Dear Ben in Brighton
Firstly,if you ask our american cousins questions about petrol,they may no
know what you are talking about,(although as owners of LBC's,they may!)...
1)Yes,you can indeed unbolt the Herald saloon/sedan roof to make a temporary
convertible,but I would advise against it because your insurance company
would most probably take a dim view in case of an accident!
Also,Heralds,Spitfires and other 'small-chassied' triumphs do not possess a
great deal of torsional-rigidity,ie:they flex or bend rather well,especially
as they get older,(the youngest is now 26 years old),and doors,especially on
saloons without the convertible's special 'anti-burst' catches tend to fly
asunder,(I nearly lost 2 or 3 girlfriends like that!,you try steering around
the corner,grabbing left-hand door,and front seat passenger all at the same
time,not recommended!) Remember also,that the Herald has but two,(long)
doors,they are 47.5 inches long and weigh 4.5 stone,that's a lot of
inertia,and they are getting expensive to replace nowadays. OK,if you are
still determined to make your saloon into a convertible,why not go for a
tristran conversion kit,which is a quality saloon to convertible kit.
Although,I reckon you'd be better off finding a proper convertible,probably
cheaper in the long run too.
2)The noise you describe could be almost anything,but as it happens when the
engine is running,it is fair to assume it is a reciprocating part,like the
fan-belt,or the dynamo,or the water pump etc. Remove the fan belt,start the
engine,and if it stops,then it be one of they fellas! If not,then it may be
an inlet manifold leak,you can check for that by starting the engine,and
spraying a mist of WD40 or similar around the inlet manifold,in torchlight,to
see how the particles of WD40 behave,if they get sucked-in perhaps?
3)Yes indeed! The Spitfire engine is found in a Spitfire,whereas the Dolomite
engine is usually located in a Dolomite! (just kidding!),No,the two 1493cc
engines are basically the same,except perhaps for the sportier camshaft &
matching distributor on the spitfire,designed to take advantage of the
different manifolds/carburettor set-ups,but properly set-up,both units will
give you good service.
4)As to fuel,my advice is NOT to use Unleaded petrol/gas in your triumph
engine,because if we stop buying it,then the fuel companies will have an
excuse to stop making it available to us!,also after 16 years of Heralding,I
will NOT put that nasty stuff in my Herald,at least until they come up with a
decent additive in this country! (it's worse in California,with de-oxygenated
gas-yuk!)...
If you are particularly worried about saving the world,(I am too!),then
either ride a bike instead of driving a car,(joke),don't drive your car
unless you must,or more sensibly,get it running pefectly so it is getting the
best possible fuel consumption,and keep it that way! (it saves a fortune in
running costs). I get 30-37 mpg (British gallons),out of my 1296cc engined
Herald,and CO level is 4%, well below the government emissions level,even
though my car is exempt from those tests,since it is so ancient!
Lastly,Ben,if you want the final word on petrol for your Herald,speak to John
Kipping at John Kipping Triumph Spares of Coventry,who knows just about
everything about that subject.(tel:01203-645333) or e-mail him on
<john@johnkipping.demon.co.uk>
Oh yes,Why not join the Triumph Sports Six Club? The local area members,near
you will be able to answer all the questions you care to pose.
Visit our web-site at <http://www.tssc-hq.demon.co.uk/TSSC.html>
and/or telephone them on 01858-434424
I hope I have been able to help you with the above
Happy Heralding,Leon F Guyot,TSSC International Secretary.
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