March 20, 2001. The day I bought Old Weird, the Herald with the intentions
of driving it daily for a year. At the time, that was the calculation that
equaled cost vs. new car annual depreciation.
Last week I bought a new (used) car) car. Not an LBC, but at least a JBC
with two seats and a ragtop. Does not mean the Grand Experiment was a
failure? Hardly, just a realization that comfort, reliability and speed
also have value.
I love(d) Old Weird. It never failed to engender conversation with
strangers (including three times stopped by gendarmerie for no reason other
than to ask about it) and I but once paid someone else to work on it and
that was only because I was 100 miles from home and lacked the time and
tools to do it my self.
If this were not also my hobby, it would have been a PITA, as the
maintenance was a killer, but frankly if I hadnt been in the garage with
it, I would have been with one of the others anyway (which is where I headed
now, in case anyone is curious). During the course of the last year I have
rebuilt one rear axle, the water pump, the generator (and went to an
alternator after the voltage regulator gave up the ghost), replaced the
radiator, rebuilt the brake master cylinder (twice), replaced all of the
brake lines (a long story. The tee where the brake light switch goes is not
like any other Triumph, including later Heralds. That was one of those jobs
that started out as nothing and grow exponentially) fixed a bad ground on
the taillights, added an amp meter, swapped out at least three different
thermostats (no, the listed generic IS NOT right, go for the correct one
:-)), replaced a set of tires, replaced and got working every dash bulb,
fixed one broken window glass (broken on the first day of ownership
bummer), replaced a door hinge and lock striker, replaced a fuel pump (with
electric) and spread a bunch of POR 15 in hopes of stopping encroaching
corrosion.
It also helped that a very good friend runs a tow business. I am luckier
than most. His charges me the same (a case of beer) regardless if it was
five miles or 60 miles. :-)
We had a very mild winter, which was good. I only missed driving the Herald
one day and that was also the only time in my life I ever left for work and
turned around enroute because of weather (one day was not so mild :-().
For the most part OW made it through the weather just fine and once the
thermostat problem was resolved it was not uncomfortably cold.
My daily commute is a minimum of 75 miles and I regularly double that. Im
not sure of the exact mileage as the speedo quit last fall, but my best
estimate is about 37,500. The gas mileage was consistently 29-31 MPG
(except the day the brakes were dragging from the brake line being routed
wrong, expanding the fluid when hot and locking the brakes) and oil
consumption was steady at 1 quart per 600 miles.
My biggest complaints were the design of the seat (the early Heralds have a
bar through the bottom cushion that tends to ride at just the wrong spot)
and the lack of speed / pickup. It would cruise all day at 50-55 but 65+
was a hustle and much of my driving is on two lane highways which is to say
I got passed a lot (and not always safely).
Future plans you ask? Well enjoy the new toy (2000 Toyota MR2) complete
with ergonomic seats, modern sound and enough speed to get in trouble and
finish the long term project (the TR3 that started all of this silliness).
I would like to keep the Herald but the SO is pretty insistent that it go.
Its been fun, everyone should try it for a year :-)
Happy Motoring.
Ken Gano
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