triumphs
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Book, Triumph Buyers Guide

To: Brad Kahler <Brad.Kahler@141.com>
Subject: Re: Book, Triumph Buyers Guide
From: Gregory Petrolati <gpetrola@prairienet.org>
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 07:43:18 -0600 (CST)
Cc: triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
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


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>