On Wed, 11 Mar 1998, Brad Kahler wrote:
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> I just purchased the book "Triumph Buyers Guide" by Richard Newton.
> I don't know how many of you have seen or read this book but there
> are a few comments about the MK1 spitfires that I thought would be
> worth quoting here.
>
Spit stuff deleted...
>
> I would be interested in hearing other listers comments on what Mr.
> Newton has to say.
>
I bought his book before I got the Green Man... (my TR4) Since I
was looking for a "big bore TR I really didn't pay attention to those
chapters... There is one quote that he made about the "Vanguard
engine" that I've found right on the mark (I also love to quote it).
"They (Vanguard engines) tend to run, and run very well in
apalling states of wear."
I you could have seen some of the badly worn components I pulled out
of my TR when I was rebuilding it, you'd understand...
(I found a rocker shaft with 1/8" grooves worn in it by the rocker
arms).
The car had been idle for 2 years before I bought it. It
was a serious victim of the tin worm (in my ignorance I rebuilt what
should have been a parts car). The only thing keeping it from running
was
a tear in one SZ carb diaphragm and a bad fuel pump diaphragm. Once
these were repaired the car started right up with a jump from my
Veedub... on the old gas in the tank.
As far a Newton's advice, I used it in determining which TR to buy...
and what to look out for... It gave me a better handle when I was
dealing with the DPO.
Greg Petrolati
gpetrola@prairienet.org 1962 TR4 (CT4852L)
"That's not a leak... My car is just marking its territory!"
Greg Petrolati, Champaign, Illinois
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