In message <9408101537.AA15649@elroy.meaddata.com> Robert Jones writes:
>
> Bob "Still have a compressor, paint gun and paint sitting on the
> shelf, but the car is running & the top is down and it's 65 and sunny
> today" Jones
>
sigh
You are right it is very difficult to be sitting beside a disassembled car
during roadster weather. I remember the day I installed the steering wheel, I
remounted the windscreen (still not refirbished) and sat behind the steering
wheel for an hour or so with misty eyes. My mind hearing the sound of a TR four
banger roaring through the revs. It must have been a very sat sight.
My TR3A looked OK at meets as long as you ignored the paint bubbles, didn't open
the bonnet, boot and kept the tounu cover on. It ran well, as long as I stoped
every 50 miles or so to replace the oil fouled #3 plug with a new one. So what
if the steering did not return by itself, I just took the long sweeping curves
slower. I could still throw her through those tight mountain curves. So what
if no one would ride with me because there was not enough metal to bolt the
seats to. It was still my TR3 on the road.
But now, after these long years, as she is coming back together, I can look at
the freshly recovered instrurment panel with the fresh crinkle paint on the
center instrument cluster, the freshly cleaned and polished instruments, the new
look to the wiper motor, brake fluid resavour and pedal area and just say wow.
Just knowing that she has front springs the same length, trunions that are not
both warn out and broken, a new peg and worm gear...just knowing that there is
no rust anywhere on the car..no blemish to hide (well other than the mistake the
body shop is correcting at this moment).. it makes me want to quit my job when
I'm finsished and tour the country for a year just so everyone could see my
grin.
But you know, I think if I had a second roadster, I would have spent my time
driving that and not working on the TR. I'm not sure if she would ever get
finished. She could easily have become one of this unfinished project car for
sale statistics.
A TR3 on the road beats a TR3 in parts hands down..until the TR3 is back on the
road
And one of these days after yrears of hard work, dreaming and the sadness of no
roadster during roadster weather, the sleeping once and future Triumph will
awaken from its long metamorphisis and with a mighty roar will once again regain
its proper place... A windy mountain road!
Oh by the way, my engine is now ready to be installed. I'm waiting for the body
shop to correct their work so the doors will fit properly. But as soon as she
comes back, the engine and transmission goes in..then the radiator..then the
front valence and wings...then the outside of the car gets painted... then...
TeriAnn Wakeman Large format photographers look at the world
twakeman@apple.com upside down and backwards
LINK: TWAKEMAN
408-974-2344 TR3A - TS75519L,
MGBGT - GHD4U149572G, Land Rover 109 - 164000561
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