Aaron wrote:
>the covers that VB sells are the TriumphTune covers. They are not
>cheap...and I have one on my car. The difference you see is that VB
>purchases the covers without the logo on them. These I believe might have
>a deeper fin pattern, but it really depends on how the guy running the
>mill over the top was feeling that day.
I've had the "Triumphtune" valve cover in my hot little hands... ordered
one from TRF about 10 years ago... and I sent that embarassing piece of
crap right back to TRF. Determined to find a nice valve cover for the TR6,
I looked through the catalogs. VB's catalog showed a photo of the cover,
both in the black enamel w/polished fins and in all aluminum finish. I
also had a catalog from a place in California called "Triumph Specialty"
(dunno if they're still around) and they showed the same cover as VB. They
(Triumph Specialty) must've had a slightly better price or something, 'cuz
that's who I ordered it from. I still have the cover on my car and, I have
this to say...at the risk of sounding like I'm trying to "flame" anyone:
In my OPINION, there is no way that one manufacturer can be responsible for
both of these valve covers. The overall design is competely different,
(basic dimensions, radiused corners, etc.) the overall quality is beyond
any comparison. The Triumphtune cover was a bit shorter in overall height,
the "fins" may as well have not even been there, as they were only maybe
1/8" deep. The casting was terrible... bubbles and pinholes all over, and
if you looked down one of the gasket surfaces you could see how wavy the
sides were. Where the studs came through the cover the casting was just
flat...no recessed hole or anything. Nothing against TRF here, but this
thing was truly atrocious.
Imagine my delight when I received the Triumph Specialty (same as VB's)
cover... it was beautiful. The overall "shape" was much nicer, as it was
considerably taller that the Triumphtune cover, it had a "narrower"
appearance overall, the casting and black enamel finish were flawless, the
flat sides of the cover were actually flat and the gasket surfaces were
perfectly straight. The corners had a much larger radius for a bit more
"rounded" look. The fins were at least TWICE the height of the Triumphtune
fins, and the holes for the studs were recessed in deep countersinks that
really made a nice finished look.
I just don't see any way these came from the same manufacturer, but if
someone can prove otherwise, I'll stand corrected.
Pete Chadwell
1973 TR6
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