As a 1964 TR-4 owner, I have to say I really like my car. I used to use it
as a daily driver when I lived in the milder climate of Delaware. I now
use it as a daily driver in the non-snow months here in high-altitude
Oregon.
The good points: fun to drive, reliable (more reliable then The Honda From
Hell I owned a few years ago), easy to work on, keeps up with modern
traffic _in town_ with no problem, distinctive looks, parts easy to get,
and a trunk that holds three cases of long-neck beer bottles (try and do
that in your Miata!). Plus, it's the only car of some twenty-odd I've
owned where a kid leaned out of a school bus window and said "Hey mister,
cool car!" How could I ever sell it after that?
The not-so-good points: Well, it needs more attention than a red-headed
mistress, but you already knew that. It's only ever left me stranded twice
(fuel pump, bad distributor rotor), but as with any older car you have to
pay attention to maintenance. I don't have overdrive - if you do any
longer trips you'll want one (I'm saving up), since the car will rev hard
keeping up with traffic at 60 mph+. Finally, there's the #$%^&@# top. It
is one of those assemble-it-yourself deals, and even with practice it still
takes several minutes to put on. Even when on it leaks a little, and mine
is new (I hate to think what an older one would be like). The solution is
simple if it's a car for fun only - don't go out in the rain. The TR-6 top
is a model of ease by comparison.
Mark Clark
Klamath Falls, Oregon
1963 Triumph TR-4 "The Tiggermobile"
1979 Chevy LUV "Joe"
1991 Mazda Protege "Her Car"
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