The storing of old parts and TR3 bits is a nice segue (now THERE'S a word
to start a pronunciation quiz!) to an answer for Teriann's note regarding the
fate of the Rust Rocket.
For the benefit of those who've only lately joined us, The Rust Rocket was
the car I autocrossed before the White Car was brought on line. It was,
actually still is, a '65 TR4 that, as the name implies, would be described
in a classified ad as "needs paint." A fine car, stout of heart and all
that. The White Car, a '67 TR4A and the reason I have been running
#67 in the Utah region for the last few years, was assembled out of the old
wreck I bought one sunny Mother's day and a batch of parts from the shed.
So the summer of '89, I think it may have been, saw me with two running
Triumphs, the Rust Rocket and The White Car.
I thought then, as I often do now, that what I needed more than two running
cars was one running car and some cash to keep it that way. So after hemming
and hawing a bit, shuffling my toes in the dust, I decided to sell the '65.
It went to a bright eyed youngster who promised to love, cherish, obey, oops
wrong script. Well, he sounded like he would indeed take care of it, so
away he drove one evening. Maybe I'll dig out some old Rust Rocket stories
and stash them in the SOL ftp directory.
Anyway, as it turns out while driving up one of the local canyons about a
week or so after he bought it the kid spun a rod bearing or some such. This
I found out by virtue of driving past his place of employment, and instead
of seeing the car in its usual spot was off to the side of the lot with a
couple of heavy timbers holding the front end in the air. I called him, and
asked about the status. He had plans to restore the car, get it running
again by spring, etc. etc. etc. I would drive by now and again (he worked
only a few blocks from my house) and see the car sitting out through autumn
rains and winter snows. Sigh.
One night I had an urge to drive by and check on it, even though that route
was out of my way. The car was no longer there. The next morning there
was an ad in the classifieds offering a "65 TR4, needs work." I called him
as soon as I could, finding out he had just helped the new owner load the
car on a trailer. I chastised him for not following through on his promise
to give me the right of first refusal, but he did give me the name of the
new owner.
Turns out the new owner was a member of the local British Motor Club. He
didn't know of me at the time, but knowing what he knows now might have
guessed the car was once mine. When he went to look at the Rust Rocket,
he wasn't anticipating much, and his first look at the body didn't get
his hopes up. Then he looked under the car. The header, the nearly new
Supertrapp muffler, the sway bars, the new shocks and fat rear leaf springs
told a tale he was interested in. He bought it on the spot, thinking it
might be a good car to start with for vintage racing.
Rather than make sure you all doze off at the keyboard I'll simply say that
he kept the car for some time, making zero progress on it, and I was finally
able to convince him to sell it back to me. You see, at one point the TR4
motor in the Rust Rocket started acting up, so I swapped in the motor from
my TR3. And I wanted that TR3 motor back. I also put some of the racing
stuff on The White Car. Which of course I have since sold, to finance the
purchase last year of the TR250 which I may take to this sunday's autocross.
At this very moment the Rust Rocket is sitting comfortably down at the shed,
waiting for the day I pull out the TR3 motor and the good TR6 gearbox in it
now, maybe a few other parts. Sad to say, though, once that happens I will
more than likely render the car down to make room, or sell it as a roller
for some modest sum. Of course, that has been the plan for well over a
year now, and I've yet to lift a wrench....
mjb.
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