Tom

I’ve undone the webbing where it attached to the car at the rear and the hood is still tight so it does look like the tension is in the hood and not the webbing. What a shame as I like the colour and it’s condition suits the car. I might still try a bodge as to be honest the hood is never really used to keep the rain off but I’ll also keep an eye out for one a similar colour.

I think it’s been fitted ok as the gaps left to right are the same and it all looks the correct shape, it just looks like it’s been through a hot wash and shrunk equally in all directions. I think I could fashion some extension ‘flaps’ to make up the left right gaps. The tension front to back seems to all be in the webbing and not the hood itself? I’m wondering I could detach the webbing to release the tension and if that cures the front back problem reattach it in the new position?

Ok I suspected as much. I’d best unclip it then!! I suppose my only options are to replace it or source some vinyl of a similar colour and make some ‘extender’ pieces. If I go down the replace route any advice on material choice and suppliers would be welcome. My old Spitfire 1500 had a lovely canvas type roof which was lovely if a little leaky at times. I don’t like some of the plastic roofs I’ve seen, a little shiny and cheap looking.

Hello, this summer I finally got my 1965 1200 Herald back on the road after being off for 10yrs. During this time the soft top was left on the frame but off the car. It’s a plastic (type of vinyl?) and a light brown colour that matches the car nicely other than fact that it doesn’t appear to fit particularly well, it seems to have shrunk? It’s very tight to get locked into position and does not come down far enough to provide a good seal above and round the doors. It also doesn’t come down far enough on too of the rear wings. The PO appears to have attached some scrappy pieces of vinyl to make up the gap? I can’t remember how tight it was before I took it off as it was so long ago! If possible I’d like to keep it as it suits the car ie. a bit scruffy but solis enough. It’s not the end of the world if I can’t fix it as I don’t plan on driving in the rain but it would be nice to fix it. My questions are…. 1.Do these roofs shrink? 2. If they do shrink can they be ‘stretched’ back to size? I wondered about removing the webbing to stretch it? 3. If it can’t be stretched are there any things that can be done to improve things? thanks, Tom

Thanks guys, I’m going with what I’ve done and the paint dots observation method 👍🏼 yes Pete that’s exactly what. i was worried about overloading the transmission with too much torque, I was worried about snapping a tooth of a gear, I hadn’t really considered the clutch!! I’m happy with it’s tightness. Putting my newly obtained water pump housing with the threaded areas for temp sensors on tonight, some of you might recall me asking about coolant sensor positions and temp gauges in general a few weeks back?

Well the timing cover is back on, Seal tapped in nice and firmly👍🏼 I’ve nipped up the pulley nut but thought I’d check the best way torque it up? I’m thinking 4th gear, handbrake on and wheels chocked? I don’t have a socket big enough for my torque wrench but do have a big old spanner about 14inches my grandad left me. I’m thinking tighten it as much with the said spanner and then tap it a few more degrees with a hammer? I don’t want to risk damaging anything so thought I’d check my methodology here first!!

Cheers Nigel, I was confident that was the case but thought I’d check👍🏼

Hello, I’ve just fitted new timing sprockets and chain and then had a minor brain freeze when it came to the timing cover oil seal. I know 99% of the time the spring side faces in towards the oily side and the flat surface to the outside but I thought I’d double check!!!

I think I’m going to go with the underslung idea like the Vitesse pic but maybe in a black leather looking Vinyl on top of plywood. Fixed to the underside of the dash with metal brackets of some description.

Well I’ve struck lucky there’s a pump housing with a tap off heading my way👍🏼 I won’t be fitting it right away but I can start thinking about mounting the gauge. I also have collected over the years all the bits and bobs needed for an oil pressure and charging gauge so potentially I could go the whole hog and have a row of three mounted under the dash in the centre? yes I know this is funny after our previous chat about minimalism driving😆 but I do find like the idea of being able to monitor these three parameters and I think if tastefully done does not detract from the car and it can all be returned to standard easily should I think I’ve made a mistake. Any advice on mounting would be great.

Love that Renault 5! Reminds me a little of my old 1986 Renault 11, fabulous car! I’ve always gone for small base model cars, Fiat cinquecento, Punto and now a Polo manual windows no AC, the only extravagance it has is ABS. There’s a purity that comes from having less and looking under the bonnet of my Herald and knowing the function of every single part is strangely comforting. I’m a serial ‘checker’ always keep on top of the fluids, tyre pressures etc it’s unbelievable how many folk never check anything, so many people are completely disconnected from their vehicles now, I suppose some of it comes from most people not even owning them just lease them for 3 years and move onto the next lifestyle choice? If they thought I have to get at least 10 years of motoring from this car maybe they’d care more? Still want a temp gauge though😆

I hear where you are coming from but engine temp is fundamental to engine health just as much as oil pressure and that has at least a warning light, the car even has a charge indicator and the worse thing that can happen when your gen or alt fails is the car grinds to a halt once the battery is flat. Seeing the temp creeping up to a danger point gives you the opportunity to save wrecking the engine, or adjust your driving style to suit the conditions. I just think it was a bit of false economy? I love mechanical simplicity which is partly why I ride Eastern European two stroke motorcycles as that is about as simple as transport using the internal combustion engine can get.

Yes mine that type but I’ve potentially got the opportunity for a later pump housing with tap off so I’m waiting to here back, this would be my preferred option I think. Strange how there were so many variations in such a short amount of time? I find it unbelievable Triumph sold a car with absolutely no indication it was overheating and about to seize up???

Reading your comment Peter it looks like I have a third option as I think I may have thermostat housing with the thick bit? No idea it is rare?

Yes I potentially do have a choice if I manage ti get this water pump housing withe the threaded area for the sender. I agree the best place for it is before the thermostat. I had a play with the gauge and sender tonight, I borrowed a power supply from work, set it to 10v and wired it to the sender I have with the black insulation. I popped it in a mug and poured in boiling water, the gauge moved to somewhere between normal and hot which must be roughly correct?

Thanks for the response, I’ve had the gauge years, can’t remember where I got it? Ive Also got this sender, it doesn’t have any markings on it, the insulation on it is black, I’ve read this might be an identifier? I’m also in the process of aquiring an water pump housing with a threaded inlet to screw a sender into. I also have a thermostat housing that this screws into but I think it would foul the thermostat hence the need for a new wp housing or maybe I could aquire an adapter to raise the sensor?

Hello, I have acquired a Smiths TC4303/08 Temp gauge which I believe might be a temp gauge for a 1200 Herald? My 1965 Herald doesn’t have a gauge and I’d like to fit it if possible? My main question is what type of sender do I need and do I need a voltage stabiliser?

Thanks, so Triumph paint code 19👍🏼

Hello, spending some time sprucing up my 1965 Herald convertible after getting it back on the road after 8 odd years. It is Cactus green with a red interior, the wheels are pretty untidy so I’m planning a refurb. Currently the wheels are badly painted in silver and have the aluminium trims in white fitted unfortunately the are not all the same, three are the lattice type and one is the type with larger holes in it. Not sure if I’m keen on them, I really like the simple look of the wheels without the trims in white with just the Chrome hub cap. my questions are. 1. what shade of white should the wheels to do, is the a brilliant type white or more of an off white? 2. The tyres are pretty old and have sat around so really could do with replacing, any recommendations would be good. thanks.

My excitement was a little premature , I soldered the leak , it was a tiny crack and thought it wise to dunk the whole thing in a bucket of water and pump up to pressure. Glad I did as it revealed a tiny stream of bubble coming from somewhere within the core itself, not possible for me to repair as it not accessible! I’ll have to send it to a specialist

It was a bit Heath Robinson but it appears to have worked! I've found a leak and it’s on one of the copper end plates so I think I’ll be able to solder it with a bit of care. I cut an old inner tube schrader valve off but left two flaps that I stretched tight over the inlet tube and clamped it with a hose clip, the other end I did the same with just a piece of inner tube. Pull the flaps really tight and I got about 20 psi, I filled the matrix with water pumped it up with a foot pump and there it was bubbling out.

Well it was a bit of a struggle but the the heater matrix is out. It’s difficult to see any obvious leak areas as it was so grubby. I’ll rig it up to a pressure gauge and pump it up a bit to see if it holds pressure? if it leaks I suppose the options are replace or repair.

Well chaps I got my daughter and two of her mates to the prom!!!! The old girl ran great even crawling through a bit of Derby rush hr traffic, no sign of over heating! There is a drip of coolant though from the heater so I think the matrix might be duff, I’ll investigate that today. I got the seat belts fitted in the end, it all made sense eventually so thanks. feels so good to have it in one piece and usable again, I still have a big list of jobs but I can tackle one by one now.

Still scratching my head on this one, but I think I’ve found the mounting points, the mystery is there are no holes the carpet so god knows where they were mounted, it was ten years ago I took it all apart though!!! there are two holes on the propshaft tunnel and two holes next to the seats by the sills. I had a look at my mates 13/60 and he has loops at approximately these places, his belts clip onto these but mine are bolt on types. Maybe I could make some loops and thread my belt ends through?

Almost there now! It’s the prom on Thursday so my daughter is happy as it looks like I’ll be taking her in it! most of the interior is back in but what is baffling me is how the static seat belts go back in as there only seems to be the one fixing point on the B post behind the seat and also where does the short piece that the belt plugs into and has the release button bolt to? I also have a thick spacer for one of the fixing points but can’t remember where and how that is used too? thanks, Tom