Conference terri::cars_uk

    I just bought a Triumph 10 four door sedan with 948cc engine.
    can someone tell me what is the correct sparkplug for this TR

    
    Probably scratching themselves trying to visualise a TR10.......
    
    Suspect this equals what was known in the UK as a Standard 10. Same
    engine survived for years in the original Triumph Herald.
                                              
    Not that many plug types around in the late 50's. If u had problems,
    u just picked up whatever was laying in the bottom of the toolbox.
    
    Not sure whether they were long reach or short reach. Suspect u
    will not go far wrong with N7Y's if used slowly around town (what
    else with a Standard 10!) - N9Y's if driven hard. Set plug gap in
    the appropriate way - somewhere about a fingernail thickness.
                                                     
    If it's a quite differnt motorcar, ignore the above ............

    Are there any members of the TSSC out there ? 
    
    If not WHY!!! the finest club around for Triumph enthusiasts..
    Just sign in for more info....
    
                                   Huw... 

    What is TSSC?
    

    At a guess, I think it's Triumph Six Sports Club.
    
    Billy

    Can anybody give me the address of the TSSC? (it is The Triumph
    Sports Six Club) as I am in the throes of buying a 1970 GT6 mkII.
    
    Also can anyone recommend an insurance co. for limited mileage
    
    Thanks
    
    Tim

	        Triumph Sports Six Club,
       		Freepost,
       		121B St. Mary's Road,
       		Market Harborough,
       		Leics.
       		LE16 7DT

    Thanks a lot... now i just need an insurer who will give classic
    car insurance to someone under 25 (5 months under 25 but it might
    as well be 5 years as far as insurance companies are concerned)
    
    Also does anyone know the original tyre sizes on a 1970 GT6 ....the
    155's on it look a bit small?
    
    Cheers,
    	Tim

    For THE cheapest insurance around for your GT6
    
    Footman James and CO. 021 561 4196. (ask for TSSC insurance ).
    
    They run a variety of schemes,including an under 25's.
    If you don't intend to do much mileage then you can get
    a Limited usage policy which again will reduce the cost of
    your cover.
    The main advantage of using footman james is that they operate
    an "agreed value" service,that is to say,if you complete one of
    their valuation certificates,enclose any receipts,a couple of
    photos etc they will put an "agreed" value on your car.This is
    essential as the "book price" of a GT6 is WELL below the actual
    value of the car in todays market.In the event of a disaster the
    "agreed value" is the amount that they will give you for the car.
    
    Just as  a side point...The april valuations are out for triumph
    cars..IN september 1989 the value put on a 'concours' condition
    Mk111 GT6 was 7000 quid,April 1990 the price has rocketed to 
    10000 pounds! Even the lowest category of GT6 (ie.rustbucket)
    has risen 25% in the last 6 months!! buy now!!!
    
                                            yours GT6-wantingly
    
                                            Huw..

    You may also wish to try the MG Owners Club for insurance.
    
    I believe they do restricted mileage, classic car cover, under 25
    , agreed value etc.
    
    They are of the opinion that Classic car drivers cherish their cars
    more and are therefore safer, more careful drivers.
    
    Kris.

    Tim,
       Just to let you know that I'm green with envy.. 
       sorry for missing the other info you requested...

       The original Tyres fitted to the Mk11 GT6 were Dunlop 
       SP68 155 x 13 mounted on 4 1/2J steel wheels.
    
       Just for a little bit of nostalgia...(one of the GT6 mk11 reports
       I dug out last night.)
       
       The GT6 lined up and established it's rank among Britains best.
       there was the potent 2.5 litre scimitar,beaten by the GT6 on
       0-60mph acceleration and over the standing 1/4 mile,as was the
       nimble Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV and even the big 3 litre MGC.When
       compared on performance and handling the MGB was out to lunch.
       Even the karman styled TR6 whilst generally outperforming the
        GT,could be beaten on mid range acceleration and would be 
       travelling 2 mph slower at the end of a standing quarter mile.
                                                                     
                                       Regards,
                                               Huw..
        

    
    I have recently purchased a Dolomite 1850HL, which is in very good
    condition, although there is a slight problem with the car.
    
    It becomes evident when you are driving the car at speed the car
    seems to float about, especially when you hit a bump in the road.
    Is this a fault of the Dolomite range generally or is there something 
    wrong with my car?
    
    In an attempt to cure the problem I consulted the hand book and
    as a result have :-  Checked the Tyre pressures.
    			 Had the tracking checked.
    			 Replaced all of the rear suspension bushes
    			 with harder Triumph Tune Bushes.
    
    This seems to have improved it slightly, although it is still not
    as it should be, any thoughts???
    
    
    Also has anyone fitted the Triumph Tune exhaust system to the Dolomite,
    I am thinking of doing this, but when I spoke to Triumph Tune they
    said it was difficult to fit...
    
    
    
    		Regards 
    
    
    		  Graham
                                                              

re.96:

Sounds like shock absorbers.

Dave.

    Not an answer to your question but another suspension question....
    
    What would cause "hard" suspension.... my GT6 has rock hard suspension,
    so hard that I bang my head if I hit any bumps, my first thought
    was to replace the eliptical spring but somebody else has suggested
    it might be shocks. The only way I can think it might be shocks
    is if they are frozen, any thoughts on the matter? (I have yet to
    get the car on stands and check it out.
    
    Cheers,
    
    Tim

    re: .98

    Isn't it supposed to be like that ???

    I don't see how it could be the shocks either. Tyre pressures perhaps
    too high, but not the shocks really ...

    I don't think they are spax....on can but hope, I'll have to get
    it up on stands and check everything...I've got new bushes to put
    on anyway.
    
    
    	Tim

    Shock absorbers are not eternal. I'd be inclined to investigate
    the cost of new shocks myself - but find a friendly mechanic
    first - maybe Elaine (Bull-Bar) Mitchell could be dragged away
    from her Landie for 5 minutes ?
    
    Mike Day
    

    Why don't you just try jumping up and down on the corners of
    the car and see what moves.

    If the shocks are stuck, you should easily be able to see it ..
    no change in distance between wheel centre and top of wheel arch.

    Tired shocks will give a bouncy ride rather than hard. A flat
    transverse cart spring could give you the hard ride, but this
    would be easily noticable becasue the rear wheels would be well 
    splayed out.

 Mark

    Tim,
        Please note: The shock absorbers fitted to our cars (whatever
    make) are fitted with an internal 'bump stop'. No matter how new
    the shock absorbers look,over a period of time,with the occasional
    'bottoming out' these  bump stops tend to disintegrate !
    
    Although the car feels fine if you test the amount of 'bounce'by
    giving the car a hefty shove at each corner,this will not tell you
    the condition of the 'bump stop'.
    
    What I suggest you might do is unbolt the top of the shock absorber,
    the operate it a good 10 times over its full travel,then re-fit
    it.This will have the effect of 'bleeding' the shocker,which all
    manufacturers recommend doing before a new shocker is mounted..
    
    this way I have managed to salvage a completely knacked pair of
    monroe absorbers and do 30,000 miles on them with an infinately
    better ride than I had before !.
    
    If you could also give me the year of the car and the mileage it
    has covered I can give you some ad-hoc figures as to what the length
    of your shock absorbers should be with the car 'at rest'.This will
    also be able to give you some indication as to the condition of
    your shock aborbers.      
    If you need any more help/advice/info please don't hesitate to ask,
     
                                 Regards,
                                           Huw....
    
    ps. standard sh/absorbers cost 17.50 each,compared with 48.00 pounds
     each for an ajustable shocker (spax).
                                           
                        
                               

    Hi Triumph Gurus,
    
    On a recent trip to the Middle East, I found a Stag in a Car market.
    The body is as new (being in a desest - no corrosion problem!),
    white leather interior (also good condition). It did not appear
    to have its top though - it could have been folded down but we could
    not release the mechanism to free it (if it was there!). 
    
    The engine was a 4 cylinder Toyota - unfortunatly automatic
    transmission but sounded really powerful - no other ideas on it.
    
    The big question is - should I buy it? Will have problems getting
    it, transportation, import duty etc... but it did look clean. Whats
    a good price for a Stag with more or less immaculate bodywork?
    
    Got a photo of it if anyones in DECpark!
    
    Jon.
    

    Re.108
          
    
    Surely its better to buy one in the U.K with an original engine
    and box??? 
    
    
    Regards,
    
    Graham

    goodbye fellow triumph-ers ,end of contract,keep the noting going!!
    
    
                         regards,
                                 Huw..

Hi,

	I have recently obtained a GT6 MK II (1968) which I have started to 
	restore.  I haven't really got to the restoration bit yet,- just 
	the ripping it to pieces, and putting things in plastic bags bit.

	I just wondered if there was anyone out there who was interested in
	GT6's and had any advice/experiences of a restoration of them.

	The main work that needs doing is the floorpan, plus a bit of body
	work -- chasis and engine are fine.


		All input, info and advice are welcome .....




	Steve Allam

    I know that Jon Stevenson, based in Welwyn, is currently restoring
    a GT6, but he doesn't read this notes file.
    
    He's also mainly based on customer sites, as he's a project leader;
    in fact he's involved in the Cosworth F1 telemetry/vaxes in trucks
    project.
    
    (Gee, this is really helpful..)
    
    I'd recommend mailing him; he'll eventually get round to reading it.
    I'm sure ELF or the phone book can give you the proper spelling and
    location for him.
    
    Peter.
    

    RE: .112
    
    
    I think I've got an article on restoring/buying/owning a GT6/Spitfire
    in 'Practical Classics and Car Restorer', I will see if I can find it,
    plus any other GT6 info I have.....
    
    
    		Regards
    
    
    		Graham

    Steve (.112),
    
    Ed Gustafson (NUTMEG::) has restored 2 and is currently stuffing a GT6
    engine into a Spitfire chassis...he isn't a regular noter. I've worked
    over (totally) a 1500 Spit, mainly mechanicals (engine, suspension,
    etc) ...
    all breathed upon heavily.
    
    Tom

Re: 113,114,115:


Hi everyone,

	Nice to see there's so much interest in GT6's - this note is certainly
	getting more attention than the ones I use for work!

	Ta, Peter, I'll get in contact with Jon.

	Ta to Graham too, I don't think I've seen that article - one of the 
	magazines I don't get! If I you could get a copy to me some how, I'd 
	appreciate it.

	Thanks to Tom as well - all contacts gratefully received !


	Having just got past the plastic bagging stage,  i'm now trying to
	force myself away from the car - to refurbish all the little bits
	that have been pulled off, before going and doing all the little 
	jobs (like replacing the floorpan, pulling the body off etc) - The
	theory being that if I got all runnin gear and chasis and body all
	done, its not simply 'replacement is the reversal of removal' cos its
	all gotta be done.  Its a long long job.


		Ta for all info, keep it up.

	
			Steve Allam  @ UVO,

    
    
    Steve,
    	If you are looking for a good breakers for Triumphs in the south
     east, try Wins & Co in Smallfield, Sussex. It's about 6 miles from
    Gatwick, and the last time I was in he was breaking 2 GT6 mkII's
    plus he had numerous spitfires, stags etc.... I managed to get a
    good front valance and rear quarter bumpers for my mkII.
    
    I haven't got the address on me now, but the phone number is
    	0342-842555
    
    if anyone is after any triumph parts, give geoff a ring, he has
    a warehouse full to the roof with them.
    
    Cheers,
    
    Tim

    'concours' is not "short" for anything - it's just French for 'contest'
    or 'competition'.
    
    Jeff.

    Origin is "Concours D'Elegance" 
    
    Thus, Competition of Elegance.
    
    What a linguist!
    
    Steve

Ah! That's what I was looking for.  Thanks.
Scott

    Well, I finally have finished the restoration on the Mk3 Spitfire I
    purchased 3 years ago... It's now got the swiss equivilent of an MOT,
    but there still is a lot to do.
    
    I will travel to Holland with the car in beggining of September, and I
    was wondering if anybody has addresses of companies that sell Triumph
    spares in the Rotterdam - Den Haag - Amsterdam - Utrecht side of the
    country ?
    
    Paul 

    Does anyone have any ideas as to where I could buy a new radiator for
    a Vitesse in the Manchester area. A friend of mine in France is looking
    for one. I suppose it doesn't infact have to be new, but he hasn't got
    a radiator at all at ther moment, so an exchange is not possible ...

  Mark

    I don't know about UK, other than John Hill's (South of Manchester),
    but I see your node is ANNECY:: which is not too far from Geneva, and
    there there is a guy in Rue Marciano (I forget his name) who does very
    good radiator renovations and standard exchages.
    
    Paul

    .... I work in Annecy, but live in Manchester.

    So, just how far south of Manchester is John Hills ???

    The address in Geneva is useful, but not in this case. The radiator
    for this car was lost several years ago ...

Regards, Mark

    They are in Arthur Street, Redditch (0527 20880) I seem to remember
    that was about 1 hour drive.
    
    I will look in the PC directory and post other adresses.
    
    Paul

    Thanks ...

       RE .127>

>>    .... I work in Annecy, but live in Manchester.

       	Sounds like you should contribute to note 538!

    RE .124
    
    Contact Michiel ten Brink at DEC HL HQ.
    DTN 838-3114.
    He almost has finished restroring his ex Arizona TR6. 
    
    
    Cheers,
    
    Hans

    I am thinking of buying a GT6 Mark III in the near future, as I don't
    have much knowledge of the car any comments would be appreciated....
    
    I will need to use the car as my only car, and I travel on motorways
    quite alot, what is the GT6 like at high speeds?
    
    Is the car reliable/fun to drive/cheap to run?
    
    As I am only 18 years old, insurance is a problem, is the car
    exspensive to insure?
    
    Are parts easily located?
    
    
    It's either a GT6 or a Dolly Sprint next, but as I have owned a 1300
    and still own a 1850HL Dolomite, I would rather go for the GT6,
    mainly for a change, but any views would be appreciated on either car.
    
    
    Thanks,
    
    
    Graham
    
          

    Graham,
    
    There are no shortage of good Mk III GT6s around, especially as the car
    is now beginning to be recognised as a classic. It is a very practical
    sports car and has reasonable performance (top speed about 110 mph I
    think). Fuel consumption will be heavy around town but, if the Marcos
    is anything to go by, a big engine with an overdrive box will give 
    impressive economy on a run (provided the car is well tuned). Obviously
    the reliability of the car will depend on the example you get, but I
    don't think the GT6 had any major intrinsic problems.
    
    Parts are easy to come by (from Rover dealers or one of the many
    Triumph parts specialists) and usually fairly cheap.
    
    Insurance will be horribly expensive as you are unlikely to be able
    to take advantage of a classic car insurance scheme due to your age
    and desire to use it on a daily basis. You might try the TSSC (0858
    434424) for details of any special scheme they do, or one of the
    other Triumph owner's clubs. I doubt that insurance on a Sprint would
    be very pleasant either for someone as young as yourself.
    
    Prices of GT6s have risen recently, but you should be able to pick up
    a nice one at a reasonable price. The engines are strong (many have the
    Triumph 2.5 litre engine dropped in, which is supposed to be a good
    swap if you're not worried about originality, but avoid an injected
    one if you see it as the injection is hell to set up and very expensive
    to repair by all accounts).
    
    I've never driven one, but I've heard them described as handling like
    'nose heavy Spitfires' which doesn't sound particularly impressive, but
    what the hell, you don't buy a car like this for it's handling you buy
    it for what it looks like! (Or at least someone said that once in 
    this very conference! :^))
    
    Mark 

    
      From a handling point of view, I would try and go for one of the
    early Mk3's, as these had the rear suspension from the Mk2, which
    includes wishbone location between the bottom of the vertical link, and
    the chassis, in addition to the radius arm link to the rear of the
    floor-pan. These cars also sport a nicer drivetrain employing a
    rotoflex coupling in the driveshafts. One one is used per driveshaft,
    unlike the Elan, but the advantage is that the u/j's at the
    differential end last a lot longer. 
    
    

    
    I'll agree the Mk3 had the same basic rear as the Mk2, but the handling
    was a lot safer, you didn't get as much, if any negative like the
    Herald through corners. As regards a bigger engine, the brakes on my
    Mk2 spent an awful lot of time smoking, so an upgrade would be
    necessary.
    
    Marks comments of 110 mph top end are a bit of a joke, as the things
    are decidedly twitchy just approaching 100.
    
    If you find a Mk2, and it helps even on a Mk3, look to the tuning firm
    SAH who used to do a rear end mod   called tite-a-turn, which the
    tuning mags used to say made them handle like an Elan.
    
    A major + point for these evil little cars, is the engine access, you
    can actually stand in there. Watch out for rear axle whine, as they
    like eating those.
    
    Also watch out in the wet, put mine through a hedge ........
                                                                

    
    Have you tried any of the numerous breaker's yards in the Manchester
    region - there are usually loads of them listed in the North West
    Auto Trader (at the front) allong with telephone numbers - so you can
    let your fingers do the walking & all that.
    
    Failing that I have access to a large trade warehouse in manchester via
    a mate in the trade & they do Serck radiators - I'm sure we could find
    some sort of radiator to exchange !!!
    
    I'm working in Nijmegen but I live in South Manchester.
    
    If I can be of any help then contact me via this conference.
    
                                    Cheers
     
                                           Rick

 
 Having resigned myself to the amount that it will cost me in insurance, I 
will now have to start looking for parts for a Dolomite Sprint, does anyone
know if these will be easy to find, any phone numbers etc ??? 

 The Sprint has been sitting out the front of the house/in the garage for around
4 or 5 years now, so will need a fair bit of sorting, although most of the
body seems sound.

 All advice would be welcomed. Thanks.

		 Alan
		~~~~~~

Where have all of the triumphers gone ??? Too busy showing their cars off to
read this conference ??

I was wondering whether it would be possible to add an overdrive unit to the
Sprint, which has (as far as I know) never had one on it ? Is it just a case of
attaching it to the 'box, or would it be a case of a new 'box ?

		 Alan
		~~~~~~

    
    Most Sprints had an overdrive as standard.
    
    Mark

I think it bolts on the back of the gearbox.  The only modification needed is
a shorter propshaft.  Haynes should give enlightenment on the hydraulic and
electrical connections required...

Scott

A far as I understand it, from when I owned Triumphs, it's a epicyclic gear
set that bolts on the back of the gearbox. A sun gear and a planetary set
(like an automatic 'box). Could also be added to the vanilla Dolomite.

It comes standard with the Sprint which would indicate to me that your car
may be a 'tarted up' Dolomite. There is an electrical switch in the gear
lever knob which is the only visible difference. That and the car doesn't
rev like a banshee doing 100 mph...

    Re .138
      If you are serious about adding o/d, then you certainly should go for
    a complete box & o/d unit. This is because the gearbox third motion
    shaft is different for an o/d box, as it is longer, and has the
    eccentric that drives the oil pump for the o/d hydraulics. Also, I seem
    to remember that the stud fittings on the rear of the gearbox casing
    are different where the o/d bolts on.
      Electrically, the main difference (apart from operating solenoid cnx)
    is that there is an inhibitor switch at the front of the gear-selector
    shaft that is actuated when in 3 or 4th. This stops operation of o/d in
    1st & 2nd (torque is excessive) and more importantly stops engagement
    in reverse gear.
      The third are where there are significant differences, is that the
    rear engine (gearbox) mounting is moved back about 10 inches, so some
    chassis/sub-frame hacking will be required.
      All-in-all, I would recommed finding a good car that had o/d fitted
    as standard, if this is possible these days. The o/d unit itself is
    very reliable and problems are usually electrical, or caused by low
    gearbox oil level. If you need any more info on o/d's then you can send
    me mail.
    
    Dave.
     

    
    I don't think early Sprints had O/D as standard equipment.
    
    Re .142
    
    Are you sure all these changes are neccesary? A friend of mine fitted 
    an overdrive box to the back of his 1500 Dolomite and it worked fine.
    Of course, it isn't a Sprint box.
    
    BTW, I've often wondered why you can't use O/D in 1st and 2nd, thanks
    for your description of the reason.
    
    Mark

  Ah well, if it involves that much work, I probably won't bother, as it is my 
Dad's car, and I just couldn't bear to see it just sitting there too much 
longer, so I persuaded him to let me use it till I get another car (which could
well take a while !!!)


		 Alan
		~~~~~~

 

 
re. a few back

 It may well be that it was built before o/d was standard as it is an M reg, so
it is lasting quite well really, as there are no serious holes or the like,
although a few panels do need sorting.

		 Alan
		~~~~~~

      Re .143
        If your friend fitted an o/d box to his 1500, he certainly removed
    the major amount of grief that is involved. Unless he arranged some
    clever (and hopefully equally-strong) form of rear engine/gearbox
    mounting, I don't see how some some welding & drilling could be
    avoided.
    
    Dave.
    

    
    Ummmm.
    
    Maybe he had more problems than he recounted. This was a few years
    back.
    
    Are you saying that there is a different subframe for the Overdrive
    boxed Dolomites?
    
    Mark

    Re .147
      The actual subframe is no different as far as I recall(it was a few
    years ago here too !), but the actual mounting points where the
    metalastic (sp?) bushes attach is in a different position. You could
    fabricate another mounting, but it's all more work.
    

    To call it a 'subframe' on the Spitfire is to get carried away. It's a
    sheet metal plate appx 4" x 6" that bolts to the chassis. Yes, it's
    mounted further back when there's a Laycock unit installed.
    
    If I remember correctly, on later, single rail gearboxes (Spitfire
    1500s), not only is the output shaft longer (and equipped with a keyway
    for mounting the eccentric, but the shifter mounting assembly is
    different and designed to mount to a special casting version of the OD
    unit.

What's the difference between a Toledo and a Dolomite?

Scott

    
    The Toledo has a short boot. There were also 2 door Toldeos.
    
    It was only sold in 1300cc form in Britain although I think some 
    1500s were sold abroad.
    
    Mark

You wear a hat to drive a Dolomite :-)

Jc

    
    The Toledo was the very basic spec model. I think it had the
    same sized boot as the Dolomite (on which it was based), but 
    I can't swear to it. Certainly did a two door model, though
    mine was a 4 door in Ice blue.
                         
    Bill.

    One of them had a Cockney chant associated with it.......
    
    
    
    	as in
    
    		"What Toledo rubbish!"

Re. 152

 Does that include the Sprint ???

		 Alan
		~~~~~~

    
    Presumably a CRASH hat! :^)
    
    Mark

Toledos also seem to have a nasty habit of disintegrating their gear boxes
all over the road...

From memory the Dolomite had different suspension as well as different
engines (1850, 2000cc) and gearboxes.

In their day, Dolomites were one of only a few affortable performance cars.
The Sprinteven did circuit racing and rallying...

Hi,

	This topic has been a bit dead lately.  Do Triumph owners put their cars
	away for the winter in case they get wet???

	I can't talk, mines still in my garage - in bits.


	I presently have the front suspension units restored, and ready to 
	go back on the chasis (soon) - I have brought some new SPAX adjustable
	shox all round, and was wondering whether anyone had a rough idea of a 
	useable setting for them.

	We are talking a Triumph GT6 MK II


		Cheers, 

			Steve Allam

Hi,


	I have found out a rough figure - if you turn the adjusters completely
	anti-clockwise, then turn it clockwise by 6 turns.  8 turns for slightly
	heavier suspension, but aparently 10 turns starts to break things.  Or
	so I'm told.  This is from a chap who used to restore spitfires, so I'd
	imagine its about right for GT6/Vitesse/Herald.


	Where are all the triumph owners????

	Not all be seduced by the new bubble mould cars have we ????



		Steve

 The Sprint is close to be road usable again after a 5year delay. 

  Jobs done so far :-

	New Exhaust system - TriumphTune S/steel system.

	Koni rear shocks - The old ones were soft on bounce, and almost rock 
solid on rebound.

	Remove, dismantle & rebuild SUs - Will need to set them up at sometime.

	New radiator.

	Removed brake pipes, rear slave cylinders etc. New pipes and cylinders
ready to go in.

	Wheels sent off for bead blasting - will need polishing and respraying
when they arrive back. Not sure what tyres to use yet.

	New wheel studs ordered - From unipart dealer "We are waiting for a new
batch to be made, they will be ready mid February" !!!!! TT - "Been on order
for ages, still waiting"  RimmerBros - "How many would you like ?"

	4 new wheel nuts - Got a shock when I saw the price 4.75 + VAT each !!!

  To do.

	Remove half shafts, replace oil seals, replace studs (1 side only)

	Get brake pipe clips, and affix new brake pipes (rear) 

	Replace slave cylinders and renew brake & clutch fluid.

	Fit wheels

	GET MOT !!!!


  Sounds easy doesn't it !!!!????!?!


		 Alan
		~~~~~~

    Hi Folks - being new to this conference and loving "older" British Cars
    where is all your enthusiasm?
    
    My first car was a Spitfire 4 - at that time fairly cheap, but just
    right for my small budget. 
    
    Then I switched over to a "real" car - TR4A. I drove it a couple of
    years winter and summer and shared all with it - the good times and the
    bad times when I had to fix it and no money...
    
    Then I worked for Digital - in the field - driving that nice ugly 
    company car for some years.
    
    And here I am back where it started - proud owner of a TR6 (no PI, but
    also no rust) since 3 years.
    
    Doing all repairs (and there actually are not very much) myself I
    wonder if others are out in this notes sharing expieriences?
    
    I plan to exchange the gearbox to oone with overdrive, eventually also
    replacing the differential. These parts are available but quite
    expensive here in Germany - so anybody out to some good hints where to
    look in the UK for used or renewed parts?
    
    Happy TRing!!!
    
    Klaus
    

    RE: 161
    
    
    
     How easy is it to fit the Triumph-Tune exhaust system. I have often
    wondered about fitting one to my 1850 Dolomite, but have heard they can
    be tricky to fit....
    
    
                     
    		Regards,
    
    
    		Graham
    
    P.S I managed to get wheel nuts (for alloys) for about 1.50 each, from
    North Hants tyres in Fleet. I doubt they are the original type
    though... 

 Graham,

  It took quite a long time, and a lot of sorting to get it to fit, but then 
again so did the one I fitted to my brothers Escort the week before. I would 
say that if you need to get another exhaust then by all means get a TT one, but
be prepared to use the hacksaw and tape measure,  and do a lot of playing around
with it to make it fit properly. And remember that you have 4 joints to play
with. Also, we had to actually bend it slightly. But, it is amazingly quiet
for a performance system, and doesn't go around a dozen 180 degree bends within
'boxes like the standard on.
   I will also be fitting an extra mount for this at the front of the rear box,
although I am cheating slightly seeing Dad had already done this for the last
TT system he had on there.


		 Alan
		~~~~~~

Despite how it sounds, it may well have been almost fun had it not ahve been
freezing cold and raining when we did it.

 Does anyone know whether it is possible to get just the front brake caliper
pistons for a Sprint ?? If not, does anyone know if the type 16 brakes, as used
on MK2 Escorts will fit ? Surprisingly enough, the Escort discs look bigger than
the Sprint's ones !!!


	Thanks for any help.

		 Alan
		~~~~~~

Moss, who supply a lot of MG and Triumph parts, are probably your best bet.
They advertise in most classic car mags.

Triumphtune are another possibility.

Your local Rover dealer may still be able to get them.

Or find one in a scrapyard with reasonable condition calipers.

Regarding the Escort ones, I think it'll be a case of try it and see; what
makes you think they may be suitable in the first place?

Scott

 No luck from Moss (triumphTune), Rimmer Bros or SprintSpares. Never seen any
Sprints in the scrappies.  Why do I think that Escort ones will fit ?? Well,
merely on the fact that they are both Girling calipers. Probably will be 
different models, but I will have to take the Type 16s off tonight and see.


		 Alan
		~~~~~~

 Well, haven't we been quiet in here !!!


 As regards my last note, I did try the calipers, and the Escort ones look as
though they will fit nicely, but only if I hack/remove the backplate (yes
Ford used bigger calpiers on a lighter car, and it shows, the Escort never 
suffered from brake fade, but the Sprint does !!!) so that was a non starter,
I will just have to replace the calpiers when I next change the brake pads.


 The Sprint has been on the road for just over a month now, and I have only
just got around to changing the clutch fluid, which was more of a job than I
had expected, and used around 1.5-2 litres of fluid as we got it wrong at 
first (I will read the manual before I do anything else !!!) Anyway we 
eventually got that sorted.

 The next thing that was noticed was that I was not getting full throttle, in
fact they still had around 10 or so degrees left to go still, no wonder I had
been slightly disappointed by the performance (and Dad had said that it was 
around 20BHP down on what it should have been !!!) anyway, while sorting this
out we realised that the bulkhead had cracked just where the throttle pedal
is attached ( I wonder why !?!?!?) and this had caused the pedal to move to the
right, so it was hitting the top of the wheel arch and stopping too soon. Due
to a slight lack of welding gear (not to mention the fact that it would mean
taking everything out of the engine bay to weld it !!) I ended up making up two
plates to sandwich the bulkhead and spread the load, with loads of Dum Dum on
the back of the outer one to seal the holes in the bulkhead. This now allows 
full throttle to be used, and a much better performance is now available.

 I will next have to change the front shocks, I do beleive that they have 
suffered while been sitting around, also I think that most of the rubbers need
changing in both front abd rear suspension.

 The other thing that I noticed when under the car was that there is a hell of 
a lot of play in the centre bearing of the propshaft, so I think that will be
the cause of the slight stuttering at slow speeds and so will need replacing.

 Well hopefully it will be reliable enough to last till I get the RS2000 on the
road then I can get down to fully sorting the Sprint out.


		 Alan
		~~~~~~

    
    
    Alan,
    
    
      Are you using your Sprint at the moment??? If so I would very much
    like to have a look at it. I own an 1850 myself, and would be
    interested to see the difference.
    
    
    
    Regards,
    
    
    Graham
    
    
    P.S Is yours the Yellow Sprint in Dec Park Car Park?

    Alan
    ~~~~
    
    Just read your note .164 re. sprint exhaust system... I had to fit the
    TT system to my sprint engine (TR7 conv) 2 years back and I still have 
    nightmares about it....2 systems later, after many hours, and after
    making a thick copper manifold gasket I finally got the thing to fit...
    ....nice system when done.... but *never* again.... 

    RE :-1 
    
    
    I've just ordered one of those exhaust's, what have I let myself in
    for?
    
    
    
    Regards,
    
    Graham

 Graham,

	Yes mine is the yellow one in the DEC park car oark, although 
unfortunately I don't have it today as the clutch release bearing went on 
Thursday (just outside Halifax !!!!) Great fun on the way back, and I would have
been fine if it hadn't been for the standard tail back on the M25 !!!!

	I will let you know when I have managed to do all 70 steps to remove and
replace the gearbox + the simpler steps to replace the clutch !!!



		 Alan
		~~~~~~

 Well, it would appear that the TT systems need a fair amount of cutting and
bending etc to make them fit, plus of course they have to come in 4 bits, which
means that you can do a lot of tweaking of angles, but as stated before, it is 
a nice exhaust, bound to be a lot more efficient than the standard system that 
goes around 2 180 degree bends within silencer boxes, and it is still very 
quiet (Well it is extremely quiet compared to the exhaust systems I am used to
for MK2 Escorts !!!!!)

 In my opinion if it hadn't been for the fact that I fitted mine in the middle
of Winter then it would have definitely been worth the effort, as it is I would
say that is is just about worth the effort.


			 Alan
			~~~~~~

    
    Hello,
    	I have had a Spitfire MkIV (with a 1500 engine) languishing in my
    garage for a couple of years now.  Due to severe financial problems
    (i.e. I'm a student!!!) I have not managed to get it on the road yet.
    	It needs a new set of tyres, a new silencer, and a roof.  These I
    can get but I would like to know if anyone knows of anywhere near
    Portsmouth or Richmond (Surrey) that will do the necessary welding on
    my sills.  Cox & Buckles wold be far to expensive!
    	Hopefully, my year at Digital on Industrial placement should pay
    for my spit and get it on the road.
    
    
    Any advice or info on restoring spits would be greatfully
    received!!!!!!
    
    
    Andy.

    
    Re Welding.
    
    Pick up your local paper and look for mobile welding services. They'll
    be cheapest, least hassle (for you) and probably just as good as an
    overpriced garage.
    
    Mark

    Hi Andy,
    
    I have a Spitfire 1500, 1976, British Racing Green..........
    
    You can mail me on FORTY2::HOWARD if you want to chat.
    
    Barry
    (P.s. I had to have some "bodging welding" done for my MOT and it looks
    like it wont last till the next one)
    
    (P.P.s. I am also an IT and have bought my spit this as well so it
    looks likes we have a lot in common)
    

    Yes and you're a nutter too Baz :-)
    
    Gary.

    definately !!
    
    Barry
    

    I'm looking for a hard top....see note 5.420.
    
    Barry
    

    Hello,
    
    I'm posting this on behalf of a friend of mine, who is currently
    restoring a 13/60 Herald. Seeing as the late Heralds were built on the
    same chassis as the Spits, he wonders whether an overdrive unit from a
    Spitfire could be fitted to his car.
    
    Thanks for any advice,
    
    /Ben
    
    P.S. I have read and understood the earlier replies on overdrive units.

    re .180
    
    I don't think the chassis are the same, but I can't remember what the
    differences are. However the Vitesse shares a chassis with the Herald
    and they were often fitted with an overdrive. Is it the same overdrive
    as a Spitfire though ????

    I dont think it is..........
    
    I think there are mounting differences as well as mechanical
    ones.....I'm sure they are listed in a different section in my supplier
    catologues which would indicate they are not compatable.
    
    Barry
    

    Lets get a little confusion in here...
    
    The base of the chassis IS the same, it's just that the Herald has
    chassis outriggers at the back to support the boot, and frames either
    side to support the floors and bolt on sill structures.
    
    My recommendation would be to ask a specialist such as Cox & Buckles,
    they will know for sure.
    
    Paul
    
    
    

Hi
Since a few weeks, I am the owner of a new, old TR6 (California, 1969 with
overdrive). I read in books, that the overdrive should be a type A and
this A-Type should not work only in the first gear. I tried this and the
overdrive didn't work in the first and the second gear. Now I thought:
"I have no A-type, I have a newer overdrive".
I looked under my car and saw an A-Type overdrive.

My question: is the book wrong or do the overdrive work not correctly?

thanks

Markus

    The overdrive *shouldn't* work in first or second gear!
    
    Laurie.

I thought all Triumph gearboxes of that vintage with overdrive only
worked on 3rd and 4th. It makes no sense to allow them to work on
1st or 2nd. After all, overdrive is for high speed running

	Dave

    
    
    The units fitted to TR6's should work on 2nd,3rd and 4th the same o/d+
    gearbox on stags,2000's,sprints works on 3rd and 4th only.I presume
    it is just the lockout switch on the gearbox which is different.
                           

    
    A friend has got a 1972 Stag - Mk1 (with some Mk2 features - known as a
    Mk 1.5)
    
    He wants to know the best place to go for front wings and a front
    valance?
    
    London area
    
    Clare.
    

Hi,

    can anyone tell me if the Mk IV Spitfire was ever available (from the
    factory) in black ?

Thanks,
Ross

    Wasn't there some kind of Black Tulip colour, and extremely dark purple
    ? I don't recall ever seeing a black one, but I remember Leyland used
    to do black on export models of some cars.
    
    Laurie.

    Can anyone tell me the last year that the TR6 was made ?

    Also, does anyone have one of the last TR6s and can answer a simple
    question regarding the style of the instruments ?

Ta,
Ross

    Ross, the TR7 came out in 1976. I think the TR6 finishes production in
    '75.
    
    Royston

    In the spirit of the Holidays, I've been thinking of this old line from
    a road-test article from the early 60's: "Hark, The Herald Axels
    Swing!"  Just a bit of seasonal good cheer.....Pete 

Hi

Has anybody heard something about a towing ball (for caravans and trailers)
for a Triumph TR6.

I know, a firm should have built this part, but nobody can me say the
name or a distributor.

A used part would be fine too, but I need for the German car registration
a paper with the technical dates and so on.

Thank you for any answers

Markus

    Triumph TR6 towing ball:
    
    I've found a supplier if your car was built between January 1969 and
    February 1975 inclusive.
    
    Watling Engineers Ltd.
    88 Park Street Village
    Near Saint Albans
    Herts  AL2 2LR
    
    Phone number:  44 727 873661
    
    Their part number is PTR24P
    
    Costs in Sterling: 59-50 +17.5% VAT +shipping (cost approx. 11 pounds)
    
    They will supply a data sheet in English.
    
    They have 5 in stock, today.

The answer is probably in here, and it's probably 'No', but were the Triumph car
maker and Triumph motorcycle maker related?

Dave

    No they weren't...
    
    Triumph motor cycles are one company.
    
    Triumph cars started as a brand name introduced by the Standard Car
    company.  When Standard wanted to export to our US cousins they
    realised/discovered that noone wants a 'standard' car - we all want
    something special.  So Triumph was their US oriented barandname.

Hi,

    does anyone have an old post '75 TR6 oil pressure gauge they wish to sell ?
Condition is not important and it doesn't have to work, so long as it's
original (smiths, upward needle).

Thanks,
Ross

    Have you tried TRBitz @ Barley Castle Trading Estate - Warrington
    (01925) 861861.
    They import LHD TRs from the US and also break cars for spares.
    
    
    Richard Huntley