Second lustrum for Bèrke

Last week an anniversary slipped past almost unnoticed. It was 10 years ago that I took delivery of my current daily driver, a 2008 Land Rover Defender 110 SW. To celebrate this second lustrum, here are a few photos taken of Bèrke over the past 5 years:

Back home after a wintery green-laning tour. (07-02-2021 NL)

On top of the Timmelsjoch in the late afternoon.

Just across the border with Austria (10-09-2021 I)

While on my way to a sewage pipeline relocation project in the context of a flood protection program.

Sunrise over the valley of the river Meuse, Hagendoorn Neer (28-10-2021 NL)

On board of the Pride of Rotterdam, on our way from Hoek van Holland - Harrwich (13-03-2022 NL)

Inspecting a project site in the woods between Heibloem en Roggel (19-10-2022 NL)

Patiently enduring the heavy downpour.

Silberhüttstraße Stulz (13-09-2023 I)

Near the toll booth of the Timmelsjoch near Hochgurgl (19-09-2023 A)

Photoshoot for the car’s three-yearly valuation (11-07-2024 NL)

It’s lonely at the top! Parking area near the Römerkehre,

close to the Jaufen Kamm (24-09-2024 I)

On our way with the DHC’s body shell for paint removal and shot blasting (12-02-2025 NL)

Picking up the DHC’s body shell after paint removal and shot blasting (12-03-2025 NL)

DHC repairs #15: RH rear chassis leg

To end a productive week on the repairs of the DHC’s body shell we had a look at right hand rear chassis leg. It turned out that the top of this chassis leg (in the fuel tank area) was rather thin. So more rusty metal had to be removed. To be replaced with solid sheet steel picked from the donor body.

DHC repairs #14: RH rear wing area

Due to the summer holidays (not mine yet!) there is more progress to report on the DHC’s body shell. This time of the repairs done to the right hand side of the rear wing area. Turned out to be a bit of a challenge as the car’s VIN number is stamped in the right hand side boot gutter. And as it is the car’s original VIN number that had to be retained! A few more pictures of the progress;

DHC repairs #13: RH sill area

It has been a bit quiet on this part of my TR7 ownership. But sure enough, there has been progress! I received some pictures of the body shell’s current state yesterday. Proof of the progress on the repairs of the DHC’s donor body shell so far. Replacing the right hand sill and the repairs off the adjacent areas. A selection of some of the pictures:

She wants to tell me something

Over the past few weeks I have been using ‘t Kreng as much as possible to see how the engine and in particular the cooling system behaved. And on that note I took the car for a longer trip into neighbouring Belgium last Saturday afternoon and evening. This 370 kilometres overall trip turned out to be rather enjoyable. The car really came back to life again during this trip. And most importantly the cooling system looked like it was fully functional again. But after driving through some rather dark patches of forest I found that the temperature gauge had risen noticeably. My first thoughts were that this might be caused by the moist and cool air inside the forest, providing cool dense air to the fuel mixture and as such giving a leaner mixture. That wasn't really a satisfactory answer to the problem, but the only one I could come up with at that moment. Until I switched of the lights while coming out into the daylight that is! As soon as I flicked of the light switch the temperature gauge would drop back to its normal reading. So over the next few kilometres I did switch the lights on and of several times. And sure enough switching on the lights would increase the gauge’s readings. While the needle would drop immediately after the lights were switched of. And the clock also had a mind of its own, switching on and off rather randomly during the day!

It looks like the few years of idleness have had some impact on the cars electrics. So the first items to check will be the earth points and connectors of earth wires directly related to the lights and the light switch. This check can be combined nicely with a slightly overdue regular service. And of course use her more often! With that I already made a start, as I have covered well over a 1000 kilometres so far since fitting the new water pump. Which equals the mileage of the past two years together!

Revised 1981 TR7 wiring diagram

Thanks to Howard for his permission to use his superb revised 1981 UK and European TR7 wiring diagrams in my blog (which is also my personal source of information when working on my cars). But most importantly a big thanks to him for taking the time to revise these from the slightly confusing original diagrams from the work shop manual!

Coast-2-Coast Run 2025; The aftermath

After Club Triumph’s Coast-2-Coast Run had finished I stayed for a few more days to visit two very fine historic aircraft collections; RAF Hendon and IWM Duxford. Time for a few pictures of these two superb museums. To start with two flying boats from the collection at RAF Hendon;

Inside the Short Sunderland MR.5.

A few details from the Supermarine Stranraer.

And a few pictures from the collection of the Imperial War Museum at the Duxford Aerodrome;

Hawker Hurricane Mk I R4118 (G-HUPW) the only airworthy

Hurricane to have taken part in the Battle of Britain

Fokker Dr. I Triplane replica

Blackburn Buccaneer Mk 2B

Mitsubishi Zero A6M5 cockpit

Battle of Britain hangar

Air & Sea hangar Duxford

Panavia Tornado GR.4 (ZA469 Royal Air Force – Marham Wing, coded 029)

Leyland Retriever L4410754 (General Montgomery's Office Caravan)

Air Space hangar 1