"Ask Andy Lindberg in Minnesota ( a close "neighbor") about driving his car
lat4ly. I saw a pix in the newsletter of him and zapparently his trusty
Volvo can;t handle the weather. So, there is at least 2 of us tin toppers
of the stylish TR variety) running against a background of snow!" Dave
Terrick, 69 GT6+, Winnipeg
Well Dave, since you asked. The following is the current version of my
editorial for the April issue of Minnesota Triumph's newsletter, "Triumphs
and Tribulations". It still needs work and changes will be made to it
through March 24, but perhaps the list would appreciate it even in its draft
form. Copy follows:
The Volvo has gone into the body shop for structural repairs and cosmetic
refurbishment. (New readers and non-attendees at club meetings may be
unaware that "the" Volvo is a 1964-ish 122 that has served as my daily
driver for the last three years.)
Why should a Triumph-lover like yourself care? Well, as the Volvo's oil
leaks are sealed (Quality Coaches) and its Swedish Racing Red paint renewed
(4th Avenue Auto Resoration), a Triumph has become my daily driver. This
affords me the opportunity to dispense a bon mot or two on the subject of
what works, and what doesn't, on a 28-year old car in daily life.
Our first topic is driving in the snow. Yes, I have driven the GT6 in the
snow. While it's probably not the best winter car I've ever driven, I will
point out that I've seen more SUV's in the ditch than Triumphs. (Best
winter car I've ever driven? Renault R-5, known as LeCar in Minnesota.)
The GT6 does, however, require a very light touch. The rear tires start to
spin before you even touch the accelerator. On the other hand, it's got
nice narrow tires (155R13) that really cut through the snow.
Why is it that the English don't believe in defrosters? Doesn't it rain all
the time in London? My defroster has all the strength of an asthmatic
gerbil.
Entry and exit to the car is less of a pain that I initially thought. Entry
simply means folding yourself in half and aiming your butt towards the seat.
To exit, place both feet outside the door, give yourself a little push and
execute the upward portion of a deep knee-bend. While not exactly graceful,
this avoids the necessity of pushing yourself up with your hand placed in
the road slime that has accumulated on the door sill.
One big problem with the GT6 is that everything else is just too high. Toll
booths, drive-thru windows at MacD, etc. I even have to get out of the car
to punch in my code at the car wash. The world is built to a different
scale than my GT6. How come everybody else did it wrong?
Andy
P.S. Why is my Volvo the same as a SUV? They both drive like pickups and
neither of them can pass auto emission standards.
Hey, as long as I've got the soapbox, remember to make plans to come see us
this summer. VTR National Convention, July 21-24. Hudson, Wisconsin.
(It's not Minnesota but you can see it from there.) Ya shure, you betcha.
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