On Thu, 24 Jun 1999, Cometman wrote:
> The mechanic says & the other posts on this list say that these are
> good running cars. Is it reasonable to think I could make this my main
> vehicle (I probably drive about 100 miles a week)?
I drive up to 80 miles *a day* in my TR4. When college starts up again
for me, I'll be racking up 400 miles a week. I will be doing lots of
routine maintenance...
> Also, are they supposed to be loud or quiet?
Eh? What? Triumphs are only quiet when not moving.
> I used to have an English motorcycle -- a Norton -- and I never
> developed enough skill as a mechanic to keep it on the road myself. Is
> the Spitfire a different experience?
Yes and no. It's still mechanical. You should learn about what sort of
grease/oil goes where, and how to recognize when you need to change the
oil, and how the carb works... even if you don't understand it all, it's
not hard to figure out what to do (last resort: phone mechanic)
You will probably be surprised less by the Spitfire. Just remember to
check all the things that need checking, ALL THE TIME! Don't let it catch
up on you- check stuff like the gearbox oil level, the brake/clutch fluid
level, coolant, oil, anything liquid that might leak! Even if they're
always OK, the action of checking over the car will often lead to things
that haven't quite gone wrong yet- frayed wires, loose bolts, cracked
metal, etc.
To open the hood properly on your Spit: Undo the latches, and lift up by
the WHEEL WELL. Don't lift on the latches, you'll break them off. You
can lift by the trailing edge of the hood (bonnet) once it gets high
enough ;-)
-Malcolm
* There is a FAQ for this list! Its new home is:
http://www.islandnet.com/~walker05/triumph/trfaq.htm
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