Scott (you ARE new to the list) - a DPO is a 'Dumb Previous Owner" - that most
dreaded of lower life forms that takes it upon themselves to 'fix' or 'improve'
the car by any number of means. For instance, I bought my 1976 TR6 in 1979, but
because I was not the original owner, there was, yes, a 'DPO'. This particular
DPO cut a hole in the glove box of the wood dash in order to install an FM
antenna booster! I since removed this useless gadget and put a dash plaque over
the hole (thus justifying the plaque's function). Anyway, you get the idea.
Sometimes only 1-owner cars can be immune to the ravages of the DPO since we
take more care to originality today than when these were everyday cars. Of
course, 'P' can also stand for 'Present', but thankfully those are fairly rare!
Cheers, JD
>>> "Scott A. Roberts" <herald1200@home.com> 01/19 11:21 AM >>>
What is a "DPO" ?
Scott
64 Herald 1200 Convertible, on the cusp of a first start(trying today :) )
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steven Newell" <steven@cravetechnology.com>
To: "Triumph" <triumphs@autox.team.net>
Cc: "Douglas Frank" <frank@zk3.dec.com>
Sent: Friday, January 19, 2001 11:16 AM
Subject: Re: who should I send my instruments to?
>
> Douglas Frank wrote:
>
> > Subject says it all. I'm asking for a recommendation on whom to
> > trust to "make new" my speedo, tach, oil & temp gauges (all
> > Smiths).
>
> Douglas, I don't have any vendor suggestions, but a couple notes
> based on my DPO's approach. He had the speedo rebuilt,
> according to his mechanic, because the glass lenses were dirty.
> The rebuilt unit wanders (the DPO installed it and the cable
> himself) and mileage was zeroed. Anyway....
>
> 1) apparently there is a calibration measurement you should make
> before sending in your speedo for a rebuild. Be sure to do this. I
> don't know what it is, but apparently my DPO didn't do it. In my car
> the speedo reads 80 at around 70, which makes my passengers
> marvel at my TR4's sporty performance. :-) Till they notice everyone
> else hauling past us.
>
> 2) opinions vary I'm sure, but I'd be inclined to have the odo set not
> to zero but to the pre-rebuild reading.
>
> Sure, in many cases the reading is clearly wrong anyway, but I think
> it's still a more interesting "historical record" if you will, than zero.
In
> my case, the DPO's mechanic insists that the reading WAS original
> mileage -- he knew the history of the car, having worked for the
> second owner of 35 years as well as the third and DPO -- but it was
> low enough that my DPO (who had it two years) was certain it MUST
> be wrong. To his credit, not believing the speedo, he never claimed
> the car was "low mileage" -- only the mechanic did after. But then, he
> didn't record the odo reading before the rebuild either, so if it was
> original... well it doesn't really matter. Actually, I've asked the
> mechanic to check the second owner's service records for mileage
> notations, but he hasn't turned them up yet.
>
> --
> Steven Newell
> Denver, CO
> '62 TR4 CT5018LO
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