>My vision is a 100pt restoration - my reality may be much less.
>I have never restored a car. I would have the professionals...
I would make two suggestions:
1. repair the car's existing mechanical problems as if its going
to someday be a "perfect" car, i.e. clean, replace, reweld, replate
whatever you're working on with the utmost of precision. You'll
never have to touch that subsystem again, and upon a complete
restoration, that portion can be just unbolted and reatttached
when the rest is up to the same level.
2. professionals... I don't know what you are talking about here,
but this is the 90's and the vast majority of professionals/experts
in the old british car industry seem professional at taking your
money and placing it in their pocket. If you do not know what
you want, then its much easier for them to do their job... take your
money... I would highly suggest attending several VTR events, TRF
summer party and associating with an active Triumph club prior to
ANY attempt to outsource major restoration work. You need owner
references for prior cars done of the same type finished in the
previous year... Ask the fellow how many Concours his cars have won...
ask him how many the owner has attened... would he take your car
and enter it if you were unable to attend...
My guess is you'll find most the professionals/experts have never
even attened a Concours event of any type... much less had a car
entered and most certainly wouldn't win even if entered...
Until then, continue number 1 above and have fun driving the car!
>do you want to show the car or drive the car?
Is this an IQ test? This is a "car", "automobile" of the British
sports car type, as such, if returned to its original condition, i.e.
like new, it will perform quite well (modern tires, poly bushings,
EI conversion, and a few "minor" engine tweeks).
Sounds to me like some folks need to wake up, attend some events and learn.
As a small example, the prior multiple year's VTR's National TR6 concours
champion, a beautiful while/blue TR6 won the Southwestern Region's autocross
by 11 seconds last month. This "autocross" was run on the public roads
of the park, no little parking lot for these guys, this was serious.
This year's national GT6 concours winner picked off the top spot in
autocross as well, this car is driven several times/week like the '74 TR6
mentioned above... If you ever follow these guys, these cars are NOT
treated kindly! Both cars were driven 800 miles to the show!
So, bring the car back to "new" or better condition, drive it hard,
have fun and in 10 years, plan to do it again with the same car!
>True 100pt cars aren't driven... if they are, they're no longer a 100pt car.
When you see the same cars win Concours, Rallye, Autocross you'll have
to conclude that these owners/cars are "winners" and the above statement
is totally untrue. (by the way, VTR Concours is a 400 point system...)
"What tools should you take when traveling cross-country in a Triumph?"
"A friend with the same car, Concours on a trailer..."
"the ultimate spare parts bin!" - I love those trailered cars - no grease!
--
Roger G. Bolick, rgb@exact.com 512-794-9567, FAX 512-345-2879
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