Completed Interior

After all the running around last week for the MOT, I never posted a photograph of the completed interior.


The original seats and door cards all scrubbed up wonderfully using bicarbonate of soda, a toothbrush and a little hot water. I gave up trying to use washing up liquid as it was far too messy and foamy. The bicarbonate of soda just turns into a paste and lifted the dirt and grim with a little elbow grease.

The original carpets all went back in after a thorough clean with a carpet cleaner we hired for the weekend under the pretence of cleaning the house carpets. I was lucky enough to find a new-old-stock driver's footwell carpet. Over the years I managed to source original footwell rubber mats and they fit nicely.

Chapman and Cliff provided a reveneered dashboard many years ago, and earlier this year were able to reveneer the door cappings and coupe specific rear cappings to match. The cardboard dashboard surround was restored by Shaun in a pretty near original recreation of the portafleck look.

A period Motorola radio is installed in the original radio console bracket. The Herald 90mph speedo has been replaced with a 110mph speedo from an early Vitesse. A bracket for the electric fan manual override and hazard warning lights sits to the right of the steering wheel. The steering wheel itself is a period wheel I have previously fitted to various small chassis Triumphs as I find it near impossible to get behind the original wheels. The overdrive switch is mounted on the column.

Additional instrumentation by way of temperature gauge and oil pressure gauge are mounted nearly out of sight on the A post, so as not to clutter the dashboard.

Shaun and Paul replaced the original torn and stained headlining with a new item complete with an interior light from a 2000 saloon.

10CR Seats

Just won these MGF half leather seats on eBay thanks to Auction Sniper - who in their right mind sets an auction to end at 3.00am?!

Absolute bargain at only £30!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270439852009




Than plan is to make the MGF seats easily interchangeable with the original Herald items, as I only need a reclining passenger seat for events like the 10CR and RBRR.

Right now the problem is getting them home from Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Anyone from South Yorks going to Stafford next weekend?!

Interior and Engine

The interior is now going into the Coupe - not long now. Paul and Shaun did a great job fitting a new headlining as the original item was torn and badly discoloured in a few places. The original interior light setup in the Herald is pretty basic, so there's now a roof mounted lamp as per the Triumph 2000 saloon that comes on inconjuction with the light over the dash.


The carpet, seats and door trims are all the original items given a thorough clean. The patina of the faded rear seat is lovely. The results of an old toothbrush, a little hot water, a dab of bicarbonate of soda and a little elbow grease worked wonders on the original vinyl trim.


Under the bonnet, the "Filter King" fuel filter/regulator has been fitted on the bulkhead between the master cylinders and heater, ready to supply the SU HS4 that sits just to the side of the heater valve.


Paul did a fantastic job modifying a Triumph 2000 airbox to fit the single SU. Not sure yet whether to place a filter in the airbox or go for trumpet socks on the front of the ducting pipes. Either way I'd like to fit a stub stack to ease the flow of air into the carb.


Unfortunately the radiator still isn't ready to go in, and the Shorrock drive belts I ordered turned out to be a size too big. Damn.

Moto-Lita

As a reward for passing the MOT last week, and also because I was fed up getting filthy hands on damp mornings from a worn out steering wheel, I've treated myself to a really nice Moto-Lita for the 2000.

At 15" diameter it's a little bit smaller than the original wheel, but you get a little more leg room in return. The thicker, chunkier rim makes the car feel much more confident than trying to grapple with the skinny rim of the original.


Purchased from Bryan Jones Autoquip Ltd
Trading on eBay as Classic Steering Wheels

Sunvisor Clean-Up

In true restoration "before and after" style, here's a few photos of the minging sunvisors as removed from the car, and after a few hours spent with a toothbrush and a bottle of Ecover washing-up liquid...





Interestingly the passenger side is missing any trace of a vanity mirror. Instead there is what appears to be an aftermarket mirror fixed to the driver's side. I guess the "one careful lady owner", Miss Evelyn Mary Beamand liked to keep an eye on her appearance...

New Old Stock Carpet!

It's still amazes me what you can find as "New Old Stock". A casual chat with my favourite Triumph Spares specialist from Fillongley turned up trumps with this footwell carpet piece from the back of the stores. (part number 805053 if you're interested, and yes they have them in stock!)

The rest of my carpet cleaned up okay - if a little faded. It was just the driver's side that's looking a little worse for wear.

Another item ticked off the list!

Herald/Vitesse Radio Mounting Bracket

After a fair bit of searching I managed to source an original Herald/Vitesse radio mounting bracket. These are starting to go for silly money on eBay - a complete radio bracket and speaker assembly went for £150 a few months back - definitely a case of demand outstripping supply.

Although the pressing does look a little complicated, it's a shame no one's considered remanufacturing them. I understand a source of the wobbly finisher plate has already been identified.

Plea For Help : Britax Inertia Reel Seat Belt

Plea For Help : Does anyone have a spare seat belt like the one pictured here?

It's called a Britax Auto-Lok and bolts through the floor with two bolts. The chrome buckle lifts to release the catch. I'm not fussed about the condition of the webbing as I'm going to get it re-webbed. I have one belt for the driver's side but I'm after a matching belt for the passenger side.

If you can help, I'd much appreciate it.





UPDATE : I'd like to thank Colin Wake and David Pearson - both whom contacted me to say they had some Britax Seat Belts I might have. Cheers guys!