Headache cured
After the good news is delivered, the fixedhead wedge returns to commuting and shows
The final chapter closed on what’s being a long-running saga for the TR7, earlier this summer – its head gasket repair is now officially complete.
My Triumph spent winter in the care of marque specialist, Robsport (01763 262263, robsport.co.uk), after its head went pop. Finding a replacement secondhand cylinder head took considerable time and effort before Robsport finally fitted it in spring. And while I got my fixed-head wedge back in March, I’ve been adhering strictly to Robsport’s regime of regimented checks at various mileage intervals to have the head studs checked and retorqued as required.
The beginning of June saw my third and final visit to Robsport (relating to this repair at least), at which point the ‘7 had racked up 1000 miles with its new head in place. It came as something of a relief to hear from top mechanic Ben that all was well and no further checks would be required. Phew. It might strike readers as odd, but I’m actually going to miss the train journeys from Foxton to Peterborough, via Hitchin. The studs need to cool to stone-cold, which means that the car needed to be left overnight – hence the train journeys, usually on a Friday night and Saturday morning. What could’ve been viewed as an inconvenience was actually a fantastic excuse to pop on the headphones and get lost in a book. I also discovered that turning off the A14 at Godmanchester and avoiding the M11 results in quite an enjoyable and scenic drive.
The TR7’s first outing following the ‘all-clear’ was to Triumfest at Santa Pod – a get-together of all the clubs that cater for Triumphs, in conjunction with the wider Retro Show. The TR7 baked under the sun on what was easily one of the hottest days of the year (as did its owner, who should have been more liberal with the sun cream) but it didn’t overheat once on the journey to or from the event, the needle of the temperature gauge remaining resolutely in the middle of its range.
The TR7 has seen mainly commuting work in recent weeks, which it has completed without complaint. Its reward for being fault-free was a well-earned wash and wax prior to my showing it off at the Stamford Classic Car Show a couple of weekends back.