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Reliability question

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T

Tinster

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Ok, the Crypt Car refused to start today.
He ate up the entire battery without so
much as a sputter. Now I have to pull the
battery and get it charged.

Nothing changed since I turned off the engine
last night. Pulled 2 plugs, nice light brown color.
Since every component is new or professionally
refurbished, I post this question out of ignorance.

Is it possible to restore one of these beasts so it
can provide RELIABLE transportation?

Like if I had driven the Crypt Car to the other side
of the island to spent the night and then it failed to
start today- I'd be looking at about a $500 tow back to
home.

Or are these old cars 25 mile radius from home hobbies
and hope you make it back home?

This thought just occurred to me since I have no
point of reference except the Crypt Car which breaks
down most times.

Anyone care to comment on reliability of TR6s?

thanks

dale /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/patriot.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/patriot.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/patriot.gif
 
I notice no one seems to want to comment on this issue. Maybe afraid to jinx their babies. I picked up my 73 TR6 last december and spent all spring and part of the summer sorting things out. The gremlins kept popping up but after awhile I guess the gremlins started feeling sorry for me. Now it seems as though they are working with me because my TR has never run so well. Good gremlins, nice gremlins.(don't want to tick them off) Now I'll probably break down on my afternoon drive.
Phil
 
I'll post with no fear of jinx....

over 80,000 miles in 5 years. Pretty much a daily driver. this last fall i replaced the waterpump. i've replaced a couple of drive belts. oil changes every 3000 miles. ...thats it.

The engine actually has around 130,000 miles on it, plus it was the subject of a turbocharging experiment this fall.

this spring i will toss a 28,000 mile engine in it, just as a preventive measure.
 
Sure they can be reliable.....The second most reliable car I own(beaten only by the Camaro) is the 61 MGA...No idea what the actual mileage is but my wife has put at least 10,000 miles on it annually since we got it in 98...when we got it I did all the usual wear items, and last year I rebuilt the carbs and put a new rad in it.....but other than that it's be very reliable. I think the starter is on it's way out, so it'll get a new one in the spring. I wouldn't hesitate to drive that car anywhere. Even my other LBC are pretty reliable...The ones that get the least use usually have the most problems.
 
Hey Dale
I makes me sad to see the frustration you and alana have with your cars. I'm not a longtime owner, but in the four years I've had my car it has never left me stranded. Occasionally, it's hesitant to start on a hot day after driving for a while (maybe a heat shield for the carbs might solve that?), and initially I had some minor distributor issues (easily sorted out), but overall I drive my car all the time and it starts and runs without fail every time i get in it. I bought it in Vancouver, B.C. and drove it to San Jose, CA without trouble. I've taken it on many 300+ mile trips and it hums the whole time. Maybe I've just been really lucky, but it seems the design of the TR6 is one that is indeed prone to reliability. My dad has owned an MGA and a 6 cyl. E-type and he always reflects on what good cars those were. Heck, I even remember going on long fishing trips in his 12 cyl. E-type, but that was a very temperamental car. So, I'm hoping there is just a hidden buggaboo in your car that, once exorcised, shouldn't bother you anymore and you should be able to drive your car without worries. Honestly, I wish my new computers at the office were as reliable as my TR6!
 
Dale, I've never been stranded in the 3+ years of owning my 73 TR6. I am more afraid of my 99 Ranger dying with all the computer crap the neweer cars have on them then I am of my TR6. I am sure you will get the car to a realible state. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
I can't comment on LBC reliability as the farthest I've driven my Spitfire was 12 miles to the NJ inspection station, where it did not make a star performance.

A good point was raised about the relationship between regular use and reliability. I used to work on C-130 Hercules aircraft, and the best way to break one was to let it sit. Keep it flying, and it keeps performing.

Not in the same ballpark, but my daily driver when I lived in the UK was a Rover 216i. That thing would go and go without so much as an oil change. It was a G-reg (1990), so it was actually a Honda re-badged as a Rover.
 
Once everything is sorted out with your car, it should be very dependable. Granted, these cars take more maintenance than modern cars, but that is some of the fun.
They do exude personality, unfortunately sometimes that of a crotchity old curmudgeon, but eventually you will find it's good side.
 
Dale,

My 3 is a little older than your 6. The 3 still is and probably will be a work in progress until the day I die. Once I sorted out the electrical and mechanicals it starts every time and has never failed to return me home. I also have come to realize the more it's driven the better it seems to run! It is a very dependable driver and driving it is still and always will be an adventure. After repairing or removing just about everything you can with the body on the frame you gain a sense of appreciation for the way it was constructed. That being said you come to realize that the only failure that could occur is one probably caused by yourself. whether that is a failure to service, or inspect, or you added this new thing and didn't install it quite right. The car wants to run all you have to do is let it.

Sorry for the rant.
 
Hi Dale,

My old TR4 was a daily driver for almost ten years with almost no failures or problems on the road. I expect it will be even more reliable once it's fully restored and I've sorted out the little glitches that always seem to pop up during a major project like this.

I'd rank the TR4 as the second most reliable car I've ever owned (more on #1 below). The only time I can recall my TR4 ever actually dying on me was late one night in the rain. I'd noticed it (and other cars) sometimes would be hard to start after a visit to the carwash - especially if I got all OCD and hosed it off under the hood - due to a bit of moisture in the dizzy. I'd learned to carry a plastic bag to cover up the dizzy to help keep it dry.

Since I'd been driving in the rain that night, it was the first thing I checked. Turned out it was actually the screw securing the points had loosened and they'd slipped out of adjustment. In the dark I just "guesstimated" setting the points and tightened it up by feel (flashlight batteries were dead, of course). That got me home where I did a better job adjusting things and made sure all was nice and tight. Never happened again.

I did have a bit of trouble driving in heavy snow storms. The wipers would ice up and stick. I got pretty good at reaching around with a snow brush and knocking the buildup off without even stopping the car.

Oh, also the one and only time I tried using tire chains on it the old TR4 spit them off within a mile or two... Broke the chains themselves. Might have been "installer error", though.

Besides, these cars aren't really made for driving around in blizzards. Plus that's not really something you need to worry about, is it?

Overall, the Triumph has been relatively easy to work on, and parts are not expensive. There is more maintenance necessary on older cars, than today's. And, the British always seemed to design cars that required a bit more maintenance than most. I always thought they might enjoy tinkering, as much or more than actually driving. But, these aren't what I'd call reliability issues.

Modern cars are mostly quite reliable thanks to sophisticated electronics and many advances in engineering and manufacture. But, when something *does* go wrong you need a Phd and a Super Computer to diagnose the problem, plus chances are the parts will be three times as expensive and seem designed to discourage DIY repairs. Heck, my nephew had a late-model BMW that - by design - needed the onboard diagnostic computer reset each time he changed the oil!

I rebuilt the brake master cylinder in my TR4 for $15-20. Later had to replace one in a late-70s van I had, and it cost $75 at the local parts store. Then we needed a new one in a late model VW Jetta with ABS - a non-rebuildable MC, by design - and it cost over $250.

I think the only car I ever owned that was more reliable and cheaper to keep than the TR4 was a '63 VW Bug. I was 18 and it was actually my very first four-wheeled motor vehicle (had several motorcycles up to then). I put a ton of miles on that Bug over 3 years, replaced tires & wiper blades and changed the oil as needed... and spent a total $.26 on one repair, replacing a broken spring in one of the rear brakes. Then sold the car at a profit.

I can tell more tales, but gotta say the TR4 has been overall highly reliable and pretty easy/inexpensive to work on. Your TR6 is a little bit more complex in some respects, such as 1st generation emission controls, but still pretty simplistic by today's standards.
 
Dale, I would check to see if you have the radio or something wired that may be causing a draw on the battery when the car is off. That's the only way that battery will drain, if it's being drawn down. Kind of like a sports car owners bank account.

Mine sits for weeks at a time in the cold without being run and will start.

Say hello to Cryptine for me......seems she is upset because you left her alone for so long. Starting to act like her older cousin Christine.
 
I haven't really had "ol yeller" (71 spit) long enough to say. However, that being said I did have a 67 Spit that I had no problem with ever. Never had a doubt, road trips and all. Also had a 57 TR3. No problem there either except the Wisconsin cold. It didn't want to start. A few twists of the hand crank and it would go. It wasn't a winter car though /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Dale, when a TR6 is sorted out, it is a very simple, reliable car. The important thing to remember is sorted out. I know you are having great fun (I tend to be a smartass) figuring out your car. It took me 2 years to learn on my own. My 3 previous Triumphs were done by a competent mechanic so I had no worries. This baby I basically did myself. Pre-BCF, yet. Like you, I read everything I could get my hands on, bugged a few people and finally got it right. Even though my car is considered high performance, it still runs like a jewel. I wouldn't hesitate to drive it cross country, honestly.

I really think you need find an old-time mechanic that won't pull your eyeteeth out to help you sort it out. It really doesn't have to be a Triumph mechanic. These engines (motors) are so basic and simple, they just follow all the basic rules of an internal combustion engine, heck, a tractor engine at that.
Surely that guy exists on the island somewhere.

I still think one of the hotshots here on the forum (of which I am not) would be happy for you to fly them in, feed them and take it out in trade. Especially the farther north they live on the mainland, including Canada.

Any takers out there? Is there an offer on the table? Probably a lot cheaper than a mechanic.

Heck, I would be willing to bet you could get a Cuban refugee to help, they have been making 50-year-old cars run forever.
 
Nope Paul, I always take off the pos cable when I stop Cryptie.

I cranked the battery down to zero trying to start the beast.
 
Nobodys asked yet so I will. Do you have gas? Does the fuel gauge read accurately? If you have fuel is it gettig to the carbs?

You stated elsewhere that 'Crypt Car' was reluctant to start the previous day as well. Your carbs have been taken care as has the ignition system so we won't go there. The original style fuel pump had a priming lever on it. Does yours have a priming lever so that you can manually fill the floatbowls. Its a good way to test the pump.

I don't remember if you have replaced your fuel filter yet or not. Quite often when these cars are being rejuvenated from long periods of slumber (not the two weeks) they will start to slough off scale and debris in the fuel tank. Sometimes this symptom won't rear its head until a few tanks of fuel have been used. Usually just in time to squash any notions of progress. Don't let it totally discourage you. You have made great progress on 'Crypt Car', there is just still more to go.

These cars can be extremely relilable once they are brought back into shape. I used my TR6 as a year round daily driver for years. The only days it didn't get driven was if there was too much snow or I had to haul something that I couldn't fit on my luggage rack. Then I spruced it up quite a bit and now it is too nice to use as a daily so my TR8 has taken over those duties. The TR6 is still reliable though.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
Shawn might of hit on something. Dale has the tank ever been scrutinized? a lot of your problems could be linked to that.

EDIT: You know, what the whole problem on the Crypt Car might be?
She needs a baby sister. How about a nice TR3?
 
Hi Dale,

I understand your frustration and doubt. In my case, I undertook what ended up turning into a five year body-off restoration on my TR250 beginning in 1996. There was plenty of frustration and impatience in THAT process, I can tell you. The upside is that I kind of got most of my problems out of the way up front.

Five more years later, the car has been incredibly reliable. Always starts, always gets me home. I agree that the cars should be DRIVEN--letting them sit around is bad for them (and for you!).

The only time mine didn't get me home was this past June when the diff destroyed itself while I was on an extended drive out-of-state. There was plenty of warning beforehand, but I stubbornly kept pushing the car. The safety wire on the pinion nut had broken and the nut gradually backed of. The result was a sound that I never want to hear from my Triumph or any other car again. I repeat, my fault.

Hang in there, Dale. The time, money, and heartache you invest now will pay you back down the road.

Regards,
 
Dale, mine is as reliable as a car can be. For the past 32 years, we've been able to count on spending money on her every year. Now how much more reliable can a car be than that?

All kidding aside and keeping in mind the age of the cars, these things are pretty darn reliable.
 
Having things go wrong with a LBC is part of the ownership experience! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nopity.gif

Ya deal with it, then get a good drive or two... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif

(but it's all worth it!) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif
 
I think it is a very different issue of bringing a neglected one back than keeping a well maintained one going.

Forgive me for saying this, but my frequently driven MG hasn't given me any trouble but I attribute that to frequent use. Someone else went through the trouble of getting her to that point.

On the TR6 I'm getting back on the road it has been one thing after another but I kind of expected that. Every time something breaks I look at it as one less thing to repair in the future....

I think the guys might be on to something here - are you sure she is getting fuel?
 
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