Project Rusty Triumphs in Scotland - A diversion from automotive tat - 31/01/2025

[JeeExEll]

Aaah, sorry to hear that Captn.

 

At least folk's will know what you need for Christmas.

[Supernaut]

The Stoned hippy dude was a cracking find. Proof there's nice people squirreled  away all over the place.  Just a thought but does the shite haven in Knaven have any Triumphs.   I'm pretty sure Messrs Grindley doesn't.

 

Have you ever been to the 'yard' at Knaven?

 

Everything below the door handles is pretty much unsalvageable. I personally wouldn't hold much faith in any engines from there.

[captain_70s]

Aye, anything there will be seized solid.

 

Last time I was at Cornhill there were two 1500 lumps in Jimbo's yard, but that is a fair trek for an engine even more prone to doing what my mine did... Would also need declaring on the V5, insurance etc.

 

Both the engines linked above seem cheap, 1300s usually seem to fetch £150-300.

[somewhatfoolish]

What kind of masochist swaps a 1300 for a 1500? When you find a replacement lump I'm sure we can have a Scotoshite collective 'Swap the Captain's fucked engine' day, get it done quick with many hands.

[junkyarddog]

You really are living authentic 1970's dream captain.

 

Hopefully you will get this sorted.

 

Hate to say this,but the fact you got it in a decent state of tune probably hastened it's demise.

 

Back in the day when the old man had a hunter this was a regular occurrence,he had getting the engine out down to less than half an hour.

Not sure how many bolts were holding it in,a lot less than originally I'll bet.

Then he'd drop in a slightly less fucked one and the whole process started again.

 

And it did,Avenger,hunter,Renault 4,Vauxhall vx,all had it done.

Strangely it stopped when he bought a Datsun,to be replaced with Copious amounts of rust repair!

[Skut]

Have you ever been to the 'yard' at Knaven?

 

Everything below the door handles is pretty much unsalvageable. I personally wouldn't hold much faith in any engines from there.

 

Yeah I have.  I suppose if there was a plethora of local sources for triumph motors it wouldn't be worth suggesting but there isn't.

[captain_70s]

You really are living authentic 1970's dream captain.

 

Hopefully you will get this sorted.

 

Hate to say this,but the fact you got it in a decent state of tune probably hastened it's demise.

 

Back in the day when the old man had a hunter this was a regular occurrence,he had getting the engine out down to less than half an hour.

Not sure how many bolts were holding it in,a lot less than originally I'll bet.

Then he'd drop in a slightly less fucked one and the whole process started again.

 

Aye, if I'd not got it to a reliable state I'd not have used it for the trip! The fact that the big end rumble never go noticeably worse until total failure does suggest that they've been on the edge for a rather long time...

 

My Dad's first car was a Mk2 Capri 1600, he swapped the engine at the side of the road three times within the space of a year...

[captain_70s]

Also, looking online seems to suggest Triumph engines have gone up in value. 1300s now seem to be in the £300-500 range...

[somewhatfoolish]

Could your head not be combined with the headless unit linked to? I can't remember if there was something wrong with it or not...

[SiC]

Did your engine seize solid? Just wondering if it's worth pulling it when the time comes and having a look inside before buying a replacement unit.

[danthecapriman]

Sorry to hear this Captain. You seem to be thinking about it all remarkably level headed though! I’d have been well pissed off!!

I had the same with the Mercury though, I tried and tried getting that running right and nothing would seemingly help. All the warning signs were there too that the engine was on its death bed. Sure enough it was utterly fucked and cost a shit load to fix. The good thing for you though is it’s a small reasonably easy to get engine that can be done yourself. Mine wasn’t really!

 

It might be worth at least taking the engine to bits regardless tbh. You’ll have to anyway to keep all your ancillary bits etc for the new engine. But, it might not be that much more difficult or expensive to get your old engine rebored, new pistons/rings, crank or regrind, etc?

I had the option to get a used engine but tbh you don’t really know what your getting with used engines this sort of age now. It might end up being almost as shit as the old one!

I had my old engine rebuilt in the end but you could save an awful lot in labour doing the work yourself since this engines so simple and small. I’d think nothing of doing a Pinto or similar at home...

Just a thought.

[M'coli]

Am I alone in thinking that if a cheap (i.e. free) 1147cc lump came up it would be worthwhile to throw it in just to keep it moving?

[captain_70s]

It isn't siezed up but I drove it until the bottom end fell to bits, the oil pressure was gone and will have been full of crap.

 

On top of the bottom end exploding the valves all need reground and the block will need to be rebored. When I got it the rocker assembly was worn to the point of failure and the top end was full of sludge so was replaced with a second hand set from the Spitfire graveyard.

 

To be honest if I rebuilt it properly in a manner that'd last we'd be looking at a grand or more in parts and machine work.

 

I also don't have a spare room so rebuilding a full engine in an already cluttered flat isn't really an option...

I will keep the engine and want to strip it at some point of curiosity but I don't have the facilities at the mo'.

 

I know the 1500 unit fits the gearbox, not sure on 1200s. Although they also don't seem to be cheap these days.

[M'coli]

They should do, my dad and an uncle mercy-missioned down to Newcastle with a 1200 Herald 'box to fit to another uncle's 13/60 when it shat its box about 40 years ago.

[Eddie Honda]

Back in my twenties I WOZ Captain 70s and likewise had shit/non-existent facilities and no pot to pish in and was wanking for coins [©Charlton Brooker] just to pay the rent.

 

Working harder isn't the answer, but working smarter is. He needs a plan, a Hannibal plan, but first he has to convince the RAC to recover the bloody thing back home. Get that minor problem out of the way first.

 

 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

This needs a FOAD-style rescue, sponsored by Autoshite.

[SiC]

I think this one possibility needs a proper strip down and a good reconstruction going by previous photos and now the engine. Probably not as much as my 1100, but still could do with a good bit of sparkly stick action.

[LightBulbFun]

This needs a FOAD-SiC-style rescue, sponsored by Autoshite.

 

EFA 

[Coprolalia]

This any use to you.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F232712509104

 

Sure this is the time for the Autoshite collective intelligence and shitely network.

[captain_70s]

I think this one possibility needs a proper strip down and a good reconstruction going by previous photos and now the engine. Probably not as much as my 1100, but still could do with a good bit of sparkly stick action.

It needed that when I first bought it 6 years ago, it was just shinier then and filler hadn't started falling out...

[320touring]

#infamy

[chaseracer]

I ventured to a nearby house and the hippie stoner fella who lived there was an absolute legend who made me a cup of tea and lent me a phone charger (down to 2% charge).

 

He worked as a chef at a local hotel and managed to blag me a room.

 

HERO.

[purplebargeken]

Friend of a friend had 3 Trumph 1296cc engines in his workshop. They all turned over easily enough. He only wanted about 50 quid each for them but he's not in Scotland at all sadly.   I can still ask?

[SiC]

Where abouts are they in the country? Autoshite relay? Or even someone store it until SF19.

[captain_70s]

Friend of a friend had 3 Trumph 1296cc engines in his workshop. They all turned over easily enough. He only wanted about 50 quid each for them but he's not in Scotland at all sadly.   I can still ask?

To be honest for that sort of money I could probably afford to one transported in some fashion...

[Inspector Morose]

I'm sure something can be sorted to get at least one of them (if they're still available) up to the Captain.

[purplebargeken]

They are on the Herts/Bucks border. I will email mate and ask

[bigfella2]

Can't you just stick one on a pallet and have it delivered, shouldn't be too expensive.

[captain_70s]

Can't you just stick one on a pallet and have it delivered, shouldn't be too expensive.

That relies on the seller being willing to stick it on a pallet and wait around for a courier.

[lanciamatt]

Try Shipley courier website, I've used it loads of times, I got a engine and gearbox delivered from Dorset to South Yorkshire and it cost £110, that was a 2.0 dedra turbo engine as well so it weighed a bit.