Early Triumph roadster - questions

[b_caswell]

Re: Early Triumph roadster - questions

Hi Tony that pic of the rear tub shows the shelf/deck that I mentioned. Thinking about it it probably made the fitting of a later hood difficult??

To remove the screen is a bit of a pig job. First you need to remove the bottom clamp moulding that carries the wipers and as your taking the car completely apart you could remove the GRP bulkhead aswell.. Then you need to free the mastic in the channel off the frame. Early cars where supplied with the screen fitted normally using crittall window frame putty that went rock hard and would possibly chip away. Otherwise you could try silicone eater type product to help release it. The screen then slides down until its free of the groove.

[mylittletony]

Re: Early Triumph roadster - questions

An overdue update...

Having spent 2 hours a week over the past month or so, we have finally stripped it down to this stage:



Most of the time was spent removing rusty Philips screws and drilling out rusted flat headed screws

We also got this out in one hit



before that was done, we tried to spin it over. This took some time until we realised it was still positive earth!! Swapping connections did the job and showed a free engine, with very clean engine oil and equally clean gearbox oil which bodes well! The gear linkage appears to be missing something, I suspect a bush or 2.

The cracked screen came out in one piece too, along with a carrier bag full of putty. This is off getting replicated at a local glass shop in laminated glass.

We had to cut the wiper mechanisms as the threads were absolutely shot, am i right in thinking it's from the donor herald/spitfire/vitesse/gt6?

I think I've spotted a few anomalies:

the rear spring has 8 or 9 leaves, but i think the build manual says to remove a couple/few - can anyone confirm? it's also a standard herald type without rotoflex or a swing spring. See below:



Currently thinking about fitting a diff spacer to sort out the handling problem.

Can anyone help ID the fuel tank?





it has some pin-holes (below left of the drain plug in the top picture) and could do with replacing...

The to-do list reads like this:

strip and paint chassis and suspension parts
New suspension bushes - all
New calipers
New rear cylinders
New brake pads and shoes
New brake hoses
Tidy and sort wiring, inc. -ve earth conversion
New diff seals
New HT leads
Sort gear linkage
Brace rear of frame - added benefit of seatbelt/harness mounting
Re-attach everything, but properly this time!

Thanks for everyone's guidance along the way, really looking forward to making some headway now!

[b_caswell]

Re: Early Triumph roadster - questions

Hi Tony,

If you can get the chassis blasted it would make life a lot easier.
The engine is either a 1600 number prefix HB or a Mk1 2ltr prefix HC ( its on the ledge above the fuel pump.
The wipers were normally the Herald system with the central tube shortened and the bowden cropped.
That rear spring is a normal Herald/Vitesse saloon spring that originally had eleven leaves.You shouldnt need to spacer the rear spring as the car has a lower centre of gravity it has less of a tendancy to tuck under.
The gear lever looks as if its from a GT6 and if its floppy you can get a kit that rebuilds the ball and bushes in the remote.

Cant place the fuel tank any clues on the sender.


Keep, us informed

[jon_cox]

Re: Early Triumph roadster - questions

Petrol tank looks like a Triumph TR6.

[mylittletony]

Re: Early Triumph roadster - questions

Not a great deal to report as the boys have been on half term...

thanks for all the info, I clean forgot to re-read before going, so didn't check the engine number

I've located a bush kit for the gear linkage, as well as new wiper boxes to rebuild the assembly. The TR tank is a good shout, not sure what we're going to do on that front as it wasn't a particularly good fit anyway...

If you can get the chassis blasted it would make life a lot easier.

Don't need a blaster when you've got youth and enthusiasm!!

[b_caswell]

Re: Early Triumph roadster - questions

Cracking just keep that knee out of the way of the angle grinder. Been there done that and thirty stitches later

[mylittletony]

Re: Early Triumph roadster - questions

Good point, although they are using flap discs, but i gave a little more guidance this time.

Checked the engine and it's got an hc prefix, which is nice!

Question time: are the rear track arm brackets (to the rearmost crossmember) from the donor vehicle? They are bent on the kit

The plan is to go shopping for new bushes, bolts and other perishables next week

[b_caswell]

Re: Early Triumph roadster - questions

Yes the rear track arms are from either Vitesse Mk1 or Herald and they are cranked. If you look at the w/s manual you will see the whole rear end is reversed and the brakes run backwards. There should be shims between the chassis and the track arm bracket to adjust the rear toe in.

Note your set up goes on the outer set of bolt holes. You need to refer to the Mk1 build manual for method of mounting the front of the diiff. Its not quite the same as the Triumph set up.

Quite a few of the Triumph suppliers do a nut and bolt pack for the suspension. Would recomend using as the bolt blank shank length are designed to fit the bushes.

[mylittletony]

Re: Early Triumph roadster - questions

thanks Ben,

That could prove an issue with the track brackets! I removed them last thing yesterday, there were no shims, one was pinched inwards and the other flared out, one was attached with fresh bolts and the other had rusty old ones... hmmm.

We intend to visit a Triumph specialist to bulk buy all our parts including a bolt kit(s), good to know they're necessary though! Have you or any other members had any experience with Wins of East Grinstead? I was recommended them by a friend.

thanks again, we hope to start rebuilding this side of christmas so no doubt there will plenty more questions to follow! and pics too!

[b_caswell]

Re: Early Triumph roadster - questions

I will have a look in my bits bin to see if I can find some shims. As far as I know Wins are OK. Also T.D. Fitchet 01952 619585 are good for next day posting of most parts.

[b_caswell]

Re: Early Triumph roadster - questions

Hi Tony, Just had a rumage and found four shims that should do the job PM me your address and I will post them off asap.

[mylittletony]

Re: Early Triumph roadster - questions

quick update, there's been a lot of paint and rust removal! Chassis was fairly badly pitted in some areas, this was dressed as well as possible without thinning the steel down too much. A coat of rustoleum has been applied, followed by a coat of hammerite. More will follow to even it out and coat the top! This is as I left it on Tuesday eve!


Still to do is strip down the suspension pieces, I’ve NEVER come across such hard to remove bolts before, it’s amazing. We’ve used WD, pry bars, hammers, heat, even supporting the pieces in the vice and attacking the bolts with a club hammer still won’t remove them…


Once they’re apart, they’ll get sandblasted and painted, before being reassembled using the contents of this box:


The other large job to do at this stage is remove all the rusted bolts from the bulkhead and replace with rivets and sealant. Also rebuild the diff with new seals from the above box of goodies!!

cheers,

Tony

[b_caswell]

Re: Early Triumph roadster - questions

Hi Tony,

The problem with the bolts that go through various bushes is that they have a steel bush in the middle that in time rusts a fuses to the bolt, and the ony way to dismantle the component is to sacrifice the bolt and cut it both sides of the bush.

Then use copperease on the new bits. That box looks like Santa has been early.

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Early Triumph roadster - questions

Very impressive Tony, good progress. That box of goodies looks interesting!

I suspect you are referring to the upper wishbone bolts, which are the most difficult to remove. They rust to the metalastic steel sleeves and are very difficult to remove. I almost wrecked one of my towers with my attempts to remove them.

The lower wishbones are easier because you can get a hacksaw in to cut them off but it's very difficult to get at the upper ones, I cut them off flush and prised them out in the end, spreading the flanges of the tower brackets slightly to enable their removal. I used a lot of copper ease when I reassembled!

One technique I haves found very good is to use a 1mm cutting disk in a 115mm angle grinder and slit down the middle of the bolt, right through the nut to the washer, it the bolt is protruding a lot then slice it off first. I have found it does least damage to the components you are removing the bolts from, the 1mm disks create very little heat and go through a bolt like a hot knife through butter. I used this technique to remove the rear tub, rear wings and the inner wings from the front wings and the engine compartment side panels.

[davidraw2000]

Re: Early Triumph roadster - questions

That takes me back! Last time my Marlin was in white and aluminium was in 1982. Great to see yet another Triumph car being revived, will watch with interest :-)