I have a few questions and then a lot of blather about finally starting
on restoring my car. The questions first:
1) Can anyone recommend a machine shop in the Dallas/Fort Worth area?
I haven't noticed any people from the area but it is worth a shot.
2) If not does anyone know of one within driving distance of DFW
(2 - 4 hrs, maybe Austin)?
3) I have noticed some people discussing engine rebuilders they have
worked with. Has anyone worked with one remotely -- by phone and
shipping? How did that work out?
4) Why do Spits made for British use have two valve springs and those
for export to US have one valve spring? Not really important but I
am curious.
Blather:
I started seriously restoring my car this weekend. By seriously, I
mean I pulled the engine and tranny, put the engine on a stand and
started to strip it. The free time to do it was a Father's Day gift
from my wife. The car is a '72 Spitfire Mk IV which I have had since
1979. I bought the car as a senior in high school (dates me, I know)
knowing absolutely nothing about Triumphs except I thought it "looked
cool". The car carried me through college, marriage, first job and
graduate school with nary a problem. I finally parked it in '87 as we
could not count on it anymore (burning coolant in #3 cylinder and other
minor problems). Living in an apartment and my wife and I both working
constantly, I had no time to deal with it. When we moved to Dallas in
'89 I was prepared to sell it so that I would not have to bother with
shipping it. Upon mentioning this to my wife, she got teary-eyed and
said the car had a lot of memories for her (we started dating as
freshmen in college). Well that settled it--we shipped it and bought a
house in Dallas and the Spit sat in the garage till about 3 months
ago. That was when I found out about this list. The list motivated me
(finally) and I began stripping the interior (not much left anyway) and
I pulled the bonnet off to examine the damage. I decided to do it
all--pull everything off, clean, replace broken, paint, and put back
together. At about this time, we had our second child so things have
been on hold till this weekend. Anyway, enough blather, the process
has begun and will probably take a long time (my 3 yr old says that
"Daddy's old car is never going to work") but so what, I least I have
started. To all on the list, thanks for the motivation.
Regards,
Pat Willems
Flower Mound, TX
pbw@s468.dseg.ti.com
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