My Triumph Acclaim Avon Turbo!

[GrahamR]

My Triumph Acclaim Avon Turbo!

[Sheefag]

Simply fabulous!

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Converted when new? Didn't know they existed - tell more!

[GrahamR]

No, sadly it's just a replica which I'm newly finishing. Just got Alloy Wheels,  boot badges and decal now to complete, but mechanically it's still standard Acclaim.

 

[ProgRocker]

Hells Bells!! Fantastic.

Did they or did they not have alloys as part of the package? I thought that they had a 'teledial' type pattern.

'LEX' reg, so registered in Norfolk. Possibly sold by Mann Egerton.

[GrahamR]

Yes, 13" Kiwi Lineas. I've found a set. Just waiting on delivery. It was first registered in Norwich (Harry R. Fisk Ltd). Still retains the original number plates and rear window sticker.

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

1 hour ago, GrahamR said:

Yes, 13" Kiwi Lineas. I've found a set. Just waiting on delivery. It was first registered in Norwich (Harry R. Fisk Ltd). Still retains the original number plates and rear window sticker.

 

Near as dammit Metro Pepperpots aren't they? 

[inconsistant]

Oh that is superb. I'm sure I've got Autocar/Motor road tests of these in the loft somewhere. I'll have a look see what I can find...

[Cheggers]

Can this be shifted into the main forum where it'll get far more attention?

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk

[Talbot]

Would it be completely and utterly wrong to tear out the running gear and install the most powerful turbocharged 4-cyl inline engine you can find?  Putting 300hp in that would be absolutely hilarious.

[Mrs6C]

2 hours ago, GrahamR said:

No, sadly it's just a replica which I'm newly finishing. Just got Alloy Wheels,  boot badges and decal now to complete, but mechanically it's still standard Acclaim.

Never let the facts get in the way of a great story! Top car, well done!

 

[GrahamR]

I do actually have all the Turbo Technics mechanical parts too (turbo, intercooler, carbs, exhaust, etc.) from a long since scrapped actual Avon Turbo, but  they are very old and don't look in the best condition. It would be a major job to instal and actually get working.

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Just now, GrahamR said:

I do actually have all the Turbo Technics mechanical parts too (turbo, intercooler, carbs, exhaust, etc.) from a long since scrapped actual Avon Turbo, but  they are very old and don't look in the best condition. It would be the correct thing to do during lockdown to install them and actually get them working. 

 

EFA. 

[GrahamR]

I'll keep all the parts, and perhaps the next custodian will have a go.

 

[GrahamR]

All the crucial parts!

[Tadhg Tiogar]

...including Irish plates for a quick getaway?

[GrahamR]

4 hours ago, Cheggers said:

Can this be shifted into the main forum where it'll get far more attention?

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 

Sorry, should have posted in the main forum in the first place!

[GrahamR]

3 hours ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

...including Irish plates for a quick getaway?

Yes, the original scrapped Avon Turbo that I got most of the parts from was registered in Ireland!

[bigstraight6]

That’s a stunning car, I owned a HLS about 25 years ago and loved it....

[Talbot]

Are there no internal differences to the engine then?  I would have thought to do a proper conversion you would need the whole engine, as there are likely to be things like strengthened conrods, lower compression pistons, piston-cooling oil jets, drillings for turbo oil feed etc.etc.etc.

In general, the differences between a turbocharged engine and a non-turbo engine are massive.  Simply strapping a turbo to a non-turbo engine will make a grenade.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

8 minutes ago, Talbot said:

Are there no internal differences to the engine then?  I would have thought to do a proper conversion you would need the whole engine, as there are likely to be things like strengthened conrods, lower compression pistons, piston-cooling oil jets, drillings for turbo oil feed etc.etc.etc.

In general, the differences between a turbocharged engine and a non-turbo engine are massive.  Simply strapping a turbo to a non-turbo engine will make a grenade.

I don't know the specifics on Acclaims, but with late 80s/early 90s NA MX5 lumps, you can literally strap a turbo on, unblank the oil feed, attach a piggyback ECU and drive on. Internally it's engineered to handle a turbo. Since the Acclaim is basically a well engineered J motor, I'd have thought it was a pretty tough old lump to start with. 

[captain_70s]

42 minutes ago, GrahamR said:

Sorry, should have posted in the main forum in the first place!

I think @brownnova can do that?

[brownnova]

18 hours ago, GrahamR said:

Sorry, should have posted in the main forum in the first place!

 

17 hours ago, captain_70s said:

I think @brownnova can do that?

He can and he has!

Looks like a cracking thread this! 

[Cavcraft]

Is that a Tigar radial spare tyre? Fabulous.

[Mat.T]

That looks excellent, I remember reading about the acclaim turbo in the early days of retro-rides. It would be great to see it fully functional

[Austat]

Do any original Avons still survive?

[Sir Snipes]

20 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

I don't know the specifics on Acclaims, but with late 80s/early 90s NA MX5 lumps, you can literally strap a turbo on, unblank the oil feed, attach a piggyback ECU and drive on. Internally it's engineered to handle a turbo. Since the Acclaim is basically a well engineered J motor, I'd have thought it was a pretty tough old lump to start 

 Iirc the mx5 engine is essentially a 323 Turbo engine (minus the turbo) so it's unusually good at being force fed. I think even they won't run more than about 7psi without intercooling? 

[vulgalour]

1 hour ago, Austat said:

Do any original Avons still survive?

The only one I regularly saw pictures of whenever the Avon Turbo pops up in conversation was a gold one which, it turns out, was bought by the TSSC (Triumph Sport Six Club?) in 2004 http://www.a222.org.uk/acclaim/news.html#turbo.  Last update I can find on it was 2011 when some more pictures were shared of the repair work needed: http://www.a222.org.uk/acclaim/tsscturbo.html

According to the above site, only 3 are known to survive.

It's been 9 years since those postings so hopefully some meaningful progress has been made.  I suspect the TSSC car is A490HDU which shows as untaxed since 2004, tying in neatly with the dates in the above and in this picture sports the same colour blue door as in the article, just on the other side, presumably both front doors being from the same donor car.

 

VWK689X which is showing as untaxed since the mid 90s (one would have to assume therefore that it's been trailered to the location of the picture here, since there's post-1990s content all around it).

A silver survivor, YRJ77Y, is shown as having current MoT and Tax.

This article from 2012 shows both of the above cars: http://www.thepetrolstop.com/2012/11/avon-acclaim.html

Perhaps these are the three survivors?

 

[J-T]

Looking good, but come on man, strap that turbo on! I don't think I've ever actually seen one of these in the flesh. Didn't they have a ridiculous conversion cost that could have netted you a Golf GTI etc at the time?

How come it's sat so high at the front end?

[greengartside]

On 4/4/2020 at 10:12 AM, GrahamR said:

Yes, 13" Kiwi Lineas. I've found a set. Just waiting on delivery. It was first registered in Norwich (Harry R. Fisk Ltd). Still retains the original number plates and rear window sticker.

 

Harry R. Fisk was a Rover dealer in a village called Stoke Holy Cross which is approx. 4 miles south of Norwich. Long gone now, the site has been redeveloped for houses. I still have a Fisk dealer keyring in my shed!