Write Up Exeter Trial

[stevie_a]

A mate of mine Wayne Scott (a past DJ of Peak FM and Former Podcast presenter for Top Gear Live )

Now a PR director of Duckhams oil ) is doing the Devon for the Exeter Trial this weekend!
Driving a Triumph TR7 V8 in anger for 24 hours non -stop through the Devon countryside in one of the oldest motorsport events in the world

Nuts and bolts checked, oil changed, fueled up and crucially, stocked with wine gums

Looking more muddy now after the night stages of the Exeter Trial , now at Crealy Park for dawn and a full English !

Unbelievably rough and muddy this year , not to mention the ice !! Dawn breaks on the Exeter Trial for Team TR still running strong

And yip a Z3 is in it ,will get some more info

 

[andyglym]

What a hoot, would love to do something like that in an old car.

 

[Brian H]

What a hoot, would love to do something like that in an old car.

You could pick up a Z3 for peanuts with the sole purpose of entering something like this, good cheap fun!

 

[andyglym]

You could pick up a Z3 for peanuts with the sole purpose of entering something like this, good cheap fun!

True.

 

[Low Rider]

Looks great fun

 

[stevie_a]

After some engine fettling to cure a faulty cooling fan, we have the icy approach to Tillerton steep, one if the toughest climbs in the Exeter Trial - feeling the adrenalin, here we go!!!

 

[stevie_a]

 

[Jonno Bee]

Good luck chaps! Man and machine versus Devon Winter. One of the lads I work with knows someone who trials a Z3 down here.

Cheers,

Jonno

 

[stevie_a]

Well Wayne did it but not without some drama

So, OUR EXETER TRIAL ENDED IN DRAMA! Firstly on Tipley, another brutal rocky course, we ripped the tyre off the rim at the rear. Once the wheel had been replaced, we then took on the final observed section Slippery Sam - where the front right suspension strut collapsed. After a hugely skilled telehandler lifted the car off the hill I set to work rebuilding the front strut in a farm yard. With no spring compressors it had to go to the finish without a front spring! But, we successfully finished the Exeter Trial - and it was my proudest mechanical achievement of my life!

 

[mwpe]

That looks great fun, brings back memories, I used to do quite a few trials with the Farnborough motor club in my Triumph Spitfire or Imp, the Imp was brilliant for it.

 

[Dino D]

This looks like serious fun but do they do a ‘softy’ version, that’s a bit hardcore!

 

[t-tony]

Sad to see the strut give up Stevie. But the 7 did ok Thanks for the pictures mate.

Tony.

 

[hard top]

Shame they could not get the design of the car to look a lot better from the cockpit to the back end, front was OK though.
Think they copied this though ....

TVR Tasmin​

​

 

[stevie_a]

If anything it would be the other way about, as the TR7 was getting designed first.

BL initially were destining the car as an MG until Harris Mann got involved, This was one of his early drawings

in 1971 and the Triumph TR7 styling is almost finalized.

I have spoke to Harris a few times, he told me that the TR7 at the beginning of the design, the car was always supposed to be a convertible, but in the USA at the time there was a government bill going through to ban all new convertibles, this is why is was first produced as a hard top the ban never happened, allowing the convertibles to be produced, the car also was designed to have the Rover 3.5 v8 engine from the beginning, only a handful of TR8's were ever produced.

couple of photos

MY CAR

MY CAR WHEN I HAD THE 3.5 V8 IN IT

As my car only had 18,000 miles when i got it, i made the massive decision to put the original 2.0L engine back in, it was not an easy choice but one, i knew was the correct one.

This is Harris Mann's signature on the boot lid of my car

This is Harris and other designers and test drivers at the NEC in 2014

And while I'm at it with the name dropping, i was talking to a mate of mine when this guy joined in

The Legendary Paddy Hopkirk

 

[Slam]

Very interesting bit of info, I nearly bought a tr7 many years ago but ended up buying a stag.