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 S p r i n g 2 0 1 7
Ancaster starts the season
NEC Show • My First LBC • Auto Salon "Keep‘em On The Road"® contents Parts and Accessories for Spring 2017 TR2, TR3, TR4, TR4A, TR250, TR6, TR7, TR8, GT6, Spitfire 12 14 Member Pages From the Editor ...... 5 19 From the President ...... 7 Club Hub ...... 9 23 Owner’s Manual ...... 10 Features Cover Feature: Ancaster in the Sun ...... 12 Triumph Travels: Birmingham NEC Classic Motor Show .14 Adventures in England ...... 19 26 What else ya got? On the Hunt for the Perfect Car . . . .22 Historically Speaking Volkswagen was once British . . . . .24
30 T HE M AGAZINE O F T HE T ORONTO T RIUMPH C LUB SPRING 2017 Restoration: My First LBC ...... 26 The Way We Were: Inherited Heritage ...... 33 Maintenance: Moss Tech – Talking Points ...... 38 VictoriaBritish.com (800) 255-0088 Ancaster Tech & Resto: Auto Salon ...... 41 On the Cover starts the Alternative Method of Removing the LBCs at Ancaster. season ©2016 Long Motor Corp. Front Suspension Coil Spring . . . . .44
NEC Show • My First LBC • Auto Salon Photo by Larry Llewellyn Tail Lites ...... 46 17 Ragtop 01 01.indd 1 17-05-08 8:13 AM
Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 3 from the editor
SUBMISSIONS Format: MS Word files are preferred. Send via email or on CD, 20Mb limit on email files. Send photos separately with clear cutline/captions; do NOT A Team Effort embed in the text file. Hard copy submissions are acceptable, but not preferred. Graphics must be in major graphics formats, jpeg, tiff or Photoshop What a different winter season we experienced files. In Person: To the editor at a monthly meeting, this year – it wasn’t just the stormy first 100 days other Club event or e-mail: E-mail: [email protected] south of the border! We had a few tantalizingly PROTECTING YOUR PASSION mild days in February when people started get- ADVERTISING ting their cars out of hibernation. Then March SINCE 1978 Contact the Club’s advertising representative for came in and continued like the proverbial lion details of dates and submissions. Submit ads as and we had two of the worst snowstorms of the high resolution (min 300 ppi) PDF files, saved for print in CMYK format, fonts embedded, by E-mail season. I was able to get my TR6 out for some to [email protected] short runs in late March but it wasn’t until the The advertising year is from Mar. 1 to Feb. 28. first week in April that the Stag had its first run. A copy of Ragtop is sent to all paid advertisers. After Easter, we were out on the west coast for a brief family visit and managed to take in the St. George’s Day British Car Show at Fort Langley, ADVERTISING RATES per year Rear Cover ...... $500 per year BC. About 70 LBCs were on display in torrential rain, including a rare Jensen GT and a goodly Inside Front Cover ...... $475 number of well-turned-out Triumphs. Inside Back Cover ...... $450 Not long after you will be reading this issue of Ragtop, Robin Searle and his cast of 20-odd Full Page Inside ...... $420 Half Page ...... $300 supporting Triumphs will be heading off on the circumnavigation of Lake Superior - a 12 day Quarter Page ...... $230 odyssey covering an estimated distance of 2,155 miles (3,503 kms). You will be able to read all Business Cards ...... $70 Double page inside cover or centre spread . $840 about the trip in a future issue of Ragtop as, at great expense, we have commissioned several (All rates are for 4 issues) special reporters and photographers to record the epic journey. Special advertising rates apply to the BCD souve- Bringing the quarterly issues of Ragtop to publication is now a true team effort and I am nir programme [email protected] extremely grateful that Alison and Sean recently took on the respective roles of Sub- and As- sistant-Editor, providing sterling assistance in writing, proofing, editing and soliciting content 2017 SCHEDULE for your magazine. They join our long-time creative maestro, Art Director Michael Cleland, Issue Editorial Deadline Mailed who works wonders with the layout software and imagery and from whom I continue to Winter ...... January 15 . . .February 20 learn more about the intricacies surrounding the ‘black art’ of magazine publication. Equally Spring ...... May 1 ...... June 15 Summer/BCD . . . .July 15 . . . .September 20 part of the team, new Advertising Manager, JP Gauthier and Club Treasurer, Clive Huizinga Fall ...... October 15 . .November 30 effectively deal with the non-editorial, back-room concerns relating to our advertisers, as well as paying the printing and distribution bills. Last but by no means least; our thanks go out General Enquiries to all of the contributors this quarter for taking the time to share their Triumph experiences. I [email protected] encourage you to thank all of these volunteers when you have the opportunity and to proffer Ragtop is published quarterly by the Toronto Tri- your business to our advertisers when the occasion arises. umph Club Inc. (“TTC”) and is distributed to its In this issue, Derek McAllister provides a detailed account of the search for and the restora- members as part of their annual dues. The TTC or the Editors cannot accept responsibility for the tion of his Sapphire on Shadow blue TR6, while clearly inspired by Steve Plunkett’s car collec- safe return of any submitted material. We will do tion in London, Roger Elliott explains how he created his own auto salon on a more modest our best, but accidents do occur. scale and I have taken a look at the rebirth of that once British-owned marque — Volkswa- We accept no responsibility for errors or omis- gen. Rick Travaglini describes his quest for the perfect car while Tony Fox ruminates about Tri- sions. Opinions expressed are those of the authors umph Stags seen in the pastoral villages and environs of his former stomping grounds in the and do not necessarily reflect those of the TTC Ex- ecutive or Membership. British Midlands and John Lille provides a technical note on helices. UK-based Andrew Grace reports on the 2016 NEC Classic Car Show in Birmingham and Dave Sims, now in possession Non-profit groups may reprint articles from this of a complete set of Ragtop magazines dating back to 1982, has compiled the first of a new publication, where the author has not reserved rights, provided we get credited and both the au- regular feature called “The Way That We Were” which will provide an historical glimpse of club thor and TTC receive a copy of the publication in events from 10, 20 and 30 years ago. its entirety. Distribution by Pillar Direct. Printed by Printwell Offset for the Toronto Triumph Happy driving! Club. Copyright © 2017 by the TTC. Terence McKillen – Editor Canada Post Publications # 40022175 [email protected]
Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 5 from the president
Executives President ...... Dave . Sims 905 .331 .1496 Spring is sprung, de grass is riz, Vice President ...... Wayne McGill 905 .847 5532. Secretary ...... Terence McKillen 905 855. 2463. Treasurer ...... Clive Huizinga 905 884. .2091 I wonder where your Triumph is? Director of Communications ...... (Vacant) Membership Chair ...... Wayne McGill 905 .847 5532. Director at Large ...... Derek McAllister 416 .435 1235. Well, it’s the 2nd of May and mine is sitting Director at Large ...... Don Johnson 705 .721 1231. Past President ...... David Tushingham 416 419. 2201. in my garage as rain sweeps across the back yard. I’ve been lucky enough to have been Ragtop Magazine Ragtop Editor ...... Terence McKillen 647 202. 8243. out and about for a number of spins already. Assistant Editor ...... Sean Doherty 416 .562 2871. Last week, I met with Tony and Terence for a Sub-Editor ...... Alison Postma 705 .435 2223. coffee and came home on the QEW to make Art Director ...... Michael Cleland 905 873. 7704. Advertising Sales ...... J-P . Gauthier 416 892. .3172 sure that the recent front-end alignment Publisher ...... David Fidler 905 .829 9340. and wheel balancing has worked its magic. Distribution ...... Rod Jones – Pillar Direct 416 .755 .9494 OUR PARTS FINDER Last Sunday was the first ‘official’ LBC get- Meet Davin, Website together of the year at Ancaster and what a Web Manager/Classifieds . . . . Keith Stewart 519 660. 1916. glorious day it was. There were some great “SEARCHING FOR HARD-TO-FIND PARTS Club Coordinators cars to view and a good time was had by all! Meeting Coordinator ...... (Vacant) Interclub Coordinator ...... Tony Fox Sr . 905 632. .0479 So far this year we’ve had three excellent club meetings with a very good attendance. Our IS A LOT LIKE PEELING AN ONION. YOU GO Ambassador-at-Large ...... Wayne McGill 905 .847 5532. annual quiz in January, courtesy of our editor, was to say the least, challenging. In February, Regalia ...... Dion Widrich 416 .464 6057. we ventured to Peninsula Imports where Tony and John Fedararo opened their facility and Historian ...... Frank Manning 905 643. 2359. ONE LAYER AT A TIME AND TRY NOT TO CRY.” Volunteer Coordinator ...... Ron Etty 905 .929 2419. we were able to enjoy viewing a great selection of cars. Then in March, Joe Dudovac of J.D. BCD Sponsors ...... Frank Manning 905 643. 2359. Auto shared his insights into the mysteries of Triumph fuel delivery systems. Dave Sims 905 .331 .1496 Motorsports ...... Simon Rasmussen 905 853. .2514 This spring and summer are going to be particularly busy, not just with TTC events but also with many other classic car offerings. There are too many non-TTC events to mention Model Coordinators TR-2, 3, 3A & 3B ...... Keith Stewart 519 660. 1916. but please look at our Events Calendar for a full listing. I’m particularly looking forward to TR-4, 4A, 5 & 250 ...... John Lille 416 .231 3092. June when we have Spring Fling in London where our hosts, Keith and Chris Stewart, will Dave Sims 905 .331 .1496 Keith Stewart 519 660. 1916. make us all welcome. Soon after, Robin Searle will lead about 20 Triumphs around Lake TR-6 ...... Colin Pillar 905 .271 5869. Superior. Robin has done a fabulous job of planning and I’m sure it will be a huge success. Wayne McGill 905 .847 5532. Our BBQ will be in July, a little later than usual, with Warren Beech and Mike Pearse as Chefs Johan Aaltink 905 .508 8113. Colin Christie 416 658. .6408 du Jour once again. It’s always a great evening out and a chance to catch-up with friends, Spitfire, GT6 ...... J .P . Gauthier 416 892. .3172 both old and new. Warren Beech 416 824. .3560 TR-7 & 8 ...... Brad Reynolds 905 332. 3245. I particularly enjoy the driving events that Terence McKillen and I host on the long week- Stag ...... Tony Fox Sr . 905 632. .0479 ends. We are planning four this year, mainly centred on and around the Niagara Escarp- Terence McKillen 905 855. 2463. Robin Searle 705 484. .0071 ment, but if you would like to organize one in your locale please let us know so we can post Herald, Vanguard, Roadster ...... it on our Events Calendar and perhaps give you some pointers...... Kem Jones kemjones2012@yahoo .ca Please sit down in your favourite chair and enjoy the excellent spring issue of Ragtop! Event Coordinators British Car Day Chair ...... Dave Sims 905 .331 .1496 Dave Sims When your claim requires finding some automotive needle Canadian Classic 2017 ...... President – [email protected] in a haystack, Davin’s your man. He has one job here at ...... George and Fran Christie 705 .446 .4060 Hagerty: when a client needs a replacement part, he finds Spring Fling ...... TTC- Keith Stewart 519 660. 1916. it. And though that sometimes involves hours of searching Annual BBQ . . . Warren Beech warrendbeech@hotmail .com Mike Pearse mpearse99@gmail .com and frustration – maybe even a few tears – he wouldn’t Fall Drive ...... (Volunteers wanted) trade his job for anything in the world. It’s that kind of 1/2 Day Drives ...... (Volunteers wanted) passion that makes him perfect for Hagerty, and makes Club Photographers . . . . . Larry Llewellyn 416 245. .9217 Hagerty perfect for you. Chris Lindsay 416 .233 .7360 CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE Membership Mail 800-92877-922-97012-4050 | HAGER T| Y HAGERTY.CA.COM | LOCAL AGENT Hagerty. We may sell insurance but we live classics. 74 West River Street Oakville Ontario L6L 3B5 Ragtop E-mail Editor@TorontoTriumph .com
Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 7 club hub Events Club Hub - compiled by Sean Doherty (E: [email protected])
2-4 June 11-13 August Welcome New Members! Spring Fling 32nd Canadian Classic Name Location Vehicle The 2017 Spring Fling which is a joint TTC/ George and Fran Christie are hosting MGCCT event will be hosted by the Toron- this year’s Canadian Classic in Colling- Brian Beninger North Bay Spitfire 1968 to Triumph Club in London, Ontario near wood. George has been able to find a Don Condie Scarborough TR6 1971 the banks of the Thames River where Keith good hotel at a reasonable rate with most Dave Crooutch Toronto and Chris Stewart have planned a great rooms priced at $120 per night - no small Richard Gilbert London programme. This annual joint club event feat in Collingwood during the summer Philip Hunt Port Elgin TR6 1973 will be held on the weekend of June 2-4. months! A link to the Luxury Inn can be Paul McCabe Collingwood The host hotel is the Ivey Spencer Confer- found on our online Events Calendar and James Murphy Brampton Spitfire Tahiti Blue 1976 ence Centre. Bridging the further details on the weekend will be John Petrosoniak Toronto available soon. David Rimmi Toronto thames Gord Robins Branchton TR6 1972 October 7 Members from January 17, 2017 to May 5, 2017 Lindsay to Brighton Classic Car Run Dorien and Ann Berteletti recommend that members consider participating in Membership Renewal Reminder spring Fling 2017 Bob Deshane’s Lindsay to Brighton classic (Thank you if you have renewed since press time) car run. Last year, they entered their Bris- 14-24Tower June Bridge logo 06.indd 1 16-08-22 10:47 AM Name Member# Date tol 409, using back-roads to get to Lindsay m / d / y Circumnavigation of Lake Superior from their home west of Alliston, to join up Dorien Berteletti 5218 05/16/17 Robin Searle Robin Searle has finalized de- with the group at the very civilized time of Merle & Mary Ellen Cole 2360 05/11/17 tails for the circumnavigation of Lake Su- 11 a.m. Dorien reports that there were 15 Scott Cudmore 5562 06/20/17 perior in readiness for a June 14 start. The Claudio Fera 2776 05/18/17 cars participating which included a new- duration of the trip will be 12 days and Attilio Foti 2777 05/18/17 ish Porsche, a 1963 Chev, a Mini, MGBs, will cover approximately 2290 miles/3664 Michael & Rosemary Hunter 3179 06/14/17 Triumphs, Cadillac, VW beetle, and the kilometres. This will be quite the adven- Jim & Teresa Kekenj 2497 05/20/17 Bristol. The destination was a restaurant in ture and already 20+ members have con- Paul Kelly 2348 05/06/17 Brighton following an extremely circuitous firmed their participation. Contact Robin Zenon Koltalo 5120 06/05/17 route around Rice Lake that kept drivers on at [email protected] for more Arthur Lee 2651 06/22/17 their toes for about 4 hours of very enjoy- information. Jean-Roch Lehouillier 5591 05/07/17 able fast driving. David & Carol MacLellan 2171 05/05/17 Barry Moore 5551 05/15/17 Robert Morse 5413 06/01/17 Brad & Joanna Nelson 1269 06/23/17 Tom Opratko 2832 06/09/17 Lino Pessot 5046 05/14/17 Alan Porszt 5638 06/07/17 Scott Richardson 5637 05/29/17 Tom Wright 5639 06/12/17 Alf Zeller 3269 06/03/17 • We can arrange collection for your 11 July Our practice is not to cover long out-of-date Valid as of May 5, 2017 car from anywhere Annual BBQ will be held at Coronation events, unless as special featured articles • Service, repair and full restoration of Please go to www.TorontoTriumph.com Park, Oakville at 6:30 P.M. within the main part of the magazine. For and renew today! Warren Beech and Mike Pearse will be once details of all scheduled events, please refer Triumphs and other classics more hosting this popular event. Please to the Events Calendar on the Club’s website note the date being held in July rather than and for a brief report on any event, please re- June. This is a fully-subsidized Club event. fer to the Club President’s monthly e-letters. Call Proprietor: Steve Hayes Glenvale Industrial Park or Manager: Jason Snider 2800 Highway 38 Building 1 Units 4,5 &6 613-583-4311 Kingston, Ontario, K0H 1M0 www.classicautomotiverepair.ca Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 9
Classic 2017 02.indd 1 17-03-18 3:59 PM owner’s manual Getting to know our members michael hunter
compiled by Alison Postma (E: [email protected]) Born: Toronto, May 26, 1937 Residence: Fonthill, ON (Niagara Region) Member: Since 1990 #1567 Triumph owned: TR3A TS 80137 April, 1962. I am proud to be the original owner of this car that I purchased from the Triumph Canada dealership on Eglinton Avenue in Toronto. The service manager then was Philip Allen. This TR3 was assembled in 1960 but it sat at the dealership for 2 years. Why? Because it was pale yellow with a red interior! But I got it for a very good price! My first trip in April 1962 was to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Occupation: I taught elementary school in Toronto, then I served as a Physical Education Consultant in St. Catharines, ON. I first retired in December 1993, and continued teaching courses for the Ministry of Education at McMaster and Brock Universities. TTC Involvement: Road trips around Lake Ontario, Georgian Bay, the Finger Lakes, Watkins Glen, and the Kawartha Lakes. I attend the Ancaster Flea Market annually. Significant Other: Married to Rosemary for 52 years. We went on our first date and on our honeymoon to Washington TR2-8 Spitfire Herald in the TR3. Background: Born and raised in Toronto and Stag GT6 Vitesse Family: 3 children: Kimberley, Tim, and Chris. Our precious have been living in the Niagara Region since 1969. grandchildren are Madison, Devon, Emily Rose, and Mikayla. Started teaching in 1961 at St. Peter’s School around Dolomite 2000/2500 Favourite places: South Africa, Italy, Bermuda, and the UK the corner from the late Honest Ed’s. Had a Vauxhall Visit our website Victor which I swapped for the TR3A in April 1962. for prices Favourite food: An “All Canadian Meal” - A&W Double Buddy The TR was my everyday runner for work, ski trips, All the parts and accessories Burger with Cheese, Fries, a Coke. summer vacations, etc. One day at McMaster, my and availability: you will ever need Favourite reading: Motor Sports magazines and RAGTOP “fellow jocks” absconded with the TR (keyless en- ng Favourite hobbies: Gardening and all sports events! try), carried it up 10 concrete stairs, and perched www.rimmerbros.co.uk deri ree Or Past Restorations: Body, 1985; a complete repaint to VW it inside of the Student Union building. What a lift! Toll F Free Sirocco Red (I finally got rid of the pale yellow!); mechanical Always undercoated, the TR stood up well. We have travelled many miles and we still manage to add to tel: 01144 1522 568000 Catalogues work at Brit Car, and most recently aided by Dr. James Doolin the odometer each year. This May I will celebrate fax: 01144 1522 567600 8.30am - 5.30pm UK Office Hours Mon - Fri in Port Colborne. Parts service for Land Rover, MG Rover and Jaguar also available my 80th birthday in my 57 year old TR3A and head email: [email protected] Other vehicles currently owned: Toyota Camry and Toyota to the A&W drive-thru for a double buddy burger, LAND Highlander fries, and a diet Coke. Cheers! ROVER from 1998 to 2011 10 www.TorontoTriumph.com Ragtop I Spring I 2017 RAGTOP I WINTER I 2013/2014 www.TorontoTTrriumphiumph.c House,om Sleaford Road, Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln, LN4 2NA. 17England
14 Ragtop.04.01.indd 17 14-01-14 11:28 AM cover feature
Ancasterby Dave Sims in the Sun
There was a fine collection of big Healeys
A newly-completed restoration of a red Series 2 Morris Minor
A beautifully turned out E-Type roadster The Royal Blue Jaguar XK120 looked magnificent in the bright sunshine he 36th Ancaster British Car gine and gearbox). ing old Ragtops, posters and dash plaques. TR5 PI in BRG FleaT Market and Car Show, hosted by the There’s always a great atmosphere at Al and I had the mission of delivering Austin-Healey Club of Southern Ontario Ancaster, especially when it’s sunny, as it BCD flyers to every LBC in the parking lot and the British Sports Car Club of Hamil- heralds the arrival of spring and the start and it took quite a while as we estimated ton, took place this year on Sunday, April of the classic car driving season. I was the there was a stellar turnout of between 350 23 in glorious sunny weather. As a result designated carrier of stuff for our booth and 400 cars. I was able to pick up a couple there was an excellent turnout of LBCs a this year so I was in my Subaru rather than of cases of Kendall Oil from British Auto- selection of which I have attempted to cap- my TR. But I took her out the next day for sport for Terence (who was out on the west ture with my trusty Nikon. a long spin to make up for it. She forgave coast enjoying a somewhat wet British car There was a very nice TR3A for sale me - eventually. show at Fort Langley, BC), a speedometer which attracted a lot of attention. The As always, Ron Etty organised the TTC for the TR in very good nick for the princely price was a very reasonable $23,000 booth volunteers which included Clive sum of $20 and some Wheel Wax (which I which was tempting quite a few folks - me Huizinga, Al Benvenuti, Chris Lindsay, Da- really like) from Ultimate Transportation included! The Royal Blue Jaguar XK120 vid Fidler, Dave Tushingham and yours tru- Products. looked magnificent in the bright sunshine ly. Thanks guys! A ton of people dropped All in all a good day was had by all and and I also took quite a shine to the new- by for a chat and we had a successful day I must have done way too much talking as ly-completed red Series 2 Morris Minor renewing 24 memberships, signing-up 2 my voice had almost disappeared by the (complete with transplanted Spridget en- vendors for British Car Day as well as sell- end of the day. Ron Etty organised the TTC booth volunteers The TR3A attracted a lot of attention
12 www.TorontoTriumph.com Ragtop I Spring I 2017 Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 13 triumph travels 10 Sprint engine Beautiful cutaway of Triumph’s advanced Birmingham NEC 2-litre, 16-valve Sprint engine. Also seen installed in this rare TR7 Classic Motor Show Sprint.
major manufacturers with glitzy stands, like Jaguar Heritage and professional re- by Andrew Grace storers, down to small classic car clubs. A Triumph There is a hall dedicated to autojumblers and equipment vendors. Included is an indoor paddock, where for a small fee, visitors can choose from over 30 rare clas- sic cars in which to take an external drive (benefiting a charity). So if you’ve ever wanted to drive in a Lamborghini Muira or an Austin Seven, this is the place for you. For classic car clubs, there is a long waiting list to attend and the smaller clubs attend on a rotational basis. If your stand lives up to the high expectations of the organisers, then you are welcomed back each year. Clubs and exhibitors can pay a small fee and have their stands car- peted with electricity provided. There is truly something for every clas- sic car enthusiast. Having said that, for the benefit of this Ragtop article, I’ll focus on a quick Triumph-focused summary which I’ve called: Andrew’s Top 10 Triumph ex- hibits:
ver considered a trip over to (Thursday – Sunday), with 9 Lost 2000 Prototype. theE United Kingdom? Need a Triumph- Thursday reserved as a press One-of-a-kind Triumph 2000 saloon fastback prototype thought to be lost. Newly focused incentive to give you the final day, the show is held in 6 in- discovered and saved for future restoration. push? Then the annual Birmingham terconnected halls covering NEC Classic Motor Show is just the ticket over one million square feet (www.necclassicmotorshow.com). Within of exhibition space. Over Crazy Prices the extremely active classic car scene in the three-day weekend, the 8 Feel the need to spend over the odds to the UK, the NEC show is the biggest and show is attended by over secure an immaculate Triumph? Sales area the best indoor show on the calendar. 65,000 visitors. Saturday can never fails to come up with jaw-dropping Held in mid-November (10-12 Novem- become quite crowded as prices, usually with successful sales during ber 2017) each year at the National Exhi- typically it’s the main family the show. Immaculate 1972 TR6 for around bition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, this day. Friday is the best day to CAD$40k in 2015 and near perfect 1975 show is the final great hurrah of the clas- attend. hardtop TR6 for over CAD$50k in 2016. sic car driving season. Held over 4 days Exhibitors range from
14 www.TorontoTriumph.com Ragtop I Spring I 2017 Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 15 2 Triumph Italias The most beautiful Triumph 7 ever made in my opinion. TR3 Triumph Jamaican dressed in an Italian suite. Six Head-turning 1968 of them at the last show and TR4-based Jamaican. slightly sacrilegious racing car Originally supplied as for the Triumph enthusiast with a kit from Fibrefab in too much spare cash. period for TR4, MGA and Austin Healey 3000. Often applied to cars that had suffered significant accident damage rendering them uneconomical to repair. Styling way ahead of its time. 4 1953 record-setting TR2 Original 2-Litre Production Sportscar-class record holder at 124.889mph. Driven to record speeds by Ken Richardson who also modified the body and underside to reduce drag.
1 1974 Bitter CD Triumph connection: Owned by a TTC member. I never said 6 Ratrod TR3 this article was Interesting alternative take on TR3 restoration. Rubbed down to reveal colourful past unbiased. and clear coated for preservation. I like the story it tells.
5 Triumph TR3B At first glance, this looks like a 3 Swallow Doretti Other interesting exhibits that did not superb TR3 in Black. However, 1954 TR2-based Swallow Doretti. The Triumph alternative to a Healey 100/4, but significantly rarer. make top 10 – a beautiful Mark 1 GT6, park it next to a regular TR3 and One exhibit even included a period speedboat attached. Beautiful. a Hardtop TR3 and a TR6 PI engine bay. the subtle difference becomes I hope to see some of you at the clear. This is a TR3 built to TR3”B” NEC Classic Motor Show in the fu- spec on a TR4 chassis with a ture. ragtop
hand-beaten body, slightly wider than standard TR3. More spacious inside and slightly more aggressive wide look.
16 www.TorontoTriumph.com Ragtop I Spring I 2017 Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 17 Peninsula triumph travels Imports ADVENTURES IN LOTUS OF OAKVILLE ENGLAND 2016 by Tony Fox
Last summer while visiting England, Tony Fox present. This is a great classic car show and I attended during this visit. Another new our Inter-Club Coordinator, took the oppor- the variety of cars there was very impres- trend I observed was the presence of the tunity as he usually does, to make a few Tri- sive with even a few North American mod- Mazda Miata (or MX-5 as it is known in the umph Stag-related trips while revisiting the els, including the iconic WW2 Jeep. In fact, UK). There were around 50 of them at Per- countryside between Birmingham and Ox- there was at least one Jeep at each event shore, in just about every color and option ford, his former stomping grounds as a lad.
Pershore Plum Festival This was a first for me to visit the Plum Festival in Pershore, situated on the Avon River in the Midlands of England, just a few miles southeast of Worcester. The Pershore area is a big fruit-growing region, hence the Plum Festival. This event is a week-long affair with vendors selling just about any- thing you can think of, in addition to the local fruit. On the last day of the Festival a classic car show is held which is what at- tracted me to pay a visit. I had previously contacted Leslie and Roger Phillips of the Special introductory offers including fi nancing & fl exible lease Stag Owners Club (SOC) and they had rec- terms from 3.9% Inviting current Lotus owners to trade-up ommended Pershore as a Stag event; and sure enough, there were around 25 Stags Stags at the Pershore Plumb Festival EST82 2412 South Service Rd. West Oakville ON L6L 5M9 MOTOR VEHICLE GROUP 905-847-0838 [email protected]
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Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 19
Peninsula 02.indd 1 17-05-19 7:00 PM Russel Lewis’ 4x4 Stag combination you could imagine. The earli- built Triumph Stag in Brooklands Green, er Miatas are now pushing 28 years old and with barely any miles on the odometer the marque will be a burgeoning classic in as it has hardly moved since being built the not too distant future. in 1977, other than to attend classic car Some very nice Stags were present ing systems which were very advanced shows and displays. Added to the facil- from local SOC Chapters. The SOC is the for the period. Russell related some of the ity is another building that houses all the Auto largest single model car club in Britain and challenges he had rebuilding the anti-lock classic cars not currently on display in there are so many Chapters around the servo device. Russell is one half of ‘Tate and the museum itself which periodically get Midlands, it is not difficult to round up 25 Lewis’ who build the ZF transmission con- rotated for display. Stags. I believe that five local Chapters had versions for Triumph Stags. So, naturally In the original building there are movie cars present. It was reported that around this Stag got the conversion treatment. For presentations of the old auto factories, a Hibernation 1,600 classic cars were present and I could those not acquainted with this transmis- period 1930’s garage, William Morris’ origi- believe that, everything from Austins to sion conversion, they take a mid-1980’s nal office, and much more. A quality caf- Zephyrs. Jaguar or BMW donated ZF four-speed eteria provides all you need for lunch. The overdrive automatic and convert it to fit main display is the ‘time road’ that shows Chaddesley Corbet Classic Car Show the Stag, overhaul it and then add a cus- progression of vehicles over a certain time Chaddesley Corbet is a pretty little country tom bell housing and tail shaft housing. It span. One interesting car on display is the town in the West Midlands which can trace is a nice kit that transforms the Stag in both one millionth Austin, signed by hundreds its roots back through the Magna Carta performance and fuel economy. And im- of employees. to pre-Saxon times. It is located mid-way portantly, the ZF doesn’t leak transmission The original Gaydon site was a WW2 between Worcester and Birmingham and fluid when left standing for a few weeks! airfield but now contains, in addition to a few miles southeast of Kiddeminster. this museum, a Land Rover cross-country The town has many half-timbered build- British Motor Museum, Gaydon course and, significantly the Aston Martin ings, dating to the Tudor period, and was This is a must for anyone visiting this part design and R & D center. I have so far failed located not far from where I was staying of the UK. Close to Oxford, the British Mo- to get entry into these facilities. Apparently By for my vacation. It had another classic car tor Museum is situated near the village one has to buy an Aston Martin in order Parkfield Motor Cars Ltd. est. 1974 show but on a smaller scale, with only of Gaydon. It was formerly known as the to get an invite, so it could be a while yet three Stags in attendance. WW2 Jeeps Heritage Motor Centre and is affiliated to before I gain were no dedicated test facili- were there too, together with a couple of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust. ties for major projects until the Motor In- other military vehicles including a 6-wheel The museum recently adopted its new dustries Research Association (MIRA) facil- Fully Insured, Free Standing 22,000 sq. ft. armoured scout car. name at the launch of expanded and im- ity became available near Nuneaton. Even proved facilities during the early part of then, this was a shared facility and some- Four Wheel Drive Stag 2016. The original museum is still much times you just didn’t want the competition Building with No Columns or Posts I took the opportunity of my visit to meet the same with a great selection of classic seeing your new products – so by testing up with an old friend, Russell Lewis, who British vehicles. It is still strong on Land at places like Gaydon you had a degree of • CCTV-Monitored 24/7 Security at Discreet Location is restoring one of the two 4-wheel drive Rover and Jaguar as they were once the anonymity. ragtop Stags that were built back in the day. They owners of the fa- • Spotless, Vermin and Climate Controlled were originally built to test the Formula cility and donated Fergusson transmission system. Russell’s many interesting Seasonal Complimentary Chauffeured is the automatic transmission version, the vehicles to the dis- • other one belonging to Adrian Planterose play. Don’t get me Livery Service Available is a 4-speed manual. Russell has now up- wrong, it is much dated his car with the 4-speed automatic more than LRJ. ZF transmission and electric power-assist Now, it is becom- Closer Than You Think! steering together with a full restoration. It ing more diverse is truly a great Stag for touring anywhere! with the addition Contact Chris Sas at 416-720-4133 or 905-833-4336 This car looks stunning and is so unique. I of other marques. drove it when he first bought it from SNG A lot of ‘last pro- email: [email protected] Barratt, the Jaguar specialists, but had little duction’ vehicles chance to explore the advantages of the have been donat- www.autohibernation.ca 4WD feature. Both of these cars were also ed over the years fitted with Dunlop Maxaret anti-lock brak- including the last Last Production Stag in Brooklands Green at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon
20 www.TorontoTriumph.com Ragtop I Spring I 2017 what else ya got?
On the Hunt for theit. She agreed, and the hunt was Perfecton. Car So off I went to find myself an old truck. I searched Kijiji and Auto Trader for prob- ably a year before the perfect truck came by Rick Travaglini up. I finally discovered a beautiful 1958 Chev Apache in Orangeville. It was com- pletely original. The patina was gorgeous -- turquoise blue and faded right down have always found the hunt for the to the primer in spots. It even had a rifle perfectI cars to be half the fun of collecting rack. This was a certified, rock solid, origi- cars. Sometimes they unexpectedly fall in nal truck from North Dakota. Asking price your lap when you’re not even looking, was $6,800. The owner even delivered it to and sometimes you really do have to hunt me. Once again, I was over the moon with for them. There are certain cars I have al- excitement. I drove this tank all over the ways loved and always wanted. I’ll keep neighbourhood for 4 years just as it was, this article narrowed down to the ones I making repairs to it as necessary. I strug- could afford. 1974 Camaro gled with keeping the truck in its original 1973 Corvette I was 19, the year was 1977. I was just state or restoring it. After a while I started out of school and landed my first good After a couple of weeks my dad told me tions which the answer to all of them was to realise this might not be the perfect ve- started to ponder its fate. This was a real a deal was struck. full-time job. I was making ok money. one of those cars had to go. I explained “no”. But, being the optimist, I had to put a hicle for me. Top speed was 50 mph and I farm truck. It was made for pulling a thou- My wife, kids and I have enjoyed all My old beater was smoking and fad- that they were both fantastic cars and I positive spin on these concerns. I told her I mean top speed. Foot to the floor and my sand pound hog out of a swamp. First gear kinds of drives in this old car. But once ing fast, when a friend at work asked if wanted to hang onto the Fury as a backup was really good at taking things apart. Be- kidney shaking loose. was so low I couldn’t even get down my again I have started to ponder the next I needed a car. It was a 1969 Fury 1 with car. And besides, our driveway could easily sides, I had my whole retirement to restore As much as I adored this old truck, I short driveway. I knew it could be modified vehicle on my list. The coveted TR6. So a six-cylinder. The car was enormous, accommodate 5 cars and my dad had only to go faster but I was also well aware of my now, after five years of enjoying this lovely 214 inches long by 79 inches wide. It was one. He just repeated himself. One of them skill level. Corvette, I think it’s time to pass it along to straight from BC. Not a speck of rust and had to go. So, the Fury it was. I posted an As time passed I started to think about someone else to enjoy. Come spring, the ran perfectly. The price, $300. Although ad in the Star (as we did in those days). The the other cars I had always wanted. A Cor- Corvette will go up on Kijiji and the hunt I grabbed it, it certainly wasn’t the car a first caller came and took it for $550. A tidy vette and a TR6. I started to think I needed for a TR6 will begin. I have adored these 19-year-old was after. I was happy to have little profit for 3 months of ownership. something a lot faster. So the For Sale sign cars since I was a teenager. a good, dependable vehicle though. After marriage, mortgages, children, uni- went up on the old truck. This time on Kijiji. Now coming full circle, as my wife made After a few months, my brother asked versity funds, and practical vehicles, retire- It broke my heart to see that old truck load- me realise, I don’t really know how to re- me if I wanted to buy his friend’s 1974 ment was now in sight. I mentioned to my ed up on a trailer and driven away. But now store a car, but I sure do love driving them Camaro. Now this was a car any 19-year- wife that I thought I would like to buy an old the hunt was on for a Corvette. This was ac- and tinkering with them. It’s the greatest old would be ecstatic to have. I knew the truck to restore when I retired. I had always tually a little more difficult than I expected. stress reliever on the market. car; it had been sitting in the driveway for a wanted a late 50’s Chev Apache. I thought My budget only allowed me to consider a I have joined the TTC, and with my year and was only driven on rare occasions. they were the coolest truck ever built. 1974 or newer model. I tested out about a friend and fellow TTC member, Warren I adored this car... white with a red interior My wife, being the practical one in our half a dozen, but they weren’t doing any- Beech, we will set out on the journey for and a restless 350 under the hood. Asking marriage, was fully supportive but started thing for me. Finally I found a gorgeous the perfect TR6. Warren suggested I make a price, $950. I grabbed it in a heartbeat. I to ask questions, like, have you got enough 1973 chrome bumper convertible in my list of what I want in a TR6 and what are the was over the moon with excitement. It space in the single-car garage? Do you price range. The owner was a retired body deal breakers. Overdrive? Colour? Original? needed a battery to get it going and a tire have the tools required for such a ven- man who restored this beauty in 1998. It Restored? Year? to certify it. Once I had it up and running, ture? Do you actually know how to restore hadn’t seen water much less winter since I said it had to be shiny and go like stink. a truck? Where would you find a truck like then. I had to have this one. Sure it had a Lol. (To be continued…) I couldn’t drive it enough. Needless to say 1958 Apache ragtop the Fury 1 was no longer my ride of choice. that? As usual these were all good ques- few issues but I could overlook them. And
22 www.TorontoTriumph.com Ragtop I Spring I 2017 Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 23 historically speaking
org enterprise.” Sir William Rootes, who visited could be rebuilt and that food sup- have seen Beetles being built in Bir- . the factory on behalf of the British Gov- plies were forthcoming. By the end mingham, Coventry or Essex and wikimedia ernment, declared that the Beetle was, of 1946 Volkswagen was well on the perhaps MGs and Minis in Wolfsburg. . “too ugly and noisy to sell.” What classic way to becoming the success story Instead, BMW took over the remnants
Volkswagen understatements from the leading lu- it remains today. He also concerned commons - of the British car industry in 1994 be- minaries of two of Britain’s principal car himself with improving the qual- fore virtually abandoning everything manufacturers! ity of the Beetle; with setting up a but the new MINI in 2000. Meanwhile, by Terence McKillen was once Then in 1948, Volkswagen was offered sales and service network and with Volkswagen acquired the prestigious N eodarkshadow : to the Ford Motor Company but Ernest beginning small-scale exports (the Rolls Royce and Bentley marques in I mage Breech, a Ford executive vice-president, first vehicles went to Holland in Wehrmacht VW 82E in Afrika Corps Beige 1998 but in 2003 had to divest Rolls said he didn’t think either the plant or the 1947). And incredibly, Volkswagen Royce to BMW. What a reversal of for- car was “worth a damn” and Ford also con- was completely in British hands. er Saxony. Hirst finally left Wolfsburg in tunes! However, the villains here were not sidered that Wolfsburg was located too Hirst became a great enthusiast for the August 1949 and went on to work with the the German companies but the toffs of the close to the border with East Germany. Volkswagen Beetle, which he was always industry section of the British Foreign Of- British motor industry aided and abetted To his credit, Breech did go on to revital- ready to defend, even against the inter- fice and later joined the international sec- by British governments of various stripes, ize Ford and served in similar capacity at ference of the British authorities. His view retariat of the Organisation for Economic all of whom took the most pertinacious de- Trans World Airlines and other companies. was that the factory belonged to the Ger- Co-operation and Development (OECD) in cisions imaginable. Poor Major Hirst must Incredibly, the French also turned down man people, and it was his task to ensure Paris until his retirement in 1975. He died be turning in his grave, although the Ger- the offer to acquire Volkswagen. As part they got it back, which they did in 1948, in March 2000, aged 84. mans have honoured him in posterity by British of post-war industrial plans for Germany, when the British Government returned If things had gone according to Hirst’s naming a road in Wolfsburg, not far from total German car production was set at the company to the new West German plan, Volkswagen might have ended up as the Volkswagen factory buildings, in his a maximum of 10% of the 1936 car pro- federal government and the State of Low- a joint Anglo-German venture. We might memory - “Major Hirst Straße.” ragtop hile conducting research for After the end of the war in Europe, in duction numbers but Volkswagen, under anW article on the British car industry during June 1945, Major Ivan Hirst of the Roy- Hirst, survived by producing vehicles for the immediate aftermath of World War II, I al Electrical and Mechanical Engineers the British Army who obliged by ordering happened upon an article published in the moved from Brussels, where he had been a batch of 20,000 Kubelwagens (a military Mail Online (12 October, 2011), penned by operating a tank repair facility, to take over version of the Beetle designed by Ferdi- TOYOTA TO TRIUMPH Michael Hanlon who revealed that the ex- control of the bomb-shattered Wolfsburg nand Porsche). 5–Speed Transmission istence of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft factory from the U.S. Army and restart ve- By the end of 1945, Hirst’s Volkswagen (VAG) or in English, the Volkswagen Group, hicle production, pending the anticipated plant was churning out the Kubelwagens Conversions which today encompasses the Audi, Bent- dismantlement of the entire production and several thousand civilian cars for gen- line and the shipment of the machinery eral sale. Ivan Hirst was the man who not
ley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, org . Škoda and Volkswagen car brands as well and tooling out of Germany as war repara- only got Beetle production going but who TR-2 through TR-6
tions. Hirst is credited with foiling at least organised the clearance of bomb dam- wikimedia as Ducati motorcycles and MAN, Neoplan, . Scania and Volkswagen Commercial Vehi- one attempt to dismantle the Volkswagen age and had the buildings repaired; he
cles, can be credited entirely to the work of plant for shipment to Australia. As on many re-commissioned machine tools, body commons - a British Army major who single-handedly occasions throughout the history of the presses and assembly jigs; he galvanised arkone
restarted production at the Wolfsburg fac- British car industry one is left pondering the demoralised workforce by ensuring D - :
tory in Lower Saxony in the aftermath of what might have been, if only? where possible that the town of Wolfsburg I mage the Second World War. The Volkswagen equipment was ini- In an obituary published in The Guard- tially offered to Britain’s motor manufac- ian (March 18, 2000), Ivan Hirst was not- turers, including Rootes and Morris, but ed as the Yorkshireman who had made they turned down the proposition. An Volkswagen part of the German econom- official British report of the time records ic miracle. It was Hirst who had struggled that the Rootes and Morris people com- for four years, between 1945 and 1949, to mented, “The vehicle does not meet the Herman van den Akker save the Volkswagen car business and, as fundamental technical requirement of a P.O. Box 6812, Pine Mountain Club, CA 93222-6812 much as anybody else, laid the founda- motor-car... it is quite unattractive to the Phone: (661) 242-1253 • E-mail: [email protected] tions for the successful post-war German average buyer... to build the car commer- www.hvdaconversions.com motor industry. cially would be a completely uneconomic VW type 82 Kübelwagen
24 www.TorontoTriumph.com Ragtop I Spring I 2017 Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 25 Cutting out restoration the rusty bits
er and POOF, an instant cloud of smoke! I unforeseen gap in his schedule due to an pulled over and popped the bonnet. My issue with another customer. We discussed initial fears that the long drive had caused the project and came to an agreement. a problem with the engine were calmed by Derek McAllister when I saw evidence of a coolant leak at The Verdict the heater valve. As Bill dug in, he and his metal/body man, Alex Plestid, recently of The Guild/Restora- The Deeper Inspection tion Garage, confirmed that the B-pillars The car went in to our little garage and I would have to be repaired. They also con- started planning for initial refurbishment. I firmed that the drivers’ floor pan, which I My First LBC knew that the carpets were shot; they had knew had been repaired with a large metal The Search faded from Shadow Blue to creamy white patch, was badly rusted and not really Entering my mid-fifties, I was looking for some time ago. I also had to replace the holding the seat bolts. None of this was too a fun car to work on and take for summer leaking heater valve and planned to replace much of a surprise and I gave the go-ahead drives. I have always been mechanically in- all of the coolant hoses. I ordered a set of to order the parts and proceed with the clined; I rebuilt my dad’s lawnmower when carpets, on sale at TRF, and a set of hoses and repairs. As the repairs proceeded Bill sent I was 13, but I have never owned a second started to pull apart the interior. After re- me pictures of progress being made. When car. I had no idea where to start, so I called moving the seats and pulling up the carpet, they removed the floor panel it became Graham, a long-time friend and told him I was disappointed to find that the bases of apparent that the outer sill on the driver’s that I was in the market for a sports car. the B-pillars were badly rusted, so much so side was also shot. This was a bit of a sur- Front valance and headlight nacelles were badly pitted Graham owns two Spitfires, a Mark III that that attaching a seatbelt was pointless as prise. I was committed to repairing the pas- he restored a few years ago, mostly on his the captive nuts were pulling through the senger cabin metal but now I was looking to be removed. There were many small re- own, and a Mark IV he’s had since the early sheet metal. I knew that my “little” refurbish- at a body panel. The question arose – do pairs to be made all over the body. There eighties. It was my first real introduction to ment project was toast, and that I needed to I start considering a body-off restoration? were pinholes here and there, more sig- LBCs and I always liked that car. I also knew find an expert who would be able to make When I first inspected the car I had no- nificant rust around the headlights and a little about TR6s and MGBs that I had the necessary repairs. ticed that the paint was faded and that taillights, a rusted out battery shelf, a hole seen over the years. I knew that Graham there were some areas that had cracking in the trunk, the replacement sill, floor was somewhat connected to the LBC scene Finding an Expert filler, particularly at the bottom of the front panel, and the B-pillars all needing repair. so I asked him to keep a watch out for any I started my search immediately. I explored fenders, by the doors. The usual rust areas The base of the B-pillar on the passenger cars that might be for sale. I was open to various online resources and made a lot of on the body seemed to be fairly sound, but side was a mess. The corner where the floor any marque that fit my criteria: convertible, calls. In the end I connected with Bill Mc- there was no way to tell how much metal meets the wheel well and the pillar were parts readily available, in running condi- Farling, owner of Vintage Sportscars who, repair would have to be done if I decided Swiss cheese and a fair amount of patch- Derek’s TR6 as it looks today tion but needing some TLC, and able to be at the time, was based in Keswick. I told Bill to go all-in on the body. I took a couple of ing had to be done. The front valance was inspected and driven before purchase. work. All in all it was a pleasant experience the car. I checked the weather forecast and what I was looking for and agreed to trail- days to think about it, and gave the go- whole but very bumpy, and the fenders and after a couple of hours we agreed to a chose what looked like a glorious October er the car up to him in late November for ahead to strip the car. required work in various places. It was in- The Purchase price. I left a deposit and committed to re- day – one of the warmest in recent mem- a closer look. Bill has been working on all teresting to find some old lead repairs on Graham located a 1974 TR6 in Owen Sound turn within a week or two to collect the car. ory. The seller had all of the paperwork in kinds of cars for over 35 years with a focus The Body Work a few of the panels. In the end, no other through a family member and the chase hand although the car wasn’t able to be on vintage British cars. He had a small shop Aircraft paint stripper was used rather than sheet metal parts were ordered, as the was on. I ventured up with Graham and The Ride Home certified. I drove it home using his plates with working room for two cars, and an media blasting as the body wasn’t going repairs were cost-effective. The work was my brother-in-law, Peter, who owns a quite Peter agreed to accompany me to collect and committed to change the registration carried out December-February. I drove up rare TVR 5000M, to inspect the car. The as soon as I could. In hindsight this was to see progress first-hand a couple of times seller let us drive the car a couple of a huge risk for both of us! (and also to pay my bill). After the repairs times, park it with two wheels up on With Peter following behind me just were completed the body was re-sprayed the curb to enable some inspection of in case anything went wrong, we took in the original Sapphire Blue and the trim the frame, and generally poke around HWY 10 south at 90 km/h and the car was reinstalled for the trip home. The in- the car and his history with it. He’d had ran well. There was an occasional mis- terior and boot were also cleaned up and the car since the early eighties and it fire that we had detected on the test sprayed, but only to a rough standard as was only driven in the summer. He drive, but it wasn’t too bad. We parted they were going to be covered up again. fixed mechanical issues as they arose outside of Brampton and I took back The transmission cover and driveshaft tun- and had changed the oil and filter roads home to Toronto with only one nel covers were both the original pressed every year and shared his folder of re- mishap – as I got close to home it was board and in pretty ratty shape, so I asked ceipts and invoices as evidence of past The TR6 as purchased – a lot remained hidden getting a little chilly. I turn on the heat- B-Pillar rust More structural damage Bill to also order and install a plastic cover.
26 www.TorontoTriumph.com Ragtop I Spring I 2017 Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 27 Metal repairs were necessary on the doors
The work was top notch and the car looked cal work was required and the engine com- The next job was installation of the un- The Doors ing. The trimming was very finicky, not smooth and straight. partment wasn’t touched other than the derlay. I had read stories about using the The door skins had been removed to fa- helped by the fact that I had bought a I also asked Bill to certify the car for me. battery box repair. The car was certified, original jute vs modern materials, and in cilitate interior and body repairs. While fairly thin veneer (less than 8th of an He completed some minor brake work though the interior had bare sheet metal the end decided on the jute for a bit of au- they were exposed I decided to do inch thick). In hindsight I should have (turned a rotor) and fluid top-ups, replaced floors and sides. thenticity. I am planning on never getting some clean-up work. In order to provide purchased a much thicker veneer. The one of the horns, and cleaned up a couple it wet (the jute can rot), but we’ll see how smoother operation and reduce rattles, I I installed some new window sweeps and result turned out well and we finished it of wires. The windshield was delaminat- Resuming “My” Project that goes. All of the pieces were pre-cut removed the windows and channels and vapour barrier to protect the interior panels with polymerized tung oil to accentuate We trailered the car back to To- and easy to install except for the firewall. stripped them down. While the windows from moisture. the grain and protect it with a matt finish. ronto in late February so that I Working around the heater box was a ma- were out I lined the backs of the door skins My console centre support looked pretty could resume my part of the jor pain and my work there was not of high with sound-deadening material and lined The Dash good at first glance, but the feet on both project. I had the interior to do quality. In all, the prep work for the carpet the channels with the “soft” part of Vel- The original dash exhibited some cracking sides had corroded badly so I decided to re- from the metal up and the cool- took a couple of weekends. cro strips. I also cleaned and re-greased in the veneer. I wasn’t planning on making ing system work that I had origi- the winder mechanisms. I reinstalled the any changes to it, but Peter, who is an ama- nally planned. I lined my 1920’s The Boot windows and tested them out: they ran teur luthier, suggested re-veneering as an vintage wood frame garage The boot had been stripped to enable met- up and down well, but the windshield inexpensive option. It was cost-effective with thick vapour barrier and al repairs. I noted that the wiring harness angle was off and there was contact be- (for a change) and easy enough to take borrowed an industrial electric was in poor shape, and since it is a separate tween the windshield frame and the fully- on, given his experience and equipment. I baseboard heater for the dura- harness that plugs into the main harness I up windows. Google came to the rescue found a nice piece of quilted maple veneer tion. My preparations paid off decided to replace it. The cardboard pan- and I found several articles on adjusting at an exotic woods place in Burlington. We and I was able to work quite els and carpet were in poor shape so these the windshield frame angle to provide a planed the old veneer off and I left Peter comfortably in the evenings were replaced too. I decided to cover the proper gap. In the end that adjustment with both pieces to do the gluing and and on the weekends. underlay with vinyl. was very simple and I had the gaps that I clamping on his own. He used high quality I had noticed some heat One surprise that I hadn’t foreseen was needed. Once the door innards were done fish glue and many clamps to do the bond- The new quilted maple veneered dash Stripping the paint from the transmission in the the new oversized spare tyre not fitting in cabin when I originally drove the car the boot. It was impossible to get it under home; the worn-out carpets and mush the gas tank without significantly deflat- cover weren’t providing much insulation. ing it... oops! Back to the Internet for op- I knew that the new plastic cover would tions! A couple of people had switched Classic and Antique Oils from Millers Oils help, but I wanted to add a little bit more to compact spare tyres to overcome this comatmotorsports.com 905-635-9477 [email protected] insulation and had read stories from other issue and free up boot space for spare LBC owners using sound-deadening ma- parts and tools. I decided to follow suit. terial like Hush Mat to insulate firewalls I sourced a compact spare tyre from a Mineral Engine Oils and transmission covers and to deaden Hyundai with the correct bolt pattern and some of the rattles and squeaks. I locat- offset on eBay, and ordered a spacer that Classic 20W50 ed some B-Quiet material being sold on would be needed to clear the front calli- • High ZDDP in quality base stock eBay by a man in Calgary which I installed pers. Now that I had a smaller spare tyre 20W50 Preservation Oil throughout the interior, including the I wouldn’t need the raised centre floor Preparing for paint • Coats engine parts; stops corrosion boot. As the metal of the car was relatively panel in the boot. I decided to make my ing and had to be replaced. The tyres were cold I had to use a heat gun to soften the own floor panel to fit flush with the sides • Eliminates ‘dry’ start metal/metal contact ancient so were replaced with slightly up- butyl and adhesive to make it stick. of the boot floor, and reinforce it with alu- Mini Oil 20W50 with EP additive sized touring tyres, (205/70 R15), as I had minium channel over the spare tyre Non-Detergent SAE 30, 40, 50 Other Products read reports of improved handling and no well. Now I have room in the well Engine Break-in Oil SAE 30 and 10W40 rubbing with this size of tyre on the origi- for the spare, jack, booster cables, VSPe Power Plus Fuel Additive provides nal steel wheels. The wheels were cleaned tow strap, a litre of oil, and some Ethanol protection, lead replacement and and given a coat of silver paint. The wheels spare parts. Then it was onto install- Mineral Gear Oils 2 full points of octane boost aren’t exactly round but the tyre shop was ing the finishing panels that I had GL 1 SAE 90, 140 able to balance them and make them use- previously ordered. In hindsight I Red Rubber Grease for brake caliper seals able. I considered replacing the rims with could have made the panels myself GL 4 EP 80W90, EP 140 period-looking alloys, and Peter tried to and achieved a better fit, but the GL 5 EP 90, EP 85W140 Extra Cool Additive helps reduce coolant talk me into going with spokes, but for now boot is done and looks almost as Worm Steering Box Oil temperatures by up to 15 degrees the stock rims with the original aluminium nice as the interior. trim rings work for me. No other mechani- Installing ‘B-Quiet’ Insulation
28 www.TorontoTriumph.com Ragtop I Spring I 2017 Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 29 Installation of new carpeting
place it, and ordered one through my new straps” commonly used in furniture mak- friend by this time, Fred MacEachern of Brit- ing, in the size I needed and made my own J.D. AUTO SERVICES ish Auto Sports. Terence referred me to BAS straps, re-using the metal plates and hooks at my first TTC meeting. I have purchased from the original ones. The cost of the ma- British & European SPORTSCARS many parts from him in the past 16 months! terial was US$20 – a small victory Carpets and Interior Panels the foam was simple, and wrapping them The Hood/Top I located a set of interior vinyl panels in with the vinyl was straightforward. My My last pre-season job was the soft top. Josip (Joe) Dukova Shadow Blue at Peninsula Imports. The electric staple gun was a big help in get- The original had shrunk and I think had originals were in sad shape, and since I ting the vinyl nice and taut and the panels not been raised in years. I wasn’t planning was already doing the carpet, I thought… look pretty good for homemade. on driving the car in the rain but I didn’t “while I’m at it.” The carpets and panels fit want to be trapped without a top and so well and look fantastic together. I spent a Seats ordered a new one with the necessary couple of weekends installing them and The next job for the interior was the seats. hardware from Fred. I had taken the top off had to deal with challenges fitting the car- The originals had been recovered at some when I left the car in for the body repairs, pet piece around the heater box. Another point in a colour that somewhat matched planning to clean it up and repaint the trouble spot was applying the vinyl cov- the OEM Shadow Blue, but not quite. Since frame at home. I found some damage on ers and their foam backing to the wheel I was doing the rest of the interior with new one of the mounting brackets for the bows. arches. I followed the Moss instructions materials, I debated whether to leave the The top had obviously been forced down and glued the foam backing to the vinyl seats alone for the time being. I could tell at some point and the bracket was bent first, but I found that I couldn’t get the as- that the foam and underlying supports were and had begun to shear off from the frame. sembled piece to stretch across the wheel no longer doing their job and toyed with the On one of my progress inspection trips I well as the foam doesn’t slide much. My fit idea of switching to Miata seats or having the took it back and asked Alex to straighten is a little wrinkly as a result. Since I’m not original seats redone by a specialist, but in and weld the bracket. The retainer bar had entering any concours with this car I’m not the end I decided to rebuild the seats myself, a little rust but after wire brushing it looked too fussed with the final look – the overall using pre-made foams and covers. solid enough for re-use. look and colour is correct for the car. The parts are quite expensive but I felt I found a company named Brightside Cus- Installing the door panels was a chal- confident that I could install these kits toms that would powder coat the top frame lenge. The panel manufacturers haven’t without too much difficulty if I used avail- and retainer bar. The end result looks excel- figured out how to staple the vinyl onto able on-line resources. I stripped the seats lent. I installed the frame and new webbing the backing board without interfering fully and used a grinder with wire brush to and made sure that it went up and down as with the holes for the panel fasteners, so it get back to bare metal on the frames and expected. I also re-attached the capping on took a lot of fiddling to get everything to repainted the seats with black Tremclad. the windshield, ensuring that both levers en- line up; in the end I had to remove a few I ordered the seat covers, foams, and dia- gaged and locked – I was ready to install the staples to make it work. I also purchased phragms, and looked around for options top itself but it was still March! some medical clamps at the Ancaster flea for the strapping for the seat backs. The In early May, the temperature finally rose market in April to help re-attach the win- US$80 cost for a set of straps from the usu- sufficiently for me to get going. I followed di- dow winders and door opening handles. I al suppliers seemed a bit steep and, unlike rections provided by many Internet sources don’t know how else one would ever get the covers and foams, I figured that I could and took my time, measuring twice and cut- the pins in place! I ordered and applied a make these myself if I had the right materi- ting once. I pulled and pushed to get a nice BRITISH CAR new set of OEM vinyl door caps to finish als. I purchased a roll of “rubber webbing taut but not too taut, fit. In the end I didn’t the job; they look good and provide an oc- pull hard enough around the sides of the top, Rexdale Blvd. casional armrest. and the second to last and last snaps on both REPAIR SHOP The car had speakers installed in the sides are difficult to engage. I haven’t yet “kidney” panels covering the transmission tried extra stretching with a heat gun – that’s l TRIUMPH tunnel. The panels were cracked and bent still on my list of follow-ups. and in need of replacement so I purchased At the end of the day, about 500 hours l MG some hardboard, black vinyl, and foam have gone into the restoration (my own 301 Rexdale Blvd. Unit C, padding and used the original panels as time plus outside labour) and about Etobicoke, Ont. M9W 1R8 l LOTUS templates. I also purchased a couple of $18,000 in parts – in total, perhaps a tad inexpensive speakers to install in the new more than I had originally estimated.
TEL: (416) 746-1048 Martin Grove l JAGUAR panels. Cutting the panels and installing Derek decided to refurbish the seats himself ragtop
Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 31 the way we were
• Stuart Beatty introduced “The Refin- ishing of an Automobile”, the first excerpt of a 40-page article supplied by Karl Teich- mann of Dupont Canada which covered absolutely everything you need to know about painting your car. • “It’s a girl!” Congratulations to Wayne Inheritedby Dave Sims and Debbie McGill on the birth of their 3rd child, Samantha Victoria McGill on 4th February 1987. Samantha tipped the scales at 8 lb. 10½ oz. Wayne’s TR is going to be a little crowded this summer with Debbie and their children David, Corrina and now Heritage Samantha aboard. 20 Years Ago – Spring 1997 Club President Malcolm Taylor’s ‘Ram- blings’ included a discussion on travelling south of the border to enjoy the delights recently inherited a stack of Ragtop 30 years ago – Spring 1987 of the warmer weather only to come home magazinesI dating back to the Summer of In the spring 1987 edition of Ragtop, Club to MUCH cooler temperatures. As Malcolm 1984 from Wayne McGill and David Fidler President Kevin Rickatson praised the new stated, “I don’t know about you but I am so I thought it would be fun to look back in team for designing, publishing an editing a getting antsy, wanting to place my butt time to see what the Club was up to over new look 36-page issue. The front and back close to the road for another season.” Ar- the years. This time, let’s take a look at 30, covers were printed in two colours and be- ticles in Ragtop included: 20 and 10 years ago. tween the covers were black and white ar- • Ray Spencer, Editor of Ragtop, man- ticles on: aged to get his TR6 on the road for 1st • The 6th Annual British Sports April. He said, “It is amazing that a TR can Car Flea Market which moved to Marritt Hall in Ancaster for 1987; • Brittania ’87, an event where TTC organized a booth featur- ing Ray Spencer’s TR2 and Mark Pooke’s Spitfire; • An historical look at the 1952 Earls Court Motor Show where the TR1 took pride of place where it was described as “a sport ver- sion of the Triumph Renown”; • Doug Bingley wrote a cur- rent article (pun intended) on Electrical Peculiarities which started off: If you are a typical TR owner, you probably have your own sayings and views which describe the typical Brit- Phone: 289.738.2035 ish car’s electrical system. Un- fortunately most of your com- Website: KlearKustoms.com ments cannot be reprinted here. (Note to Terence – this 205 Cross Street East, Dunnville, Ontario might be worth publishing again);
Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 33 sit in a driveway all winter and just throw BCD. Glen was driving his TR7 and on the about the fact we had the usual trouble at- the charger on it for 4 hours and it fires up way to Stowe picked-up Mike and Debbie tracting volunteers to man the booth; or Pssst! and is ready to drive.” Fusco in a bright Inca Yellow MGB (we can’t the long hours of standing around the cars • Don Elliott, a long-time member of all drive Triumphs) and in Kingston met up with only the “Tire Girls” walking by once in Want Some Great Advice? TTC, wrote about his exploits at the Glavon with Jim and Maureen Clark in their “softer a while to break up the day.” In the end Ric TR Weekend, where every May, the local yellow” TR3A. He had a good time enjoying figured that the effort was definitely worth TR Register holds the event in Glouces- the roads which are “twisty and meant for it as “hundreds of people stopped to pho- tershire. Elsewhere in Ragtop there was British Sportscars “(Glen looked very young tograph the cars or ask questions and sur- another article featuring Don; he was pre- in the pics – Dave Sims). prisingly there was a great deal of interest sented with a Gold Award from the TR Reg- by younger people.” ister who sent a letter explaining why he 10 Years Ago – Spring 2007 had received this special recognition. Malcolm Taylor in his ‘Prez Sez’ column • The 5th Spring Fling was destined wrote, “Well here we go for another driv- for Collingwood in 1997 with Best West- ing season. I don’t know where all the time ern hotel rooms offered at $60 per room. goes; I had so many plans to work on sev- Organiser Bob Bieler indicated that “Your eral car projects and didn’t even get to one British Beauty will be parked with 60 or of them.” 70 others in a selected parking area at This issue of Ragtop featured full colour the Best Western. We will tour the scenic on the cover and centre pages and good towns and villages in Grey-Bruce counties, quality B&W photos on the inside. Content hold a car show in the Collingwood area, included: a Gymkhana and the awards banquet will • From the editor Dave Burman. “As you Ric Allison’s TR3 & Brian Clark’s TR6 be held at Don Cherry’s and will feature a can see I don’t have any snow tires for my “Hip of Beef Buffet” followed by the awards Spit project. I can’t wait until those warm • TTC member John Broomer started a presentations and door prizes. This year we fresh spring days return.” new feature regular entitled “The Wedget- will be joined by the MG Car Club of Toron- • Ric Allison wrote about his experienc- arian” which included snippets on What’s in You could search big catalogues for the best price to, Rover Club, Morgan Club and Antique es at the Canadian International Auto Show Your Tranny, Braking 101 and Don’t re-fuse and Classic Car Club.” (What goes around, which featured his TR3 and Brian Clark’s your Triumph what it is due (a comparison comes around - here we are 20 years later 1973 TR6. He postulated, “Do I write about You could buy parts from various suppliers of the attributes of an IEC fuse versus an heading once again to Collingwood for the the fact that we were less than prepared; NEC fuse) You could pay huge shipping and crazy broker fees Canadian Classic – Dave Sims). • Scott Helms from “The Scions of You could be returning the parts Lucas” sent an invite to all LBC owners to “Just get your British cars out on the You could... roads and drive them as much as you can”. This was in response to a Peter 1565 Hwy 5 West, RR#1 ...but why would you? Egan article in the March issue ‘Road Troy, Ontario, L0R 2B0 And Track’ when Peter was lamenting the fact that he doesn’t see old cars on We are your local source for quality parts and only stock Toll Free 1-888-485-2277 the road anymore. (During the many years that I subscribed to R&T it was Pe- Local: 905-627-9995 the best. When you consider the benefits of friendly local ter Egan’s articles that I read first – Dave 24hr Fax: 416-410-6479 service, no quibble exchanges, next day delivery or same Sims). E-mail: [email protected] day pick-up, plus great advice and customer service, • Glen Donaldson, a long-time TTC British Auto Sport is hard to beat. member wrote an article captioned “The road to Stowe is a many twisted thing” starting, “At long last the organ- Try us for your next project! isers of The British Invasion at Stowe finally got the day right (i.e. a week af- ter our British Car Day) and I was once again free to go to Stowe without feel- The Wedgetarian British Auto Sport ing as though I had sinned by missing Toll Free 1-888-485-2277 Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 35 BACK THEN WE WERE THE EXPERTS AT INSURING ‘57 CHEVYS
AND WE STILL ARE.
British Isles Show in March 2007 porate the Toyota Celica 20R engine and it! Some names from the past, but many A LOT OF INSURANCE COMPANIES SAY THEY KNOW CLASSIC AND ANTIQUE CARS. B UT WE BELIEV E NO ONE KNOW S THEM • Robin Searle invited TTC members for transmission into the GT6 body shell. Pre- members’ names you will recognise as be- BETTER THAN STATE FARM. A FTER ALL WE WERE INSURI NG MANY OF THESE CARS LONG BEFORE THEY BECAME CLASSIC S. a drive around Lake Ontario to celebrate liminary indications were that this project ing contributors to our club in 2017, and TTC’s 25th anniversary. (And 10 years later would work, but, as Tony pointed out, “This hopefully beyond. ragtop AND AS THE WORLD’S LARGEST CAR INSURE R, WE CURRENTLY INSURE WELL OVER 120,000 OF THESE UNIQUE MACHINE S. it’s time for the “big one” around Lake Su- is expected to be a WITH STATE FARM YOU ’RE ALWAYS SURE OF GETTING COVERAGE THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU --- AND YOUR CAR. AT SOME OF perior - well done Robin, he just won’t quit! multi-year project so THE MOST COMPE TIVE RATES AVAILA BLE. P ERHAPS THAT’S WHY SO MANY CLASSIC AND ANTIQUE CAR OWNERS INSIST ON – Dave Sims). I’m sure you will get INSURI NG THEIR AUTOMOT IVE TREASURE S WITH STATE FARM THAN WITH ANY OTHER COMPANY . • TTC participated in the British Isles to read about prog- SO CALL YOUR STATE FARM AGENT TODAY AND YOU ’LL LEARN THAT JUST LIKE SOME CARS, SOME INSURANCE COMPANIES Show in March at the CNE grounds. At- ress in future issues ONLY IMPROVE WITH AGE. tendance at the event was heavy and cars of Ragtop.” (I wonder featured included Rick Allison’s TR3, Wayne how it turned out? – McGill’s TR6 and Herald and Gary Brown’s Dave Sims) ZENON KOLTALO Austin 7. • In the classifieds, a AGENT • Tony Grosso’s GT6 rebuild feature be- lovely-looking French 702 BURNHAMTHORPE ROAD EAST, SUITE 7 STATE FARM gan “I’ll start this article with a disclaimer to Racing Blue 1975 (CORNER OF CAWTHRA ROAD) INSURANCE COMPANIES all Triumph purists. Read no further. But for TR6 was for sale for MISSISSAUGA, ON L4Y 2X3 CANADIAN HEAD OFFICES the rest of you please read on.” $29,999. Regularly 905-276-2440 FAX: 905-276-2450 : Tony goes on to explain how a Lowcost serviced by Phil Allen, [email protected] AURORA, ONTARIO 7 project turned into a Highcost 7 and in triple Webers and 160 the end, after acquiring a GT6 body shell, bhp, what’s not to like! decided to change direction and incor- So there you have Tony Grosso’s GT6 under restoration L IKE A GOOD N E IGHB OUR S T A TE F A R M IS T H ERE.
36 www.TorontoTriumph.com Ragtop I Spring I 2017 maintenance
that wire coming from the coil. When my the condenser. He’s my helper. He takes some might call it a changing of the guard. On points are closed, the electricity can flow of my work so I don’t get overloaded. Below the day that I am to be relieved, the distribu- from the ignition switch to the coil, through the condenser and me is the first floor. The tor cap and rotor are removed. The engine the coil, out to the distributor, to me, and advance weights work down there. They ad- is turned by hand (in the direction it rotates then to ground. vance my timing as the RPM’s go higher. while running) until one of the cam lobes is “When I open my contact points, all that Over my head the rotor is working on the facing me and the gap is wide open. Then I energy inside the coil suddenly has no place third floor. He sits on the top of the camshaft. am unscrewed from my place.” Moss Tech - to go. It’s like somebody slammed the door of When the cam turns so that a lobe is facing My replacement is put into my place and its escape. In layman’s terms, that forces all me, the rotor is pointing toward the corre- the screws are reinstalled. The screws are not that energy to come out of the top of the coil sponding terminal that connects the correct tightened. They are just snug. When I am re- in the form of one big spark.” spark plug wire to the correct spark plug. He lieved and the new guy is in place, the Master works alone which is probably a good idea. of Ceremonies calls out “POINT GAP?” A mo- So, when you open and close, and open He’s always racing around in circles up there.” ment later the point gap for the new points is Talking Points and close, the coil fires one time each read aloud from the sacred Shop Manual. It time you open. Right? If you guys work under the distributor can vary but it’s usually about 0.015 inches. “You’ve got it! When I’m closed the coil fills with cap it must be dark in there. The honor guard marches up with a feeler oday we have a set of ignition points can lead to detonation and harm to the en- “That’s right. It’s a very long piece of wire.” energy. When I’m open, the coil has lost it’s pre- “You might think so, but no. I’m opening thou- gauge that’s exactly the right size. The new Tin our shop. He’s agreed to let us ask him a gine. If the coil is firing the spark plugs late, ferred way to let that energy out, so it pushes it sands of times each minute. Each time I open, points are moved until the gap between the few questions. the motor will lose power. It would feel like So, what happens when the electric- out the coil tower on the top of the coil.” the coil fires once. That’s thousands of firings new points is at the specific gap. Then the you are towing a boat.” ity from our ignition switch goes to one per minute. All those firings are sent to the ro- screws are tightened. They usually use the Mr. Ignition Points, can you tell us what of the terminals of our coil? I assume it How do you know when to open? tor over our heads. As the rotor spins around, feeler gauge once again to make sure the your job is? What do you do in our car? Can you tell us, in simple terms, how you must run through that long wire and “As you know, I work inside the distributor. In sparks are flying out the end of the rotor and new points didn’t move while the screws “I tell the coil when to fire a spark.” do your job? comes out the other side of the coil. the middle of the distributor is a shaft that jumping to the terminals that live in the ceil- were tightened. The rotor is restored to its “Sure. It’s really not complicated. When you Right? rotates. It’s very much like a camshaft. In ing. Each firing goes to the correct spark plug place. The distributor cap is restored to its Is that a hard job? turn your key on, electricity goes to one of “That’s right. Electricity travels at almost fact, we call it the distributor cam. In a four- at the correct time, and lights up our work- place. The ceremony is over.” “It can be. When your four-cylinder motor is the two small terminals on your coil. Inside the speed of light. But, even at that speed it cylinder engine the cam has four lobes (high shop. It’s actually pretty and amazing.” spinning 3,000 RPM I have to command the the coil there is about a million miles of wire. needs a moment to fill that wire with electric- points). On a six-cylinder engine it has six How long does the points changing cer- coil to fire 6,000 times per minute. And… I That wire is wrapped around and around in- ity from one end to the other. When the coil is lobes, etc. As the cam goes around, the lobes How long do you have to work before emony last? have to make sure every one of those firings side the coil until the end of the wire comes full of electricity, the electricity can come out on the cam push my points open. When a you can retire? “If the screwdriver and the feeler gauge are is exactly on time. So, I guess you could say out the other small terminal on the coil.” the second side of the coil and go to the dis- lobe has passed, I am closed until the next “That’s a hard question to answer. We don’t present when we start, the ceremony lasts I’m pretty busy. It’s a lot of responsibility, but tributor. That’s where I work.” lobe comes along. It’s all pretty simple.” retire after a specific number of miles or a about ten minutes. It’s good that it’s so quick I like my job. I’m right I the middle of all the Forgive me for interrupting, but are you specific amount of time. We retire when we and easy, because everyone wants to take action.” saying the small terminal on one side of What do you do in there that makes the Do you work alone in there? are too tired to do our job correctly.” the new points out for a test drive.” my coil, and the small terminal on the coil fire? “Heavens, no. I’m a member of a terrific team. Why is being on time so important? other side of my coil, are two ends of the “I’m made of two contact points. One is con- I work with some really solid guys. I work on Do they have a party when you retire? – Reprinted with permission from Moss “If the coil is firing the spark plugs early, that same piece of wire? nected to ground. The other is connected to the second floor. I share my workspace with “It’s not a party. It’s kind of a ceremony. You Motors
Car Ignition System
38 www.TorontoTriumph.com Ragtop I Spring I 2017 Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 39 tech & resto EXOTIC Alexander Plestid Tel: 905.806.7127 MOTORWORKS Goodwood, Ontario AUTO
SALONby Roger Elliott
British & European Restoration & Service Specialists
Head Mechanic, Alex Our wealth of mechanical and restoration experience includes Plestid, formerly of the Triumph, Jaguar, MG, Austin Healey and Rolls Royce and many hit TV series Restoration others. When you entrust your special vehicle to Exotic Motorworks, Garage, has over 20 you can rest assured that we will treat your car like our very own! years of experience with Our passion for working on these vehicles and making them better than new, comes from our love of owning and driving them ourselves. all makes and models ing two Triumphs we had a double garage white primer with four light bulbs and along attached to the front of the existing single with two Triumphs had an accumulation of of Classic cars and has We would be pleased to answer any questions you might have. car garage a few years back. Our real es- “stuff”. I entertained Dawn with the fact we personally restored more Give us a call for directions to the British Barn or to make an pon returning from the 2015 tate listing would be brick bungalow on have two great looking cars, why not make appointment for a quotation. It will be our pleasure to meet other UCanadian Classic held in London, I sat in two acres with waterfront, one bath, one it into a car salon? She was in. than 150 cars to their vintage car enthusiasts and we look forward to helping you enjoy my garage as I had done at Steve Plun- bedroom and a three car garage. Every The Ability Centre is a great way of your passion for years to come! kett’s garage in London. He did not call it a guy’s dream! getting rid of stuff. I have frequented former glory garage but rather a car salon. After acquir- The double garage was painted in a the local store so often they have now
[email protected] Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 41
Exotic Motorworks 05.indd 1 16-04-07 10:19 AM 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 Heritage Approved, we are famous for high quality and reasonable prices, and we offer expert engine, gearbox, and rear axle rebuilds from our own shop, known as C.A.R. Components. Whether you show your car in concours events, enter it in competitive driving events, or drive it to work every day, you can do so with confidence, knowing that The Roadster Factory will always be here for you—on-line or just a phone call away.
a drive-through car port complete with of recycled paint and the price is right. This has been a long process but the Subscribe to TRF’s E-Mail Newsletter automatic sliding doors. I keep looking We consulted an interior designer at Ca- reward has been enormous. It was la- Every week, twelve-thousand Triumph and MG for a plaque on the wall that would give nadian Tire and chose Tremclad black bour intensive but very cost-effective. I enthusiasts in countries around the world receive an me some recognition. At the time, I was and red for the racing stripe. Dawn found now have no problem leaving my garage also reading a classic motor magazine door open and it is interesting to observe E-Mail Newsletter from Charles Runyan. The some retro light fixtures for a good price that was featuring a “show us your best and they blend in well. The rubber floor- the cars and motorcycles that now slow newsletter always includes wonderful offers on parts, garage” contest. The one guy intrigued ing was secured from Costco and oil drips down when they drive past our house. shipping deals, and other TRF news. The newsletter me with closets. You do not have to simply wipe off. Steve Plunkett has nothing on me man! includes links to current Web Site Specials and Weekend have open shelves that can be seen by The closets are a godsend. We were ragtop Features which change every week. To subscribe to the all and sundry. Put the things in a closet able to procure four used metal and close the doors; out-of-sight, out-of- newsletter, please follow the simple instructions found closets; three were already black mind. while the fourth was beige. I had on the TRF home page. Note that unsubscribing is also We painted the walls and ceiling in a lots of black Tremclad to remedy easy if you change your mind later. veil gray, this is one of the standard col- the issue. The shelves are adjust- ors that Rona carries which is made up able, so even lawn chairs can be Join TRF Car Club stored. On a trip to the wrecker’s Hundreds of customers of The Roadster Factory yard I scored myself an alumi- belong to TRF Car Club. The club exists to promote num car rim for $20 which I then painted in Tremclad red and it TRF Customer loyalty, and it includes $300.00 in gift makes a cool hose reel. Dawn certificates each year that you can use as cash to also purchased an old Triumph purchase parts. Dues are $100.00 per year, but you also bicycle made in England for $50 get a parts credit in the amount of $100.00 every year and it is now part of the salon. after the first. You will receive a membership card and The cabinets over the work bench were my only new buy, sticker. Beautiful club logo. Great T-shirts available. and Dawn fitted a curtain under Please join on-line, or just phone the sales line, and ask the workbench to cover the car to join TRF Car Club… ramps, compressor, etc. A cur- tain was also installed providing a separation between the two The Roadster Factory garages. Of all the “stuff” I got rid P.O. Box 332, Armagh, Pennsylvania, 15920, U.S.A. off was half a GT6 spoiler. I guess Telephone: (800) 234-1104 • Fax: (814) 446-6729 you never know when you are going to need one? Internet: www.the-roadster-factory.com Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 43 tech & resto
After some deep thought this is the se- Alternative Method of quence that I followed: 1. Jack up the front suspension a bit to get access to the two inner nuts securing the pan to the wishbones Removing the Front 2. Remove the two 3/8 “ nuts securing the inner edge of the pan and lower the jack 3. Replace the four 2 1/4 “ bolts one at a time and substitute with 3 1/4 “ bolts (shimmied with a slightly Suspension Coil Spring larger nut) and tighten 4. Place a jack under the trunnion 5. Undo the nuts gradually and sequentially lower by John Lille the jack at the same time 6. Remove the nuts and bolts 7. Remove the pan and spring, after raising the his past summer my 1967 Triumph studs in the lower spring pan assembly assembly a bit to clear the inner holes of the pan from TR4AT developed some disconcerting securing the bottom end of the shock ab- the two wishbones studs. squeaks and groans coming from the front sorber. Thus I was unable to use it. Being suspension region. Thus I readied myself somewhat impatient to get on with the Since doing this I have built an adapter for yet another project. task at hand, I remembered that some 45 that can be use with the borrowed spring The borrowed front spring compres- years earlier, I managed to remove the compressor. Stay tuned for a follow-up re- sion tool did not quite fit the four threaded spring without any special tools. port. ragtop
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44 www.TorontoTriumph.com Ragtop I Spring I 2017 Ragtop I Spring I 2017 www.TorontoTriumph.com 45 tail lites Compiled by Hedgehog Moss Triumph parts After 5 years of compiling the Tail Lites to mechanical maintenance has rendered drive into the ocean to slow the car down. column on Triumph and other motoring the typical tune-up obsolete. No longer do Amazingly, he was still able to hit 200.668 trivia, Terence McKillen has passed pen and car owners worry about burned up points, mph on this first run, and 207.015 on the paper over to a new compiler. Thanks to all greasing fittings, and topping off batteries. return run. These runs were then averaged at the best prices who have offered contributions and sup- While your typical 1960s steel-laden steed for a speed of 203.792 mph. The driver sat ported the column over the years. Hedge- required constant attention to keep in run- between the front and rear engines, which hog can be reached c/o AssistantEditor@ ning condition, today’s drivers are lucky created a unique driving experience. The TorontoTriumph.com. to only change the windshield wipers, or car weighs over three tons but has a long, While the preceding pages should mop maybe replace a timing belt at about the streamlined body that earned it the nick- in Canada up most of the club news, Triumph-specific mileage when the vintage pushrod engine name “The Slug.” The car’s restoration be- fun and the odd LBC reference, this column would have needed a top-end rebuild. gan at the end of March this year. It is tre- attempts to capture a few fringe items you Strikingly, many of today’s new cars of- mendous that this historic motoring icon may have missed as they flew by. fer no advice for engine break-in. While it will be restored to its original glory, and may still be a good idea to take certain pre- anyone who wants to see it can visit the In Your Rearview - cautions on a brand new engine you likely National Motoring Museum. Remember when safety equipment in new will not find it in the owner’s manual for source: carbuzz.com vehicles amounted to a couple of seat your new car and if you do, the prescrip- belts—basic lap belts that cost extra to tions are certainly more lax than those set First drive of the season – install? Forget any seat belts in the back, for the cars of the 1960s. It appears that a few TTC members took ad- unless you wanted to pay extra. One of the source: historicvehicles.org vantage of the exceptionally mild weather big reasons why base prices on cars from on February 23rd, despite there still being the 1950s and 1960s seem so low is be- The Slug - salt on the roads, to take their Triumphs cause almost everything was optional. The first car to shatter the 200 mph bar- out for the first airing of the season. Mike Basic car prices didn’t include a heater, rier was the Ferrari F40 in 1987... or was it? Pearse posted on the TTC Facebook page, cigarette lighter (even though 50% of The F40 was the first road car to reach this “Although I missed the nicest part of this adults smoked in the 1960s), seat belts milestone. In fact, the first 200 mph run record smashing 18C/64F degree day, I (nobody bought or wore them anyway), took place 60 years before the F40. 2017 could not resist the lure of dry roads. Hurry rearview mirror, and certainly not a radio marks the 90th anniversary of the first time up spring!” If you were out and about earli- (which would have been AM only when 200 mph was reached by any car. The car er in the season and wish to claim the “early purchased). Except for more luxurious is known as the Sunbeam 1000hp, and it bird” prize, let us know! brands, floors were covered with rubber currently resides in the National Motor Mu- mats unless you ordered carpet. Whitewalls, seum (Beaulieu, UK). A large fancy trim and full-wheel covers (instead of dog-dish hubcaps) were all extra cost. Even selection of backup lights cost extra on many cars. Car enthusiasts love to wax nostalgic about old-time gas stations where young TRs for sale! men in coveralls used to cheerily pop the hood to give the engine a once-over while This incredible car was powered by two Always more they filled the tank and squeegeed the Sunbeam Matabele V12 aero engines. Each Improving horse power – windshield. But there was a really good 22.5-liter engine produced 435 hp which Wayne McGill found this YouTube link reason why everything under the hood combined to drive the rear wheels through (https://youtu.be/efIJHf7h5kI) to a Fifth Gear arriving. needed checking at almost every gas a three-speed gearbox and chain drive episode from the UK’s Channel 4 hosted by stop—old engines demanded it. transmission. It didn’t quite make 1,000 hp, Jason Plato who took a 1995 VW Corrado The pushrod engines we love so much but this was still an impressive machine. VR6 (the last production year) which had required much more frequent mainte- On March 29th 1927, 30,000 people a rated output of 190 bhp when new and nance and attention than our current gathered at Daytona Beach to watch Major subjected it to three simple maintenance daily drivers. Tighter manufacturing toler- Henry Segrave set a land speed record in procedures which resulted in a 7% gain in Drakes’ British Motors Inc. ances, the incorporation of sophisticated the Sunbeam 1000hp. On the first run, Seg- overall horsepower, bringing it back to al- (250)763-0883 Ph., (250)861-8051 Fax, email [email protected] electronics, and a market frankly averse rave faced strong winds that forced him to most original specification.ragtop 2286 K.L.O. Road, Kelowna, B.C., V1W 3Z7 WWW.DRAKESBRITISHMOTORS.COM 46 www.TorontoTriumph.com Ragtop I Spring I 2017
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