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Daily Driver??
- Thread starter Palmer
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Wow! I'm impressed. Do you do any special preventative maintenance? Do you maintain a stock of spare parts? Have you modified your cars to make them more reliable?...
[/ QUOTE ]I'm not quite sure to whom you were addressing these questions, but I'd like to volunteer some answers from my personal experience.
Sum and total of my special preventive maintenance is to follow (and occasionally exceed) the recommended maintenance schedule originally set down by the factory. Otherwise, 36+ years of driving, most of them in Triumphs, has helped me to learn to identify sounds or vibrations or whatever that indicate problems just starting...hopefully before they become BIG problems.
As a long-time collector and packrat, yes, I do maintain some spares stock. In my case, it's mostly because some consumables on the Herald are not as easily found in the US...but also because a: eBay has brought out a lot of good quality NOS stock and b: I'll stock up, if necessary, on good NOS or even still-good used rather than some current repro items that just aren't very good.
As for modifications? Virtually none on my Herald, other than slightly wider than original radial tires on 1" wider than stock rims from a later Triumph. But even that happened mostly because I had the rims and two nearly new tires to a set. So when I needed tires, it was a "cheap" way out at the time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif But beyond that, I use top quality fluids and greases...and then drive the car!
Wow! I'm impressed. Do you do any special preventative maintenance? Do you maintain a stock of spare parts? Have you modified your cars to make them more reliable?...
[/ QUOTE ]I'm not quite sure to whom you were addressing these questions, but I'd like to volunteer some answers from my personal experience.
Sum and total of my special preventive maintenance is to follow (and occasionally exceed) the recommended maintenance schedule originally set down by the factory. Otherwise, 36+ years of driving, most of them in Triumphs, has helped me to learn to identify sounds or vibrations or whatever that indicate problems just starting...hopefully before they become BIG problems.
As a long-time collector and packrat, yes, I do maintain some spares stock. In my case, it's mostly because some consumables on the Herald are not as easily found in the US...but also because a: eBay has brought out a lot of good quality NOS stock and b: I'll stock up, if necessary, on good NOS or even still-good used rather than some current repro items that just aren't very good.
As for modifications? Virtually none on my Herald, other than slightly wider than original radial tires on 1" wider than stock rims from a later Triumph. But even that happened mostly because I had the rims and two nearly new tires to a set. So when I needed tires, it was a "cheap" way out at the time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif But beyond that, I use top quality fluids and greases...and then drive the car!
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I do keep some spares around my current box includes;
fan belt
generator
a set of hoses
points, plugs, condenser
bulbs.
That is about it. I am obsessive about oil changes using only Redline oil.
I usally don't do repairs on the roadside so a AAA card and cell phone is the best tool kit. I've used it twice in 4.5 years. Once for a broken rotor and two weeks ago for a broken crankshaft pully.
The cars were built to be driven. Nothing I hate worse than a trailer queen.
fan belt
generator
a set of hoses
points, plugs, condenser
bulbs.
That is about it. I am obsessive about oil changes using only Redline oil.
I usally don't do repairs on the roadside so a AAA card and cell phone is the best tool kit. I've used it twice in 4.5 years. Once for a broken rotor and two weeks ago for a broken crankshaft pully.
The cars were built to be driven. Nothing I hate worse than a trailer queen.
I purposely purchased a TR7 to be used to go back and forth to work while I began a minor restoration on my TR8. Since I am a truck driver, I usually run back and forth to work on the weekends, so I still can get away with "classic" insurance and not break the letter of the contract, if not the intent. Saves a bunch of $$. I find that hopping into the 7 after a 5000 mile run in the 18 wheeler is very invigorating, not to mention a bit of a strange feeling!
Now that the 8 is running again, although not complete, that's what I use when home. I guess it will go down again for a while when I start the paint, and then I guess I won't be able to leave the 7 as it is and a new project will be born. Still intend to use it back and forth to work, though.
Back in the "day", I had a TR4 in which my wife and I honeymooned and used as our only car for several years. Never had any trouble, but, of course, they still had actual dealers back then. Wife got pregnant, couldn't get behind the wheel anymore, so on came the Opel (remember them?) Probably should have bought a Cortina, they were pretty nice little cars, too.
Just remember, ALL cars are meant to be RUN. You are not doing your car a favor keeping it closeted, only bringing it out for the occasional show or whatever. It's not really good for the car, and no fun, either.
Now that the 8 is running again, although not complete, that's what I use when home. I guess it will go down again for a while when I start the paint, and then I guess I won't be able to leave the 7 as it is and a new project will be born. Still intend to use it back and forth to work, though.
Back in the "day", I had a TR4 in which my wife and I honeymooned and used as our only car for several years. Never had any trouble, but, of course, they still had actual dealers back then. Wife got pregnant, couldn't get behind the wheel anymore, so on came the Opel (remember them?) Probably should have bought a Cortina, they were pretty nice little cars, too.
Just remember, ALL cars are meant to be RUN. You are not doing your car a favor keeping it closeted, only bringing it out for the occasional show or whatever. It's not really good for the car, and no fun, either.
Geo Hahn
Yoda
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Having both a TR3A & a 4 I guess one of them is my hobby car and the other is my driver... just don't know which is which.
Just got home yesterday from a 1400 mile ride in the '3. The starter failed 30 minutes out so I had 8 days of crank starting. Interesting how many people had never seen that done. Let a few try their hand at it (after a safety review)... they soon saw that it is really a matter of technique & rhythm rather than brute strength.
I agree with the above... factory maintenance schedule, buy NOS or just old spares when the price is right on eBay and drive them far, fast & often.
Just got home yesterday from a 1400 mile ride in the '3. The starter failed 30 minutes out so I had 8 days of crank starting. Interesting how many people had never seen that done. Let a few try their hand at it (after a safety review)... they soon saw that it is really a matter of technique & rhythm rather than brute strength.
I agree with the above... factory maintenance schedule, buy NOS or just old spares when the price is right on eBay and drive them far, fast & often.
Andy Blackley
Jedi Trainee
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I kinda wish I could crank start my TR250. When I had my Series IIA Land Rover I would demostrate to my dubious coworkers that I could easily hand crank start it in the dead of winter, which was very easy. I also had a hand crank for my '83 Range Rover, which still had a hole in the front bumper in true Land Rover fashion. The hand crank was still a tool kit item on the early Rangies. But with the accessories such as power steerring I could barely turn it over, never mind getting the swift yank needed to get the motor to fire.
Ineeresting enogh, a local group of ushad a kind of roundtable discussion on this subjust last night. One member has a nicely restored MGB which basically languishes in the garage whilst he takes his A most anywhere. His wife wants to sell it, he is reluctant. I don't think I've seen the B on the road but once since I have known him. I maintained that this is doing the car no good, and that he should rotate the two on outings or, as his wife says, let someone else who can enjoy the car have it so that iit can be run. Cars go bad from just sitting looking pretty. You are doing them no favor at all. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif
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Palmer,
I have used my 68 spitfire as my daily driver for the last 4 years. This included trips between Minnesota and Montana in the dead of winter. the only real issue I have had with it is when the reverse gear slipped its fork. Points, plugs, tires, and a new fuel pump. Tires and brakes LOF. They people who claim the LBC is unreliable either don't know what they are talking about or don't take care of their cars.
I have used my 68 spitfire as my daily driver for the last 4 years. This included trips between Minnesota and Montana in the dead of winter. the only real issue I have had with it is when the reverse gear slipped its fork. Points, plugs, tires, and a new fuel pump. Tires and brakes LOF. They people who claim the LBC is unreliable either don't know what they are talking about or don't take care of their cars.
Geo Hahn
Yoda
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[ QUOTE ]
A question for Geo H. - Did you have to retard the spark to manage it (handcranking)?
[/ QUOTE ]
I did not have to do this and (knock wood) have never had it backfire on me. I was noticably harder to start when hot though so maybe it would have helped.
When cold I could start it with an easy yank with the handcrank in the 9:00 position (or more like 8:45)... would immediately fire & idle.
When hot I would have to get the handcrank to the 5:45 position and really pop it so I would get a full compression stroke -- even then it might take several tries.
I have always suspected one reason for that vernier on the dizzy was to enable temporary spark retarding for handcranking.
A question for Geo H. - Did you have to retard the spark to manage it (handcranking)?
[/ QUOTE ]
I did not have to do this and (knock wood) have never had it backfire on me. I was noticably harder to start when hot though so maybe it would have helped.
When cold I could start it with an easy yank with the handcrank in the 9:00 position (or more like 8:45)... would immediately fire & idle.
When hot I would have to get the handcrank to the 5:45 position and really pop it so I would get a full compression stroke -- even then it might take several tries.
I have always suspected one reason for that vernier on the dizzy was to enable temporary spark retarding for handcranking.
Currently, I use my '80 TR-7 Spider and/or my '66 Land Rover Series II-A as my daily drivers. While over two recent winters I had to put snow tires on the Spider and use it year round in northern New England, I've been able to use the TR only for local, island trips during the winters. However, I have used it for 200-300 mile weekly commutes on the mainland in Maine during the remaining 3 seasons of the year.
Since I've owned this TR-7 [purchased in 2003], I've put on around 45,000 miles; it now has 96,000 miles. I enjoy every back road drive to work in all weathers, keep ahead of maintenance issues, find that things leak less and stay lubed up better, because I can drive the car.
Do it. The GT-6 was a fantastic car; I drove an early model one for 3 months back in the '70's and loved it.
Best wishes,
Jeff
Since I've owned this TR-7 [purchased in 2003], I've put on around 45,000 miles; it now has 96,000 miles. I enjoy every back road drive to work in all weathers, keep ahead of maintenance issues, find that things leak less and stay lubed up better, because I can drive the car.
Do it. The GT-6 was a fantastic car; I drove an early model one for 3 months back in the '70's and loved it.
Best wishes,
Jeff
Thanks for the replies everyone. My current plan is to keep an eye on eBay and, if nothing comes up there, see what's available at the import/kit car show in Carlisle in the spring. There was a tempting TR6 at Hershey last week, but I'm inclined to hold out for the GT6.