Project "Nugget" - 1980 Brooklands Green 1500HL Auto

[Howard81]

Post some photos of when you pick her up!

I will be taking lots of photos tomorrow before I start any work! I've asked for all repairs to be left "as welded" as I intend to do my own bodywork and spraying. It won't look very pretty for now, but it will be nice to clearly see the work that has been done.

Excellent!

What bodywork are you planning?

Complete respray? Or just the bits that need doing?

If the latter, you should be able to get away with just doing the roof along with the tops and bottoms of the passenger doors

[Cheesy]

Nugget is home!

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Already got stuck in too! Given her a quick clean inside and out, and an oil and filter change, spark plugs, battery & fan belt.

Also swapped the horrid late-type carbs for some earlier HS4 I had "on the shelf" as I don't like waxstats and poppet valves. Adjusted the mixture with the Colortune and balanced the carbs, she's running very nicely now. The tickover was a bit low so she was faltering when in drive, so that's also sorted.

Tomorrow's tasks are electronic ignition with a new dizzy cap and red rotor arm. Might start attacking the doors too if I get time.

We've decided to do a full respray as it seems silly to do bits here and there, we might as well get it all done at once. Looks like I'm going to be busy!

[Howard81]

Excellent! Nugget is looking right at home next to the 2000 How did she drive?

She will look fantastic in a fresh coat of Brooklands Green. The correct paint code for the car is HAE - there are three different shades, but HAE is the original!

When you spray her, please take that TRIUMPH badge off the top of the front panel, it's not correct for a 1980! It was left over from the 1500TC guise she was in when I bought her. It's only stuck on with double-sided tape. Likewise with that Club Triumph badge on the boot - that wasn't my doing!

BTW, the wheels are 4.5" on the front, 5" on the back. Strange I know, but they were given to me by one of her previous owners.

I've found a couple of other things to send you, everything is now parcelled up ready to send on Monday

[Cheesy]

Excellent! Nugget is looking right at home next to the 2000 How did she drive?

She drove very well Howard. It was motorway almost all the way and I stuck to about 55mph as I'm still building up confidence in her. I fitted the electronic ignition today and finished setting up the carbs, she has such a smooth tickover now and starts instantly.

More progress today! We've stripped most of her brightwork off and Tracy has been busy with the wet-or-dry. I have taken the paint/filler off all the door bottoms to see what I'm up against. Both drivers side doors are rock solid. The rear passenger side door needs one small repair patch, but the passenger front door isn't so pretty. Can't decide whether to swap for a decent second-hand door, or weld in a door bottom repair.

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Time for a beer now I reckon!

[Purplebargeken]

Cracking work! Weld in a repair panel. Matching gaps is a pain.

The lower front valance should be nice and solid/rust free

[DoloWIGHTY]

Great work. This is me;



Taking my hat off to you (hope you like the earings btw.).

[Howard81]

Cor, you certainly don't hang about!!

Personally I'd try to keep the original door. The panel gaps on NGU are very good and you'll lose this with a replacement door unless you re-skin it. If the repair goes wrong, you'll be after a new door anyway so it's worth a try!

[JPB]

I'm with the "keep the door and mend it" camp on this. That said, you don't reskin a door to make it fit, you either remove or add metal from & to the edges of the existing skin by grinding or adding lengths of, for example, welding rod and build up with lead as the factory did to finish.

Keep the one you have, go on, you know it makes sense!

[Cheesy]

It seems everyone thinks a door repair is better!

Question is: where do I get the repair panel(s) from?

[Purplebargeken]

Think Club, think Alun (xvivalve).

[matienzo]

Think Club, think Alun (xvivalve).

You not go wrong with a club panel.

[Howard81]

I had two new door skins fitted to my Sprint, one was genuine BL which fitted perfectly. The other was a "new" part, which was about an inch too big - the bodyshop had to cut it into quarters and re-weld it!

I believe the club panels are the lower door sections and should fit perfectly..

Exactly how bad was it under the paint?

[Oli_88]

Definitely a repair, I'm trying to get a door to sit straight at the moment.
I'm half tempted to just weld the bloody thing shut, it's a right pain.

[Cheesy]

Exactly how bad was it under the paint?

I'll try to sort out some photos this weekend Howard.

Did lots more flatting last night and will be doing some more tonight. We've managed to sort out the "bumpy" paintwork on the roof and have found a bit of localised rust repair and filling, but nothing serious.

[Cheesy]

More progress! Most of the flatting is now finished, hence Tracy looking rather jolly! Rusty bits have been stripped back as far as possible, ready for some rust remover.

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I've also had a proper go at the front passenger door. Actually not as bad as suspected! I think it will repair OK and last a while, and I will perhaps think about a proper door repair panel sometime in the future.

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If we have a good weekend most of the preparation should be done. We're aiming to have Nugget in primer next weekend.