This is a request for information from all of you out there in netland.
A little background.
Vintage Triumph Register has had a requirement for some years now that
all cars must *qualify* for the concours by entering a moving event.
This is for National and Regional conventions. The philosophy being that
the nice poeple in GB built the things to be driven and enjoyed, not to
reside in glass cases. We believe in keeping them on the road.
At a recent VTR Regional, Jim TenCate reported that many of the later
Triumphs started hard and ran poorly when leaving the show field, leaving a
lingering odor of unburned HCs and other noxious stuff not to mention an
uneasy feeling in Jim's mind. Too many of the cars, it seemed were pretty
on the outside but could not be any fun to drive as they ran so poorly.
(Interestingly, the early cars, TR3s in particular, seemed to run just fine)
All this seemed contrary to VTR's philosophy and practice. So what to do?
Should anything be done? This prompted a discussion of ways to encourage
owners to make their cars run as well as they look lest we become like the
Porsche owner I encountered.
This fellow arrived at a Porsche Concours with his 911 Carrera in an
enclosed trailer. He unloaded it and pushed it out onto the field.
The car sounded like it needed new wheel bearings or worse. Naturally,
I concluded that he was pushing it because he hadn't had time to repair
the car before the show. Wrong! The car had no grease in the bearings
deliberately! It also had no oil in the engine, or fluid in the hydraulics.
It was explained to me that this was a SHOW car and he wanted nothing in it
that could leak out or attract dirt. (I contend that it wasn't even a CAR
at that point, but a steel and glass sculpture. But that's another matter)
Here's the point. (You knew there would be one if you waited {waded?} long
enough.) There's a proposal to add an award for the best tuned(cleanest?)
or best running, or whatever, car in each class. Yeah. I know. It sounds like
a can of worms, but this is just a research project at the present time.
To see if something like this can work. I volunteered to coordinate the
study.
WHAT I NEED is any and all tune up and emissions data available for all
Triumph models that I an get. This would be the base data. Anyone wishing
to supply such information, or to make comments or become involved, please
SEND DIRECT to rgs03%albnydh2.bitnet@uacsc2.albany.edu
Our neolithic computer system here does not allow me to download data onto
disk so I can transfer to my home computer. (Amazing, isn't it?) So if
you have data on disk you can send 5.25 or 3.5 to P.O. Box 2509
Albany NY 12220. I'll return your disks or maybe you can sent to
Bob Bownes at bownes@emi.com He should be able to get it to me.
This ought to be an interesting exercise in any case.
Thanks
Rik
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