Hi All!
Its been a while since I've posted, but as I've been expecting to get my
'79 drophead TR7 back on the road soon, I put it off. I was planning on
letting everyone know of the wonderous time I've been having cruising
around in it. NOT SO!
After waiting 3 years for enough time and inclination to do the engine
work on my car (money was also a BIG factor), I decided that it must be
going this summer under any condition. I thought that throwing all my
saved money (a scholarship meant I came out ahead by $3000 this year)
towards a mechanic friend to fix the car would ensure that it got
running quickly. It seems that his boss has determined that working on
this engine isn't potentially profitable, and therefore should be left
on the back burner. The poor guy has been kept busy doing all sorts of
things that don't fit his job description (like bodywork and painting)
since I took my car to the shop in early May. The car has now sat for
and additional 3 months awaiting repair that will probably never come.
Summer will soon be over (for me anyway) and still no top down cruisin'!
Out of frustration, I got my mother (of all people), who was vacationing
in Vancouver, to do some calling for me. She managed to put a lot of
energy into a search for a new engine for me and found several! -I
hadn't anticipated such a degree of enthusiasm! I then contacted the
sellers and found out that one autowrecker was offering a completely
rebuilt engine for $1000. It turns out that a kid had bought the engine
in early '90 from a reliable local rebuilder for $1200 plus his
exchange (worth another $250). His plans were to put it in his TR7 that
had just been stripped down for a major restoration. The car then sat
disassembled for until last year when his father determined that the car
had to go! - he needed the garage space back. The car was shipped off to
the wrecker along with all receipts. Here it sat until I chanced upon
it. Apparently, the engine hadn't even been run until the wrecker went
to test it - he checked compression and oil pressure and everything was
fine.
So I bought it!
The rebuilder has raised his price in recent years to $1375 plus $250
exchange so I am getting an engine worth $1625 for $1000. The engine
will be delivered to me probably tonight (via mum's van) and I will then
begin the process of testing out the engine and installing it back into
the car. I plan to let my mechanic friend keep working on my original
engine so I can reinstall it some day - keeping the car original.
Hopefully I will end up with 2 running engines plus the long block core
I picked up for $75 dollars last year. This brings up the magic number
of 3 that I discovered when restoring my FIAT. It seems that everything
on cars take sets of threes to be successful. The FIAT required the
parts of no less than 3 engines to get it into running condition and
again no less than 3 brakes had to be replaced to get the car to stop.
The door handle took 3 replacement/repairs to get it to open the door
properly. The transaxle just disintegrated on me, but I only 2 of them!
This past weekend, I picked up a third (a good one for $25!) and am
confident that this problem will now be solved when I install it.
As it appears that the Triumph will also be on the road only after
buying a third engine, it brings an interesting thought to mind:
If all automobiles seem to require 3 of any one part to ensure reliable
operation, why don't I just rush out and buy 3 of everything I don't
already have 3 of!?
Seriously though, I hope next week to have some good tales of plen-air
driving to tell you all! (excuse my art reference here, sp?)
BTW, I am just short of completing the custom air scoop and remote air
box for my TR7 V8, and then this ride-from-hell will be available for my
continued use!
Hope you all are able to enjoy the summer while it lasts!
Greg.
--
Internet: gall@ultrix.uleth.ca
"You miss too much these days if you stop to think"
By a famous Irish poet and philosopher, Bono of the band U2, circa '91.
'76 Triumph TR7 V8 (Buick 350) Fixedhead Coupe.
'79 Triumph TR7 Auto Drophead Coupe.
'78 Mazda RX7.
'73 FIAT 128 Coupe SL 1300cc.
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