Project Rusty Triumphs in Scotland - To gas or not to gas(less MIG) - 09/11/24

[Eddie Honda]

As thus I have another blue car (gotta' have a blue car and green car for driving around different bits of town for football politics) 

 

That's the slight problem I have with my 306 cab. Dark blue, but with the added nightmare of this dealer logo:

 

 

"RANGERS"

 

and these dealer plates:

 

 

"www.rangerspeugeot.co.uk"

 

[garage no longer main dealers - https://www.rangersgarage.co.uk ]

 

Which is perfectly fine for swanning around with the roof down in sunny Wiltshire, but a little thought has to be given when parking (or even driving!) anywhere round the "Dear Green Place". (Hmmm, I suppose that could be used as an excuse for a Roland Garros purchase)

[captain_70s]

 

Fook. What a start to a slightly hungover Sunday... Buying an ancient car with a month's MOT for less than a grand without bothering to view it. What could do wrong?

 

Preview:

 

[MorrisItalSLX]

Triumph Acclaim?

[captain_70s]

Triumph Acclaim?

Am I really that predictable?!

 

[MorrisItalSLX]

Nope, I'm just incredibly good at identifying door handles and rubbing strips.

 

(I am legitimately shocked that I guessed correctly!)

 

Looks to be a lovely little giffer mobile, best of luck to you!

 

Also, if it's a bASe, I will eat my hat.

[SiC]

Am I really that predictable?!

 

DSC_0786 (Copy).JPG

So you're buying another Honda then?

[captain_70s]

Nope, I'm just incredibly good at identifying door handles and rubbing strips.

 

(I am legitimately shocked that I guessed correctly!)

 

Looks to be a lovely little giffer mobile, best of luck to you!

 

Also, if it's a bASe, I will eat my hat.

It's an "L" which is the lowest spec of Acclaim you could get, doesn't even have headrests and had narrower tyres than my Dolly 1300 when new! It does have a pushbutton MW/LW radio though...

 

So you're buying another Honda then?

Tronda Aclivic?

[vulgalour]

Don't forget to turn off the cloak when you're driving it.  I couldn't find the off button for it in my Maestro of the same hue.

[320touring]

I went to see this when it was for sale earlier in the year

[captain_70s]

It's been for sale for quite some time at a price I couldn't really get behind, much less afford!

 

Used to be Jimbo's (The Cornhill yard chap) wife's daily car and I'd pass it parked up in Portsoy and Cornhill quite frequently. He sold it to a young guy who fitted bucket seats, a new radio, alloy wheels and tinted the lights before killing it and selling it as a non-runner.

An Acclaim owner up near Aberdeen who I know was going to buy it to break for spares but the fella wouldn't sell it if it was going to be broken, the current owner then bought it as a non-runner and found the timing belt had snapped on the non-interference engine. 

He then replaced the timing belt, had the rear arches repaired and had the car resprayed (I think he works at the body shop!), he also bought the original seats, wheels and radio from Jimbo who still had them at his yard! 

It seems to travel about Scotland a fair bit to car shows but is invariably trailered to and from locations. The MOT history is fairly clean though.

 

I seem to recall it being up for about £1200 for ages but it's not a fantastic example, it's a base spec car having lived a good chunk of it's life in the north east as a banger racer's wife's car and has had a hasty respray and plenty of overspray. However for £850 I think it's probably alright!

 

 

[Skizzer]

Well done. I’ve always liked the look of Acclaims, and was really impressed with the drive I had in Trigger’s old one.

[320touring]

You haz PM

[MorrisItalSLX]

Also, if it's a bASe, I will eat my hat.

 

It's an "L" which is the lowest spec of Acclaim you could get...

 

[oldcars]

Love it. this it was at Morris Leslie once before as well. Its the civic going and this the new daily?

[captain_70s]

Yup, was up for auction and for sale for £1200-1500 for ages. Unsurprising it never shifted as 320's pics show the rear of the sills and rear arches will need some MIG tickling ASAP.

I may attack it with my arc welder, although I've budgeted £300 for it's MOT.

 

Aye, it and the Dolly will share daily duties. The Civic will be moved on once the Acclaim has landed and been evaluated.

[Felly Magic]

I like the base, base, base, base, I like the buttery biscuit base

[Angrydicky]

What a beast! They can rot well though. Budget a full week to weld up the sills unless you are lucky!

[Felly Magic]

That photo at the car show also has a mega uber rare mk1 Fester XR2 Fly floppytop, a car that makes me go hnnnnnng fapfapfapfap

[flat4alfa]

BASE!

How low can you go

Glasgow?

What a brother know.

 

I saw this Acclaim on 'bay and had it on the watched.  So now it's come into the fold, excellent.  I had the 'Trigger' Acclaim a few years back but not for very long.

 

#34 and #42 please

[captain_70s]

Insurance sorted, £215 for the year with a £50 excess, that includes agreed value, use for commuting and third party cover on any other vehicle over 20 years old. Compared to the Civic which was £680 a year despite using my no-claims bonus which had a £500 excess...

 

Collecshun is tomorrow night, now bricking it slightly.

 

 

I also went to visit the Doloshite to collect my jack/stands/crooklock from it's boot, so I can confirm it still exists. Poor old thing, at least it has a 75 keeping it company.

 

[flat4alfa]

The danger here is the Doloshite work gets avoided as the Acclaimoshite gets tinkered with 

 

I never* get myself in that sort of mess

[vulgalour]

Yeah, but after several years of tears and frustration you get to a point where you can use both of them for a week or so.  You've just gotta play the long game with these things.

[captain_70s]

The danger here is the Doloshite work gets avoided as the Acclaimoshite gets tinkered with 

 

I never* get myself in that sort of mess

The handy thing is that in 2 months the Doloshite will be MOT/tax exempt and there will be no constant rush to work on it, I can tinker at my own pace/budget and use it as a 2nd car for local dithering and a backup for when the daily is out of action. It's rarely broken to the point of being unusable or dangerous, it's just constantly mildly fucked... 

When the Dolly randomly loses all of it's electrics or the handbrake is useless you forgive it because it's old and crap, when the Civic blows headlight bulbs all the time or won't hold on a hill it's annoying, because it's a different sort of old and crap.

 

Any daily motor is going to require work/money, my theory is that if the money has to be spent I may as well spend it on old crap I actually like! I've really wanted to try owning an old car that isn't a Dolomite for quite a while but if I wait until it's a sensible idea they'll be well out of budget.

[captain_70s]

COLLECTED.

 

 

Plus points:

 

It drives fantastically

It sounds great

It is super comfy

It is bASe

Spare set of wheels, un-smoked lights, mudflaps and various other bits and bobs in the boot

The original manual, service book etc is all present.

Free Haynes manual

Free Triumph Acclaim brochure

Free set of pliers in the glovebox

 

 

Negative points:

 

Windscreen wipers are both too short and the passenger side one is decorative only

Fan belt screams like an utter bitch at anything under 3k rpm.

It has ugly welding to the arse end of the sills and smol holes in the lower rear wing

Ignition barrel/shroud is loose and can be a pain in the arse when turning the key

I managed to snap my one and only door key in the petrol cap lock while filling up in Dunfermline, the spare was already snapped...

As I went to overtake a lorry the exhaust manifold and downpipe took a dislike to each other and parted ways at about 4.5k rpm, the car is now very loud. Evidence of prior paste bodgery is present

 

Neutral points:

 

I've already ordered new keys and converted the petrol cap lock to a screwdriver special

Radio only works on one speaker and that sounds fucking dire, is it even supposed to have two speakers?

 

Further assesment shall occur when it's not pitch black, freezing cold and raining.

[SiC]

Neutral points:

 

I've already ordered new keys and converted the petrol cap lock to a screwdriver special

Radio only works on one speaker and that sounds fucking dire, is it even supposed to have two speakers?

If they're notable concerns, I think you're doing alright* with this one.

[captain_70s]

If they're notable concerns, I think you're doing alright* with this one.

I've not seen it in the daylight yet.

[320touring]

Well done!

[flat4alfa]

I've not seen it in the daylight yet.

 

The wait is excruciating

[SiC]

The wait is excruciating

He's probably too busy with the dustpan sweeping it up to have a chance to update us.

[captain_70s]

Home from work, armed with daylight and my camera. Let the photo show commence:

 

First an overview:

 

 

Actually looks half decent! It's had a really half arsed blow over, the exhaust is at speed bump attacking height and the front fogs and reverse lights don't work. Fuck it, £850 car yo.

 

 

100% British m8. No.1 BREXIT-mobile.

 

 

The interior is actually plush as fuck, has a clock and everyfink. Original pushbutton radio to listen to loads of interference and not much music on.

 

 

The engine is there and does engine things. Sounds pretty normal but you've got to remember this is a Triumph.

 

 

Original dealer sticker and metal plates? Damn fucking straight, son.

 

 

Quality* metalwork repairs show this car was clearly loved during it's 30+ years in Aberdeenshire.

 

 

A word of warning, Acclaim petrol locks turn the opposite way to Dolomite ones. Not knowing this on a rainy night in Dunfermline could see you snap your only door key in the fucking thing and require you to butcher it to retrieve the bits...

 

 

The cause of my LOUD. No idea what's going on here, looks like the pipe has fallen out of the manifold (after being held in with GunGum), how does this work?

 

 

Boot contains goodies inc un-smoked lights.

 

 

Max flapage.

 

 

Modern shit.

 

 

Anybody got a pair of these?

 

 

Documentation and random glovebox stuff.

 

Overall 7.8/10. Am very pleased with car, would buy again.