TRIUMPH 2500TC
RUN BY Greg Macleman OWNED SINCE June 2017 PREVIOUS REPORT Dec 2018
C&SC ’s hardened campaigners mostly keep their cars on the road in winter, so we decided to drive to an old haunt to celebrate the closing of 2018’s final issue. I was under strict orders to be home in time for the journey north for Christmas, so the Triumph predictably struggled during the run around the M25 from Croydon to Chobham. It felt down on power and stuttered, before becoming apparent it was running on five as I arrived at The Four Horseshoes. Port was already there, so we popped the bonnet and did a bit of investigating.
Cylinder one was the culprit, so we swapped on a new set of HT leads and borrowed a spare spark plug from the Landie, all to no effect. The dizzy cap was in a terrible state, but, frustratingly, my brand-new spare was faulty and the car wouldn’t even fire. It failed to start with the old cap on, too, until Port eventually managed to get the points to hold the correct gap. With the sun setting and time running out I decided to limp home and deal with the issue in the New Year. I hadn’t pulled out of the car park before smoke started to rise from behind the steering wheel. Bonnet up, we quickly traced the problem to the jammed wiper motor, which was roasting. Unplugging it seemed to solve the problem, and I made it back to Croydon. Thankfully, it didn’t rain.
I arrived home after the holidays to care packages from Rimmer Bros and The Green Spark Plug Company, and it took just 10 minutes of fettling before the car was running sweetly and on all cylinders. The distributor cap was the problem, but I also replaced the mismatched and damaged plugs.
I was then able to turn my attention to the Triumph’s tatty interior, starting with the original steering wheel – it had tears in the leather and the spokes were tarnished and corroded. I decided to upgrade to a Moto-lita, because it was one of the firm’s wheels that gave me my earliest motoring memory while sitting in the front seat of my dad’s MG.
The MKIV is a perfect replacement, beautifully made with a black anodised finish and chunky leatherclad rim. As well as cutting down on glare, the all-black scheme fits perfectly with the menacing feel of the rest of the car, and the beefier rim has made hauling the Triumph around at low speeds a bit easier – or at least it seems that way. It’s amazing the difference one topquality component can make, drawing the eye and improving the look of the whole cabin.
Now to tackle the hole where the stereo used to live.
THANKS TO
Δ Moto-lita; www.moto-lita.co.uk