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Re: Electrical Gremlins & Memorial Day Drives (long)

To: "Vincenti, Ross" <Ross.Vincenti@transamerica.com>
Subject: Re: Electrical Gremlins & Memorial Day Drives (long)
From: "Michael D. Porter" <mdporter@rt66.com>
Date: Tue, 27 May 1997 23:34:33 -0700
Cc: triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
Organization: None whatsoever
References: <077E4338B4977097*/c=US/admd=ATTmail/prmd=Transam/o=tfs/s=Vincenti/g=Ross/@MHS>
Vincenti, Ross wrote:
> 
> would not make a good connection and no juice was getting through.  I
> cleaned up the contacts with some emory cloth and everything works again.
>  So, just another reminder to clean all terminals and connectors before
> getting into the heavy trouble shooting stuff - could save you lots of time.

One further recommendation on this. Once the terminals have been
scrubbed with emery, there's more surface area exposed, and the
corrosion tends to continue at an accelerated rate afterwards. The
recommended practice is to smear up the terminals with a little
conductive grease after such cleaning. It will greatly extend the life
of the terminals by retarding further oxidation.
 
> Also took the Spitfire down to cruise along the oceanfront in Newport Beach
> this Memorial Day late in the afternoon.  Top down, cooling breezes blowing
> in from the ocean, LOTS of traffic, and LOTS of bikini clad women hanging
> from balconies and walking along the sidewalks (okay, there were some guys
> there too, but who the Hell remembers what they looked like?).

Now, Ross, because you include this, I just have to ask--the last time I
was in Newport Beach was in 1970; I had just gotten my `63 Spit 4 off
the boat at the dock in Oakland the day before, and had driven down to
Newport Beach to visit a guy I knew in the army, and he was running a
soyburger stand and a women's apartment hotel right on the beach parking
lot. Are those edifices still standing? (I have my doubts that the
manager of those places is still standing.... <g>) 
 
>  Okay, okay, so I am somewhat of an exhibitionist, alright.  But sweet
> Jesus, it sounded so good and so throaty from such a pint size car!  Why of
> course you can sit in it my dear!  Nice tan lines.  Who are your friends?
>  Do they want to sit in it too?  Where are you staying tonight?  My name? -
> ummm, Bob.  Bob Bondurant.  Would you like to sit on my lap and take a
> driving lesson?

Funny, my `63 Spit didn't attract that sort of attention in 1970... gee,
guess it must have had something to do with the driver.... <?G>
 
> And yes, I did tell one poor drunk slob that it IS a Ferrari, VERY rare
> model, only one imported to the U.S. before they realized that it was simply
> too small to appeal to American drivers so they decided not to import any
> more.  He was too wasted to read the words "Triumph" on the boot lid or
> notice the license plate "LIL SPIT". (sigh)

Or thought it had something to do with expectoration? <g> Actually, have
a look at the 50th anniversary edition of R&T. In Phil Hill's
recollections of driving the Ferrari 250GT, he likens the car to a GT6,
much smaller than it appears in photos, with the same sort of feeling
looking out the windshield, same sort of dropoff to the hood.
 
Cheers.

-- 
My other Triumph doesn't run, either....

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