>On Sep 28, 6:50am, R John Lye wrote:
>> Subject: Re: TR-6 as an everyday car?
>> Well, for what its worth, I used my TR-3 as an everyday driver
>> for, let's see about 9 years. At that time, it went off the
>> road for restoration and has become a Sunday driver. You do have
>> to be careful to stay on top of the maintenance, and don't let
>> problems get out of hand. I should say that no Triumph has ever
>> stranded me anywhere away from home - they always seem to get
>> me home before they expire - and that using one every day makes
>> one really appreciate them all the more. Do it!
>>
>> cheers,
>>
>> John Lye
>>
>> rjl6n@uva.pcmail.Virginia.EDU
>>-- End of excerpt from R John Lye
>I second that thought...I use my spit as an everyday driver - you spot the
>problems as they occur, and not after nine months, just before your 500 mile
>outing.
I third(!) that thought....Sorry about the late(ish) reply, but I was busy all
last week. I have driven 38000 miles in my '73 Spitfire MK IV often with the
tacho in the red area(It sings to me when it gets to 6500 rpm), in that time I
have rebuilt the engine(before I started using the car - By re-built I mean
make one good engine out of two, one with a good cam, one with good bores etc),
I then rebuilt the carbs, installed a NEW distributor, re-plumbed the brakes
with copper pipe and stainless braided hoses, new rear cylinders and rebuilt
calipers, recon gearbox AND Overdrive (From John Kipping), new front and rear
shocks and springs, ball joints, track rod ends, replaced steering rack with
good second hand item I stripped and checked, replaced rear trunnion
bushes(what a bitch of a job), changed the alternator, waterpump, rebushed the
gear linkage, changed the door window winder mechanism to that from a GT6 to
incorporate quarter lights(they provide a better seal around the windscreen
pillar), rebushed the wishbones(A-arms) and rear radius arms, renewed all roll
bar bushes and links, bought 4 new tyres and a TSSC Stainless semi sports rear
silencer, and before I forget, I have converted it to 95/105 watts halogen
headlamps(without relays etc, who cares if my wiring gets hot) that i got from
a Landrover 90, they fit straight in, the only difference being the lenses are
flat and not curved as original(But I can live with that). In all this time I
have also had three verticle links shear off, all at low speed, the thermostrat
housing leak water and get blown over the distributor by the fan(My fault for
not using a new gasket, just sealer, Aaarrggh, I'm a DPO, or is that DO?).
But other than the above it has run fine :-)
Actually, I have done alot of the above really because I was being cautious and
NOT through neccessity(sp), but like I said at the top, I basically thrash the
Ar*e off the car when ever I drive it(daily, usually about 50-60 miles) and
don't have much mechanical sympathy. Also the car only cost me 200 pounds to
start with(including hard top and O/D) so you can imagine what it looks like.
Put it this way, if I go to the scrap yard, I don't like to park it to close
in case the bloke with the crane thinks my car is a yard candidate :-)
I'll just say, buy a good one, look after it and it will serve you well, and
you shouldn't loose loads off money like you do with a bland mobile.
Rich
Thrashed Mk IV Spitfire
Northampton
England.
|