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Why a Triumph?

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My first LBC was a '63 TR4 I bought with my HS graduation money in 72 for $300. I between I've had 2 MGBs a Spitfire an Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite a Jensen Healey and 8 Porches. About 5 years ago I started looking for a hobby car and decided on a TR3 because of the room inside, I'm 6'3". Found what I thought would be a project with a good body and shipped it home. Checked it over and discovered the dizzy was installed wrong. Fixed that and fired it up, been driving it almost every day. The guy I bought it from had spent thousands of dollars trying to get it to run right (I have the receipts). Some day I'll have to redo the body but not for years yet. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif
 
My love affair with LBC's started in 1960 when, as a six year old, I saw my first MG TD driving through the little town I lived in. It was bright red with bright chrome and the sound it made was unlike anything I had heard up to that time. So it wasn't surprising that my first car was a '69 Midget, which I bought in '72, against the better judgement of my mother. I remember the 1st day I had it, it broke down out in the boonies with a bad throw out bearing. Needless to say, she was not impressed. A couple of years later, while visiting the local MG/Triumph dealership to buy parts for the MG, something that occured on a fairly regular basis, they had a '67 TR4A-IRS in the showroom that just knocked my socks off. First one I had ever seen. The wood dash, the full complement of chromed gauges, leather seats and overdrive (seven speeds!?), plus the ability to squeeze a not so lucky friend in the back, was just too much to resist. So instead of trading for the VW my mom wanted me to get, I bought the TR and kept it for nearly 16 years. I learned basic mechanics trying to keep it on the road and tons of memories driving that car. Sold it after it became apparent that I could no longer keep it up, the repairs required were much more than I could afford at the time.
Then nine years ago, this TR250 became available, but the guy wanted way more than I could afford. A year later, the same guy, who still had the car, dropped his price and I was able to finally purchase this little gem, after convincing my wife that...well, let's just say I learned some lessons while dealing with my mother. In fact, last night, she told my father, who was visiting, that she considers it "the other woman in my life".
 
When I was about 4 or 5 years old, my dad took me to the local BL (Rover Triumph? Whatever it was called that week!) dealer to see a cutaway Range Rover they had on display. I sat in a TR7 on the showroom floor and just knew I would have one one day. Nearly twenty years later, I graduated university, convinced myself that I had the skills, time and money to use one as everyday transport. After 5 years I finally decided to move on (just as the car was pretty much pefect!), and bought a Fiat barchetta. Great car, but somehow not as exciting as a Triumph.

All of the time I had the TR7, I knew that what I really wanted was a TR6. Five years passed with the Fiat, which I sold when I moved over to America, and then with no friends or family within 3000 miles (other than my wife!) the quest for a hobby began - and so I started looking for a GT6. I am not sure why. Then I got more ambitious and decided that I could take a non-running TR6 and bring it back to life. After a brief search, I found a car with a decent solid body and chassis, and I have spent the last few months steadily sorting it out. I had hoped to be on the road this year, but the weather has turned decidedly cold now, so I guess next spring is more realistic.

If I still lived in England, I would like to have a whole fleet of Triumphs - a TR6, GT6, Dolomite Sprint, 2500 (probably an estate for practicality) and a Stag. Somehow the Triumph range of the 70s has fixed itself in my mind as the greatest range of cars ever. I think my wife is very pleased that most of the cars didn't make it to America! I keep looking at ebay.co.uk and seeing nice 2500s going for a few hundred pounds and wondering whether I could ship one over... I should probably get the TR6 running first.
 
Way back in '66 (college senior) I saw and bought a '59 TR3A for $500. It needed some work, had ratty side curtains but I loved it. Had sell it for a regular car when I got a real job (and no place to store it) Said I'd have one again-- Finally found my car that had been for the most part sitting in a heated garage for 22 years... Been working on it and driving it whenever I can. Like the power, style, availablity of parts.
 
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