Over a beer with Fatboyslim

Since the paintshop debacle the estate project's really been on hold. Although I have the money back, I cannot get motivated to get on with the car, and I am having trouble getting another paintshop which has time to take the car in. In a sense the lack of paintshop progress has been used as an excuse not to do anything with the car.

The amount of weekend work that I have had hasn't helped matters either.

If I hang on for another paintshop to be ready, many more months will have passed and no more work will have been done on the car.

So after a pint or two with Dave Pearson at the Manor House the other night, and after discussions about the RBRR and other Triumph related matters a cunning plan has been hatched.

I have made the decision to complete the car, but with the paint in its current state. At a later date I'll have a respray done of the exterior only. As the bonnet hasn't been painted at all, it may mean running it with a black bonnet like the Swiss car, but at least it will be on the road and running.

In a sense the car is quite near completion, but there are lots and lots of jobs that do need attending to.

So the way forward is going to be something like this:-

1). Get the heads finished - these had the porous areas welded up, and other work done, but I am left with mis-shaped combustion chambers - they need grinding and polishing, and chambers equalising .

2). Finish the engine when the heads are on, I already have the carbs done by Andrew Turner and ready for fitment

3). Then get the car off to an exhaust fabricator for a full system, manifolds and all, the exhaust people aren't too busy at present at the end of the motorsport season.

4). While this is ongoing complete the other small jobs to be done
a). one last brake line
b). test the electrics
c). fit the headlining (I may replace the botched tailgate hinges at this point too)
d). bleed the brakes
e). fire the engine up
f). complete the interior
g). fit the bumpers
h) fetch and fit my new windscreen - thanks to Ted

and finally drive the car !

you see there really isn't that much left to do!

It needs an MOT, an inspection by the Club to prove its authenticity and get the old registration back.

Completion IS going to be late spring, so it can have a few miles put on it before attending the Triumph 2000 register National, and its going to do the RBRR next year (assuming I get a place).

I have found a few more goodies for the car in recent months:-

A NOS drivers parcel shelf - this needs the crash rail fitting from my existing one, pity about all the repair work that I undertook on the original shelf

A pair of NOS original triumph front seat belts

So there we are, that's whats going to happen, ongoing support, and progress inspection visits from you lot are now required to keep me on track and the car going forward