This topic has brought out some very unhappy Spitfire owners! Here are some
thoughts on having a good relationship with your Triumph, from a person
who's a newcomer to both Triumphs and working on old cars in general...
When I first got my Spitfire last year, I made a list of everything the car
needed fixed. It ran, but several things needed attention. Every job was
challenging, and when I was through with each task I found myself saying,
"Boy what an enormous freaking pain in the butt that was!" You all know
what I am talking about: everything seems so simple until you get five
minutes into the project and you hit a wall. Eventually, though, you
persevere and that damn pride of accomplishment takes over and motivates
you to dive into the next project.
After a while I decided that working on the car was going to be part of
owning it, period. I could either say "what a pain in the butt" every time
I had something to fix, or I could just do it and enjoy the process as best
I could. Luckily, I haven't had many problems with the car that required
expert mechanic skills, but what I have tackled has been very challenging
for me, as this is my first Triumph and I must learn everything as I go. So
far each job has become progressively more involved, so each time my
confidence level goes up a notch. Or another way to look at it is, my car
is slowly falling apart, little bits first. :)
So what it boils down to is this: you have three choices... get comfortable
working on your Triumph, be willing to spend tons of money for a qualified
mechanic to work on it, or hit the used car lots looking for a Miata. That
is what I have suggested to a friend of mine who loves my car but says
emphatically he wishes to have nothing to do with maintainence and repair.
I know him and I know he will be positively miserable owning a Triumph. For
those of you unhappy souls who already have one in your garage, though,
hang in there. It's worth it... I think. :)
Thanks for reading,
Eric.
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Eric Yates
eyates@enteract.com
1978 Spitfire 1500 FM 71614 U
Chicago, IL USA
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