Tweet
The Lobby
Enjoy the blog this week with Aerosmith, Draw the Line
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNuZ...FeTRp&index=17
I started my Columbia house collection with 8 track, and I had 2 aerosmith albums on that. This was the first aerosmith album I bought, and while it wasn’t a great album, it was one of my first modern at the time purchases for my new stereo system. I miss 8 track, but not enough to put one back in my tr6.
This will be a short blog. I had vertigo yesterday – started the wee hours before yesterday. I’ve never had it. Debilitating. Woozy, dizzy, nauseous. This morning, still with a touch of it, typing, but the words aren’t flowing, if you understand. Fam is good, bees are good, work and life are in good alignment. I am working on my health, which I’ve needed to do for a long time.
Whats new
In the second round of parts and bolts. We kept most of the hardware, but if we are going to get in there, won’t hurt to grade 8 some of that. Until you pull body panels off, you don’t know what else you need, and now I need this rubber seal piece between the inner and outer panel. We have all of what we need for now – more to come on that certainly.
I have my new scuttle vent, my new overdrive emblem for the back panel, and a few other items. I am looking forward to my new bumpers. Stainless steel.
Last Sunday, we had a great turnout for the Dallas All Brit show at White Rock Lake, and D6 member Tom Bell won Best preservation with his 71 Plum car. This car was repainted in the 80s by a local high school, and they did a great job. The judges thought so.
Did you put gas in your car? Go do that, even if it’s a gallon.
The Wax
So much right with the mark these days. Exposure is one of them. Friend Lloyd puts his wrecked 69 on facebook marketplace, and some of us share it to other tr6 groups. Generates a lot of traffic and his mangled car is sold now. I’ve been on twitter for a while, and doing what I can go grow my exposure, follow, look for followers, all that. But this is a sensitive social outlet, and just being on it gets a bit political. I guess facebook is too, but we tend to forget the fact checkers until they poke you again.
Perspective has an interesting impact. We are traveling more than last year – the car show attendances are up – cooped up factor. That should last a while with all this down time and resto work to the cars. I can’t wait to roll my car up with that new paint, tinted hard top glass, and overdrive emblem under the TRIUMPH badge on the rear panel of this 76 car. Rebel. Ha.
Tech: Soft Top replacement
Throwback. French Blue
Tech: new top
I replaced my top on my first car in 1982. I had no forum or anyone to talk to. 19 year old, in a garage, with a new robbins top, and some general understanding of how it was mounted – certainly after removing it. I won’t go into that throwback – I’ve shared those details before, and will share again, but the point here is – shops today, which should have an understanding of this – well, don’t. Tom Bell, mentioned above, had one of the shops we like do this replacement, and when I looked at it, I asked, what went wrong? A 19 year old idiot should not be smarter than a proper upholstery shop.
I’m not warning everyone off upholstery shops – but I would say, find one that has done a TR6 top before. And don’t be afraid to do this yourself. Here are my critical notes. 1. Centering the material is critical. Make sure you don’t glue it down crooked. 2. Everything starts at the rear mount panel. It is designed to be pushed all the way into the new top pocket and glued in. Take notes from the old top. Before any of the top goes on, the strapping is secured with rivets, and taught so that the header is 4-5 inches from the mounting holes. 3. The final glue down is the leading edge. Chalk or white out are good on black tops to note the center of the material, and on the rear plate and leading edge. Glues vary, contact is good, but I like 5 minute hobby poxy found at a hobby store. Your top should be taught, and heat will help it stretch. I am going to help Tom Bell redo his top – looking forward to the work.
Throwback. French Blue 74
We set up last Sunday at the local brit car show at the lake, and after the member cars park, a lovely 74 pulls up and parks. He pops the hood, and after a bit, I walk over to chat. He’s in conversation with a fan, and I hear some words before I reach this group – Ed Bernard….something something. And with the car, are a picture board. This car was owned by his late father, and this car is the last car Ed finished before he passed away.
Ed was my mechanic – more of a sherpa, really. That connection that I would think these were my ideas but it was really more suggestion like Obi Wan put on those storm troopers. These aren’t the calipers you need. In those final years, at the shop, this French blue car would be there, and I remember this car down to the tub. I know this because I asked a lot of questions about it. This tub was painted off the car, quarters off, blasted, I mean, exactly what you would do with a tr6 body. And to see this rig sitting there, assembled was a work of art. Not the most expensive paint and body, but not the cheapest, I remember Ed saying. I didn’t care.
To see this car complete, at this show, parked with us, was awesome. And in this collage of pictures , was Ed in a few of them. This is more of a personal throwback. You see cars on occasion – they end up almost being like pets. You have an intimate connection with them. I had never met the owners, even when the car was at Eds. So, it was nice to meet the new young steward, and to see him babbling away – was awesome. He was so proud of this car. As we all should be, regardless of its state, yes?
That’s enough for today
Thank you for caring for your Triumph TR6, and a special thanks to those considering one. Owning this car isn’t scary and you have an amazing network around to help you. Your TR6 helps people around you, without even knowing it. You bring happiness to the bodyshop guy helping with door panels. Please start your car with it out of gear and foot off the clutch to save your thrust washers. Please pop your hood and have a good look around the engine bay. Please put fresh gas in your car each week, even if just 1 gallon. Please have good insurance, and review your policy today. And please drive your 6 defensively, as if it was a 4 wheeled Harley.
And I always say. Smile when you drive, and whenever possible, take a kid driving.
See you on down the road,
L.O Guvna
You can find more of the blogs here:
and follow the local antics here in D6 https://www.facebook.com/groups/d6tr6
I am the steward of CF50460UO, born September 1975 with current paint code 19 and 11 black interior. Nicknamed “the school car”, is now over 100K in miles, in the paint shop, moving to Cayman Blue Mica 2 stage paint. I am the 3rd steward. Car was delivered with original hard top and factory overdrive. Current upgrades include Volvo overdrive gearing, Konig Rewind 16x7 rims, Falken 205s, 4Runner calipers and 7/8 rear wheel cylinders. Poolboy carbs, FlexAlite electric fan, Patton Machine Fan Eliminator, Pertronix ignitor ignition, TR5 cam, pacesetter header, 70amp Lucas direct fit alternator, Silverstar Halogen headlights, WBC blueprinted oil pump, Bastuck 9LB flywheel, Goodparts suspension on all 4 corners, Goodparts sway bar, Goodparts trailing arm brackets, Uprated Armstrong lever shocks with cycle fork oil, JVC audio with 4 speakers, high torque starter, solid state Rheostat, pending LED dash gauges.
My wish list: r200B diff with goodparts cv joints and hubs, fresh head with roller rockers, new interior, and new paint. At some point, a fresh motor with lightened crank, cam bearings, improved compression and roller rocker valve train. Oh, and AC.