New member - Edinburgh '74 2000
Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2012 10:37 am
Morning all,
On Friday the boy and I popped down to Skipton on the train to collect our new toy - a honeysuckle Triumph 2000 saloon - registered in '74 - possibly built before Jan 73 (will be digging around for confirmation)
The car seems to have started its life in Peterborough before moving to firstly south yorks and latterly the dales. It was owned in the early 2000's by a member of the register and comes with a cardboard box full of paperwork, MOT and Tax till December.
Good points:
interior - lovely poo brown velour and matching carpets - the wood on the dash is in good condition with no lacquer flake yet - the door tops are all unsunned (well, it has lived in the hills for years), only the rear parcel shelf wood trims are flaking - this due to water damage I suspect by dry and cracked rear quarter light rubbers. The car has an original Radiomobile and a retractable electric aerial out of the boot. Headlining is good an all but the clock work.
mechanics - the engine is honestly scruffy and pulls very well, can't fault it really - no aftermarket additions but the car had previously had electronic ignition fitted by an owner during the 1970s, this has been removed and points etc refitted - the alternator is about 10 years old, radiator etc all in good nick but it could use a set of hoses.
Drive train
well - the gears all work - 3rd is noisy under load but shuts up on overrun or idle, 4th is not as noisy but still there. Any ideas? I know these units are noisy but this one is rather too whiney for my liking. In fact, the whole drivetrain could do with a good service - I suspect that both the axle and gearbox haven't seen any oil for awhile so god knows what they are like. Before I start taking the gearbox and diff to bits I am going to replace the lube, UJs and bushes and then see what still plays up.
Steering and brakes are fine,
Suspension - could do with new bushes
Bodywork - well the paintwork is lovely and polishes up very nicely, the chrome is not bad, slightly pitted in the middle sections of the bumpers but no cracks yet - the outer rear bumpers look new. There are bubbles coming up at the driver end of the bonnet, the top of the near side C pillar and the arches have been done. The underside however needs about £700 of 3rd party welding in the not too distant future.
Rust - the car was ziebarted from new and religiously done every year - this has preserved the engine bay rather well. Underneath is a good lesson in why you can't paint and forget underseal - the car was regularly undersealed however, under this the car has suffered. Holes in the boot, crusty sills, very poor inner wheel arches, jacking points and other parts. I think the first and nasty job to do is to remove all the underseal, have a good poke around and draw up a priority list for welding in new tin. The bubbling on the paintwork I'll address with filler.
The car came back up from Yorkshire very well indeed - A65 to Kendal and then the M6 to Carlisle, A7 to Edinburgh via Hawick, Selkirk and Gala, a lovely sunny borders day and ideal countryside for driving a classic. The engine pulls very well and is responsive cruising at the national speed limit with no drama or clunks or wobbles - a bit of vibration from the back - I was suspecting a wheel bearing but suspect the drive shaft might be a wee bit out -out with the jubilee clips! On the A7 the car was a dream to drive, overdrive working fine in both 3rd and 4th. The scream in 3rd gear under load was there but seemed worse at mid revs.
Anyway, we got home after 4 hours of actual driving, 200 miles not bad considering the giffer speeds through the Dales - Yes - you Mr SLK dawdling along at 40mph with a line of over a hundered vehicles behind you. I have no problem with vehicles travelling at 40mph if they can only do 40mph but doing so in a 130mph sports car and not letting others past is just rude.
So - a nice example - I am delighted, the family love it. I'll get pics up this evening, perhaps someone will recognise the car.
A rolling restoration-
priorities:
welding underneath
drive train
then we'll think about leccy ignition but I do want to keep it nice and original as possible - the only mod I might be tempted to do is to add anti roll bars but as the body roll is minimal I wonder if they have already been fitted - too flippin wet to check today though!
what a great car - very cool as well - it's not a P6 and its not a Ford and the engine is a peach. Triumph straight six - you can't beat it!
On Friday the boy and I popped down to Skipton on the train to collect our new toy - a honeysuckle Triumph 2000 saloon - registered in '74 - possibly built before Jan 73 (will be digging around for confirmation)
The car seems to have started its life in Peterborough before moving to firstly south yorks and latterly the dales. It was owned in the early 2000's by a member of the register and comes with a cardboard box full of paperwork, MOT and Tax till December.
Good points:
interior - lovely poo brown velour and matching carpets - the wood on the dash is in good condition with no lacquer flake yet - the door tops are all unsunned (well, it has lived in the hills for years), only the rear parcel shelf wood trims are flaking - this due to water damage I suspect by dry and cracked rear quarter light rubbers. The car has an original Radiomobile and a retractable electric aerial out of the boot. Headlining is good an all but the clock work.
mechanics - the engine is honestly scruffy and pulls very well, can't fault it really - no aftermarket additions but the car had previously had electronic ignition fitted by an owner during the 1970s, this has been removed and points etc refitted - the alternator is about 10 years old, radiator etc all in good nick but it could use a set of hoses.
Drive train
well - the gears all work - 3rd is noisy under load but shuts up on overrun or idle, 4th is not as noisy but still there. Any ideas? I know these units are noisy but this one is rather too whiney for my liking. In fact, the whole drivetrain could do with a good service - I suspect that both the axle and gearbox haven't seen any oil for awhile so god knows what they are like. Before I start taking the gearbox and diff to bits I am going to replace the lube, UJs and bushes and then see what still plays up.
Steering and brakes are fine,
Suspension - could do with new bushes
Bodywork - well the paintwork is lovely and polishes up very nicely, the chrome is not bad, slightly pitted in the middle sections of the bumpers but no cracks yet - the outer rear bumpers look new. There are bubbles coming up at the driver end of the bonnet, the top of the near side C pillar and the arches have been done. The underside however needs about £700 of 3rd party welding in the not too distant future.
Rust - the car was ziebarted from new and religiously done every year - this has preserved the engine bay rather well. Underneath is a good lesson in why you can't paint and forget underseal - the car was regularly undersealed however, under this the car has suffered. Holes in the boot, crusty sills, very poor inner wheel arches, jacking points and other parts. I think the first and nasty job to do is to remove all the underseal, have a good poke around and draw up a priority list for welding in new tin. The bubbling on the paintwork I'll address with filler.
The car came back up from Yorkshire very well indeed - A65 to Kendal and then the M6 to Carlisle, A7 to Edinburgh via Hawick, Selkirk and Gala, a lovely sunny borders day and ideal countryside for driving a classic. The engine pulls very well and is responsive cruising at the national speed limit with no drama or clunks or wobbles - a bit of vibration from the back - I was suspecting a wheel bearing but suspect the drive shaft might be a wee bit out -out with the jubilee clips! On the A7 the car was a dream to drive, overdrive working fine in both 3rd and 4th. The scream in 3rd gear under load was there but seemed worse at mid revs.
Anyway, we got home after 4 hours of actual driving, 200 miles not bad considering the giffer speeds through the Dales - Yes - you Mr SLK dawdling along at 40mph with a line of over a hundered vehicles behind you. I have no problem with vehicles travelling at 40mph if they can only do 40mph but doing so in a 130mph sports car and not letting others past is just rude.
So - a nice example - I am delighted, the family love it. I'll get pics up this evening, perhaps someone will recognise the car.
A rolling restoration-
priorities:
welding underneath
drive train
then we'll think about leccy ignition but I do want to keep it nice and original as possible - the only mod I might be tempted to do is to add anti roll bars but as the body roll is minimal I wonder if they have already been fitted - too flippin wet to check today though!
what a great car - very cool as well - it's not a P6 and its not a Ford and the engine is a peach. Triumph straight six - you can't beat it!
