Disclaimer - Rated "Long and Rambling" but has LBC and shouldn't offend
anyone on the lists!
well, i did it! i now am the newest (proud?!?) owner of a 64 Herald
1200 convertible. Thanks to all of you who replied to me and encouraged
me to buy this little car.
I am keeping your names written down so if i ever regret the decision, i
will blame each and every one of you!
seriously, I think this will be a neat little car. It has about 46xxx
miles on it, was repainted years ago (needs it again) and starts mostly
on the first try. (I have serious suspicions that the carb in it is
from a VW bug but i could be wrong.) It has fiberglass in the
floors and inner sills, the top won't close all the way (new top,
installed but never put up, has mostly shrunk and rotted away and will
need to be replaced again!) The master cyl needs a kit so that will
probably be the first thing that gets attention. (brakes are there but
you have to pump and pump and pump) I will also need to replace the
rear outriggers (mine are MISSING- removal is not always the best way to
repair something....) The body has a little bit of rust on the typical
places but i wanted to learn about body repair anyway didn't I?
So why the heck did i get this little car? I honestly don't know. Like
i need any more projects! i think it was because it says "Triumph" on
the hood and it was cheap - (cost me almost as much in gas to tow it
home as i paid for it!) But it runs and that is more than i can say for
my spitfire - so with an afternoon or three of work and a few dollars
here and there I might be able to make it to the club meetings and go on
Sunday drives. I hope to use it as a bit of a learning experience, plus
if i botch something in an amateur attempt at a repair it won't be too
bad of a thing.
***Note - If anyone has a pile of Herald bits they don't have use for,
please contact me. ***
It is missing a few bits - tail light lenses, windscreen wipers (motor
works but the PO lost the actual wiper parts) most of the interior is
ratty, some of the trim is missing... I'll be needing a right door
glass and a new top if it is to be used in the rain. The steering wheel
is trashed (pity- it was a nice one with the wood rim and Triumph shield
on the horn button) Is there any hope of saving the wood or
replacing/repairing it? I'd actually like to use it in my spit and put
the spit one in the herald.
The drive there and back to get the car was mostly nice - The car was
located in eastern Wisconsin and i live in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Leaves starting to turn on most of the trees, crisp fall air blowing in
through the missing seals of the Dodge van doors - My friend "mini" Dave
and i started out on a 19 hour trip like we seem to do each year - Last
year we ventured to Arizona to get my "new" spit body and before that it
was off to somewhere in kentucky or Tennessee to save an austin Mini
purchased through eBay. we've gone on at least one of these trips every
year for the last 5 years. (and we still are speaking to each other
despite it all!) This was the first time ever that the old Dodge hasn't
broken down at all. (well, the power steering pump went out the next
day but that doesn't count, does it?) There is something about rumbling
across the country in a utility van that could stop running at any
second that for some reason i find exciting. (prob'ly the same thing
that makes me want to buy up old unloved cars!) we did have a bit of
trouble with the trailer - seems the herald is a bit longer than a Mini
and so more of the car was to the rear of the trailer than we liked - it
got a bit weird pulling it at speed. we were able to compensate a
little by lashing some heavy things to the front of the trailer to put a
bit more tongue weight there. I will say that puling an improperly
loaded trailer is NOT recommended to anyone, even people i don't care
for!)
we made it home well after dark so needed to wait a few days to recover
before moving the car to its winter resting place (my parents have this
really big yard) I got one of those "Start-it" jump start things at
fleet farm (i'd recommend EVERYONE get one of these things - you charge
it up at home form the AC outlet and keep it around for emergency jump
starts and 12v power. Best $60 I've spent in a long time!) Car starts
better if you DON'T use the choke - strange but true. started it up and
backed it off the trailer - Clutch is a bit grabby and soft and the
brakes (BRAKES? what brakes they don't work remember?!?) I almost
crashed it already. After a bit of panic all was well and it is now
resting on the driveway safe and sound. I'll be ordering the needed
parts soon and see if i can remember how to rebuild and bleed a
master cylinder. Then I'll spend my winter searching for missing bits
and pieces ands waiting for the snow to melt away so i can go for a
drive in the country. I think the triumph club has a meeting in january
- maybe if i get my snowmobile suit out i could drive it there - Naw - i
better wait.
Reg Tulk
74 Spit-in-the- box
64 Herald 1200 convertible "Old Weird Herald"
PS I went out this morning for a look and the darn thing has already
begun to leak on the driveway..... Sigh!
|