Fluid on rear wheel

I thought a couple of thousand miles of trouble free motoring was too good to be true! Today I discovered a fair amount of brake fluid inside the rear offside wheel and on the tyre today, and a slight drop in level on master cylinder reservoir.

Fluid around tyre and inside rim.

Was hoping it was a leaking pipe, but after removing the wheel and brake drum discovered it was the slave cylinder leaking badly from the seals.So again I had to remove brake shoes and springs to replace with a spare cylinder picked up at autojumble.

There was a fair amount of fluid thrown around in the drum and on the brake shoes, quite messy cleaning it up.

Fluid and dust collected on shoes.

Dismantling the cylinder I found a fair amount of bad pitting in the bore, as previous experience on honing out has always involved changing it again a few months later, therefore I wont be fitting a repair kit.
Also managed a couple of pre-mot jobs on Gills FHC, namely fitted a new bush to the steering column at bulkhead, I had to dimantle the steering column to do this, and also swapped a worn steering UV joint for a slightly less worn one. Checked all lights, gaiters, etc, so hopefully should be OK.

Welsh Weekend

Took a trip to Wales at the weekend for the first time since the HCR, actually North Wales for a family wedding. Nothing to report on the car which performed faultlessly on the Journey, fuel consumption was around 28 miles per gallon for the mainly motorway journey of 501 miles.

Only spotted one Triumph classic all weekend and that was a TR4 or 4A coming of the M6 toll, and he did not wave back at the wife.

Had to say we had a few hangovers as the reception was in a working mans club with the cheapest prices I have seen, for example a typical round of double Vodka and coke, Double Bacardi and coke, double Gin and Tonic, 2 Becks, all for £5.54 how cheap is that!!

We missed the Norfolk Gala Day which was the same weekend but we are told there was an 11 car turnout, we had organised 16 places! so with our 2 cars missing and Fizzy breaking down there was still 2 cars missing.

Wedding car and TR7 at Mold Registry Office.

Our next event will be the Mile of Triumphs at Fleggburgh near Great Yarmouth on the weekend of 26th and 27th of September.

Bank Holiday - Day Three

Monday we returned to Southwold for the first time since the HCR. We spent some time in the time in the town, browsing the shops, we looked in the local museum then had a walk along the pier before driving down to the Harbour to look in the small Lifeboat museum containing one of the first Southwold sailing lifeboats.

Southwold Pier

Only other classic we saw in Southwold.

Southwold Lighthouse

Looking towards Sizewell B Nuclear Power station

Bank Hol - Day Two

The second Day we visited Flixton Air Museum near Bungay, Suffolk, spending a few hours looking at the static plane exhibits and the various WW2 bomber displays, both British and American. I never realised that places such as Norwich, Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Ipswich had been heavily bombed in the war, the so called Baedecker raids in retaliation for the British raids on Dresden. The hangars had been removed from Norwich and Ipswich airfields and re-erected as the museum.

There was interesting information on Framlingham/Parham airfield, home of B17's in the war, the company I work for owns a old Hangar there which was pictured in 1944 used for maintenance of American B17's. The American and British displays showed the tremendous losses of Aircrew in bomber raids over Germany. Inside the museum where a Lightning and a Harrier Jump jet, along with helicopters, and other small aircraft.

Jet Fighter

Captured Pukara from the Falklands War

Bloodhound Missile

The Air museum is well worth a visit, especially with free entry.

We then drove to the Mid Suffolk Light Railway at Brockford Street, near Stowmarket, the railway was built under a light railway order from Haughley Junction on the Ipswich/Norwich main line to Laxfield, Suffolk, original intention was to reach Halesworth, however they ran out of money. The line is being restored at Brockford street with about half mile of track, and original buildings moved from other stations, it is very quaint, with one steam engine, a couple of coaches, and restored goods wagons.

Industrial steam engine at Brockford Street.

Short train at Mid Suffolk Light Railway

There was a real ale festival on along with a barbeque, so we sampled some local ales in the sun, before a ride on the train.

Bank Hol - Day One

Had my Dad down from Yorkshire for 4 days over the Bank Holiday, so we had to keep him entertained with a bit of a transport festival, we visited both air, land, and sea transport related places over the weekend, even subjecting him to open top motoring in the seven to get there.

The first place we visited was the East Anglia Transport Museum at Carlton Colville near Lowestoft, bringing back very distant memories for me of trolley buses in the Bradford/Leeds area and for him memories of trams which where gone before I was born.

Trams and Trolley bus.
Maidstone Trolley Bus

Blackpool Tram

Narrow Gauge Lister Diesel Engine

Early Electric Car, Enfield Automotive Company, built 1975, max speed 35mph, one of a hundred produced on the Isle of White.

The museum is quite interesting, very cheap entry, and with unlimited rides on the trams, buses, and railway would suit family groups.

Following this we took a trip into Lowestoft, we had the usual sea side mussels and prawns on the seafront, then watched some shipping supplying the many tankers moored off the Suffolk Coast, apparently these are avoiding port fees and taxes by transhipping oil into smaller coastal tankers, surely an environmental disaster in the making if a hose was to break or collision occur, I counted around 18 tankers. We then visited Oulton Broad on the way back.

Supply Vessel at Lowestoft, 3 tankers at anchor in background.

Oulton Broad Lock

August report

Not much to report Club Triumph wise in August, as a club we have not attended any major shows since Helmingham, some members have attended shows indivdually in and around Norfolk and had very good weather. Personally we had some catching up to do at home after a busy season.
The Norfolk area had a tour of the "Grain Brewery" for our August meeting, with some 14 cars attending, including a few TR reg visitors, the tour was interesting, we where talked through the brewing process around this small brewery, and tasted some nice beers. Gill and I had some beer specially labelled and we came home with a case of "Best Wedge" which is very nice.
We have had no major problems with the cars, both clocking up miles as daily drivers, I did an oil, filter, and plug change on Gills FHC and a general check, only finding that one rear fog had stopped working, and the reverse lights where not working. The left hand fog was full of water and contacts corroded, and the silver coating on the reflector was non-existant, I had a spare so this was changed, the reverse light problem was traced to a faulty switch on the gearbox, the plastic housing had degraded, and the connection will not hold. Luckily the spare gearbox in the lock up donated a switch.
The insurance on the FHC ran out in August, I added this to the DHC insurance for a mere £32 with agreed value, low windscreen excess, and unlimited mileage with Peter James, bargain!

Helmingham Festival of Classics and Sports Cars

I always look forward to this event every year, the venue is Helmingham Hall, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, the event is a large collection of Classic's, including many Stag's and TR6's , but surprisingly very few Heralds and spits, A large collection of Vintage cars, many Austins, Rileys, Rolls and Bentley, and displays of Modern Sports Cars by Piston Head Members, including DB7,s DB9,s, Maseratis, Ferraris, Nobles, Porsche, etc. The day includes a couple of fast drives up and down the 1/4 mile drive to Helmingham Hall by those willing to pay a large fee in aid of charity.

Norfolk area took along 6 cars on a nice sunny day, meeting in Eye for a 15 mile trip to Helmingham in the sun, Jim in front of me in his shiny GT6 avidly avoiding puddles from the overnight rain, myself delighting in finding them, much to the disgust of Ted and Christina in the shiny TR6 behind, sorry! Parking together, gazebo up, chairs out, Gill and I wondered round the many cars on display, before watching the runs up the drive.

Early E Type.

Left, a TR7 V8, Genuine TR8 on right.

Spotted a NG TF kit car, exactly the same as the one I built 10 years ago.

I took a liking to this Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, valued at around 20k.

Mustang powering up the drive.

Early Porsche

Very quick Lancia Delta Integrale

Nice PI, excellent paint job.

Interior shot of Lotus Evora, when I last saw this when working at Lotus, it was cramped, the +2 seats where difficult to get into, they have done a good job in widening and stretching what started as an Elise chassis.

Lotus Evora, for me resembles a Elise below waist line, and above a quick car featured on top gear beginning with K which I cant spell!

Lanchester.

The more prestigous cars where displayed in front of Helmingham Hall, they even had their own Tea and cucumber sandwich tent.

Ultima doing a quick run.

KTM track day car.

Club Triumph Cars.

Gill took a liking to this TVR
Shes not having one!