Not your average Detroit driveway...
Our US-based motoring journalist and Brit car fan, Richard Truett has quite a fleet to keep him amused.
Here's the latest update...
The Stateside view
June 2008
Not your average Detroit driveway...
F someone had told me 15 years
ago, when I last owned a Rover 827, that someday I would say that these are
great cars, I would have immediately suspected that person of ingesting some
sort of mood modifying – and possibly illegal – substance. But I
say it now to anyone who will listen: the Rover 827 is a great car. And no,
I have not ingested some sort of mood modifying – possibly illegal –
substance. I am of reasonably sound mind.
My experience back in the late 1980s and early '90s with this particular Rover wasn't good. None of the three USA-spec Rover Sterlings I owned back then ever suffered a vehicle-stopping breakdown. But air conditioners never worked for more than a month at a time. Speedometers broke. And certain trim items didn't stay attached to the car.
And yet, nearly 20 years later, when time and more than 100,000 miles should have made my latest Rover, a 1990 Fastback, even more prone to that sort of trouble, I am finding it isn't so. Quite unexpectedly, my Rover Sterling has been forced into daily service, no easy job on the mean, potholed streets of Detroit. On 2nd June, on the way home from work, I crashed my 2005 Mustang while travelling around 60mph on the highway.
A red Honda suddenly changed into my lane about 5 feet off my front bumper and then the driver immediately stood on the brakes. I don't think I was even able to slow down much. It was a tremendous hit, enough to set off the air bag. And yet, I am thankful. I am so glad it wasn't my Rover or one of my classic Triumphs that met up with the rear end of the Honda. Because then I would have been angry, Pulp Fiction, getting medieval on someone angry. My Mustang can be easily replaced. My British cars cannot.
No one was hurt - and Richard's relieved he wasn't in the Sterling when the
Honda pulled out in front...
I have been using the Rover as my main mode of transport while the Mustang has been in the bodyshop and it has been nothing short of superb. A new driver's side window relay finally cured the intermittent nature of the thing, and now the window responds all the time in both directions when a driver's finger touches the buttons. The power seats are also now fully functional thanks to some cleaning of wire connections and wiggling of fuses under the dash. I am down to one final electrical problem: the rear window defroster doesn't work. However, I recently bought a new rear control unit from a UK-based Rover breaker and that should cure its ills.
I have one repair upcoming: the left front wheel bearing is a bit noisy. After 100,000 miles, it's entitled to be. I was able to find a new replacement bearing easily because it is the same part as used on the Honda Legend. Cost: $67. I had one minor mystery to solve since last month's Running Report: oil consumption was somewhat high at a quart every 1000 miles but there was no smoke coming from the tailpipe and no leaks under the car. I found a loose oil filter when I changed the oil and, since then, I have not had to add a drop.
Since last month, I have said goodbye to an old friend: the restored 1977 Triumph Dolomite Sprint which I had owned since September 2005. I never intended for this to happen but the Rover ended up replacing my Sprint as my favourite classic car. I put fewer than 200 miles on the Dolomite Sprint this year and I was no longer using it enough to keep the battery charged. So, after it came back from the body shop to rectify a dented front wing, I let it be known amongst certain Triumph aficionados that OMK 172R was for sale. Within a day it was spoken for. Within a week the cheque arrived. I can say with reasonable certainty that the price it brought sets a new all-time record in North America for a Triumph saloon.
This Discovery 4-litre V8 engine block (and all the rest) is about to be shoehorned
into Richard's TR7.
My TR7 Sprint, despite my best efforts and a new oil pan from Rimmers, continues to have a minor oil leak. This is very disheartening. I can't find the source of the leak but it is coming from somewhere near the right front of the engine. In any case, I won't have long to worry about it because my TR7 soon won't be motivated by a four-cylinder engine. I am currently having a Land Rover Disco 4.0-litre V8 rebuilt and that is going to be transplanted into the TR. I want to do an authentic and professional conversion and so have been picking off the original factory TR8 parts needed on eBay for the last nine months. I have the subframe, PAS system, bellhousing, instrument pack, exhaust and cooling systems and all the other parts. I am planning to yank the Sprint engine out sometime in early September. There will be a full feature article on that job later this year.
I've done this job once before on TR7 VIN 408366, the 168th to the last car off the line. The job was so well done, not even the sharpest eyed TR8 fanatic could tell it was a conversion. Over the years, I have come to regret selling the car. Earlier this year, I asked the buyer if he'd sell it back to me but he said no and so now I am planning to do the job one final time.
My Rover V8 is being built by Mark LaGrue, one half owner of D&D Fabrications in Almont, Michigan north of Detroit. D&D is North America's headquarters for the Rover V8. Dan LaGrue, the other half owner of the business, is a former GM engine engineer who pioneered much work on the Rover engine. D&D sells rebuilt high performance Rover V8s in any state of tune and with whatever horsepower is wanted to customers all over the world. A full feature on the business is upcoming but, if you want to see what D&D is all about, check out the company's website at www.aluminumV8.com.
I guess that, with my Dolomite off to spend its retirement years in the warm Georgia sunshine, the TR8 conversion scheduled for this summer and with my Rover Sterling tamed and a pleasure to drive, things are going pretty well. My bank account is back to normal and I should be fine – as long, that is, as I stay off eBay and continue to ignore that beautiful 1997 Jaguar XJ6 Vanden Plas in Pennsylvania with just 45,562 original miles.
Thing is, I can have that car for the Buy It Now price of just $9998...
Mark LaGrue of D&D Fabrications and a completed cylinder head for Richard's
TR8 conversion.
| Fleet update |  |
| 1977 Triumph Dolomite Sprint | |
| Mileage: | 53,989 |
|---|---|
| Amount Spent: | $2800 for body repairs and to repaint bonnet and fenders. Car now sold. |
| Engine: | Triumph 2.0-litre SOHC 16v 2.0-litre with mild road cam |
| Gearbox: | 4-speed manual with overdrive |
| Horsepower: | 140 est. |
| 1981 Triumph TR7 Sprint | |
| Mileage: | 51,799 |
|---|---|
| Amount Spent: | $75 for new oil pan and gasket. |
| Engine: | Triumph 2.0-litre SOHC 16-v 2.0-litre with TriumphTune 2-inch SUs, STR091 cam and 0.40 pistons |
| Gearbox: | LT77 5-speed manual |
| Horsepower: | 185 est. |
| 1990 Rover Sterling 827 SLi | |
| Mileage: | 107,362 |
|---|---|
| Amount Spent: | $50 for synthetic oil and new filter; $50 for good used window relay; $67 for new front wheel bearing. $30 for good used rear window defroster/radio amplifier unit and sundry trim items |
| Engine: | 2.7-litre SOHC 24-valve Honda V6 |
| Gearbox: | Honda 4-speed automatic, unfortunately |
| Horsepower: | 163 |
May 2008
Not your average Detroit driveway...
ITH Spring in full swing, I took
a week off from work and dedicated it to getting the Truett fleet ready for
a busy summer show season. This is going to be a special year. In August, the
biggest Triumph gathering in North America is taking place right here in the
Detroit area. It's the North American Triumph Challenge put on by the Vintage
Triumph Register, America's oldest and biggest Triumph club. Last year, nearly
400 awesome Triumphs attended the event in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. At least
the same number of classic Triumphs are expected this year.
I have a real shot at bagging two major trophies this year in what must be the toughest show competition for Triumphs outside of Great Britain. Last year, I agonized over which car to bring. My restored Silverleaf TR7, VIN number 407912 -- one of the last 450 cars built -- had just gotten a fresh Sprint engine and engine bay respray, but wasn't fully sorted. Cosmetically, I was sure no other wedge at Valley Forge would touch it.
And that, in my judgement, was a correct assumption. In the end, I decided to take my 1977 Dolomite Sprint. The Dolomite, though not as fresh cosmetically, I knew I could trust on a long, hot road trip. I had spent two years sorting every niggle in that car. An older restoration, possibly done by the legendary Dolomite restorer and somewhat eccentric Brian Kitley in the UK in the mid 1990s, was holding up well enough for major competition.
A little repair needed...
So, this week, the front bumper came off the Dolomite as did the spoiler and some other trim items before she went off to the body shop to correct some minor cosmetic flaws, the worst of which was about a 6 -inch gash in the right front wing where the Dolomite met the garage door last fall during a careless exit by me. I haven't received the bill yet for the body repairs, but that will show up on the next report.
Anyway, right after the front bumper came off, I tackled a problem I had long been dreading: removing the driver's seat and replacing a broken rubber seat diaphragm. The 1300 miles to and from Valley Forge last year were terribly uncomfortable. With very little lower support because of the broken diaphragm, the driver's seat was nearly unbearable after more than an hour or so. It was like sitting in a bean bag chair. To make matters worse for me, the caravan of cars I drove with to and from Valley Forge stopped only for fuel and food, meaning that I logged more than 650 painful miles a day twice in a week's time.
The reason for Sprint-bound discomfort...
It seemed oddly appropriate that The Beatles' Help came on the radio in my garage just when I was struggling to install the diaphragm. I needed help. When I was younger, so much younger than today, I never needed anyone's help in any way to install something as simple as a seat diaphragm. But my 47 year old muscles and bones don't seem to handle the stress and strain of sometimes violent mechanical encounters as well as they used to. And so I struggled trying to stretch the heavy rubber diaphragm so that I could pull the clips that hold the upholstery to the seat frame. And then I realized I was doing it all wrong. By undoing the clips that hold the upholstery to the seat frame, I could peel back the cloth and put the metal diaphragm clips in their holes much easier. After that discovery, the job went quickly and smoothly.
The Sterling 827 also saw garage time this week. She can see clearly now. The old, original headlights had started to fog up from the inside. And so, needed replacing. But this is no quick fix. You see, the headlights used on the Federal Sterling 825 and 827 were far different than those used on European Rover 800s. They are smaller and have a separate, external parking lamp right next to the front sidelights. And, of course, there are no longer any new Federal spec Sterling headlamps available on this planet. The only alternative, then, is to fit the European lights.
Sorting the headlamp wouldn't be the work of a moment...
But that requires some serious work because the headlight bulbs and wiring are different. To get the new headlight assemblies mounted, I had to use a Dremel to grind away about 4mm of the inner lip of the bumper cover. With that done, the new lamps dropped right in and mounted flush with the sidelamps and hood. Then I had to snip off the wire connectors from the car and from the new headlamps and make my own connections. Luckily for me, Dale Charles, The Sterling Fixer, sent me a diagram showing me how to connect up the wires. Everything works perfectly. The European headlights make the front of the Rover look cleaner and more streamlined.
While fitting the new headlights was successful, my attempt to fix the intermittent driver's window lift was a complete waste of time. I took off the door panel and tried a good used switch I bought on eBay UK. It looked identical to the original, but was from a newer Rover 800 and had a different part number. I plugged it in and no windows worked. So, I just cleaned the connectors on the old switch and harness and put it all back together. Sometimes the driver's window goes down and sometimes not. I guess I will just have to live with it. In any case, the car continues to perform brilliantly.
The TR7 Sprint was scheduled to get a new clutch and gearbox this week. I bought what was advertised as a completely rebuilt LT77 five-speed 'box on eBay over the winter. Judging from the external appearance, it sure looks like a reconditioned unit. And yet, I now have grave doubts. The magnetic drain plug had metal shards stuck to it. The front and rear seals were old and brittle. And yet, the box turns smoothly and quietly and shifts easily into all gears. But it is such a big job to change a TR7 gearbox by yourself from underneath the car, that now I am not sure I want to do the job until I have someone take apart the supposed rebuilt 'box to have a look inside.
I guess that's the danger of eBay. You never really know what your are getting. I may end up just changing the clutch. The five-speed 'box in it now has just over 51,000 miles, but the bearings are noisy and shifting up into 2nd gear brings forth a disturbing crunch most of the time. When I put the new motor in last year, I also installed a new clutch. The only one available these days for a TR7 is a Quinton Hazel unit that is listed for both four-speed and five-speed cars. It's a terrible clutch that doesn't work well, at least with the five-speed 'box. I was lucky enough to track down a NOS AP five-speed clutch set, which I know will be fine.
Last year at Valley Forge, my Dolomite scored 387 points out of 400 in the concours class and came third. This year, she should do even better. I am also expecting big things out of the TR7 Sprint. And yet, neither of those cars are my favorites any longer. Though I have been a Triumph man since the mid 1980s, my heart has been captured -- make that kidnapped -- by the Rover. I love every minute I spend behind the wheel. Do I feel like a traitor to Triumph? Not really. There are Triumph genes in the Rover 800.
You'll recall it was styled and engineered at Canley by both Triumph and Rover personnel.
| Fleet update | |
| 1977 Triumph Dolomite Sprint | |
| Mileage: | 53,738 |
|---|---|
| Amount Spent: | $10.60 for a oil pan gasket; $25 for a good used seat diaphragm from the Triumph Dolomite Club |
| Engine: | Triumph 2.0-litre SOHC 16v 2.0-litre with mild road cam |
| Gearbox: | 4-speed manual with overdrive |
| Horsepower: | 140 est. |
| 1981 Triumph TR7 Sprint | |
| Mileage: | 51,335 |
|---|---|
| Amount Spent: | $500 for a supposedly rebuilt gearbox. |
| Engine: | Triumph 2.0-litre SOHC 16-v 2.0-litre with TriumphTune 2-inch SUs, STR091 cam and 0.40 pistons |
| Gearbox: | LT77 5-speed manual |
| Horsepower: | 185 est. |
| 1990 Rover Sterling 827 SLi | |
| Mileage: | 106,092 |
|---|---|
| Amount Spent: | $250 for two new and complete European headlights, all new bulbs and various wiring sundries; $40 for a used window switch pack |
| Engine: | 2.7-litre SOHC 24-valve Honda V6 |
| Gearbox: | Honda 4-speed automatic, unfortunately |
| Horsepower: | 163 |
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