Yesterday I drove up to Rochester NY (300 miles) to pick up my latest, a
TR6 I won on Ebay for $500. It looked rough, and the alignment between B
posts and doors is off on both sides, much too wide at the top. The top
is shot, little rust outs everywhere, driver's floor gone. The owner
bought it at an auction, and never started it. He didn't know if it
ran. But it was complete, and I figured if the engine ran I could put it
aside and restore it after the Stag. As it turned out, it's been sitting
exposed and inoperative for 6 years.
I played with it today. At first, just to have something to do, but my
older son, now 16 and taking driving lessons, was hanging around and
showing more interest than I would have believed.
Because of this, I kept at it for an hour and finally got it started. No
smoke, but the carbs leak (aren't they supposed to?). Then I find that
I've got no brakes or clutch. My son sat in the car and pushed the
clutch pedal while I watched the slave, and it moved, so I tried
starting it while it was in gear with the clutch depressed. That worked,
I could now change gears, although still no brakes. During all of this,
I'm giving a running commentary on how things work to my son, who's
never shown any interest in anything beyond computers.
Next I check the Brake fluif and find it's low, so I topped it off and
with my sons assistance, and more lectures on how it works, We bled the
brakes. Now the brakes are working.
I moved the car up the driveway to the garage, and then went to work on
my TR3, which needed a tune-up and cleanup after my completion of the
engine rebuild. I almost fell over dead as my son got out a shop vac,
polishing compound, cleaners, Armor All, and anything else he could
find, and proceeded to spend 2 hours cleaning up this TR6.
I think he's in love. If I'd known it would have this effect on him, I'd
have gotten a TR6 long ago. He doesn't care for the TR3 much, Thinks the
Stag is OK (but doesn't believe I'll ever finish it), but likes the 6.
He did like the Jag XJ6, but only helped with it when asked.
He'd like me to get it running for him to use during the summer. I guess
I'll go over and download a Moss TR6 catalog.
--
George Richardson
Wyvern - '57 Triumph TR3, TS15559LT -
http://www.merlingroupinc.com/tr3.htm
Griffin - '71 Triumph Stag - undergoing restoration
Pikachu - '75 Triumph TR6 - undergoing repair
Kitty - '83 Jaguar XJ6 Vanden Plas - Daily Driver
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