once you own one, you
certainly do not want to part with it.
In 1984 it was my wife, of all people,
www.TorontoTriumph.com who drew my attention to this old car
parked amongst a lot
of junk in a car battery shop in Maitland,
a suburb of Cape
Town. Apparently she
and her mother went
to this battery shop
to buy a car battery
for her mother’s car. After telling me about
this old car, my curiosity got the better of
me and we drove out one Sunday afternoon to have a look. I couldn’t hide my surprise when I discovered that it was an Austin Seven Van and a very old one at that.
I could see her clearly through the shop
29
window standing there looking very pitiful. As I peered in, I was sure that this little
Van was begging me to save her from her
surroundings. I told my wife that this little
car was speaking to me standing there and
crying….”save me, please save me”. There
was a lot of junk and old car batteries
packed on top and all around her, so sad.
The following week I approached the
owner of the shop and enquired about the
Van. He was not keen to sell, but eventually
asked me to make him an offer. I did not
have a clue what the value of such an old
Austin Seven was and decided to phone
around, especially Austin Seven owners
of the Crankhandle Club, to
ask them what I should offer for it? After getting some
idea, I went back and offered
a little less than advised and
after some bargaining, the
owner accepted. I pumped up
the tires and my wife towed
the little Van home, with me
barely fitting in the cockpit. I
am over six feet tall.
The chassis number 34672 showed
that it as a 1927 model, while the engine
number 223332 indicated a replacement
1935 Austin Seven ‘Ruby’ engine with a
four speed gearbox. I have since found a
1927 magneto engine (# 57890) and three
speed crash gearbox, which I overhauled,
rebuilt and then installed in her. Mac Bonar
of England, well known for the restoration
of Austin Sevens, supplied me with all the
engine parts for the rebuild. It was the late
Uncle “Liefie” Bosch of Port Elizabeth, who
sold me the 1927 engine and gearbox.
Although everything was there, she was
in a sad state due to her
having stood for so many
years. The first number of
years was under a canvas
in the owner’s backyard
before being moved to
the battery shop. The
wheels were rusted and
the windscreen frame
was brown with rust. The
headlights (which were
the wrong ones) were
rusted and the paintwork
faded. The grill and bonnet were fitted askew and lopsided as if
someone had bumped her on the side of
the grill. She had sign writing all over her
advertising a business hiring out 16mm
films. I got to know Mac Bonar of England
when I advertised for a pair of original 1927
brass headlights in a British magazine and
which he supplied to me. The Van was in
a sorry state, but not rusted as the body is
made out of aluminium (sic). Only the bonnet and mudguards are made of steel.
Auto Collision speCiAlists
214 Rutherford Road, South
Brampton, Ontario, L6W 3J6
Web: www.bodyworksauto.com
Contact: Robert Ciardullo Tel: 905-453-1932 Fax: 905-453-1937
Cell: 905-867-1760 Email: bodyworks@bellnet.ca
www.BritishWiring.com
British Wiring Inc.
B
W
Suppliers of Wiring Harnesses, Wire, Terminals & Sundries
for British Classic Cars and Motorcycles
Toll Free: 866-461-9050
Fax: 610-845-3518
email: BritishWiring@Ameritech.net
30
P.O. Box 185
617 Walnut St.
Bally, PA 19503
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I first had to build
an additional garage to
house my other Austin,
before I could tackle this
restoration job.
The dismantling started in February, 1985. Everything was stripped.
The biggest job was to
strip off all the paint right
down to bare metal, so
that she could be completely repainted. I chose
a dark green with black
mudguards. The wheels had to be sandblasted and repainted too. The windscreen
frame had to be re-chromed. The radiator
surround was chromed, but I had it sprayed
the correct black. The interior woodwork
had to be sanded, repaired where necessary and re-varnished.
Fortunately there were not many missing parts. A four bladed fan was scratched
out at the Crankhandle Club’s spares section. This was while it still had the Ruby engine. The current 1927 engine has a twobladed fan. Two new tires were bought
from a motorcycle tire shop. The biggest
problem was when I had the chrome
stripped from the grille surround to have
it repaired and repainted. When it came
back, the Austin badge was missing and
to this day nobody knows what happened
to it. I wrote to all the Vintage and Veteran
Clubs in South Africa appealing for an Austin badge, but to no avail. Then my friend
Basil Minnaar from the Austin Seven Club
of South Africa in Pretoria sent me the
genuine badge, which he had mounted on
the wall of his study for many years. I got
to know Basil during the restoration period
and at the same time I joined the Austin
Seven Club of South Africa.
Well, 13th April, 1986 was a great day in
our lives. Maybe unlucky for some but the
13th was certainly a great occasion in the
lives of the Grace family, especially when
I look back and think of all the work that
went into my Austin Seven Van.
New oil in the sump, the gearbox and
diff. A few litres of petrol in the tank and
all was ready. This was at the time it still
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had the Ruby engine, which I
did not overhaul at all. Although
the battery did not want to take
a proper charge on one cell
after being charged all week,
there was sufficient power for
the electrics. My whole family
was in the garage and with my
son Andrew behind the steering
wheel. It was like starting one of
those old aeroplanes. I shouted “contact –
before 1965 did not need a roadworthy
choke out – OK here goes!”. Amazing. With
certificate in the Western Cape Province.
only one crank of the crankhandle, she
On Sunday, 25th April, 1986 I drove
started. She spluttered a bit and ran rough
her to the monthly meeting (you call it a
due to the choke being full out, but as she
cruise) of the Crankhandle Club of Cape
warmed up and the choke was pushed in,
Town at Groot Constantia near Cape
she ran beautifully and more silent than I
Town. This was her first public outing and
expected. Smoke was pouring from underwhat a wonderful reception she got. Evneath where paint and oil on the exhaust
erybody crowded around to admire her
pipe was burning. Within a few minutes it
and remarked on the excellent and mehad burnt away and all was well.
ticulous restoration.
I reversed out of the garage into the
Since that date, I have had a lot of fun
driveway, but the urge to take her into the
with my Van and getting involved with
street was too great even though she was
other Austin Seven owners. As mentioned,
unlicenced (sic). I went up the road, did a
I found a 1927 engine and crash gearbox
U-turn and came back. That was only in
which I overhauled and fitted to make the
first and second gears. Then around the
Van original. I have become the official
block to at least use all the gears. Once
representative of the Austin Seven Club of
back at the house I said to my wife; “jump
South Africa in Cape Town and have orgain and I’ll take you around the block” She
nized many get-togethers as well as very
did and thought the ride was hilarious.
successful 70th, 75th and 80th Austin SevWhen my neighbour, who had been folen anniversary shows. Also the 100th annilowing the restoration
versary of the Austin.
project, came home
Today I am the
from church, I told
proud owner of what
him to jump in and
must be the only
took him up the road,
1920’s Austin Seven
did a U-turn and came
Van in South Africa,
back again. He considunless there is anothered this to be one of
er lucky enthusiast
the greatest experilike me somewhere
ences in his life and
that I am not aware
said that he was going Ronnie and his Austin Seven have won many awards
of? My little Van is
to tell all his friends
very reliable and has
and colleagues at work. What a day! What
become part of the family. After owning
an experience!
her for 26 years, I am looking forward to
Back into the garage she went, as there
many more happy years of Austin Seven
was still a few minor things to be done to
motoring, thanks indirectly to my mothpass inspection for a roadworthiness certifer-in-law, who needed a car battery for
icate. Getting her roadworthy and licenced
her car. I’ve said to her many times since,
went without any problems. At that time I
“I really love you, mother-in-law, dear”
was not aware that any car manufactured
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Triumph travels
London To Brighton
Only Centenarians need apply
General view of the finishing line at Madeira Drive, Brighton 1903 Panhard-Levassor, 15HP, 4 cylinders, 4 seater
Promenade
We think our Triumphs are
sometimes old and cantankerous; spare a thought for those
intrepid enthusiasts who bravely
set forth from London each
year, in cars over 100 years old,
hoping to make it the 60 miles
to Brighton, on the south coast
of England. TTC member Dave
Rudd’s friend and ex-Merchant
Navy captain, Martin Smith, tells
us about this epic rally, from a
spectator’s perspective. – Ed
C
oncluding a three week visit to England with a call on friends at Rottingdean,
just east of Brighton, the unusually good
weather encouraged us to go along to
Brighton promenade to watch the finish of
the 114th London to Brighton Veteran Car
Rally (LBVCR). According to old LBVCR hands
the rally usually attracts poor weather; the
32
sort of miserable, wet, cold and windy stuff
typical of Britain in November.
The rally was first staged on 14th November 1896 to celebrate an Act of Parliament, which abolished the requirement for
a man with a red flag to walk in front of every horseless carriage. The Act also raised
the speed limit to 12mph. My late father,
when a Yorkshire lad in 1915, remembered
the police chasing down speeding lorries
on the cobbled streets of Keighley - on bicycles!
The cut-off date for this veteran car rally is pre-1905 so the youngest of the 612
entries was 106 and a 1894 Benz, 2-seater,
4HP, single cylinder was the oldest at 116
years (See photo). The 60 mile route from
Hyde Park, London, roughly follows the
A23 trunk road through Lambeth, Croydon, Redhill, Crawley, Cuckfield, Burgess
Hill and Clayton Hill to Brighton. The cars
start in groups, oldest first, from 7am to
8.30am and the first cars (hopefully) start
arriving at Brighton’s Madeira Drive at
around 10:30am with a 4:30pm cut off
time. Historically, about 10% of the entries
drop out due to weather, hills, breakdown
or collision with each other or other road
users. There are some compulsory stops
1904 Mercedes, 20HP, 2 cylinders
Capt. Martin L.M. Smith (MN retired)
Green car. Centre. 1894 benz, 4 HP, single cylinder, Pierce-Arrow, 2 ton truck circa 1914 so too young to be in the
wooden cart wheels
rally but interesting
enroute to rest both car and driver.
The entries were from all over Britain and Europe with significant German,
Dutch, French and Belgium entries. There
were several entries from the USA, two
from Argentina, one from Canada and
also a 1904 Pierce, an 8HP, single cylinder 2-seater from China! North American
builders were well represented by the likes
of many 1902 curved-dash Oldsmobile,
2-seater, runabouts with a 5HP, single cylinder engine and tiller steering and the
similar looking Pierces. There were quite
a few 1903 Cadillac’s too with 4 seats, a
6.5HP, single cylinder engine with wheel
steering on the right hand side. It was noticeable that Ford, which started in 1903,
only had two entries, both Model A 4-seaters with 8HP, 2 cylinder engines again with
wheel steering on the right hand side.
Many of the familiar modern manufacturers were represented, such as Wolseley,
Renault, Peugot, Daimler, Panhard, , Humber, Rover, Vauxhall, Siddeley and Mercedes. A lot of the entries had their drivers
and passengers dressed in period motoring costume, and very sensibly too as most
of them were open cars. It was also quite
evident from the entries that car manuRagtop
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P-A, engine plate, read it carefully
facturing was a great scramble in the early
1900s with firms changing from making
horse carriages and bicycles to cars, Many
firms started-up and closed quite quickly,
due to competition and lack of funding.
Two French engine builders, De Dion Bouton and Aster, not only made engines for
their own cars, but also supplied them
to other carriage builders who installed
them and marketed them under their own
names. Some cars looked like horse drawn
buggies, without the horse, whilst others
looked like ‘modern’ open cars, for instance
the classic 1904 Durracq (Which is the car
of the Genevieve film) and the three beautiful 1904 Mercedes 20/40HP four seater,
open cars.
The position of the driver varied a bit
too. In some cars the driver literally sat on
the back seat with the passengers in front
facing him as in the 1901 De Dion Bouton
vis-à-vis, a four-seater with a 4.5HP, single
cylinder engine. In the case of the 1901
Sunbeam-Mabley, a diamond-shaped 4
wheeler with a 2.75HP, single cylinder engine the driver was seated at the back, but
he and the passenger faced sideways in
opposite directions!
We noticed that nearly all the cars with
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steering wheels had the driver on the front
seat on the right hand side, an arrangement that suits driving on British roads, but
not on North American or European roads.
Perhaps your readers can tell me when N.
American built cars went over to having
their steering wheels on the left hand side
to better suit your roads? (US car manufacturers originally followed the horse & buggy
convention of having the driver on the
right, where they could use their whip in the
right hand without maiming the passenger
seated on their left! They also drove on the
right side of the road, as they still do today.
Ford first changed to left hand drive in 1908,
when it was deemed safer for the driver to
gauge distance from oncoming cars and the
passenger could alight to the kerb, instead
of into traffic. - Ed)
Most of the entries had gasoline engines, but there were several steam driven
ones and even three electric ones which
were all American built; a 1900 Cleveland
3.5HP, a 1902 Columbia 3.75HP and a 1903
Waverly 4-seater with 6HP. It is to be noted
that at the turn of the 20th century there
were more electric cars being made than
there were gasoline powered ones, so all
the fuss about modern technical developwww.TorontoTriumph.com
www.torontotriumph.com P-A, engine
ment and innovation with hybrid, electric
and eco friendly cars rings rather hollow.
A memorable day watching the rally, which
was not planned, but like most impromptu
decisions it was marvelous! ragtop
For more information about the veteran car
rally go to LBVCR.com or www.vccofgb.co.uk
About the author.
Martin is British, a retired Merchant Navy captain and now lives near Castleton, Ontario.
His first car was a 1952 Jowett Bradford,
with 2 cylinders horizontally opposed alloy
engine, an aluminum body and the gasoline
gravity fed to the engine from the tank behind the dashboard!
He has owned a MGB GT with chrome
bumpers, but his favourite car was a Reliant Scimitar (SE6a) with a V6, 3-litre Ford
engine, Leyland gearbox and rear axle with
overdrive in all gears including reverse! Martin says, “Above 60mph I could open, but not
close, the windows, unless I slowed down to
50mph, due to the fiberglass body flexing.”
His great love is sailing traditionally
rigged vessels and he has sailed a square rigger across the Atlantic, twice. Martin can be
contacted at: tigernbasil@yahoo.co.uk
33
Wax On Wax Off
routine maintenance
by
I
Glen Donaldson
shall blame our Editor Fid, as I saw Rosie
after being buffed and polished by a Pro
and reading his and Bob Craske’s articles
about the process (Ragtop - Summer 2009
- Ed), I started thinking that maybe I should
re-think the waxing and polishing process
I have used on the Spitfire & TR7 for the last
25 and 17 years?
When I was very young I was introduced
to Meguiars waxes and the two-step process of using the polish, doing the whole
car, then doing the whole process over
again using the pure carnuba wax. Now
this did take up the better part of half a
day and the weather had to be just right,
because high humidity seemed to cause
streaks and smears, plus constant brow
wiping and shirt changing from me... ah
yes the Zen of car waxing and pore cleansing! It took a while, as both times you did it
panel by panel, let it dry then buff off with
two cloths (cotton diapers actually) and
later, once you had recovered and showered, you were rewarded with a deep dark
shine that seemed rock hard. You can see
why Fid’s description of how he and Tush
watched Rosie get buffed, while in comfy
chairs, beverages in hand etc., got me
thinking.
Over the years I have also used Meguiars
Car Cleaner Wax on the daily cars – gets the
road grime off – ease of use and a consistent product. However in the last few years
I have found that the finish was just not
lasting as well as it had even though the
cars are washed regularly and well cared
for. I did contact Meguiars with one of their
Car Care Prescription Offers – basically they
wrote back that what I was doing was correct. I tried the Meguiars Gold Class wax – it
went on easily and buffed off well – but the
finish did not last on the daily car. The TRs
34
were still getting the full two-stage treatment at this point. Even the Meguiars N/X
was given a whirl, but with no real lasting
value. These test waxes now come in useful for cleaning the bumper on the back of
the Spitfire, as she does tend to get
cloudy now and again.
Summer of 2009 sees me testing some Mother’s Carnuba Wax
on a new ride that was going to be
garage kept and summer driven. It
went on well – followed directions
to a T. However I was not happy
with how much time and effort it
took to buff out – it was almost like
doing the two-step above. Plus the
finish just did not seem to last and
you can imagine how that ride was babied
her first summer.
Spring 2010 and I decided to try out
Auto Glym – must be good made in UK to
ISO standards – the Queen and Phil use it
on their cars – while the corgis play and
Aston Martin, Morgan and Jaguar also
endorse the product. The new ride gets
treated to the High Definition Wax – this
gets applied to the whole car with the special dampened application – allowed to
sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Then is buffed off
with the special red micro-fiber cloth that
comes along in the H-D Kit. Let me tell you
I was mightily impressed by this product
– lovely deep shine and was a joy to work
with no streaking etc. This wax also has the
benefit of having no abrasives in it so, on
paints that require a more delicate touch,
I really liked this. Plus the whole process
of waxing the car was done in less than 2
hours – and at my age that gives me a few
more hours to relax and enjoy life. I did use
the H-D Wax on the Spitfire and it gave me
great results as the old paint is still in good
shape and I liked the low abrasive part, as
in some areas I know she is wearing thin.
The TR7 seemed to need a little more
help, as she was looking grimy and hazy
on the upper surfaces. Some long time TTC
members will recall that back in 1993 when
I took on the TR7 as a winter project that all
the upper surfaces looked like velvet. That
my friends we saved from the spray gun by
using Meguiars Body Scrub a few times before the Polish and Wax. This time I tried the
Auto Glym Super Resin Polish on the TR7 –
as it is like a car cleaner wax – cleans and
waxes in one easy go. It was similar in use
Ragtop
IS
ummer
I 2010
to the H-D wax – but was just put on with
a terry cloth applicator – whole car gets
waxed – wait 10 to 15 minutes then buff
off with a micro-fiber type cloth. Again less
than 2 hours and she was looking spiffy
and more free time for driving etc. A few
weeks later though and under the lights
in the warehouse the uppers were looking
cloudy again – hmm what to do. Managed
to get some Auto Glym Ultra Deep Shine
polish – well I was passing Halford’s (UK
car & bike store - Ed) at the time. With some
good old elbow grease the paint took on
a deep dark shine again – I think the uppers were just getting grubby from the
TR7’s limited use this past year. As she was
washed and stored for the winter she once
again has the magical russet brown glow.
The Super Resin Polish has now been
used on the daily Honda and VW and I am
impressed with the ease of use, it’s gentle
cleaning action and the length of time it lasts
between applications. Both these cars are
washed regularly – with the soft bristle brush
and clear water or every few weeks with a car
wash soap – one lives in the garage (why we
keep a daily in a garage is beyond me???) and
they both bead up nicely. Similar application
time – whole car let sit for 10 minutes then
buff with special cloth and a nice smooth finish with a good deep shine.
Now maybe that is part of the secret,
a good wax and a good micro-fiber type
cloth to buff it off with. I found the m-f
cloth does not get loaded up with the wax
like the cotton diaper can do. I did try drying cars with the new fancy absorbent m-f
cloths – but felt I got a better and faster result with the soft terry cloth bath towel. I
stopped using a chamois years ago as Rolls
Royce claimed that the chamois would pull
wax off the painted surfaces. Now one area
Ragtop
IS
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I 2010
I really like the new micro-fiber cloths for is
cleaning glass or buffing it clean – first I use
a damp m-f cloth then buff dry with a dry
m-f cloth. I found those aerosol glass cleaners or auto ones are something I would
rather not breath in or have sprinkled on
my dash etc. The whole “use in well ventilated area” put me off, if things are really
bad go and mix up some vinegar and water
and wash those windows so they sparkle.
That I know as fact, as I spent 5 years cleaning windows going through university and
buying a Spitfire.
The good news is that Auto Glym is
available in Canada now at Canadian Tire
– just watch for the sales and give it a test
or two. They carry a full line of tire dressing, vinyl and rubber care, applicators,
washes etc., so the Family can fill your
stocking with glee or Glym this Holiday
season. ragtop
www.torontotriumph.com There are many products on the market to
make your car look nice and shiny, some better than others. It looks like Glen has found a
good combination of long lasting shine and
ease of application. Here are some reminders from Kevin Hamill of GTA In-Detail, “stay
away from silicon based products”, always use
microfibre cloths and, most importantly, “the
shine comes from a well prepared paint surface NOT the wax, which only serves to protect
the paint”. The proof is above, see Rosie after
paint preparation, NO WAX! If your car looks
dull or has swirls before you apply wax, then
your paint needs buffing first. – Ed
35
routine maintenance
I
Tired Tires
by
Glen Donaldson
t was the Summer of ‘09 and, as my
Nephew Ian and I sped around the Track
at Mosport, I began to realize that maybe I
should check the tires on the TR7. OK so we
were not really zooming around the track
– and yes, it was a parade lap at The Canadian Classic and the track was a little damp
– as were we after the biblical rains that
fell that Saturday morning. However, there
was no mistaking the way that the rear end
seemed to slip just a tad sideways on us as
we left Quebec Corner. Hmm... might be an
English car in a French Canadian Corner...
might be oil on the track (following TR6s
after all)... or, how old are those spiffy looking Michelins? As we pulled out of Moss
Corner an application of throttle was met
with a brisk sideways motion... so we just
cruised around and enjoyed the throaty
burble of the sports exhaust. Much to my
amazement when I did check the invoice
for the tires it became apparent that they
had been touring the land for 15 years, my
how time does fly on by.
After a bit of research it would appear
that 6 years is the life span that most tire
manufacturers and European car companies recommend for car tires, as after that
time the rubber will start to deteriorate
both internally and externally and begin
to go hard. So yes, copious amounts of
tire sauce keeps the tires looking nice and
black and keeping the car garaged so that
the tires are out of the sun helps to, but really when they start to go hard it is game
over. This hardness is like many things on
our old cars, we just gradually accept that
the car does not stick as well in the corners
or that the seats are not as comfy. I began
36
to take notice of this in the Spitfire too,
we would turn into a corner and the
old girl wanted to take a rather wide
slippery path around the corner.
The research also found that there
is a date of manufacture stamped on
tires, in a small rectangular box near
the DOT stamping. The DOT Code
should tell you where and who made
the tire and then the last four digits tell
you the date the tire was made. Since 2000
the year has been two digits, 09 for 2009,
10 for 2010 etc. and the digits before that
indicate the week of the year that it was
made. In the attached picture the 8PY806
means they were made on shift 8PY in the
8th week of 2006. Before 2000 the year
only had 3 digits. However
if your tires are that old,
go out right now and buy
fresh ones! There has been
discussion on expiry dates,
why everything else has
them, but tires don’t? The
tire industry has not done
this, because tires vary in
chemical make up and
therefore vary in life span
and conditions they are exposed to; hence the general rule of thumb
of 6 years.
Fast-forward to Spring 2010 and Captain Brown is trying to source two sets of
tires one for the Spit in the original 155SR13
and ones for the TR7 in 185/70R13. Yes
there is a very slight difference in 155SR13
vs. 155/80R13, Google that and ye shall
see. I also prefer the classic look of the
skinny wee tires on the Spit. The TR7 being
a 5-speed car has the wider rims and 185
tires over the early 4 speed cars and 175s.
Both my cars run slightly wider rims being
the Mini-Lite style mags, but the original
size tire is no problem on the wider rim.
The Spitfire got treated to Vredestein
Sprint +, fresh from Holland and pretty
sticky with a 240 tread wear rating. They
made a huge difference;
smoother and quieter, plus
they held on when you
tossed the corners at the
car. I also changed the original Goodyear G600 spare
tire, as it looked as though
you could poke your finger
through the sidewall. Sadly
this was replaced by a CTC
brand tire and the worst
part is it is made in China.
But it is only intended to get me home.
The TR7 ended up with Toyo Extensas fresh
and new, but not as sticky as I would like. I
used Paul Ross at RNJ Tires, not the cheapest place but great service and Paul and
his son will do the final balancing with the
tires on the car. Granted this means you
have to put the wheel on the same corner
and same location, but I was willing to give
this a try. And in reality rotating the tires on
Ragtop
IW
inter
I 2010
a car that does a few thousand kilometers
a year is not a big issue, age and lack of use
will kill our tires first.
I also got to thinking about the rubber
fan belts on the cars. It seems that no matter what I did the TR7 belt was making ugly
noises. A fresh new German belt from British Auto Sport made all the noises go away,
so nice, and it cost less than $10. I changed
it in less than 5 minutes too, with no swear
words from the garage and no skinned
knuckles. Try that with your modern day
ride. When I put the old belt in the boot as
a back up, I realized it had been 15 years
since the fan belts were changed. Radiator
hoses are fresher as I do coolant every 4 to
5 years. You know I already did the brake
flex lines and put the vastly superior stainless steel flex lines on, which makes the
pedal feel firm and modern. No, I shall resist a pun here!
After one summer of use I am happy
and confident that the cars have fresh
safe rubber on them. Too often I see a
great looking car at a show and it is running tires I would not drive across town
on. I always try to keep my cars safe and
ready for use in town or blasting down a
highway to enjoy a TTC event or outing. If
we do a few jobs each year then the cars
are always ready for a spin or trip and the
chances of coming home via the CAA are
lessened. Believe me I have been there
and done that and maybe that is why the
TR3A is but a memory of my Triumphs
past. Have a great winter and check out
those tires, belts and hoses. It sure would
make the family’s Christmas shopping
easier. ragtop
Joerg Hess
P.O Box 633
Mount Forest, Ontario
Canada N0G 2L0
British
Classics
Global Parts & Car Logistics
TRADING
Tel:
Cell:
Fax:
Email:
519-323-4028
519-589-7901
519-323-2820
joerg@bmciltd.com
www.bmciltd.com
LOGISTICS
Classic and Antique
Vehicle Appraisal
Phil Law
Retail Sales Tax Appraiser
Licenced Mechanic
Vehicle Restorer
Ragtop
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I 2010
www.TorontoTriumph.com 91 Rylander Blvd. Unit 7-142
Scarborough, Ontario
M1B 5M5
647-393-4856
phil@tlcappraisal.ca
www.tlcappraisal.ca
37
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We stock MG Rover and Land Rover parts too.
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Easy to use website
PARTS SALES & ENQUIRIES
Trade Enquiries: 01144 1522 567111
Fax: 01144 1522 567600
E-mail: sales@rimmerbros.co.uk
www.rimmerbros.co.uk
Rimmer Bros. Triumph House, Sleaford Rd (A15),
Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln, LN4 2NA, England.
SALES
COUNTER
& VISITOR
CENTRE
Ken Dolhonde
T
Great prices!
Great service!
Tel: 01144 1522 568000
Trim Your Carbs
CATALOGUES
FULL RANGE OF PARTS & ACCESSORIES
PARTS PICKED FROM 1000’S OF LOCATIONS
Triumph tunes
VISITORS WELCOME
We are open:- MON – FRI; 8.30am to 5.30pm,
SAT; 8.30am to 1pm.
BROWSE OUR
CATALOGUES
ON YOUR PC
All our
Catalogues &
current Price Guides
are available on one CD.
he following tips may help you adjust
the ZS carbs that have adjustable needles
and assumes that you already have the
valves properly adjusted and the ignition
timing has been set to suit your particular
engine. It is also assumed that the temperature compensators are in sync or close to it
and that you have adjusted the Throttle Bypass Valves with the appropriate spring tension.
You will need the special
mixture adjustment tool
(available from your favorite parts supplier)
and know how to manipulate it.
Before you start the
engine, insert the mixture adjustment tool and
turn the Allen wrench as far
as you can, clockwise. This
will raise the needle to fully
rich. Next, keep in mind
that you have only about 21/2
turns available CCW, before the
needle jumps off the threads of the adjustment screw, so go CCW about 11/2 turns as
your starting point.
Now you can start the engine and let it
warm up.
Raise the air valve about 1/8 ” with a thin
bladed screwdriver.
The engine’s reaction will be immediate. If you lift much higher or hold it up too
long, what you hear may not really indicate
the current mixture setting. If the immediate reaction is a lower speed, it’s too lean. If
it picks up significantly (judgment here) it’s
too rich. A slight increase is OK, if it quickly
settles back down again. You might even
be able to get it adjusted where there is
Small charge is made to cover burning & postage.
Ragtop
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I 2010
no change, but I find it nearly impossible
to achieve that and accept a slightly rich
mixture for better acceleration.
Two more things about the mixture. If
the engine is idling for a time while you do
this, the carbs tend to ‘load-up’ with fuel
Loosen this
screw
Spring
clamps
Photo by David Tushingham
and need to be cleared periodically. Just
rev the engine to a steady 2200-2500 for
15-30 seconds and resume again, when
they come back to idle. AND (this is important if it’s your first time), don’t be afraid to
over adjust. I say that because by overdoing it you’ll learn the difference between
too lean and too rich when you lift the
piston. You have got to know what both
sound like to find out what it should sound
like when it’s right. Eventually you should
be able to zero in on an acceptable fuel/
air mixture. You must keep track of your
CCW turns so you don’t run the needle off
the threads. If you do, you’ll have to take
a break and get the threads started again.
www.TorontoTriumph.com Next comes balancing the carbs or synchronizing them.
Loosen just one of the nuts on the spring
clamps between the throttle shafts. Work the
vertical link ( the one with the ball joints) to
make sure that the carbs are now independent of each other. I hope you are not using
a Unisyn to balance? Get a
heater hose or stethoscope
or that “snail looking” instrument and compare the hiss
or volume of air. Two things
to watch for here. Hold the tube
or hose in the EXACT same corresponding spot in the carb’s
mouth. You’ll see a small threaded
hole you can use for a reference
point and hold the other end to
your ear in the same spot.
That’s why, for consistency, I
use a stethoscope (with the amplifier removed). When the hisses
are equal, tighten the nut, but be
careful that you do not push down
on the nut as you tighten and turn the
throttle shaft even a tad, or you’ll lose
the synchronization by opening the throttle
disc. Clear the carbs occasionally during this
step. Just remember that until the throttle
shafts are connected, one of the carbs will
have to be revved by rotating the throttle
shaft lever, while the vertical control arm link
pushed down revs the other.
Once you’re satisfied with these adjustments, don’t check the plug color for
confirmation until you’ve run at speed
for 25-30 miles; the plugs need at least
that many miles to develop the color. Kill
the engine and coast to a stop when you
plan to read the plugs; you don’t want
the idle to mess up the color that the
speed developed. ragtop
39
bits & pieces
Transport Books
Don’t leave Your
[Bleep] Trafficator On!
Cars, bikes, boats & planes...
trucks, tractors, tanks & trains
Our 35th year!
Canada's largest selection of
motoring books & popular
motorsports videos.
TRAFFICATOR UPGRADE
Triumph books a specialty:
historical, pictorial & technical.
Parts list:
LED 164-8991 (Farnell)
Bridge rectifier 170-0193 (Farnell)
560 Ohm resistor 934-0726 (Farnell)
12Volt Electromagnetic transducer (Bleeper!) 295-9308 (RS Components)
Heatshrink sleeving 344-0647 (RS Components)
20mm Piece of 8mm i/d rubber petrol pipe
Mon-Sat 10am-5pm
free parking – free mailing list
The bleeper is orientated so that its positive (+) terminal connects to the
bridge rectifier + , with the supply wires from the bulbholder going to the
bridge rectifier terminals marked ~ ~ . The LED has a 560 Ohm resistor
between the anode and the rectifier + also, with the other leg (cathode) going
to the rectifier negative (- ) terminal.
Anode and cathode of the LED can be easily determined....the negative
cathode 'leg' goes to the larger 'cup' to be seen inside the LED.
transportbooks.com
www.
16 Elrose Avenue
Toronto, ON M9M2H6 Canada
(416)744-7675 (800)665-2665
info@transportbooks.com
J.D. AUTO SERVICES
The Soda Pro
Tom Humphries
page -
TRANSPORT BOOKS
at DRB Motors Inc.
Environmentally sensible cleaning and
Josip (Joe)
Dukova
15/16
3¾x4
9.53cm x 12.55cm
IMPORT, DOMESTIC & SPORTSCARS
301 Rexdale Blvd. Unit C, Etobicoke, Ont. M9W 1R8
TEL: (416) 746-1048 • FAX: (416) 746-9935
• TRIUmph
• mG
• LOTUS
• JAGUAR
• SAFETY & E-TESTING
40
Tel: 905.593.0684
Fax: 905.593.0686
Cell: 416.807.3037
Email: tom@sodapro.com
www.sodapro.com
N
Rexdale Blvd.
Martin Grove
BRITISh CAR
REpAIR ShOp
coating removal by abrasive blasting
2576 Dunwin Drive
Unit # 5
Mississauga, ON
L5L 5P6
Ragtop
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I 2010
Designed by John Wells, in Norfolk, England for the Triumph
TR6 & TR250 cars, but useable in any classic vehicle that has the
12 Volt Trafficator (turn signal/indicator) warning lamp in the
Smiths speedo or tachometer, this clever solution to a common problem is easily adapted to other cars using a separate
trafficator indicator e.g. TR3, TR4, Herald, Mini, etc.
If you have ever left your trafficator running after setting
off, turning or overtaking... this is the solution... A high intensity, wide angle LED replaces the feeble panel indicator
lamp in the speedo and a loud ‘bleeper’ signal sounds with
every flash.
The unit push fits into the rear of the Smiths speedo that
normally accepts the filament bulb and comes with either
a M.E.S. screw-in base OR a pair of genuine 3M ‘Scotchlok’
connectors for simple attachment to the original bulb holder wiring, if you don’t have the M.E.S. fitting, both types
have full instructions included (please specify type required
when ordering).
Can also be used in the ‘Oil’ lamp position often found in
the Tacho to give immediate audible warning of low oil pressure... could be an engine saver.
See a 4 part demo on YouTube, part 1 is here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTHxuueNit8
Your editor has personally seen this unit in use and I can
confirm that it is very easy to install, undetectable when not
in use and VERY detectable when operating!
Price is £15 + £2 shipping, e-mail John to order
jetstuff@dsl.pipex.com, payment is made via PayPal. ragtop
Ragtop
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Solder the rectifier and the LED with resistor, to the shortened pins of the
bleeper noting the correct orientation of the pins (+ marked on side of
bleeper). Crush the glass from the original bulb and remove the ‘internals’ and
solder on two flexible wires to the input of the rectifier, alternatively just wire
across the existing bulbholder directly (remove bulb), you could use
‘ScotchLock’ connectors for this.
Bend up the LED and Insert into the piece of rubber pipe, secure with a little
hot melt glue or silicone sealant if desired. Slide the piece of adhesive lined
heatshrink over the bleeper, wires and rubber tube and shrink down carefully
with a hot air gun. You may need to stretch the sleeve slightly to fit over the
wires to bulbholder.The finished size should be a nice friction fit into the back
of the speedo. The volume of the bleeper may be controlled by varying the
size of the hole, by using a small piece of adhesive tape.
John has kindly given his permission to publish instructions on how to
make your own trafficator bleeper. He still sells these on eBay if you’d
rather buy one readymade, but it looks as if some soldering skills and a
little time can get you one for just a few bucks. The parts list if from UK
suppliers, but any local electronics store will have equivalents. Thank
you John!
restoration
New Floor
Old Sill
Six
&Two
Three’s
New Sill
Clamped in
Place
– Part 7
by
I
David Tushingham
think that I am going to get coal in my
stocking for Christmas. I have been a bad
boy…
Ok, first, disregard anything that you
may have read in parts 1 through 6 regarding staying on a “budget” during the
restoration of my 1960 TR3A. The words
“low budget philosophy” will not be typed
again! So, let me explain.
It has been a few months since I reported on my progress in the Summer 2010
edition of Ragtop. As mentioned then, I
was finding it quite difficult to work on the
car due to space concerns in the garage
and the fact that we were enjoying a great
driving season full of wonderful events.
Once again, I decided to store the TR6 a
little early this year so that I could get back
to working on the 3. Since October, I have
managed to take a couple of steps forward
in the project, but not before taking a few
steps back.
One of the major areas of concern that
I had on the car were the inner sills. They
were badly rusted in the footwells and at
the rear, where the B post interconnects
42
Floors are clamped into place before the outer sill is removed
and provides structural support. I had decided that I was going to cut sections out
of the parts car and weld in new metal
where I could. This was a daunting project
for a novice welder. I was pretty confident
doing non-structural body patches etc.,
but this was a different kettle of fish. My
confidence rose a little bit each day and I
was very happy with the sections that I had
managed to carefully cut from the parts
car. I decided to start repairing the passenger side first while keeping the drivers
side intact for reference. In order to access
the passenger side footwell, I first needed
to cut out a section of the floor in order to
give the MIG torch room to work. I welded
the patch in at the front first and was pretty
happy with the results and I didn’t have to
stare at a gaping rust hole any more. My
plug welds could use some improvement,
but they passed for a first timer. The rear
section was much more tricky to fit and I
also had to deal with reconstructing the
bottom of the B post and body mounting
pad. I should also mention that in order to
access this area, a section of the body panwww.TorontoTriumph.com
el, where the rocker guard
would be, had to be cut away.
The rear patch also went in
pretty well and with a little
grinding it looked “passable”.
I kept telling myself that
whatever I did, in the end, it
was sure to be better than
what I started with. So, the
passenger side inner sill was
complete, or so I thought!
Here comes the “few steps
back” part and the end of
my “low budget philosophy”
(Ooops, I did type the words
again!). After the inner sill
was repaired, I started stripping the outer sill below the
door to get it ready for paint.
After a layer of bondo, I came
across a small hole. More
sanding yielded a larger hole
and many little pinholes.
Never a good thing. Decision
time, patch it back up with
bondo or fix it right?
Ragtop
Sill Patch pulled from Robin’s car shown next to my rusted
out one
Patch in Place
IW
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Ragtop
IW
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Now, I am a little bit of a perfectionist.
I was going to have to do it right, so off
came the outer sill and out came my wallet.
With the outer sill off, it left the center part
of the inner sill exposed. For the next couple of days, I looked at the sill... it looked a
little sad with its patched ends and heavy
surface rust on the center section. Shipwrights disease set in and new outer sills
were ordered. New inner sills were ordered
and you can’t have new inner and outer
sills without new floors, right?
Long story short, my little project has
grown much larger in scope and much
more challenging than I anticipated.
www.TorontoTriumph.com While I waited for my new metal to arrive, I decided to go back to working on the
rear apron of the car. As mentioned previously, this area is in pretty bad shape and
in need of some serious reconstruction.
I had ordered some new patch panels for
this area as none could be gleaned from
the parts car. New side stiffeners were ordered along with all new body mounts and
closing panels. I managed to get most of
the damaged and rusted metal out of the
way and am getting ready to weld in the
new pieces. Unfortunately, the rear apron
has seen better days and many patches
have been pop riveted and welded in over
43
Motor Works
Br i
t ish
T ra i ned T echn ic
ia
ns
Your total source
for Triumphs
New metal pieces including the battery box, outer sills
and bottom closing panels for the rear apron
A shot of the rear valance (car is upside down) and all the rust and pop rivets
the years. This is something that
I am going to have to live with
as a new apron is definitely not
within the budget!
I was getting tired of all
the body work and a little depressed as well, so I decided to
do some different projects to
change things up.
The doors needed to be disassembled for paint for starters. This was done over an afternoon, with many pictures
taken of the opening mechanism for future reference. The
front and rear wings on the car
were heavily undercoated, similar to my TR6, it took me a few
days with a heat gun and scraper to get them fairly clean and
ready to go to the soda blasters. If you recall, I had the front
apron of the car soda blasted at
Soda Pro near the beginning of
the project. Since then, I have
had both the boot and bonnet
done and I am very happy with
the results. They both look to
Rear Wing Before
be in pretty good shape with
44
only the bonnet showing some wear
around the hinge points.
In part 4 of the series I mentioned that
I was thinking about buying an alternator
conversion kit, although I had completely
rebuilt and installed the generator already.
I was concerned that the generator might
have some problems keeping up with my
modern electric cooling fan and driving
-Early or Late Models-Maintenence
-Engine Management
-Parts Supply
-Fuel Injection Service
-Carburetor Overhaul
-Electrical Diagnosis
-Body/Metal Fabrication
-Parts Fabrication
L N E R M O T O R WO R K S Y A H O O C O M
Soda Blasted Bonnet - Before
lights, so I went ahead and ordered the
alternator kit complete with a new control
box to replace the old voltage regulator. I
haven’t installed it as of yet, but figured I
could do it while the body was out to paint.
Speaking of paint, I had bought some
sample paint and clear coat. I did manage
to spray a test panel before it got too cold
outside and I am happy to say that I think
that I have finally decided on a paint co-
Soda Blasted Bonnet - After
lour. No, I won’t tell you what it is! All I will
say is that it is NOT a stock TR paint colour.
This past week, I put the small projects
aside and started to get back to the body
work. I am happy to say that the passenger side floor has been removed as well
as the old inner sill. The new floor has
been clamped into place and seems to
fit pretty well. The new sill has also been
clamped into place temporarily. I should
mention that I put the body back on the
chassis to do this work as recommended
by all that I have read on the subject. I
have done a test fit of the outer sill and
this looks like it should fit fine as well.
Now comes the tricky part of welding the
www.autophile.ca
A and B posts correctly to the bottom of
the sill so that the body, door and fender
gaps are acceptable in the end. Wish me
luck! ragtop
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Langka - Professional
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SY LANGER
Phone: 416-822-0096 or 905-616-0421
Toll Free: 1-866-532-3630
Email: maurice@a-professional-appraisal.ca
Web: http://www.a-professional-appraisal.ca
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Phone: 416-580-7327
Web: www.wheelwax.ca
Email: info@wheelwax.ca
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Services include:
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Mechanical consulting, minor mobile repairs, assistance with winter lay up,
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Rear Wing After
Car Care
Ragtop
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Ragtop
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Y O U PA I D H O W M U C H ?
bits & pieces
Stag/TR7 timing chains
If you don’t mind paying too much
for your parts, there is no need to
by Tony Fox
O
nce again there has been a lot of
interest on various forums about the timing chains on our cars. Where a number of
engine rebuilders still happily use ROLON
chains in the UK, there still persist rumors
in North America of chain failures, albeit
mostly hearsay. However, for those of you
wanting a little more confidence in an engine rebuild there is an alternative, which
is to use IWIS chains. These will cost you
a little bit more, but are a worthwhile investment when you consider your overall
rebuild cost.
The IWIS web site is a good place to
start www.iwis.com. This will give some
history; click the ‘translate’ button at the
top right hand corner to get it in English. Whereas most chain manufacturers are predominantly industrial with
automotive tagged on, with IWIS the
core business has always been automotive, with industrial a close second. They
have been producing chains for most
main manufacturers for years, even venturing into F1.
Historically, car timing chains gave
few problems and on the older engines
chains lasted for many thousands of
miles. Because the chains were not
stressed it mattered little whether
they were industrial or automotive and
even the quality was not a real issue.
As engines quickly increased both in
terms of RPM and BHP the main producers Renold, IWIS and others generally developed a better timing chain
in terms of material, engineering and
design features.
This allowed companies that offered
all spares for all cars to purchase solely
on price. With the majority of cars using
a standard chain these companies could
46
happily buy in cheap budget chain, cut
it to length and sell for the after-market.
There are a few that even get their name
or logo stamped into the chain, regardless of where it is made. IWIS developed a chain which had an
extended bush feature, giving a better
bearing area. It was originally designed
to replace a duplex, which it did not do
very well, but does go quite a way to
solving the Stag’s concerns. These chains
have a much greater breaking load than
others on the market and they have
a smooth finish to the link edges too,
which minimizes wear to the guides.
The chains are marked JWIS on each link
(JWIS is their trade mark). Individuals trying to source IWIS
found that they and their stockists
had little interest in supplying and although IWIS were making the 106-pitch
chain, they did not do a 104 pitch (not
needed on the TR7 of course, Stag only).
There was also the problem that owners
would search for the cheapest product
and had little regard for the origin of the
chain supplied to them. www.TorontoTriumph.com
to buy your parts at the best prices
A nice no rust
California TR4. The
car
was
factory
ordered with the
surrey top option, has
a rebuilt overdrive and new tires. The car has only covered 96K miles, and runs
and drives great. $20,600
in Canada, read on. Drakes’ British
1974 TR6
read any further. If you would like
There are many different chains
that would work on Stags and this is
one that if it fitted, would be good
for many more thousands of miles
compared with what is currently
being offered. Although possibly
the most expensive, IWIS is probably the highest quality automotive chain available and would be
my recommendation. It is used in
many race engines successfully including Aston Martin and Nissans.
IWIS actually make a ‘super chain’
identified as a G67HP version, fit for
the life of the engine, but naturally
more expensive again.
If you are buying cam chain, ask the
right questions like country of origin,
manufacturing company and importantly, is it for automotive use? A good
tip is if the chain is covered with grease
or oil then it is more than likely industrial. IWIS uses special steel in their automotive product and, as well as being
toleranced at production, they are also
pre-run. They also differentiate between
the industrial product and automotive
by having blued plates on the industrial
whilst the automotive has silver plates
throughout. So, even if you buy IWIS, it
might not be the correct chain unless
you check for the finish. IWIS chains also
do NOT have bicycle horseshoe shaped
connecting links which you do see on
some after market products, these are
to be avoided at all costs. For more information on timing chain concerns read
the Triumph Stag Essential Buyers Guide
published by Veloce in the UK, go to
www.velocebooks.com ragtop
IWIS chains can be sourced from LD
Parts in the UK www.ldparts.co.uk.
Ragtop
IW
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I 2010
1963
Triumph TR4
Motors can supply any part from
the Moss catalogs at the most
reasonable cost to you. But, don’t
take our word for this. The next
time you need something, send
us an email for a quote. We will
get right back to you with a price.
Many TTC members are already
believers. Get in touch for a quote
– lendrake@shaw.ca
We are also a Canadian distributor for
Dayton Wire Wheels.
If you wished you
bought a new TR6
35 years ago, here is
your second chance!
We bought this TR6
in San Diego where
it had been stored
inside a garage since
1986. It was an ideal
car to re-do as it still
had its original paint on a completely rust and dent free body. It’s had a quality
repaint in the original Mimosa yellow. Most of the chrome is new as are all the
misc. body seals and rubbers. We rebuilt the overdrive transmission and the
engine as well. Brakes and suspension are all new and new Coker redlines.
New interior - seats, carpets, interior panels, dash components and top. You
couldn’t duplicate this car for the price. $23,300
1955
Triumph TR2
This Oregon TR2 has
been a long while
coming. 20 years
ago, the previous
owner started the
frame off restoration.
He completely rebuilt
the engine, suspension, steering, and
painted and detailed the straight, rust free frame. To complete the mechanical
end of the restoration we added a rebuilt overdrive transmission, new tires,
and new splined wheel adapters. Front brakes upgraded to TR3 discs. Body is
refinished in British Racing Green, has excellent panel fit and all new chrome
and trim. Honey Tan interior is all new. A fresh restoration at $28,600.
Drakes’ British Motors Inc.
(250)763-0883 Ph., (250)861-8051 Fax, email lendrake@shaw.ca
2286 K.L.O. Road, Kelowna, B.C., V1W 3Z7
WWW.DRAKESBRITISHMOTORS.COM

Winter 2010 - The Toronto Triumph Club

Transcription

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