Spare shell, or two!

[Chunk]

[img][IMG]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd61/chunktr8/IMG_0147.jpg[/img][/img]
My Boss has been shopping at T.D.Fitchett in Telford. I,m not sure if he needs a spare rally shell, or he thinks there may be a demand for rally prepared TR7's. They are sunroof bodyshells,i.e. big hole in roof. The one on the top was dragged out of a scrapyard, stripped and dipped to be prepared for rallying, but is badly corroded - one of the boot hinges has come away from the body. Edit - this one is for a customer, if he has the money to prep it.

1979 TR7V8 FHC 3.9 Litre
19 years of tinkering and tuning...... So Far!
Better to burn out than fade away.

[TR Tony]

Is he aiming to have a complete fleet of rally cars, or a spare just in case he bends one! Obviously a man with deep pockets ........

Fitchetts are one of those less well known Triumph suppliers who in fact seem to have a lot of original parts for the 7. Did he buy anything else? On second thoughts, 3 bodyshells was probably enough for one day[:)]

Tony

<font size="1">1981 2L FHC Cavalry Blue - very original & not rusty!
1980 3.5L V8 DHC Regency Red - on the road again.</font id="size1">

[Chunk]

[img][IMG]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd61/chunktr8/IMG_0142.jpg[/img][/img]
Thrown in with the two shell deal is two damaged repairable TR7's.
This one is a non runner and the boss wants to get it running and restore it and sell it. Has been dry stored and has only done 25,000 miles. So we were quiet this week and what can we give Phil to do?
So it was put on my ramp Wednesday afternoon and i had to get it running. My TR7 has always had a Rover V8 in it since i brought it, so a learning curve on a 2 litre Triumph engine. Squirted freeing oil down plugholes, turned engine over by hand, put new plugs in, fitted new battery, fitted new plugleads and dizy cap (were missing), removed some dark brown liquid from fuel pipe and float chambers. Then put a gallon of fuel in tank and tried to start. Starter motor just clicked on the first attempt, but on the second started turning the engine over. Would not start because the fuel pump was pumping little splashes of fuel. Blew the main fuel pipe out, that was clear. Tried to blow into the tank - badly blocked. Removed tank sender unit - the filter on the pickup was covered in brown tar and the pickup pipe was Full of brown tar. Removed filter, cleaned pipe.
Was then able to suck fuel up to fuel pump and carbs. Cranked again with HT lead off coil to prime carbs. Car started at 12.45pm Thursday after standing in dry storage for at least 20 years - which was nice!

1979 TR7V8 FHC 3.9 Litre
19 years of tinkering and tuning...... So Far!
Better to burn out than fade away.

[Chunk]

[img][IMG]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd61/chunktr8/IMG_0141.jpg[/img][/img]
When i said damaged repairable, this one (the non runner) is fire damaged inside. There is white powder everywhere and the heater box and pedal box are rusty as hell from the water. The seats and sunroof were burned, aswell as the dashboard. The fire started behind the driver's seat, probably a stray cigarette. Would have been exiting!
Nobody has voluntered to clean it out yet.
Cheers
Phil

1979 TR7V8 FHC 3.9 Litre
19 years of tinkering and tuning...... So Far!
Better to burn out than fade away.

[Chunk]

I should point out that i do not normally have TR7's on my ramp to play with, so i thought a photo was required.
And if there is any brown tar in the petrol tank, it will come back to haunt us, so maybe new tank required.
Cheers
Phil

1979 TR7V8 FHC 3.9 Litre
19 years of tinkering and tuning...... So Far!
Better to burn out than fade away.

[TR Tony]

So your boss goes shopping & comes back with 3 bodyshells & two non running TR7s[:0]

I like his style - I get grief from SWAMBO if I even mention getting a single extra 7 to play about with[:)]

Still, good man to try & save that car. Sounds like the boss got the TR7 bug good & proper, Phil. Do keep us updates with progress.

Tony

<font size="1">1981 2L FHC Cavalry Blue - very original & not rusty!
1980 3.5L V8 DHC Regency Red - on the road again.</font id="size1">

[john 215]

Hi Phil,
Great place to work [:D], my boss has a couple of BMW Z8's i sometimes get to play with [:)]
Getting that 7 started, its sometimes nice to get back to basics, no ECU's ect!!! The apprentice's at work would'nt know where to start if they could'nt plug a diagnose's machine in!! the skill level is disappearing from our job!
I have seen TD Fitchett advertised for years in classic car mags but never been there, looks like they have more room for stock now [;)]
Cheers John

LIVE LIFE A QUARTER OF A MILE AT A TIME!
1979 3.5 FHC(STATUS PENDING!!)

1982 2.0 DHC NOW A 4.6 WILL BE ON THE ROAD VERY SOON!
Read My Blog http://www.waringstowntr7s.co.uk/blogs/ ... hp/John215

[Chunk]

Hi John,
I thought you might understand the process i went through.
Trying to get the fuel sender out with some fuel in the tank was entertaining, especially with the smell of stale fuel. [xx(]
When you mention old cars and young people, the favourite comment is always "they will struggle with the points", or contact breakers.
I had no spark at one stage, but power at the coil. So a quick clean of the points with fine emery paper and hey presto.
Had no ignition key so somebody suggested hot wiring it. Then the guy on the next ramp (ex Rover) grabbed the ignition switch, removed the lock barrel leaving the switch and put a flat blade screwdriver in the square hole and hey presto again.
The only mistake i made was, when fitting the dizy cap and plug leads, i put the engine on TDC No.4 instead of No.1. Easily put right by swapping the leads round after it started popping up the inlet.
Anyway, makes a change from ECU downloads! [:)]
Cheers
Phil


1979 TR7V8 FHC 3.9 Litre
19 years of tinkering and tuning...... So Far!
Better to burn out than fade away.

[ngtf]

Hey Phil, I like the burned out one with the two steering wheels. I've heard about these new fangled duel controls but that's the first I've seen on a TR7 [:D][:D][:D]

Gary

Eeyore rides again !!

EOR14W - Persian Aqua 2L Dhc, Now rebuilt and looking lovely - Sprint engine being prepared!

[Chunk]

If you go to France on your holidays, you just sit in the passenger seat to drive. [;)][8D]

1979 TR7V8 FHC 3.9 Litre
19 years of tinkering and tuning...... So Far!
Better to burn out than fade away.

[Underdog]

I'm amazed. If I could find a boss like that, I'd consider closing my shop & getting a "real job" [:D]

72 MGB BRG
80 TR8 Persian Aqua
If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

[Chunk]

I think it takes the phrase "Boys and their Toys" to another level.
3 levels if you look at the first photo. (bum bum) [:)]

1979 TR7V8 FHC 3.9 Litre
19 years of tinkering and tuning...... So Far!
Better to burn out than fade away.

[Dave Dyer]

I went to TD Fitchetts in the mid 80's, it was one big eye opener, he had 60 plus body shells, FHC and DHC, rows of doors, bonnets, and boots all different colours, crates full of window regulators, starter motors, trims etc. He apparently bought up everything that BL had left when TR7 production stopped. (Rimmers got there stuff from him). I went again in the early 90's and he had about 20 body shells left, so there must be a few re-bodied '7s around or even new rebuilds??

He was also (back then) buying up damaged TR7's and had about 30 all stacked carefully in crates. The blokes who worked there told me he thought the value of the TR7 would rocket in the future and when this happened he would re-shell the damaged ones with the new shells he had. Making a bit of money.
Of course we all know this didn't happen! so he scrapped all the early ones and hung on to the later models.
They did show me a late FHC that someone had made a small hole in the sunroof and poured in petrol setting it alight! Could be the one your boss has bought, Phil ? The roof was still intact, it just had the hole in it ? They thought it might of been a revengeful ex wife!!!

Dave

[Chunk]

[img][IMG]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd61/chunktr8/IMG_0149.jpg[/img][/img]
I remember when this car came in it had some brown tape on the sunroof covering a small hole, so would suggest this is the same car.
The photo shows where the fire started behind the drivers seat.
Thanks to Dave Dyer for his "detective" work.
Cheers
Phil

1979 TR7V8 FHC 3.9 Litre
19 years of tinkering and tuning...... So Far!
Better to burn out than fade away.