My TR7’s in 2025

One final look back on 2025 from a TR7 point of view, before 2026 is well and truly upon us. Starting with the repairs of the DHC’s body. Below are a few shots of the work done so far. More in the relevant blogposts;

Early in the year the original body shell of that car saw the light of day again,

after many years of storage in the shed.

Ready for the next chapter in this car’s life and a new beginning!

After paint removal and shot blasting.

The repairs of the right hand sill and rear wing edge.

Rear of the right hand cabin floor section.

Left hand sill repairs.

Rear right hand suspension pick up points.

Next car in line for some attention was the 1976 TR7. Actually looking back not much work was done to this car (proof HERE!). But there has been some progress. Starting with a few small interior jobs.

Refurbishing and fitting the early style roof mounted interior light.

Fitting the gear-lever-gaiter-finisher to the gear-lever-gaiter.

It wasn’t as straight forward as it looks because I wanted the top of the

gear-lever-gaiter to be folded inside by a few millimetres to give a nicer finish.

Reassembling and mounting the steering column.

Always nice putting nice shining parts back on a car!

Than there was the business off redoing the gearbox extension because

my first attempt turned out not to be thorough enough. I think it is now.

And swapping the mounting hardware for the brake

balance pressure reducing valve for some nicer items.

Later in the year I had a go at fitting the ill-fitting but very nicely refurbished repro parcel shelf to the car. Needed an extra pair of hands to complete this job. But well worth the effort. And with the parcel shelf in place the boot trim could be finished:

But most of my Triumph time was spent on ‘t Kreng. Starting with another water pump replacement earlier in the year, after which the car was used as much as possible.

So far this pump has been pretty fine, with only a few very tiny leaks from time. But that is nothing to worry too much about with a graphite drag seal. These can always leak a tiny bit. So the most worrying bit is the lack of time to use the car on a regular basis. And thus preventing oxidation starting on the water pumps sealing surface. Which in turn can start another leak. But I did my best, covering exactly 2750 kilometres since fitting the new pump in the second half of April 2025. With the last drive just over a week ago:

End I reached an important milestone with this car. The car's odometer is around the clock for the second time in its life! Sadly at the moment the roads are covered in rock salt to prevent icing. So the next drive will be “somewhere” in 2026!

Seasonal Greetings

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas

and a healthy and happy New Year!

Calendar Girl 2026

It’s that time of year again! Another year over, so time again for my traditional end of year calendar post. Compared to the previous years, 2025 was a much better year from a “driving-my-TR7's” point of view. After fitting the new water pump to ‘t Kreng early in the year I managed to clock up a reasonable amount of kilometres. At the moment the counter stands at 2750 kilometres. Only a few kilometres short of the amount covered in the previous four years together! And with the current weather forecast there is a fair chance that I can take the car out for a final drive before the end of the year. Hopefully I can continue using this car on a regular basis in 2026! But also do some more work on the ’76 car (maybe even finish it!?) and finish the body work for the DHC.

So as the end of 2025 is approaching, I (again I dare say) decided to compile my personal calendar using a selection of pictures from my favourite drivers car, shot over the past year.

The cover:

Three pictures of the car during various local tours in 2025. From left to right;

The car on the driveway of the former fiefdom “Jongenhof” near Lerop - St. Odiliënberg.

A for the Euregio typical large carré farmhouse and former seat for a feudal lord. (30-05-2025 NL);

Slowly decaying field barn in the countryside south of the village of Belfeld (14-06-2025 NL);

In front of the local parish church during the reconnaissance of “De Nachtrit”,

Route de Saint-Antoine in Fays (06-09-2025 B)

January:

Early spring in the estate surrounding Hillenraad Castle in Boukoul - Swalmen (2024-04-06 NL)

February:

Refueling just across the German border, Kölner Straße Kaldenkirchen (2025-05-10 D)

March:

The car on the driveway of the former fiefdom “Jongenhof” near Lerop - St. Odiliënberg.

A for the Euregio typical large carré farmhouse and former seat for a feudal lord. (30-05-2025 NL)

April:

On a gravel track in the country side between Reuver and Belfeld (2025-06-14 NL)

May:

Across the provincial border with Noord Brabant during one of the tours this year,

Philipsweg Maarheeze (2025-10-11 NL)

June:

Roadside chapel (het Waarderkapelke) on the plateau above the village of Rimburg

(2025-11-05 NL)

July:

On my way for a business lunch in the old water tower in Rimburg,

Watertorenpad Rimburg (2025-11-05 NL)

August:

‘t Kreng in front of the temporary influent pumps,

used during the renovation of the sewage treatment plant Rimburg (2025-11-05 NL)

September:

Autumn in the estate surrounding Hillenraad Castle,

Boukoul - Swalmen (2025-11-12 NL)

October:

Along the meandering river Swalm between Asselt and Beesel,

Eind Swalmen (2025-11-12 NL)

November:

‘t Kreng catching the last rays of sunlight on top of one of the viaducts

across the A73 motorway in Belfeld (2025-11-12 NL)

December:

December:A glorious sunset seen from the Korteweg in Belfeld

(2025-11-12 NL)

Mission accomplished

Alongside the “Heerenvennen” part of the national parc

“De Hamert” near the small village of Wellerlooi.

Or another milestone in the 45 year life of ‘t Kreng. Last month I mentioned that I was on a mission with ‘t Kreng. And that mission was to clock up some more miles before the end of the year in order to get the odometer back to its original setting, when the car left the factory about 45 years ago. This would be the second time that happened with this car in my possession. I actually purchased her with 73993 kilometres on the clock. And after the restoration was finished in July 1997, it only took me 2 years before the clock was back to 00000 kilometres:

The next 100000 kilometres took slightly longer. Mainly because the car was relieved of its daily duties at the start of this century. But this morning I set of for the final 160 kilometres of my mission. And it was quite a lovely drive!

View across the river Meuse on the monastery village of Steyl.

Brangk Baarlo

Old monastery wall along the Legioenweg, Baarlo

And when I turned into the forecourt of a petrol station just across the border in Germany, the odometer turned from 99999 to 00000. Call it timing!