Nearly time

What a lot of Triumphs entered for the run this year, quite a sight!

And the there were 2

A slight set back for team flying log before we even start. Mark has been rather ill overnight with a tummy bug and his wife Sam and little boy Charlie also look to be coming down with the bug.

So looks like we are down to a 2 man team, harder work but 48 hours in a car with a sick bucket isn't going to work. 

I'm wondering if it's possible to meet up with Mark in the West Country on Sunday  so he can drive some of the run back up to Knebworth if he is feeling better, we'll see. 

Get well soon Mark, Sam and little Charlie

Ready to Go - Britain here we come

It's the night before the big event, the Flying Log is prepared, cleaned, stickered up, packed and ready to go. 2,000 miles in 48 hours. Leaving from from Knebworth at around 6pm up to John O'Groats for breakfast, down to Lands end via Wales for breakfast the follwing day and back to Knebworth in time for Dinner.

It's sitting a bit low at the back with a full set of tools including a trolley jack and axle stands, lots of spares, oils, coolant, brake fluid and other topping up stuff, a full petrol can and a full tank of fuel.

Ready to go and sitting low!

Snacks have also been bought to keep the drivers sustained throughout the journey, especially through the night in the wilds of the Scottish Highlands and Wales where nothing will be open.

Snacks!

The sponsorship had reached £555 last time I looked so thanks you to our generous sponsors. Fingers crossed I'll get approved for some matched sponsorship from Vodafone under a company scheme that matches up to £350 , not guaranteed but I did manage to obtain it last time I did the event so fingers crossed. With a few last minute sponsors we may even get close to the £1,000!

Now time for some sleep before the off tomorrow.

Being fair to the GT6

As the flying log was fitted with a nice little unobtrusive rein 12v socket last week the GT6 was feeling left out. So I've just fitted a similar one in the GT

Even more unobtrusive than the one in the Dolomite, socket under the dash following the angle slope...

Getting the "Flying Log" ready for the RBRR

The Round Britain Reliability Run is only a month away now so I've been spending quite a bit of time getting the Flying Log ready for the event.

Firstly there was the small matter of an MOT! The Log failed back in June, there was some imbalance in the brakes and some corrosion around the rear front subframe mounts on the chassis legs. Although known as Chassis legs  it's actually part of the body as the Dolomite doesn't have a separate Chassis.

For the brakes I replaced the shoes and pads and seals on one caliper (The other caliper was replaced recently with a recon unit). For the corrosion I got the MOT centre (Moonface) to do the work, I supplied new polybush subframe mounts.

Repaired Chassis leg with new Polybush subframe mounts.

On the retest there was still an issue with the handbrake. Moonface sorted this out, it transpired that the previous owner had inadvertently swapped over the adjuster threaded ratchets between sides. So they were un-adjusting rather than adjusting the handbrake each time it was applied! I know I didn't do this as I've only ever stripped down one side at a time! Anyway all done now and a fresh MOT was in place at the end of July.

There has been an advisory on the last 3 MOTs of excess play on an inner track rod ball joint. I fixed this now, but had difficulty undoing the retaining nut which is rather large 1 5/16 AF. I bought a second hand spanner on ebay for the job which sorted that though!

I had a Piranha electronic ignition pack up on me a couple of tyears ago and have been sticking with points and condenser since. But for the RBRR I splashed out on an Accuspark electronic ignition system. It was a bargain as they had an offer on with 4 Accuspark triple electrode spark plugs included for £1 more than the cost of the ignition. So I also fitted these.

Accuspark Electronic  Ignition system added.

I will keep the points and condenser in the car as a spare in case of electronic ignition system failure, a lesson learnt from the earlier Pirahna failure!

Other jobs included fitting new front wheel bearings, adjusting the tappets, balancing and tuning the carbs with my Weber syncrometer and colortune, Topping up the gearbox oil and checking the diff oil (didn't need a top up).

I also fitted an uprated Alternator (55A vs the standard 35A) , I'll carry the standard one as a spare.

I fitted a Fire extinguisher as I found one cheap in Lidl for £8.99!

£8.99 Fire Extinguisher fitted, Lidl Bargain!

I fitted a twin 12v Socket under the dash, a pretty unobtrusive unit. I wired it up to only be live with the ignition on and used a natty combined relay and fuse holder unit to ensure that the full current isn't carried through the ignition switch. My "inconsiderate" teenage daughter left her hairdryer at her Mum's house which prevented me neatening off the crimp connectors with heatshrink so for the time being I've used insulating tape to hold some heatshrink in place to be shrunk later!

Unobtrusive double 12v socket

Combined Relay/Fuse holder unit.

One of my Co-Drivers, Mark Smith, came over to check over the car, always good to have a 2nd pair of eyes. He did find that one of the front brake flexi pipes looks suspect and the other was twisted. I must have twisted it when I removed the caliper to fit the wheel bearing. Anyway I decided to order two new aeroquip hoses which will be fitted when they arrive this week.

Apart from that the rest of the prep will be the last minute top ups, tyre pressures, rainex etc. Not sure whether to change the oil and filter at this stage, it was only changed with fresh Valvoline VR1 and Unipart filter  about 700 miles ago and the oil looks pretty clean. However I do have a filter and some Valvoline VR1 ready in case I do decide on a change.

Sacrificial clamps!!!

Last time I completed the RBRR in the Dolomite we had a bit of an issue with the exhaust grounding out on the bumpy minor roads of Scotland and Cornwall. It had never been an issue except on the RBRR when the car was loaded up with lots of heavy tools, spares, fluids (Oil, petrol, Water, antifreeze, brake fluid etc) and 3 big blokes.

At the end of the run the rear box which hangs down pretty low on a Dolly 1500 or 1850 had taken quite a beating with a big flat dented on the bottom LH corner and quite a bit of scrape wear from the roads.

Damaged Rear Box after the last RBRR

Not wanting a repeat this year with the risk of the rear box wearing through I decided to put some protection in place.

Initially my thoughts were to make up some kind of skid pan. But then I thought lets just get some giant exhaust clamps big enough to go around the box which is a round profile. The clamps can then be sacrificed to take the wear.

Giant Exhaust Clamp

Sacrificial Clamps in Place

A busy few weeks and a set back for the "Flying Log"

The Blog has been a bit quiet lately, that's because I've been too busy actually using the Triumphs.

May Bank Holiday weekend was the Isle of Wight Camping weekend, had my usual pilgrmage over there with the Kids in the Flying Log. As usual a really great weekender.

On the Road in convoy in the "Log", pretty close to that Van!

Triumphs arriving at Black Gang Chine

Triumphs at Areton Barns craft centre

More convoy action, Alice hitches a lift with Alan in his Spitfire

The following weekend was the SEM (South of England Meet) weekend at Leatherhead. I went along to this in the GT6 as I had a kid free weekend. It was the first of the GT6 50th anniversary celebration meets this year as well.

Celebrating 50 years of the GT6

GT6s at SEM

GT6s at SEM

Over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May I visited Crystal Palace for the "Motorsport at the Palace event" Crystal Palace is actually a historic race venue and used to be a Grand Prix circuit back in the day. Once a year there is an annual sprint held there. Lots of various cars taking part from old historic single seaters, through classics to modern day cars such as Imprezza's etc and even a BMR i8.

One competitor well known in TSSC and Club Triumph Circles was John Davies in his Vitesse (known as "Son of Silverback"). There were a few other Triumphs racing too.

In good company in the car park

Nice TR3

This TR4 was competing

TR6 approaching the chicane

John Davies in Son of Silverback leaving the start

John negotiates the Chicane testing the suspension!

TR4 at the Chicane

The following weekend I went to a regular general classic car meet near me for the first time. The Crotch Cooler Classic Car Sunday meet at the Departure Lounge Cafe Alton. A very well turned out meet and I'm sure I'll be back.

Arriving at the Crotch Cooler in the GT6 (Picture courtesy of Chris Knowles)

Tidy TR6

Nice TR4

Very well turned out MK3 Spitfire

Dolly Sprint

A good turn out

Then this weekend it was another of my favourite events, the annual Ace Cafe Triumph Day. Managed to get along to this in the GT6.

Ace Cafe

Marks's lovely MK3 at the Ace

Arty Shot at the Ace

A great historic venue for a car meet.

Saturday wasn't all good though. It was time for the "Flying Log's" MOT and it failed this year. A few issues with brake inbalance and the handbrake should be easily fixed. However there is a bit of tin worm underneath. The "Chassis leg" type box sections where the rear of the front subframe attach are corroded and will need some welding, I'll get Jim down at Moonface to do this bit as I'm not much of a welder....