West Midlands Reliability Run 21/9/03

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Matt Cotton · #1 Post by **Matt Cotton** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 6:48 pm

This was a last minute decision by myself to add a bit of fun to Sunday morning. The 'Key' was for club members to really join forces and navigational skills and search for me in my Travel Inn somewhere in the west mids! 
 
Story goes like this; 
Left Oxfordshire on Sat morning and packed Dolly with a few tools ie Gaffa tape WD40 etc... I also threw in my 'Metro Stoplock' from my other car as I knew Dolly would be left in the public car park overnight, good idea! 
An enjoyable run was had going up to Wolverhampton and I found the Travel Inn without problem. 
Parked up, turned off, fitted the steering wheel lock 'clunk'....'Oh **** (Damn) I forgot the key to unlock it!<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /devil.gif ALT=":evil"> 
The afternoon was spent calling the recovery service who said that they would come out but would rather the key was bought up to me, they would pay for this. 
I then managed to get hold of Mike Groom who very kindly met up with my Dad on the Sat night and brought the key up to me on the Sunday morning. 
Straight forward I thought, so I went for a pint to relax. 
The rest is probably better explained by the 'Convoy' boys.<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /laugh.gif ALT=":lol">

Malc · #2 Post by **Malc** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 7:17 pm

2 Syndomes at play here 1, A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing & 2, Chineese Wispers, I think 
 
Upon arriving at Chez Nicholas for Bacon Butty, I pronounced 'can we go via junction 2 Holiday Inn' - a small detour but no problem said Alun. Coffees and Butties consumed and we're off, with Jod in pole position, the rest of us raced round the back roads of Stourbridge reliant upon our Jod's local knowledge. Upon arriving at the Hol Inn, no Matt C <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/grin.gif ALT=" >D"> , Moby Calls, Ahah, Travel Inn. Back round the Ring road roared the Possee of Dolomites to the Travel Inn, no Matt C <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/eyes.gif ALT=":rolleyes"> . More Moby, Ahah, Travel Inn Junction 2, but the M54 not the M5 <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/nerd.gif ALT="8o"> <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /laugh.gif ALT=":lol"> <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /laugh.gif ALT=":lol"> <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /laugh.gif ALT=":lol"> <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/roll.gif ALT=":rollin">

alun n · #3 Post by **alun n** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 8:31 pm

I think I actually said, OK, but its in completely the wrong direction! perhaps our collective pennies should have dropped then! 
 
Fun, nevertheless. Infact, how about it chaps, we could do a couple or three a year; the midlands tour, the cotswolds tour, the south coast, Wales, Scotland, Holland etc etc etc? Perhaps Andy's input/feedback here - how popular was the Saturday run (that I couldn't make?)

KLJ895W · #4 Post by **KLJ895W** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 9:30 pm

Yes, I've done that one before... 
...but then I discovered that I could drive my camper van with the lock (just like Matt's) still on the steering wheel. A bit of parcel tape to stop it rattling and set the seat back a bit and off to work I went. You should have seen me trying to hide the big yellow lump as I passed the police on the gate at work!! Luckily the key arrived in the post in time to save me doing it a second morning. 
 
Sorry I didn't make it on sunday, too many other things happening, so I got started on my rusty door bottoms instead. sounds like it was a good event. 
 
David

Malc · #5 Post by **Malc** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 10:33 pm

someone once said "you can only be succesfull if you are going in the right direction", well, they were wrong. You can actually have a shed load of fun with a 'blat' around the West Mids. I think a few people were thinking they'd had a few too many Beers the night before when they saw six Dolomites 'motrorin on by' with a wonderful variety of Exhaust Notes <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /happy.gif ALT=":D"> . Alun, it is amazing how the smell of freshly cooked bacon numbs one's perceptive senses <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /laugh.gif ALT=":lol"> . Highlight of the 'run' was seeing AN pull up to the lights next to JC, I knew thay were 'up for it' when AN wound down the passenger window, there were revs n clutch slip and tuned 1500 v Sprint "was on", anybody up for next years gumball <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/pimp.gif ALT=":hat"> <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/roll.gif ALT=":rollin">

alun n · #6 Post by **alun n** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 11:01 pm

I wound down the window to tell him with my ever developing clutch judder and 4k+ misfire I had no chance........ 
 
......and I was right! 
 
Was it just me or was every light on red that morning?

Malc · #7 Post by **Malc** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 11:15 pm

There were indeed numerous 'wait at Red' moments, evidence 
 
<a href="http://groups.msn.com/TriumphDolomiteSp ...  
 
Think it was about here that my guages died 
 
Was a close run thing though, Sprint v 1500, the two of you were level pegging for quite a while......i was still trying to find first gear <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/grin.gif ALT=" >D">

Jod Clark · #8 Post by **Jod Clark** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 10:48 am

I was surprised how well my little old 1500 kept up with the Sprint, to be honest. The waiting at red moments were upsetting the cooling on my motor though (gauge at 3/4...) When I got home I checked the coolant and found it needed about a pint to top it back up to full - a good indication of how marginal the Dolomite cooling system really is? No problems with temp gauge rising beyond 3/8 now so it was obviously the lack of 1 pint that made the difference. I will also have to be more vigilant when the Sprint engine is in there.... 
 
Very enjoyable cruising around, maybe keys should be forgotten more often? 
 
Jod

<img src="http://www.towingandleisure.co.uk/images/bash.gif" style="border:0;"/>

Mike Groom · #9 Post by **Mike Groom** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 11:23 am

How about an event where reliability runs from various areas meet up. Should choose somewhere central, how about a Travel Inn in the West Midlands? 
I'll make sure my LH indicators are working next time, so not to upset too many other rounabout users! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... ns/mad.gif ALT=">:">

Dave · #10 Post by **Dave** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 1:05 pm

But would anyone arrive?

#11 Post by **triumphdolomiteuk** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 1:28 pm

Been offline since Saturday (far too many things to do over the weekend!) so just catching up.... 
In response to Alun's question; 
There was minimal interest in the road run on Saturday (a grand total of two enquiries<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... ohwell.gif ALT=":"> ) hence I decided not to bother running it.I think the problem may be that members who have spent a couple of hours driving up to the area don't want to be stuck in their cars for another hour whilst taking part in a road run. 
The logic I applied when organising the weekend was that if we have a full weekend of activities,members may feel that it's worth travelling to our annual rally from further away.Unfortunately,a road run wasn't the best idea,so it's back to the drawing board for next year.Ideas for next year's event very gratefully received. 
-Andy.

SMIFTER · #12 Post by **SMIFTER** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 1:33 pm

Now it all makes sense - I was convinced we were travelling up and down the same stretch of Dual Carraigeway. 
 
I was just relieved to get out the car at the other end wishing I turned the shocks down a bit. 
 
The vibration got so bad I had to drive with my eyes closed following the sound of Jod's very loud exhaust - that was the only thing I could hear!

<a href="http://www.smifter1971.pwp.blueyonder.c ... >Smifter's Dolomite Sprint Website</a>

Malc · #13 Post by **Malc** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 10:16 pm

Only two were interesetd in the road run, we had six then seven <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /laugh.gif ALT=":lol"> Is it the TR Register that has the Jabeke run?. CT have the RBRR and the TDC have the 'Cotton Run', the KEY to success is the total lack of prior planning and preperation, just drive lads <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/roll.gif ALT=":rollin"> Well done Matt, we will name our annual run in your honour

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West Midlands Reliability Run 21/9/03

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