THE TRIUMPH TRUMPET October 2007 The Magazine of the Triumph Car Club of Victoria Inc. POSTPRINT APPROVED PP341403/0014 Suggested Price $1.00 TRIUMPH SPARES P/L Triumph FULL RANGE OF NEW AND USED PARTS FOR ALL MODELS MECHANICAL REPAIRS 77-79 STATION STREET FAIRFIELD VIC 3078 PHONE (03) 9486 3711 FACSIMILE (03) 9486 3535 PRESENT YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARD TO RECEIVE A DISCOUNT The Triumph Car Club of Vic toria is a par tic i pat ing mem ber of the As so ci a tion of Mo tor ing TRUM PET Clubs Delegates: Syd Gallagher and Terry Hickey. Journal of the Triumph Car Club of Victoria, Inc The Triumph Car Club is an Au thor ised Club under the Table of Contents VicRoads’ Club Per mit Scheme. Roger’s Ramblings 3, 22 Club Permit Sec retary, Syd Tony’s Triumphant Tales 5 Gallagher, phone – 9772 6537. Minutes of September General Meeting 6-7 Articles in the Tri umph Trumpet Coming Events 8-9 may be quoted without per mis sion, Coming Event - EMR #4 - The Woodend Run 9 how ev er, due ac knowl edg ment must be made. Coming Event – Drive Another Day 10 Cooling System Maintenance 10 This magazine is pub lished Past Events 11 every month, ex cept De cem ber, and is mailed on the Tues day Understanding the Functions of Multimeters 12-15 pre ced ing the Club’s monthly TR4A Restoration 16-17 Gen er al Meet ings. Col la tion Fraser’s Fragments 17-18 is the evening before mail ing 1958 Peerless 19 day, and ar ti cles should reach Tyre Degradation 20-21 the Editor by the Deadline date The Heyday of Triumphs 23 re ferred to in the Ed i to ri al. Weekly Times Preview 23 Index of Club Services Life Members of the Club Regalia 24-25 Triumph Trading 26 Triumph Car Club of Members Information 28 Victoria Committee & Contacts BC Lionel Westley = Fay Seeley .. John Seeley Index to Ad ver tis ers Triumph Spares Pty. Ltd. IFC Correspondence: Triumph Care 2 British Auto Care 4 Triumph Car Club of Victoria Capital Access Group 4 Inc. A.J. Ansell Automotive Panels 16 PO Box 336 Vanguard Triumph Wholesalers P/L 27 Malvern Vic 3144 Spitfi re Parts and Information IBC Reg. No. A0003427S For the Preservation of the Triumph Marque October 2007 The Triumph Trumpet 1 THIS MONTHS COVER PHOTO The end of a saga, fi ve years in the making. David Broughton’s epic experience in rebuilding a TR4A draws to a close, with the car getting registered. Chapter 19 of his story is on pages 16 and 17. Photo by David Broughton ... ARTICLES WANTED ... Interesting articles & photos of a TRiumphant nature!! This is YOUR chance to earn points for the Peter Shipley Award!! So put pen to paper, finger to key and send your articles/photos to the awaiting Editor, Roger McCowan, email: [email protected] Triumph TRIUMPH CARE NEW & USED PARTS AND RE PAIRS FOR MKI, MKII, 2000, 2.5, DOL O MITE, TR7, STAG & ROVER SD1 Triumphs For Sale, from Very Good Large Range of Motor Magazines Restoration Projects, up to Road worthy (Aust, UK, & USA) Featuring Ar ti cles and Registered standard. and Road Tests for all model Triumphs and Rovers. Please enquire for details. All enquiries: Ask for Barry 11 Bamfi eld Road Tel. (03) 9737 1767 or Mobile 0419 114 891 Mt. Evelyn 2 The Triumph Trumpet October 2007 ROGER’S RAMBLINGS hen we founded the TCCV nearly 25 engineers have managed to produce cars that Wyears ago, we set the Club’s vision can be “preserved”, rather than being disposed as “For the Preservation of the Triumph of in land-fi ll after a few years, because they marque”, noting that in 1983, Triumph cars are easy to work on (when you need to), and were no longer in production. Just over a are such wonderful cars overall. decade later, I was involved in the founding If we consider the products of the Australian of another voluntary organisation, the Systems Motor Industries’ (AMI) fold from 35 years ago, Engineering Society of Australia. Just over what do we see? AMI put together Ramblers, a week ago, SESA held its 13th annual Asia Triumphs, and Toyotas. So, where are they Pacifi c Conference, with the theme “Complex today? There are still a handful of Ramblers Systems and Sustainability”. So in part, the around, Toyota have strived to produce cars delegates considered both the side effects with outstanding quality and reliability, and of our current [unsustainable] development, succeeded, which accounts for the fact that and the sorts of things engineers need to do they now have 25% of the Australian car from now on in order to achieve sustainable market! But on a percentage basis, I would development. In case you haven’t caught up, hazard to suggest that, of the cars produced the United Nations’ defi nition of Sustainable by AMI, there are more Triumphs on the road Development is “development that meets the now than either of the other two (i.e. ratio of needs of the present without compromising the cars still registered to cars originally produced). ability of future generations to meet their own What has happened to all the 1970’s Corollas, needs”. I mention this because of Triumph’s Coronas, and Crowns? Wasted! engineers. Until 2001, all my cars had been Triumphs. These engineers were particularly innovative Since then I have had the opportunity to lease amongst the world’s automotive engineers, a vehicle as part of an employment package. bringing to production cars many new For four years, I had a Toyota Avalon, and developments (full synchromesh gearboxes, for the past two years, a Corolla Sportivo. independent front and independent rear Yes, they have been reliable, but they have suspensions, disk brakes, petrol injection, also been regularly serviced at the prescribed multi-valve engines, etc.). Although they didn’t intervals. Early next year, we are planning to particularly set out to aspire to sustainable drive around Tasmania, taking the 2500S as it development (this phrase and defi nition only has more space than the Corolla. When my happened in the mid 1980s), they actually did. son queried me about the relative reliabilities As Fraser points out in his “Fragments” article of the Triumph and the Toyota, noting that the on page 18 regarding the 2000/2500 Saloon, 2500 is currently up on blocks to get the power “This model remains a wonderful touring car steering rack overhauled and the brakes redone, and a very practical and versatile design. And I pointed out that I have driven the 2500S up they are relatively easy to work on and cheap and back from Canberra umpteen times over the to fi x with good parts availability.” Our culture past twelve months of working there, racking until now has very much been “Take – Make up over 25,000Km and doing nothing more – Waste”, which is against all the principles than check and top up oil, water, etc. In the of sustainable development, yet Triumph’s Continued on page 22 October 2007 The Triumph Trumpet 3 British Auto Care The Triumph BRITISH Specialist AUTO CARE 1/51 McCarthy Road Salisbury Qld Australia 4107 Ph 07 3274 2828 Fax 07 3277 5344 Spares ... new, used, and re con di tioned Email [email protected] Quality Repairs & Restorations URL 222.bac.com.au COMMERCIAL FINANCE Quickly, Easily & Competitively Financing all types of vehicles and equipment: Motor Vehicles - new, used & Classic cars Trucks and Buses - new and used Boats and Aircraft - new and used Mobile Cranes - new and used Earth Moving Equipment - new and used APPROVEDWood working equipment - new and used Injection Moulders - new and used Portable Buildings Computers Tony O’Connor - Finance Broker Shops and Offi ce Fitouts Mobile: 0414 322 923 Generators Ph: 03 9888 6411 Fax: 03 9888 5633 Food Service Equipment Email: [email protected] CAPITAL ACCESS GROUP 4 The Triumph Trumpet October 2007 TONY’S TRIUMPHANT TALES t is the time of month when I put pen to paper driving right up to the point when we arrive in Iand already I wonder how it was that our past our drive and turn off the motor. president, Bob rattled off his monthly report As members of a car club we have an even with such ease. I have been trying to think of greater responsibility to drive safely and should something to write for a couple of weeks and lead by example. Our neighbours and friends fortunately it came to me this morning whilst know we are car enthusiasts and rather than driving into the offi ce. At a set of traffi c lights race off up the street at a million miles an hour I witnessed a touch of frustration between two with our hair on fi re we should cruise away at drivers which was a case of road rage on the 40kph. I am not trying to be a ‘holier than thou part of one of the drivers. Pointless I thought, type wowser’, because I too like the occasional what an idiot; why can’t he get a life! spirited drive, but there is a time and place for I am sure we have all seen this, been on the everything. Above all we should remember receiving end or perhaps even the giving end. that possessing a driver’s licence is a privilege, There must be a reason why this occurs. not a right. Perhaps it is a chemical imbalance on the part This month we have an opportunity to of the ‘road rager’.