For a while, I've had a private email list of folks interested in Triumphs,
or at least sympathetic to the cause. This list, TRGang@autox.team.net, was
a lot like the FOT list, in that it was a low volume, invitation-only, friendly
forum to talk about mostly Triumphs, and the occasional Neat Car Experience as
well. The list has roughly a dozen folks on it, and as it happens about half
of those folks are on this Friends of Triumph list.
So what I was thinking is that I could get rid of the TRGang list, and add to
fot anyone on trgang not already here. This list has been a bit more technical,
and oriented towards the TR series of cars. A couple of the folks I'm proposing
to add don't even own Triumphs! Roger Garnett, though, does have a TR based
Peerless, and Scott Fisher, who has never owned a Triumph in his life, though
he came real close a couple of years ago [I'd rather not discuss it!] would be
nothing but a benefit to the list, as those of you familiar with his writings
can well imagine. So, I'm asking for this lists' opinion on adding to FOT:
Bob Bownes <bownes@lucas.emi.com>
Scott Fisher <SFisher@best.com>
Roger Garnett <rwg1@cornell.edu>
Pugs Pivirotto <pugsracer@aol.com>
Rik Schlierer <RGS03@health.state.ny.us>
Bill Sohl <billsohl@planet.net>
If you want to know more about any of these folks, I'll be happy to oblige.
In order to help you make an informed choice about merging the two lists,
here's an example of a recent posting to the trgang list. I think I mention
a Triumph in there somwhere. Anyway, let me know if you have an opinion
one way or the other. And my apologies to those on the TR Gang list who've
already had to endure the following note!
mjb.
----
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 00:32:29 -0700
From: Mark J Bradakis <mjb@spitfire.cs.utah.edu>
To: trgang@autox.team.net, karen@spitfire.cs.utah.edu
[Karen is my lovely wife]
Subject: Jeepers!
Boy, I wish we had a hot tub at our house. I could sure use one right now.
It has been warm and sunny for a few days, but the valley was whisked back
to winter weather for a bit today, just enough to make the few hours I was
bent over the engine bay of the Jeep a rather chilling experience. My toes
are cold, my back hurts, and so on. But a nice mug of homebrew will certainly
soothe my spirit, as well as my throat, still vaguely sore as a remnant of the
cold from the past weeks.
What happened is that for a day or two, I was hearing a new noise from the
Jeep, and of course meant to look into soon, perhaps Easter weekend. But
tuesday night while heading down to the shop to get a spring for Karen's talk
on spring, I started hearing a different kind of noise, a muted flapping, then
I had no power steering. Ah ha, a disintegrating belt. I was only a short way
from the shop, so I continued over there, stopping once for the high temp light
since the water pump is also driven off the belt. Got to the shop, checked it
out, and found there was 3/5 of the belt still intact, though wrapped around
various engine components it normally doesn't visit. So I wrestle it around,
clean up the fragments of the other 2/5ths stuck here and there, grab the spring
and head home. The belt lasted about 50 feet. But since I was already under
way, I decided to head on home, even though I would be stopping a lot to let
the engine cool, and would miss the birthday celebration that our out of town
guests were having for Karen. No problem, I've gotten plenty of cake already
this week, it is the birthday season.
Drive a few blocks, shut the engine off and coast until coming to rest. Sit
there and watch the world go by. 10 or 15 minutes later, repeat process.
I did finally make it home around midnight. I might have been home sooner, but
I happened to coast to a stop right by this little bar one time....
Anyway, the root of the problem was a bad water pump, which caused the noise
I'd been hearing. The bearing finally got loose enough for the pulley to
wobble enough to throw off the belt, which is why my quick re-install didn't
work. But a new water pump, and about 3 times the book value of 1.5 hours
later, I'm back in business, taking the Jeep around the block for a test drive.
And I didn't have to pay the dealer a few days wages to get it done.
While the Jeep was out of action, I was stealing Karen's Honda Civic Si. Since
I've not driven one of my Triumphs on a regular basis since last fall when the
oil leak sidelined Racket ( my Mark 1) I'd forgotten what it is like to drive
around in a peppy little car with a stick poking out of the transmission. Of
course, the hole in the muffler certainly never brought any images of Boy Racer
to mind the last day or two. Yep, I need to get the Spit back on the road, as
well as LaVelle. You see, then when I have the Suburban back as my tow vehicle
and parts hauler, I can trade in the Cherokee for a Subaru wagon for Karen, and
take over the little black Honda. It will be 10 years old this July, and is
now approaching 100,000 miles on the clock. I kind of like it.
mjb.
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