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Re: Book: World's Worst Cars... and the TR6

To: triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Re: Book: World's Worst Cars... and the TR6
From: "John T. Nichols" <jtnichol@m4.sprynet.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 12:28:49 -0400
References: <199806291609.MAA03029@shadow.batmancity>
Bruce T. Clough wrote:
> 
> There is another book out (heck, might be the same) about the "Worst Lemons". 
> Also list Triumphs in the 69-81 time frame as lemons.  Nice full page of a 
>Spit.  Didn't beat up on Corvairs too bad, but really let Edsels have it.  
>I'll have to dig up some quotes.
> 
> Oh, there is also a "World's Worst Aircraft" book out.  Hilarious read for 
>those interested in non-vertically challenged vehicles (unless you have to 
>ride in one...).
> 
> Bruce Clough

It is the conventional wisdom that all TR7s were junk-badly built and
difficult to maintain. Nothing could be farther from the truth. There
were in fact two periods of TR7s on either side of 1979. Pre-1979 cars
were shoddily built with many reliability problems related mainly to the
labor problems that afflicted British Leyland especially at their
Liverpool factory. However, the 1979 and later cars built at either
Canley or Solihull are solid and reliable cars. I personally put more
than 100,000 miles on a 1980 TR7 with nothing more than routine
maintenance and would still have it if it weren't for an errant dump
truck. It is true that Triumph TR7s are a bit fiddly compared with your
average rice burner today but that is generally true across the board
due to technological improvements in manufacturing techniques and
computerized engine controls. The post-1979 TR7s were quite good for
their time and have gotten a bad rap due to the problems that afflicted
the pre-1979 cars and the largely uninformed and perhaps even
irresponsible journalism of some writers.

John T. Nichols
'58 TR3A TS32093L 'O'
'86 TVR 280i

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