All The Cars I’ve Ever Bought
Used car addict Keith Adams looks back at his best – and worst – classic buys. This week, a Triumph Acclaim bought for his other half that proved rather impressive
Triumph Acclaim
WHY DID YOU WANT ONE?
Like many of my cars, this one was a bit of a distress purchase. I needed a replacement for my other half’s Mini ( CCW, 15 July 2020) after we found rolled-up newspaper where the sills should have been. The chap I bought the Mini from gave me the cash back, offering profuse apologies at the same time (he was obviously scared of my other half’s mother). That left me with a little money and no car, so off I went to Poulton-le-Fylde car auctions to see what I could find. As this was going to be a car for a loved one, it needed to be reliable, so when I saw a metallic green Triumph Acclaim skulking in the corner with the other unwanted no-reserve lots, I took notice. I mean, why get an aged Fiesta or decrepit Metro, when she could have a prestigious Triumph saloon? You know the rest – it was a quiet night and there was little competition, and it was mine when the hammer fell for just £350. She would be pleased.
WAS IT A JOY OR A NIGHTMARE?
Although it wasn’t the car’s fault, it ended up being the cause of domestic strife. As the replacement for a Mini, she-who-must-be-obeyed would have preferred a small car – and although the Acclaim is effectively a 7/10th scale model of a real car, its three-box styling didn’t fly with her, as it implied it was a larger family car. I also made the mistake of not servicing it before she had her first go in it – so it was stuttering through its twin carbs, and there was a tremendous vibration at idle and when pulling away. The former issue was easily sorted with a load of Redex poured in the carburettors (yes, I know…) while the latter was traced to an engine mount hanging on by the skin of its teeth. Once serviced and polished, it was a handsome and dependable little thing, which she grudgingly grew to like, if not love. I guess it was no Mini.
WHAT’S YOUR ABIDING MEMORY OF IT?
It worked really well once I’d ironed out the wrinkles. In the end, I found it so endearing that I ended up throwing my other half the keys to my nearly-new Peugeot 405 and driving it myself. This was a result that worked for both of us, as for some reason she preferred the 405. It made my life quieter. Now my runaround, I absolutely adored zipping around in the Acclaim, which felt way sprightlier than the performance figures implied. It would squeal happily away from the lights and rev its heart out all day long – what a great little car! In the end, it went, to make way for something newer and less interesting. Even though back in the early 1990s it had all the street cred of a pair of brown corduroy flares, I was sad to see this Anglo-Japanese saloon move on.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR BUYING ONE?
Betraying its Japanese origins, the Acclaim was a bit of a ruster, and it can go just about anywhere. You need to check the sills, suspension mountings, front valance, wings and wheelarches, especially as replacement panels are virtually non-existent. The good news is the rest of it’s pretty solid – the Honda engine doesn’t give much trouble, but has an appetite for cambelts, so check it’s been done at least every 45k miles. The twin Keihin carburettors can cause rough running through a blocked idler jet – easy to keep on top of. The interior suffers cosmetic wear, so be wary of cars with seat covers. But overall, a rust-free Acclaim is quite a thing; aim for one of those, and you’ll find any niggles are easy to sort – fingers crossed...