A Triumph Swordfish 1500 - On The Road

[molleur]

Very nice!

[micky1mo]

Paul L As you only need one fog light, why not set the other reflector up as a reversing light, very useful in car parks ect. .

[DaveP]

Paul,
Looking good. A quick question regarding the LED fogs is whether drilling the hole stopped them working. Did you nick a wire you think?

I ask as one of my options for my lights was to drill a hole on the centre of the reflector/light and put a white LED in that hole to act as a reversing.

If the Wiring is too close for that I will put my rear reversing lights somewhere else

Dave

[Paul L]

Mike & Molleur - Cheers chaps.

As for the reversing light, I've removed all the reversing light wiring, so I will stick with fog lights for now.
( See below. )

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Dave - The external wires are OK.

But looking at the LED light pattern, I guess there is a circuit board of some sort in use.



So even though there are no lights in the centre of the reflector, I guess there is something 'important' in the middle.

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Friday Plans:
Plan A was to use the car to drop off some Christmas presents to my mum so she could see it painted.

Then I would see if I had enough time to reshape the edges of the replacement LED reflector that arrived yesterday.



Unfortunately, there was a light mist all morning, when meant I had to take my Mondeo instead.

But by the time I got home the weather had finally started to clear up a bit, although it was still grey.

So I managed to get out for an hour, which is around 15 miles in traffic, but I had a few good bursts in the middle.

Stopped off on Harrow Hill for a few photos on the way home.





Then decided to turn up the final slope to the church on the very top (where the Harrow Job video ends).

There I was greeted by a small crowd all very well dressed and a professional photographer clicking away.

Turns out there was a wedding about to start, so I quickly turned around.

Thankfully, I managed to get out of the way just as the bride arrived.



So just time for one quick photo and I was on my way.



So that's all for now, cheers, Paul.

[Paul L]

Odd Jobs:
It was an early start as I was at Sainsburys at 7am for the final bits for Christmas dinner.

It was almost 3pm before I could start working on the car.

First job was to remove the broken LED reflector, start the the engine & switch on the fog lights.



This allowed me to check the wiring of the new LED reflector.



I then filed down the edges of the reflector so that it would fit into the Lucas rubber mounting and refitted it.

I had two other jobs to do in the boot while it was 'open'.

The first was to swap the standard nuts on the locating lugs for nyloc ones.
( As these were shaking themselves loose when I was driving along. )





I had also been having trouble with one of the boot lid locks not wanting to close.

Eventually, I spotted that it was fouling here.



Unfortunately, by this stage it was dark outside, so the following photos are rubbish.

But I covered the rear of the car up...



And ground the area back a bit to give me some more clearance.
( I'll repaint this black another day. )



The good news is that both rear fog lights are now working again.



The bad news is that I noticed a big chip in the paint in one corner of the boot opening.



And the engine blew oil all over my wife's car a few feet away.
( So I had to wash that down when I was finished. )





Despite being lit by the street light in the photo, the rear end really does look the part now.



Until next time, take care, Paul.

[Jaguartvr]

Stupid boy!

You could have done it with a polishing mop and some cutting paste. The missed opportunity was that you had to buy if for the wife's car, in fact you could have got her to pay for it.
A missed opportunity, Stupid Boy!

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Jaguartvr

Stupid boy!

Oi!

I resemble that remark.





It was someone in my wife’s work that suggested the fix and they even supplied the 2000 grit and clear coat.

So I would be hard pressed to argue that I needed a new tool for the job when they didn’t use one.

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Friday Suppliment
As well as fixing my wife’s headlights I also had to take my mum to a physio appointment.

Due to road works I had to take the scenic route back and saw the charred Grenfell Tower for the first time.
( As I said at the time, this is not very far from my mum’s house as the crow flies. )

Even having seen in on TV doesn’t seem to dampen the impact when you see it with your own eyes.

On a lighter note, I was also stuck in a traffic jam on the North Circular with this car next to me.
( The number plate was easy to remember and Google had this photo. )



Now most cars with 4 ‘drain pipes’ for exhausts don’t actually need then.

But it was clear this car had a serious power plant and it sounded very menacing just inching along.

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Saturday
Unfortunately, a number of chores got in the way of me heading out for a decent spin today.

But at least I was able to finally finish tidying the Summerhouse.



I also picked up my road bike from getting repaired today and needed to clear the space around it.



As I plan to spend hours on this Turbo trainer this year to lose some, OK, a LOT of weight.

I just hope the weather holds tomorrow.

Cheers, Paul.

[WelshOne]

Stunning just stunning Paul.

-

As for this little car you spotted.

Nissan GTR R35
3.8 twin turbo
420 bhp in standard form but this one has been played with
195+ mph
With a price tag of pushing on 100k.



Sorry my geeky knowledge of Japanese sports cars is greater then kit cars

It surely puts my daily drive with 4 drain pipes out the back with only 230 bhp to shame. But mine has a wankle engine.

[Paul L]

Mike - Thanks for your kind offer.

But I've got my wooden tonneau covers for when the car is parked on the driveway.
( Note the P & D were added before the steering wheel was fitted & at one point these were a single unit. )



And when the weather finally warms up I will get a proper cover made, something like Mister Towed's.



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WelshOne - That GTR certainly sounded evil just crawling along.

A very long time along, I remember reading about someone fitting a wankle engine into an Alfa Spyder.
( Possibly in Street Machine? )

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Even Shorter Sunday
Domestic stuff had to take priority today, but I did get a very quick spin out.

And as it wasn't raining, I did take a couple of photos.





But by now the sky was starting to cloud over...



So it was a quick stop at Sainsburys.



Where no sooner had I stepped out of the car when a man and his young son came over for a chat.

The amazingly positive reaction the car gets really does help take away my disappointment with the paint.

Until next time, take care, Paul.

[Mick O'Malley]

Originally Posted by Paul L

The amazingly positive reaction the car gets really does help take away my disappointment with the paint.

Until next time, take care, Paul.

I know those feelings well! My paintwork is blistered, star crazed and cracked in quite a few places, but it's more than compensated for by the 'dropped jaw' looks from old boys as I cruise past. I generally drop it a cog, give it a squirt for their benefit, and check in my mirror that they're still gawping as they drink in the six-pot music .

Regards, Mick

[Barber]

I was discussing a keep fit regime with my son today. I plan to get a cheap treadmill (£150 foldable and motorised) and stick it in the shed (small log cabin 2mx2m) that I have just built today, then run an armoured cable. If rainy, walk fast -ish in the shed, if not do it on the lawn. Running is definitely out of the question unless my life is threatened. I may have to put a cooled energy drinks dispenser (beer fridge) in there too. Noise cancelling headphones and Free Live, fitness here I come.

[Paul L]

Barber - For me, the big advantage of training in the Summerhouse is I don't disturb the family.

When I was training properly, I could happily do a couple of hours cycling before work, even if it was dark outside.

For the long steady rides, I have an old TV and DVD player with headphones to keep me occupied.

Power is run from the house via an armoured cable.



The cable comes in underneath/through the concrete base.



After back filling the hole, there is no sign of the cable at all.



Which gives me both light and power sockets.





Good luck with your fitness plan.

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Sunday Spin:
Managed to get out for around a hour and 20 minutes today, which equates to 33 odd miles due to traffic.

Took a quick blast up the M1 and was pleased to find that the overdrive switch seemed to be working properly.

Whilst it might be getting marginally brighter in the afternoons, it is still pretty cold out there, so just one photo stop.



At some point I need to make a final decision on some side mirror plinths.
( As I want them in place before I get my tonneau cover made. )

Until next time, take care, Paul.

[Jaguartvr]

Looking at your picture of the car cover, you could do with a square of plywood with an upright to create a tent pole that could sit between the drivers and passenger seats, this would stop the water from pooling and might help keep the inside drier.

[Paul L]

Jag - Unfortunately what I really need is a garage.

Building the car on my driveway was a dumb idea and parking it here is not much better.

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Short Saturday
This morning, I tried to squeeze a quick drive in before the promised rain arrived in the afternoon.

But first it was time to check the oil and I'm still lovin' the bonnet opening.



Unfortunately, I'm not lovin' the fact I haven't sorted out inner front wheel arches yet, as there is mud everywhere.



I barely managed 15 miles in an hour as there was nothing but roadworks and traffic jams in all directions.

Then to rub slat into the wounds, I got caught in some light drizzle that had a brief flurry of sleet in it.

It was easy to keep a stiff upper lip as I drove though this, mainly because the lower half of my face was frozen.

Until next time, take care, Paul.

[micky1mo]

Paul L I have a hard half tonneau cover from a Spyder knocking about the workshop.
Why not collect it and adapt it for you car ?
It will help keep out the rain when the covering sheet is on and help keep you warm and dry when your driving.

[Marc F]

Why are you disappointed with the paint - it looks nice and aged and suits the car. Is there anything in particular that bothers you?

Marc (from the Miglia page)

[Paul L]

Mick - Thanks for the kind words.

I know the real problem is my own standards/expectations, as everyone else likes what they see.

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Marc - It is really hard to get a decent photo of the problem, but there is a scratched/milky finish on the paint now.



At least the 'survivor' look is more popular in the old car world these days.

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Hell's Bells It's Cold Out
Forecast said it was around 3 or 4 degrees when I headed out today, but it felt much colder.

I took my go pro out, so I could get some photos without stopping.

I have to work my way through the built up areas…



Before I finally get onto the open road.





Tried another 'Italian Job' angle.



And finally one 'selfie', where the exposed part of my face is freezing.



Until next time, take care, Paul.

PS
Had a weird passerby this morning who stopped for a chat while I was just starting the car up on my drive.
He said he had taken photos of my car "without wheels" and wanted to know if he could take some more.
English wasn't his first language and, for a Sunday morning, he absolutely stank of drink.
But in the spirit of goodwill, I said just let me pull the car into the road so he could get a better view.
Then, to my surprise, he pulled out a HUGE professional SLR camera and proceeded to click away.
It turns out his previous photos were taken when the car was freshly painted and left uncovered to dry.
( Hence the lack of wheels. )

[Barber]

Paul, this may not be any help but worth considering.

A number of years ago, I painted some wooden garage doors in a very nice green external paint, similar in tone to yours. This was done September/October time and a combination of the cold and heavy dew made it go milky in patches. It stayed the same over the winter, but during the spring and early summer, the heat and sunshine dried the paint out thoroughly and it was good for many years.

Don't panic until you have had the chance for the car to get a good dose of fresh air and warm sunshine. Fingers crossed.

[Paul L]

Barber - Cheers.

My current plan is to wait until the warm weather returns and then see what can be done.

[Paul L]

Short and sharp
You know it is going to be a cold trip when there is still unmelted flakes of snow on the car cover.



Once again, don't let the sunshine fool you, the wind chill was biting on exposed roads.







Note: You can really see the 'milky' paint finish on the rear arch in the photo above.

Although I did like the ray of sunshine peaking through when I filled up.



And I still enjoy the Sainsburys' car park.



Until next time, take care, Paul.