Dan Buettner wrote:
>
> I agree with you, Bill. I found Ken's comment pretty entertaining myself.
I, too, understood the intent of the comment.
> My Triumphs, on the other hand, I would not think about taking on a
> long distance trip without giving a thorough checkup, and I would be
> hesitant to rely on either (even if they were both restored!) for
> daily transportation.
I've not hesitated a bit on taking the car on trips, with little more
than checking the oil and water. Up until July, I was making a twice
monthly 800-mile round-trip commute in the GT6, and the only time it
ever failed me was when I submerged it in a couple of feet of water in a
torrential Texas thunderstorm (three times). Unfortunately, Lucas puts a
little breather hole in the distributor cap, presumably to vent moisture
out, but which also lets water in! Admittedly, I'd done a fair amount of
mechanical work on the car to convince me it would get me back and
forth.
I suppose I never learned that Triumphs were unreliable. I didn't give a
second thought about taking a `63 Spit just off the boat in Oakland from
my duty station in Hawaii and going cross-country in it... we won't
mention the sheared axle hub key in the mountains around Winslow, AZ, or
the burned axle bearings in Gallup, NM, or the frost heave in Canada
which neatly removed the muffler and tailpipe.... <smile>
> I think we should all recognize that we're all here on the list
> because we love the cars, and any comments such as those made by Ken
> are meant in a good-natured way. No need to pile on anyone for such
> a comment.
Some of us (well, most of us, because we drive Triumphs) have a somewhat
strange sense of humor. Self-deprecation, and a touch of masochism seem
to be part of the personality of drivers of British cars.... Let's not
forget the line from an issue of Road & Track a long, long time ago,
referring to cars and their owners:
"As for cars and their owners, there are those who own Jaguars, but
let's not pick on the afflicted." <smile> Triumph owners are better off,
but still have the disease. <g>
Cheers.
--
Michael D. Porter
Roswell, NM
mailto: mporter@zianet.com
`70 GT6+ (being refurbished, slowly)
`71 GT6 Mk. III (organ donor)
`72 GT6 Mk. III (daily driver)
`64 TR4 (awaiting intensive care)
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