RMB Gentry

I thought that you might be interested in my car, an RMB Gentry, MG TF replica based upon a 1963 Herald 1200 chassis and running gear. I decided to get the car about eighteen months ago when my eldest daughter had bought a Mazda MX5. Driving the MX5 reminded me of how much I had enjoyed small sports cars in my younger days. Plus I was running out of excuses to borrow it. Now I hate to admit it, but at the time I considered myself an MG enthusiast, I had owned Midgets and an MGB GT in the past and it was an MG Midget that I looked for initially. Fortunately I could not find one that I liked.
When I saw the Gentry I was hooked and I bought it straightaway. Mine was built around the late eighties early nineties and some of the attention to detail is a credit to the builders, I believe there were two, one taking over from the other.
Although the Gentry is a Kit-Car it is not simply a case of bolting a few parts together, from what I have seen construction requires just about every skill known to man. My intention was to have something that I could wash and polish and then drive, and for the first season I managed to get away with this, my youngest son Daniel and I visiting various Kit Car shows up and down the country. Also, I finally managed to persuade the DVLA to register the car as a Gentry, complete with the original registration number.
However, as I became more involved with the car it began to restore my faith in Triumphs. I'd had some unfortunate experiences when I owned a Stag some twelve years earlier. Although it was a beautiful car it was beset by the overheating problem and quite frankly it worried me to bits. I was glad when I eventually sold it. My eldest son apparently had proudly announced to his junior school assembly when I first got the car, that his Dad had a "Triumphant Slag" looking back I think he may have been right.

So, warming to the marque I felt that I wanted to become more involved with like-minded folk. The Gentry Register are a really nice bunch but a bit thin on the ground up here in the North East. Earlier this year I took the plunge and joined the TSSC and contacted the area secretary for the North East. Next thing I know we are off to Leeds to join a convoy of Triumphs on the A64 run. Amid cars covered in teddy bears and driven by people, who, even if they own a hood think that it's only to keep snow out. I realised that I was not alone in my madness, in fact compared to some I felt quite sane. Various other events quickly followed but disaster was about to strike, my cosy little world of washing and polishing was about to come crashing round my ears, I was beginning to be overcome with a heavy attack of the dreaded inspirations. The Gentry looked the part, but compared to the Spitfires etc. it lacked power, something had to be done.
Initially, against good advice I decided to try and uprate the 1200 engine, however halfway through sourcing the necessary parts, twin carbs, electronic ignition etc the engine must have got wind of what was happening and deciding that at thirty six years old it had enough, it promptly blew up. Taking the bull by the horns I fitted a 1500 Spitfire engine, with some very welcome help from club member Geoff. All went well as I was now heeding the advice of those who knew better, Andy from Sportscar Supplies and Kipping's web site being particularly helpful especially with the conversion of the clutch assembly from coil spring to diaphragm type to match the 1500's flywheel.
The only real setback came when I tried to fit the twin SU's, there just is not enough room, without cutting a hole in the side panel and I was becoming very reluctant to do this. Then a stroke of luck, an article appeared in the Courier, in which John Thomason mentioned that he runs his Spitfire with a single carb. A check with a tape measure shows that I could probably get away with that. So obvious, why didn't I think of it. I then contacted Andrew Turner the Carburettor Specialist and he supplied all the necessary parts, and a great deal of very good advice, mind you he did sell me a four branch manifold and sports silencer as well. One last part to fit, the Aldon electronic ignition kit which I had run for a short time on the Herald engine, but it would not fit into my bargain, nearly new 1500 distributor which I picked up at Stafford.
A call to TSSC HQ where I bought the kit from confirms the worst, yes there are different kits for different distributors and no, unfortunately we don't sell the bits that are different, and by the way you are not the first to ask. Still, they were very pleasant and tried to be helpful by suggesting that I sell my kit and buy the correct one for the 1500. However when I checked the drive end of both distributors they appeared to be the same, could the 1200 fit into the 1500 engine? Well yes it did, and appears to work OK.
Was it all worthwhile?
The answer is a resounding yes, the little car has been transformed, it feels much safer in modern traffic, I can even overtake now and it really is fun to drive. But the most pleasing aspect for me has been how people were keen to help and the genuine interest that it has generated. OK it was only an engine change, a minor event to many, but for a once confirmed washer and polisher like myself it was a giant leap, as they say.

Finally, one downside, I now find that the windscreen becomes covered in dead flies, before, they used to be able to see me coming and had plenty of time to get out of the way, now they just get splattered. Victims of progress I suppose.
Ian