Spotted

I've seen rather a lot of Triumphs in Brisbane recently. They haven't been the normal Sedans (Saloons) either.

On the way to the supermarket a couple of weeks ago I spotted an old fella attempting to fit his white Dolly Sprint into a parking space so he could go to the nearby polling station. A week later I came face to face with a white Tr6 in the car park at the super market. Unfortunately it had nasty looking wire wheels on it, was running rough and smelt very rich.

The weekend just passed we saw two Triumphs. The first was a Spitfire (possibly with a six-pot). It was badged a 1500 in a metallic red colour, with gold TR7 wheels, a weird exhaust (twin-branch with four tail-pipes !?!) a Triumph Sports Owners Club "Spitfire 5" registration plate and "tow" stickers suggesting it sees a track from time to time. I put my foot down and did a cheeky little undertake to get a wave. On Sunday we saw a TR3, but the grumpy old sod driving didn't return my wave. Meanwhile we did our bit for showing off the Triumph marque getting admiring looks from Lotus Esprit and Jag XK8 owners as we blasted past them on the 'mountain' roads - I blame Chris Witor's exhaust!

I find it funny how many Triumphs I see, ranging from the immaculate TR's to the shoddy looking student Saloons and Dollys when poor old Dave Pearson seems only to see them when they come and visit him at work. He's on the doorstep of the old heart of Triumph and I'm many thousands of miles away. I guess it says something about the real reach that the British car industry had, and just how much it has declined.

All nice and regular

I've noticed another (minor) change to the car since fitting the headlight relays!
Previously turning the lights on caused the fuel gauge to read slightly lower. A bit annoying. It seems that reducing the load on the headlight switch has eradicated this problem.

... I know it just gets more and more exciting :-)

I take it back

Recently I changed updated my headlights by fitting a couple of relays. Then I said that I wouldn't post before and after photographs because little had changed. Well, I downloaded the photos onto my laptop and there is a clear(ish) difference. So now I am prepared to share with you the exciting "BOB headlight improvement extravaganza" ... in colour!!! (but no sound i'm afraid).

Take a deep breath and look at these.

Before:


And ... (imagine a drum roll)
After:


How about that!
Life doesn't get much more exciting, does it?

Next week ... "The incredible before and after tyre pressure photos" - swoon at the difference between 26psi and 28psi.

Got myself connected ...

I got the relays all set up for the headlights (once I'd been to every auto-electrical retailer in Brisbane to get the right parts!)

Verdict:
An interesting and enjoyable project which taught me a bit about electrics (starting from virtually no knowledge it wasn't too difficult!). I would post some "before and after" photos, except there is no discernible difference between them... I guess the wiring was in good nick anyway.

I'm not too bothered though, as I now have the set-up ready to go if I want to put some extra driving lights or halogen headlamps on one day.

This weekend clutch master cylinder replacement ... I'm really looking forward to bleeding the clutch. Not! I've heard it's a pain, unless an ezibleed style set-up is used. I've only managed to find an air compressor driven version in Oz and it costs a packet, plus I don't have a compressor, so it's out with the tube, jar and magnet! Ho hum.

Leaks!

The differential has finally begun to leak properly ... little patches of oil are appearing underneath the nose of the diff. It's fairly damp on either side too.
The question is do I buy the replacement seals for the pinion and sides for $50, put it back together and put up with the continuing squeal (cost $50) or do I go the full hog and get the diff. re-shimmed, resealed and put back in for $470 ?

Meanwhile I've found a leak on the clutch Master Cylinder! I'm not too impressed. We have receipts from the PO who had it reconditioned not that long ago. It wasn't done by an expert judging by the receipt so I'm going to get one on exchange from Greg Tunstall instead.

It's annoying. All this expenditure detracts from the chance to spend on fun things to the car!