10 countries run part 2

Having arrived in Cortina, Italy yesterday we hit the town and managed to find a few of the other teams for some beers and then a very nice meal. 

The Hotel was a bit tired but then they all seem to be like that in Cortina. It's a ski resort that's been around for years and doesn't have any new modern Hotels. Ours wS Ok but definitely a bit dated but the breakfast was good. 

Like most teams we were late at the start, an 8:15 start a few km away is just not feasible when brekkie in the hotel doesn't start until 7:30. We were lucky some of the other hotels where other teams were staying had even later breakfasts. 

Anyway we were only about 46 minutes late. The day started with some driving through the Dolomite mountains.

Here is a Dolimite in the Dolomites!

After some horrible traffic jams between the mountains and the motorway we got to the Alps for more mountain

Passes. Howard drove to start with then I took over for the famous Timmelsjoch pass between Italy and Austria, as I was driving I didn't take pictures!

After the Timmelsjoch it was across Austria and up through Germany to Ulm. 

Checked into the hotel which is budget with a very small "b" ! Still a few beers and a meal

In a local Greek restaurant hit the spot.

Club Triumph 10CR

Certainly a stressful and difficult start to the run. Well not even the start but pre start issues.  The charge light had come on a few times intermittently on the way to Dover but seemed to have settled down so we ignored the warining. However shortly after arriving in the EU it stayed on. The battery co diction meter also dropped so we needed a new Alternator. Fortunately one of the other teams arrived at a Belgian motorway services we were parked at and had a spare ( cheers Raider) , unfortunately having changed  ( including modifying the mounts from a 2000 saloon it still didn't work. We continued on our way to the pre start hotel thinking we'd find one at the start.

Unfortunately the car ran out of electrickery 800 yards from the hotel. We took our overnight bags and all valuables on a long wAlk to the hotel. Result was Mikey B and Dave Jones were in the same hotel

Even better Dave had a spare which we fitted in the morning and with alternator number 3 all was well.

Changing the alternator the 1st time.

After the change we arrived at the start in Holland and had a great run through Germany during the day and then through the Czech Republic that night.

En route in Germany.

Then it was via Austria overnight and into Slovenia that morning. Slovenia was really pretty and excellent mountain driving roads .

Slovenia

Then it was into Italy for more great driving. The car was going great so all ready for Day 3 tomorrow 

Italy

. 

Underway on the 10CR

After a change of team and car we are now on our way to the 10 Countries Run start,

Unfortunately Bill Goodwin had to drop out so we are no

Longer using his car and the team now consists of the 2 co drivers, me and Howard Brissenden and we are using Howard's TR7 convertible. 

We are now at a Hotel in Ashford ready to make a short drive to Dover to pick up the Ferry and a drive across to our pre start Hotel near Aachen. The run proper starts on Thursday morning just over the Dutch Border. 

Then it's a drive through Germany and Czech Republic, overnight through Austria, Slovenia on Friday morning and arrive in our Hotel in Cortina Italy on Friday night. Then across the Alps through Austria and Germany. Overnight stop Saturday, then back to Holland via France, Luxembourg and Belgium to finish Sunday night. Ferry back to Blighty on Monday

TriumFest 2015

Just arrived home after a good weekend away at TriumFest, Donnington Circuit. I had the kids for the weekend so had to use the "Flying Log", a pity as it would have been nice to be able to use the GT6 for the laps around the Heritage Loop Circuit and on the Autosolo.

As I had to wait for the kids to finish school on the Friday before leaving and as last years journey on the Friday was horrendous I opted to stay in a nearby Premier Inn on the Friday night at Asby de la Zouch. Obviously not alone in my thinking as when we arrived there was Dave Aspinal's 2.5pi parked in the car park. Had a nice meal with the kids on Friday night and a nice big breakfast early on Saturday before the short drive up to Donnington. James' idea of a breakfast was a fry up and 7 blueberry muffins!, well I suppose he is a growing teenager.

Once arriving at Donnington we quickly put the tents up for the weekend and headed for the Festival. Lost Alice for most of the weekend though as she was off with her freinds Olivia and Grace.

James and I wandered around the show and I had a few laps of the Heritage Loop in the Flying Log and also a go at the autosolo. I was breifly the second fastesst Triuph in the auto sol, not bad for an underpowered Dolly 1500. Not sure where we ended up but we were 3rd fastest Triumph when we left the autoslo.

Driving the Heritage loop in the "Flying Log"

Dave Aspinal onm the Heritage loop in his Mk1 2.5pi

Garth Jupp having a go on the autosolo in his Herald convertible, his was the faststes Triumph at one point on Saturday not sure if he stayed fastest or not though.

Had a few more wanders around the show, lots of nice GT6s.

Love this sticker in Roy Lacey's MK1

A few more cars at the show.

Well Sorted 1300 FWD

Lee Godfrey's superb Mk1 2000 auto.

The Ligntnin' McQueen GT6/Spit now has a trailer!

Kirk Baker in his Toledo

Then after the show it was tome for a Barbeque around the tents and a few tinnies, followed by a wander over the the beer and cider festival on the campsite and then up to the pary night with a live band. Alice certainly had a good boogie.

Careful Nev!

Alice having a boogie with Kirsty

It was a bit of a wet night but we were snug and dry in the tents, Then next day it was a wander around the show for a couple of hours before leaving around lunchtime to make sure I didn't get back too late as the kids have school in the morning. An enjoyable weekend.

MOT for the "Log" and Ace Cafe

Good Day for Triumphing today.

The "Flying Log" Dolomite passed it's MOT this morning, best  thing though which I didn't notice unril I got home was the invoice that accompanied the certificate. Check out the Make and Model, certainly made me chuckle, cheers to Jim Phillips who owns and runs Moonface Service Centre for adding a bit of humour...

Then it was on to the world famous Ace cafe on the North Circular for the annual Triumph Day. I had expected to have to use the Flying Log for this event as I was scheduled to have both my kids, however Alice deceided she didn't want to go and agreed to stay with her Mum for the afternoon leaving me free to take James in the GT6.

Less of a turnout than in previopus years but quire a few Dolomites. I particularly liked this Magenta Sprint, very nice.

 Afew more pictures...

Of course one of the best things about the Ace Cafe is the food. James and I tucked into the Chilli, Chips and Cheese, well yummy.

Reversing sunlight damage

A common issue with Triumph Dolomites is that the Sun can damage the top of the rear seat if the car is regularly parked outside in the summer.

The slopping  rear window focuses the sunlight on the nylon corduroy seat material and basically melts it resulting in damage like below.

The big issue is that new seat covers are not available, the corduroy pattern material is not available to trimmers (even though Newton Commercial make it and use it in their GT6 seat covers they wont sell the material to anyone!) and decent second hand seat backs are becoming rare.

I therefore decided on a different approach. I purchased some brown vinyl leathercloth at Stoneleigh and some brown piping on ebay. I trimmed the top of the seat back with a strip of leathercloth edged with the piping.

I'm pretty pleased with the result as it looks like it was supposed to be trimmed in that way!

Re-trimming the top of the seat back.

Seat back re-trimmed

Fitted in the car

Fitted in the car