Michael D. Porter wrote:
>
> Dennis Barr wrote:
> >
> > In 1960, I was attending the University of Oregon and kind of hung out
> > at Shepard Motors in Eugene. They handled DB's Healeys and of course
> > Triumphs. One of the salesmen felt sorry for this poor country kid from
> > the hills of southern Oregon and one Saturday gave me a "test" ride in a
> > TR3. I remember feeling that NO car could go around a curve at the
> > speeds he drove and stay on the road. It did ! I have never forgotton
> > that Saturday morning. Later I found out that this particular saleperson
>
> I had a somewhat different experience. I was trapped in the mountains of
> Oahu, at Schofield Barracks, without any transportation but a single bus
> that made one run from Honolulu at 7 am, left for Honolulu at 6 pm, and
> returned around 11 pm. So, it was a little difficult to get up to the
> North Shore for some sun and ocean, and it was generally hard to get
> around anywhere. Shortly after my 21st birthday, I started looking for a
> car, something befitting the climate, and thought a convertible would be
> nice. Just accidently ran across a `63 Spit4 in a used car lot. Signal
> Red, badly kept, but serviceable. Drove the car for two years in Hawaii,
> made rank high enough to bring it back to the mainland two days before
> the ship sailed, so it was waiting for me in Oakland when I got out of
> the army. And, foolhardy, immediately embarked cross-country in the
> thing.
>
> Still remember how it felt driving through the mountains in Arizona, at
> 4 am, little 1147cc sewing machine humming, and try not to remember the
> nasty burning smell of the hub spinning on the shaft after the key
> sheared in those mountain curves. Remember the great guy at a franchise
> Continental engine shop in Gallup, NM, who was the only one in town
> willing to work on that furrin' car. Try not to remember that it turned
> ass for front end on a mountain switchback on Mt. Tantalus in Hawaii,
> leaving me to contemplate physics all the while I was heading for an
> 800-ft drop. <g> Still remember waking to laughter at a rest stop in
> Oklahoma as the occupants of passing cars saw me (6'4" tall) asleep in
> the Spitfire, a blanket over the park brake handle, head on the driver's
> seat, legs hanging out against the outside of the passenger door.
>
> When that car was destroyed, I guess I'd gotten the bug. Because a year
> later, I found a `62 TR4 (Signal Red, again, I should know better) with
> wire wheels, that I drove throughout my last three years of college and
> graduate school, and up until the time it was destroyed. Even in winter
> in upper Michigan... hey, 165/15 radial snows for VWs do wonders in the
> deep drifts.... <g> I will also mention that I was an early member of
> the VTR (1976-77) because of that car.
>
> Long hiatus, then. Almost twenty years without a Triumph, and then, I
> bought a GT6 basket case from a guy in Albuquerque who'd taken the car
> apart, had double-bypass surgery, and was told not to lift anything over
> fifteen pounds. Took the car home, thought about just putting it back
> together, and got a bad case of shipwright's disease, and as they say in
> industry, it's still under development. <g> Had to buy another GT6 just
> to knock around in. About the itch for the GT6... I was at Tripler
> Hospital in Honolulu in 1970, for my physical to leave the army, and as
> I was leaving, I saw an absolute knock-out of a nurse get into a
> primrose GT6 and just blast out of the parking lot in high dudgeon.
> Despite being an average young male, I think I noticed the car more than
> I did her.... Some things stay with one.
>
> Hey, when I get the shop built, does anyone know of a Mayflower or a
> Gloria in need of a home? <g>
>
> Cheers.
I too was bitten by the Triumph/LBC bug at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
It was early 1971 and my platoon leader, a Lt. Trinkle, bought a brand
new BRG TR-6 and actually allowed me to drive it around the north shore
of Oahu once. What an outstanding car! I almost considered going to
Infantry OCS just to finance the purchase of one for myself. Perhaps,
that was his underlying motive. However, rational thought prevailed. Let
me see, shall it be out of the army w/o a car and in one piece or OCS,
the TR-6, and Vietnam? At the time my transportation was a white 1962
Plymouth Valient with the floor boards cut out by the previous owner. It
was not until 1986 that I was able to satisfy my underlying craving for
my own TR-6. I drove my red '74 for years w/o any meaningful
restoration. However, this summer I did it over from bumper to bumper
and it looks great. Always get a lot of compliments; mostly from middle
aged, bald guys like myself. Best, Dave Stephenson P.S. Lt. Trinkle, if
you're out there, thanks for the introduction, and please send me an
e-mail.
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