Fil's TX Tripper rebuild

The TX Tripper Rebuild saga

- during which Fil discovers not only 30 years' worth of accumulated- and compounded automotive horrors, but also just how much he's forgotten about Trippers in the intervening period.

Unfortunately I presently have neither the time nor facilities to strip the car down to its components and rebuild it - that will have to come later. For now the intention is to smarten it up, correct the obvious faults (and the myriad less obvious ones which will no doubt rear their ugly heads once I start!) and rip out any unnecessary stuff - ending up with the basic fixtures, fittings and facilities necessary for fun on the road (and the occasional sprint or hill-climb if I get the chance).

As purchased, the main apparent faults/tasks (ticked when fixed) are:

* Lack of handbrake;
* Oversized seats which are too wide for the floor-wells; consequently mounted too high so the steering-wheel rests on my thighs;
* Seatbelt-fittings rusted and belts horrid;
* Several miles (apparently) of wiring whose function is a mystery (Complete re-wire needed);
* Horrible dashboard-arrangement needs to be much-simplified;
* All instruments require refurbishment or replacement;
* Ugly tail-lamps to be relaced with correct Hillman Hunter-style clusters;
* Repair or replace ventilated fuel tank (see "Ugly tail-lamps", above!);
* Restore and re-cover "Windoor"-frames;
* Restore hardtop and devise a way of attaching it;
* Acquire or create soft-top and side-curtains

Not a bad list to start with. We'll see what can be added as work proceeds! Previously unsuspected "challenges" are shown below in red:

* Sheared wheel-stud at nearside rear;
* New rear brake-drums would be No Bad Thing;

Now read on...

01 December, 2001: Took a closer look at the wiring. Wished I hadn't. Made decision: Something Must Be Done (by someone else, preferably). In the meantime, moved the battery cut-out switch (fitted by the previous owner rather than discovering what was discharging the battery, and fixing it) from the glove-box - of which more in a moment - to a position just inboard of the nearside wing-mirror. Its new position is hardly less accessible than before and was achieved without cutting or lengthening the leads; it also fits in the hole vacated by the nasty, plastic radio antenna and might impress scrutineers as and when I have a bit of fun at sprints and the occasional hill-climb. Must still find and fix the leccy-leak though (see "wiring", above).
	Flushed with success, decided to rip out the ageing attempt at a ritzy dashboard which included: a pair of huge speakers; the previously mentioned glove-box; several cunningly-formed panels covered in moth-eaten and rotten black fabric and a couple of varnished wooden strips running along at the base of the windscreen, one holding an auxiliary indicator-switch which cannot be operated without leaning forward and banging the noble bonce on the windscreen-frame - hence the roll-bar padding fitted to the top of said frame. Now for the instrument-panel. This, unsurprisingly, has been cut out and replaced by a couple of pieces of varnished wood which hold the demented or deceased gauges and a stereo unit. For the moment I shall content myself with launching the stereo into the same skip as the speakers and putting a patch over the resulting hole. Making a new panel and resurrecting the gauges will be a story in its own right, methinks...
07 December, 2001: Didn't feel like getting stuck into the dashboard so decided today to go In Search Of The Lost Handbrake. I'd taken the precaution of ordering a Spitfire front cable in advance and, sure enough, the front cable was broken and looked as though it had been for some considerable time. Fitted the new one and discovered that it was a couple of inches too long, even with the rear cable fully shortened. Bugger. Maybe it needs a Herald front cable, if that's shorter. Anyway, after ferreting around in the moss (Miscellaneous Old Stuff Store) I came up with enough bits to compensate for most of the excess length; it's not ideal but it will do until I discover the correct front cable to use. During that bit of excitement I discovered good and bad news at the back end. Good: the brake-linings have plenty of life left in them; Bad: which is more than can be said for one of the nearside-rear wheel-studs, sheared inside the nut and the nut held in place by some rubbery glue-stuff. Also dicovered that some chunks are missing from the flange surrounding one of the rear drums, so new drums won't hurt. Oh, it all makes work for the working-man to do... To be continued...

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