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Are Triumph Owners on the Cheap?

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TheSearcherMan

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You know, I have been watching forums for a few weeks, and what I think I saw is well, unbelivable. In 6 Pack, some guy thinks he got his TR6 differential rebuilt for $275 bucks, and another guy is sending his to the same place. Are you people really ignorant enough to believe that you can rebuild any differential for 275 bucks? What do you think the bearings, seals, spacers, labor, cost? What does rebuilt imply in California? Comments..... PS, looks like the TR5 sales tactics worked out great? Congradulations to the seller.
 
Over here on the other side of the pond it is not much different, traders who post on some of the Triumph forums I use complain that the majority of their customers will buy on price only, irrespective of the quality of the product.
The re-built diff you mentioned above will probably not have the original spec (superior) bearings and the back lash set correctly, as in all things, you get what you pay for.
 
Are < <span style="font-style: italic">fill in the blank</span> > on the cheap?

Everyone tries to get something for nothing. It's human nature.

You pay your money, you take your chances. Been that way for gazillions of years. Same as folks trying to provoke arguments just to get attention.

Tom
 
TheSearcherMan said:
You know, I have been watching forums for a few weeks, and what I think I saw is well, unbelivable. In 6 Pack, some guy thinks he got his TR6 differential rebuilt for $275 bucks, and another guy is sending his to the same place. Are you people really ignorant enough to believe that you can rebuild any differential for 275 bucks? What do you think the bearings, seals, spacers, labor, cost? What does rebuilt imply in California? Comments..... PS, looks like the TR5 sales tactics worked out great? Congradulations to the seller.
Click to expand...

How to win friends and influence people. :lol:

I won a NOS Bosch 55amp alternator on Ebay for $1.04 + S/H for my TR6, I think that makes me lucky. I'm cheap too though, so I was elated.
 
Please see my post on the TR5 thread from this morning. :hammer:
 
For the differential on my TR3A which is not an independent rear axle like a TR4A to TR6, I removed the rear axle from my TR and took it to a shop which specialises in diffs. He has been doing this for 50 years. I took him a new set of the crown and pinion gears which cost me $700.00. He replaced the parts, put in new bearings where needed and set the clearances.

He charged me $300.00.
 
I took my Spitfire diff with all new bearings, a new R&P gear and selection of shims to a 4X4 differential shop in Greenville, SC. They charged me $200 to properly assemble the unit. I have about $450-500 in all in it. I bought the R&P off eBay for $125. Brand spanking new and it is a 3.63:1 ratio!
 
Yes actually.
I've had Jags, a Maserati, Porsche's etc. but enjoy the TR3 because it's great fun and inexpensive to operate and repair.
I like the marque certainly but many are into less expensive machinery because it is less expensive.
 
If we were cheap, we'd have Fords or Chevys.

Compare the cost of an engine rebuild on an LBC with the cost of a new stock small block sometime and you'll see just what I mean.
 
in the end it probably will cost them 275 plus the cost of rebuilding it again the right way, just had mine done by quantum mechanics for i think it was 1175.00
 
Alana,
Agreed...relatively cheap for foreign sports cars. Try rebuilding a Jag, Merc, etc. for what our LBC's cost.
It's part of their charm, bang for buck.
 
I don't think that TR owners are cheap. They are probably just concerned about how they are going to spend their dollars and on exactly what they will receive in return.

Maybe they're just turned off by certain types of sales tactics.
 
On the cheap. Not necessarily, but then why spend way more money than you have to.

A pumpkin taken to any reputable repair shops that does differentials regularly will not charge an arm and a leg for doing a diff. Let's consider it from the old flat rate book.

I don't have a Triumph flat rate book in front of me, can only go with comparable Benze and Nissan Z's that I remember. 1 1/2 to 2 hours to R&R diff on most models(but remember we said pumpkin is on bench).

Remove side panels, replace seals, replace pinion seal, another 1 1/2 hour(Z and 300D time, I remember quite well).

Now getting into the diff and replacing bearings and shims and resetting back spacing is only another 1 hour.

So a competent shop, knows how to do this, and an honest shop will deduct overlapping times. So depending on your labor rate you are looking at 3-5 hours labor, plus parts. In some places 275 is an obtainable figure.

So is that being cheap? I don't think so. The question you are asking to me, implies that the drivers should look for the most expensive gasoline at the pump, just because it's a Triumph!

gotta remember this car was a basic economy sports car. Not as inexpensive as some MG's, but then not as expensive as Porsche's and Jaguars....
 
As it happens, I do have a Triumph Repair Time Schedule handy! For the TR4A:

Differential unit. Replace: 2.00 hours
Differential unit. Overhaul: 7.50 hours

It's worse on a GT6; 4.20 hours and 9.70 hours, respectively.

But I agree that there are shops out there who know this sort of thing inside and out, undoubtedly have tricks and shortcuts they use to cut down the time, and don't charge the proverbial arm and leg! Find and patronize those shops while they still exist! :wink:
 
I have been in the LBC world for 30 years, the last 8 years or so I had a big Healey, I have to say those guys seem to tend to want to spend more money for "the best" whether it be interior trim or engine rebuild parts. In my opinion sometimes that is money well spent and sometimes giving in to marketing hype or keeping up with the Joneses. Moss interior kit not good enough, get the Heritage, etc.

But certainly this is not true across the board, and may also be somewhat of a reflection of the value of the cars when they are done.

I am cheap, and not ashamed of it, so if Triumph guys are cheap, I fit right in!
 
What we call in the industry,

wear due to time and mileage.

The seals harden and leak, the side gear bushings "die" and the bearings as all bearings do, wear.
 
I had a diff fail (lock up) while driving my fathers chrysler station wagon at about 50mph. The car was the size of a whale and it was not a plesant experience for me, nor the drivers behind me. I also had a TR4A diff lock-up while driving at about 30 mph. I did all the work to repair both of them, with used parts (except gaskets/seals/bearings) and did not spend much money -though it took me a lot of time and taking it back apart until they worked right. I guess I am cheap.

Everything fails given enough use, or abuse. The wagon had no oil in it for who knows how long. The TR4 had enough crud in it, (dirty/rusty oil) that eventually a bearing came apart, lodged itself between two teeth, and it went down hill fast. How often do you check your diff oil?
 
TexasK,
Cheap guys should read the maintenance schedule! I check the dif regularly.
I had a dif with over 700k on it and it looked/ran like new.
 
I ain't cheap in the least but I am danged near
$$ broke from the barrels of cash I dumped into
this beast to drive 1,300 miles in 27 months.

Owning a Triumph is far and away a ton more money than
my fishing boat costs me. $ per mile vrs $ per pound fish.
A Triumph is an endless moneypit no matter how ya look at it.

My differential is on it's last legs and I have an EBay
replacement diffy waiting to install.

d
 
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