> At what point would a Triumph engine require an overhaul? Is
> there some mileage point where one should start to think about it?
There is no way you can trust the odometer reading on a car this old
(minimum 20 years) anyway. Even ignoring the fact that speedos fail and get
replaced, how many times has it rolled over ? As others have commented,
mileage really isn't the thing to be looking at anyway. Gross neglect or
abuse can ruin an engine in 10,000 miles or less, quality care can extend it
to 200,000 miles or more.
Things to look for :
Engine rattle when first started cold (sitting overnight or longer).
Blue smoke while driving, especially after decelerating for a bit then
suddenly opening the throttle. If you can follow the car, puffs of blue at
shifts is another clue the valve guides are tired. Constant blue, worse on
acceleration, is usually rings. Just sitting, you can usually see a haze on
the rear paint that also indicates oil burning.
Lots of oil leaks, or disconnected PCV system, usually indicates excessive
blowby.
And of course, low oil pressure at hot idle.
But, as someone already commented, the body work is more important, only
because it's more expensive to fix. Just because an engine is 'tired',
doesn't mean it's unreliable either.
Randall
59 TR3A daily driver - with most of the above faults !
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