General TR Daily Driver

[glemon]

My wife hit a deer with her Honda Fit a few days ago, and the body shop it is at is backed up, so I am driving the TR as my daily driver for an estimated week and a half. Last time I did that was for a few years after college in the late 80s, when my TR4A was my daily driver. Actually I am kind of looking forward to it, just hope it doesn't get to hot, or we don't get hail (lots of thunderstorms lately in the Midwest).

How many of you still daily drive or regularly drive your TR, I think everybody knows one forumite does, rhymes with candle.
But I would be interested to know, or even if you did in the past when did you give it up, also part of the world you live, in. It is hard to do it year round in the Midwest and east coast because the summers can be brutally hot, and the winters cold, snowy, and salty.

 

[tinman58]

Here in sunny California we drive our cars year round. I personally drive either the TR3 or the 250 just about everyday. ( it is great to be retired). Some times it is just down to the hardware store or it might be a run up mt. Diablo. We hav a group of lbc owners that get together with our wife's and enjoy our cars and life. It was about 95 today in Brentwood but still a great day to drive somewhere........

 

[Darrell_Walker]

My TR8 is my daily driver, been using it that way for almost 3 years.

But if it breaks down, I have my TR4A as a back up!

 

[tinman58]

Hey Darrell!
We will be heading up to Vancouver at the end of August. We will be driving the 250. About 700 miles each way. We will take the long way home.
o

 

[HerronScott]

My TR4A was my daily driver from 1985 after I restored it to around 1990 here in the western part of Virginia. It and the 1968 Spitfire were the only cars that my wife and I owned at the time. Didn't really mind the heat of summer as you just put the top down and Triumphs took the snow in stride in the winter.

Scott

 

[AngliaGT]

Dan,

If you come this way,please get in touch with me.

- Doug

Hey Darrell!
We will be heading up to Vancouver at the end of August. We will be driving the 250. About 700 miles each way. We will take the long way home.
o

 

[Geo Hahn]

The terms of my insurance prevents me from talking freely about how much I drive the TRs -- but, except for extremes of climate, there is nothing to prevent one from enjoying a TR on a daily basis.

 

[Trevor Triumph]

My 1964 Spitfire was my daily driver from 1993 until 1999 when the restoration was completed. After spending the time preparing and painting the body I hesitate to drive every day. I can just feel the paint being scraped off with every stone that bounces off the rocker panels. Besides the summer temperatures make driving a length of time uncomfortable.

T.T.

 

[glemon]

My TR4A was my daily driver from 1985 after I restored it to around 1990 here in the western part of Virginia. It and the 1968 Spitfire were the only cars that my wife and I owned at the time. Didn't really mind the heat of summer as you just put the top down and Triumphs took the snow in stride in the winter.

Scott

I drove my 4A as a daily driver for roughly the same time period, but it started rusting away and I bought an RX7 as my daily drive, which was a great car by the way, and then I fixed the rust and repainted the 4A. I did a running mechanical restoration on the 4A in 87 or so, it was a great running car after that, and would start with no problem on below 0 (f) mornings. Did OK in the snow, too, will never forget the day I drove it to work on glare ice after an ice storm, I didn't hit anything, but keeping the car straight with that big thumping four trying to spin the rear wheels was not easy.

 

[HerronScott]

I drove my 4A as a daily driver for roughly the same time period, but it started rusting away and I bought an RX7 as my daily drive, which was a great car by the way, and then I fixed the rust and repainted the 4A.I did a running mechanical restoration on the 4A in 87 or so, it was a great running car after that, and would start with no problem on below 0 (f) mornings. Did OK in the snow, too, will never forget the day I drove it to work on glare ice after an ice storm, I didn't hit anything, but keeping the car straight with that big thumping four trying to spin the rear wheels was not easy.

Wow, what a coincidence, my wife and I moved to a 1979 and a 1980 RX-7 (his and hers) after that as our daily drivers.

Same experience here with the TR4A and the Spitfire both doing pretty well in the snow as long as it didn't get deep enough that you were plowing through it! I was actually disappointed that the RX-7's did not do anywhere near as well in the snow despite having a similar front/rear weight ratio. The only difference I could chalk it up to were wider tires.

Scott

 

[fpstude]

Our TR4A was a daily driver from September 1966, when purchased, until the mid 80s. Then frequently for enjoyment. With our rain cycles here the top goes down in the spring an up in the fall.

 

[tinman58]

When I was much younger and my first TR3 (traded a 68 VW). I would throw a lawn mower in the trunk and strap it down and mow a few lawns for extra cash. I also made a trailer hitch and would tow a small box trailer to do small remodel jobs. Also towed my sail boat and later a 14' alum. fishing boat. All the while driving it to and from work and school. I just did not know any better....

 

[glemon]

Well it took them three weeks to fix the wife's Honda, so I drove the TR250 and also my 74 BMW 2002 quite a bit, both performed flawlessly, the turn signal indicator light did drop out on me one day, but that was after I was pulling on it checking out how I had wired the LED indicator I put in a while back for someone asking about it, so I can't blame Joseph Lucas or British engineering for that, as it was my own work and subsequent mucking about with it that caused the problem, which was easily fixed by the way.

But getting back to the point I really enjoyed driving the two 40 and 45 plus year old classics the last three weeks, generally got where I was going with a big smile on my face.

 

[sail]

But getting back to the point I really enjoyed driving the two 40 and 45 plus year old classics the last three weeks, generally got where I was going with a big smile on my face.

Glad it went well, good cars to choose from. Had a 2002 for a while and loved it.

I can't really call my TR a daily driver since I don't have a daily routine and do have two other cars plus my wife's, but I do drive it most every day. Today I dropped her off to work and it took over an hour to make a 15 minute drive home. This afternoon we're going for a drive through nearby towns looking for lunch.

My brother in law keeps asking when I'm going to repaint it. Never. I don't want to be afraid to use it.

 

[rnpennington]

Like Richard mentioned, I also don't have a daily routine as I work from home. However I drive my TR4 almost every day for errands and such.
i wouldn't trade it for the world. My other car is a Mustang convertible, so when the Houston temps get into the 90s, I do like the A/C of the Mustang!

 

[TR3driver]

I drive my TR3 to work probably 90% of the time. It's amazing how reliable these old cars can be, if you keep up with the maintenance.

Today, some little kid on the sidewalk yelled "LOOK at that CAR" as I went by. Unfortunately it registered too late, I couldn't return a wave. Too bad.

 

[urchin]

I use each of my cars as "daily drivers." I'm self-employed [happily] and must work each day. I've not owned a "modern" car since a CJ-7 in the '80's, so each car must be able to run daily for any work assignment. To be honest, I have a small tool kit in each car [a large one in the Land Rover] and pay attention to regular maintenance. That way I find the cut in the alternator belt on the Spitfire before it gives way during a work trip. Also, the more you drive them the more you know what's starting to falter and make the repair before it becomes an on-road problem.

Jeff

 

[Geo Hahn]

I truly cannot recall when I last drove something other than one of my old British cars -- must be 3 months or more. But then I am retired and can pretty much choose my destinations and time of day to assure a pleasant drive.

 

[TR3driver]

Must be nice! I still have to haul people and various kinds of "junk" around (like Triumph parts), so I keep a hauler around. In fact, this is the first year in a long time that we didn't take off cross-country in it, to see what there is to see (and visit family in IN).