Late one!

It's 6.30 in the evening here at Canleys, the day shift have long gone and I'm sat here trying to think of some content for another one of our on-line newsletters. To be honest it's a bit of a relief to be sat here at the computor for a change after a hot and sweaty day stripping 4 cyl engines and later on this afternoon Type 14 Girling calipers. Didn't start the day well as the first two 1300's I stripped were thrusted, never mind only another 1,000 or so 4 cylinders in stock to go at! I suppose we should be putting thrusted blocks to one side for the future when we might have to repair them, but with a pile of blocks that resembles the north face of the Eiger to go at it shouldn't be a problem for a decade or two! Besides which if I get my way you will all be buying aluminum blocks and cylinder heads off us long before that.

Another picture of the Triumph Museum extension progress follows showing all of the internal walls completed. Total size of the extension I measure at about 800 sq ft or enough to get 6 cars in comfortably with plenty of space to walk around.There wont be any more progress reports for a couple of weeks as our builders have now gone off on their summer holidays!

More Phase 11 progress

Just wondered accross to see how things are coming along with the building work on the museum extension, impressive progress! Two thirds of the walls are up and the rest should be finished by close of play today. Then we have a week's lay off as our builders are on their annual holidays.
I think I caused a little confusion with my last but one post about my trip up to TD Fitchetts and my subsequent woes with the alternator on the 13/60 Estate. It has come to our attention that some of you now assume that we supply Fitchett's with all their part's, nothing could be futher from the truth! In fact we sell them parts in roughly equal value to what we buy from them, and that's true of a lot of the inter trade supply. As trade wholesalers we sell more of what we produce or have produced for us into the trade than we source from that trade. Fitchetts are also one of the few Triumph traders that are also in that position. It might surprise you to know that much of what you buy for your Herald/Vitesse/Spitfire/GT6 etc, regardless from which retailer, comes at source from very few net manufacturers/trade suppliers. There may be anything up to 30 or more retailers out there but the vast majority of them won't have a press shop next door, or a polishers and platers to hand, or access to a machine shop, you get my drift.
Museum progress

Need a job?

Fancy a job in the classic car industry, more specifically in the Triumph game? Despite slashing the advertising budget, and keeping our heads down for a while regarding classic mag editorial, we are still going great gun's trade wise. It just seems exponential, never been so busy, to the point now that if the right candidates were to come along then we would seriously need to think about hiring some much needed help. Can't really target at the moment which bit of the business needs the most help, most departments seem to be as busy as the others. You tell us what you could do for us and we might be able to squeeze you in. Chief qualifications are an unbounding enthusiasm for all things Triumph, and a proven work record in your particular skill ( hopefully in a similar industry). Think about it, you could be turning your hobby into your livelihood, that's the Canley Classics moto, enthusiasts working for and with other enthusiasts. Come and help take the strain, I need a day off!
Remember last night Blog pictures of Karl literally burning the midnight oil in an attempt to get his race car up and running after its engine rebuild? Well it's great to report that he got it finished and got over to Mallory today to put in some running in miles and practice before the next TR Register/TSSC race there the weekend after this. All went well, despite the rain and he's all set. He's having a break this weekend as he and Rachel are off on their annual pilgrimage to the Le man 24 hour.

Wet practice at Mallory!

Bloody Heralds!

Had to pop out this morning to do some delivering up to our friends TD Fitchetts. My preferred mode of transport our Chicane is currently being put back together after its recent re-paint. Still I might have struggled with getting today's delivery in the Chicane even with its back seats removed as it consisted of some large panelwork including Herald/Vitesse rear wings! A quick look around the car park revealed the ideal candidate, a Herald 13/60 Estate we currently have for sale, should get everything in the back of one of those!



Herald 13/60 Estate - Currently For Sale

The misses has used it locally off and on, no problems at all, starts on the button, nice to drive. Anyway we load up and set off up the M6/M54, lovely, apart from the shock of motorway speeds and no overdrive, it's been a while since I ventured out in a Herald with no overdrive! Drop off the delivery at Fitchetts and start back for Coventry via my favourite roadside batch bar just on the outskirts of Telford, don't tell the wife! Jump back onto the M54 and then it starts! Ignition warning light comes on and temperature starts to rise, oh bugger. Pull up on the hard shouder expecting to see no trace of a fan belt, but no its still there, just no trace of any adjusting arm bolt! Of course theres no tools in the car and nothing to hand to sort it. A quick ferckle in the grass and I find a suitable rock to jam between the alternator and block and away we go again all smug like at my Heath Robinson repair, or at least I was for two miles or so! Same thing again, rock had fell out, slack fan belt, find another rock, and the same thing happened over and over again, I must admit to feeling a little vunerable on the hard shoulder of the M6 every time I stopped (must have been 4 or 5 times). Anyway got back OK, fixed the alternator adjuster, one less problem for any future owner to come across!

Its 7.45 in the evening and I have just wondered out to the workshop to take this picture of Karl putting the finishing touches to his race car for next weekends Mallory race, we don't call him last minute Dandridge for nothing!
Sorry for the dark pictute, but the 'works' digital is on its last legs and the flash has just packed up. Hang on what's that revving up in the background, the beast stirs, he must be about finished, good that means I can have the workshop back!

Museum Phase 2 expansion!

Builders are in and the next phase of the Triumph museum building expansion has started! This should give us an extra 800 sq ft of space (thinks, my first workshop was only 500 sq ft!)and much needed it was to! Recent visitors might have noticed a distinct lack of space in the museum as it stood. Initialy designed to hold 9 cars with room to walk around it has recently been holding up to 12 with no space to get between them! The extension is coming from refurbishing the wooden shed nearest the road that has up until now held only the reserve collection in long term store. Cars such as one of Tiny Lewis's rally Herald Coupe's (previously registered TL5), the oldest extent GT6 (chassis no2), and several other prototypes/rally/race Triumphs. These cars (all restoration projects) are temporarily outside pending completion of building work, the first time some of these cars have seen the daylight in many years. In theory this expansion is the last we can get out of the present site without major planning headache, but we are tentively looking at a site nearby that would give us over 20,000 sq ft of extra space, but its early days on that yet.
I had thought that acquiring ADU 4B would put the brakes on buying further cars for the museum for at least a year, but no I have managed to buy another couple of jems in since then without to much grief from the better half! One car in particular has been at the top of the wish list for many years, and a sister car to it might be coming our way to.
There follows a few piccys to illustrate the above, with a shot of my current daily driver (factory V8 saloon) thrown in just because I polished it yesterday and I'm loving it (apologies to McDonald's).



Museum extension started, old roof gone, ready for blockwork



Oldest extent GT6 (KC2) went on to be MK2 trim/engine prototype.



Tiny Lewis RAC Rally class winner, originaly registered TL5, re-registered by the factory after rally use.



Factory V8 (TR8 development car) saloon, my current daily driver, I love it!

Busy workshop!

What's happening in the workshop this past couple of weeks? Number one priority has been Andy Roberts, Del Lines (Atlantic Garages) Stag V8 saloon, a long term resident here at Canley Classics. We are making every effort to change that situation! A complete rebuild after many years of inactivity should see this V8 purring again in very short order. We are currently refitting the suspension with help from a certain Mr Witor and some of his goodies, it will be nice to get 'Janey' (Andys nickname for the car) rolling on her own wheels again.
I have been naughty and shoehorned another of my own cars into the schedule, but it deserves it, after all it is the hardest working Triumph in the fleet. I'm talking of course about our Chicane, the miracle Triumph that never goes rusty or wears out, but needs a complete paint job every 4/5 years of 100,000 miles (whichever comes first!). It's now past 300,000 miles and still going strong, no real problems to report, ever! Have you ever pondered just how many miles a standard engine will last on the cheapest nastiest unleaded petrol, then look no further. The only signs of extreem mileage and abuse is the odd wiff of smoke from the exhaust when you really cane the thing, but the crank dosn't knock on start up, it returns fabulous petrol consumption figures, and I would quite happily jump in it and drive to Moscow and back and know that it wouldn't let me down.
Other workshop space is being taken up by Karl, who is busy preparing his race GT6 for the TR Register race at Mallory next weekend.
Oh and we have a nice local TR5 in for work to eliminate various drivetrain knocks.