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The Lobby
Enjoy the blog this week with Kiki Dee, I’ve Got the Music in Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsNl9zaWJdQ&list=PLnzWxFWr_jTmzyj1tVXs0Bdm ZZZOK5B5H&index=1
I don’t realize until later in life that this song was sung by the same woman that sang a duet with Elton John. There were a few other radio songs that would come and go – I may add those to the songlist in the next few weeks. Fun song, but no connection to any personal history – just one of those songs on my radio back in the day, that lives on the car when I drive. Don’t think I’ve shared this tidbit, but in my current JVC car receiver, I have front and rear USB inputs. I use both. Each has a thumb drive in it. One is this stuff – classic old stuff I would listen too. The other, just other music I like – eclectic.
Youngest daughter got sick this week – not covid, but similar, and whatever is going around – flu most likely. Rest of us, fine. Cold weather coming in, with some nice rain. We are still switching cell service. Imagine going in with 6 family plan phones and having that go smoothly. I can’t. It didn’t, and its still lingering with 3 of them, still not ported over. The spite of a jilted lover is day on the beach compared to this torture. Everything else, good. Halloween this coming Monday – and the annual chaos that is that holiday for a few hours around my house, mentioned last week. I’ve had 2 weeks of 600 series bowling. That’s pretty good for me.
Whats new
Progress. The hard top is home. Well, in the back of the tahoe. I almost started putting the glass back in, and stopped myself. Um, with all that dingy white fabric exposed, do you want to change that? So everyone knows, you have 2 formal choices in hard top liner colors. Black and white. But with white, and a can of rustoleum …grey? I can change all of it. And match my new tope fuzzy and weather stripping. My biggest to do here is clean up and restore the underside of the rear deck. Mine is a mess, although the rubber is good. I’m bugging the experts on this area – what did they do, what else can we do, and so on.
The car sits, now fully painted. They are finishing some clean up on it, and putting the front end back on – I’ve said that. Its time to make sure I have a place in the garage, plus space to work around it. Hope next blog includes all of this, in my garage with my spare trunk lid hanging on the wall.
As always, the diary of the The School Car Wreck Blog is here
https://forums.6-pack.org/the-6-pack-forums/car-repair-restoration-help/body-trim-accessories/546740-the-wreck-schoolcar-on-wednesday-evening
Did you put gas in your car? Go do that, even if it’s a gallon. And please drive with your lights on – we need all the visibility we can get with other motorists.
Lets have a pint
My usual spot for the weekly wax. Ramblings that pop into my head. Things that somehow tie me back to my TR6.
I’ll start with a quick nod to Elin Yakov on youtube – partner in crime to ChefTush. He has so many cool projects, and now has a TR6 to work on. I catch 2 of his projects this week – his hard top liner install, and his diff mount box in weld up. Both great, both informative, and both saved for later. I’m not pulling my headliner but in this refresh of his hard top, he shows some work I need to see – like the rear deck rubber and underside clean up I need to do, mentioned in the whats new section above. The diff mount box in – helps to see it rather than just read it. I’m one those that has to touch it, and see it, rather than read it. Ironic, as this blog is all about reading.
Facebook often pops up the youtube share of James May and the blokiest car, our TR6. I’ve seen it before, and ignored those shares over the past year or so. Don’t know what drove me to click it yesterday, but glad I did. It was different than I remembered. Sure, I know it pulled it together to show only men drive it, but forgot how far he pushed that. And I remember it in the rain, but I don’t remember it raining that much. I forgot how lovely that car was, how well sorted it was, and how well it ran, and with the holy grail of PI. I get lost when a UK car pops the hood. That PI rig hanging off the side of that block. I can barely type right now thinking about it. Segment ends with prices, and its cool to know how much things have improved in our favor as car values go.
Ok – on the rest of this ramble.
Tech: spare tire
Research & Development
Throwback. Turners
Tech: Delete the spare
I have no spare tire. I have nice Konig 16x7 rims, and good Michelin rubber. Not Michelin X rubber – new rubber. I took my spare out a few years ago, including the hook at the bottom that the hold down ring attaches to for the spare. That space is filled with tools and other spares, like fuel pump diaphrams drill driver, tape, and so on. So why would I do something so crazy. Cause once you do it, you realize it ain’t crazy.
Car makers have to have a spare, best I can tell. As if it’s a NTSB safety requirement. Don’t quote me. But as they progressed, that tire became a donut for space and weight. My tahoe has a full size rim under the back like a pickup. My TR6 – spareless. But I am not that radical. I do have a plan. And it’s a slime pump from amazon, a tire plug kit from Oreillys and Hagerty roadside assistance. I have 90% of this covered with what you just read. I would go as far to say I have 95% of it covered. That’s my math not yours. After 9/11, I still had Michelin red lines on the car. Until one day I drove to Home Depot, and on the way home, 4 miles away, all 4 tires blew off my rims. Like a cartoon. Not all at once, but in the matter of 2 blocks. Like someone pulled the trigger 4 times on a handgun. Even in this catastrophe, one spare won’t help. A spare tire is good if you have a single blow out – bead off the rim, or driving it flat to get off the highway to the next exit. At that point, you need a new rim too.
I am sharing this in this blog as I see comments all the time about having a good rim for a spare. I mean, to me, its more of keeping a car original, with the original jacket with the original tools in it. But if you are looking for a mental challenge, give this a shot. Yeah, pull that spare, that hook, lay some trunk carpet liner in there. Fill the area with tools, cap and rotor, some tape, and that slime 40051 tire pump and plug kit from Oreillys. Less weight too, how about that? Go ahead. Live a little. Come on in, boys and girls….the water is fine…..
Good luck, McGiver
More R&D
I’ll start this something we have all needed for engine rebuilds. The torque plate. I know this is specific, but its part of our wish list we have had for years. Like finding that regional shop that can do our 2.5. We might find a shop that can bore or hone a block, but expecting them to have a torque plate – that tends to drive us to shops out of our area codes. Out of our time zones. I follow Triumph Experience on Twitter. And like magic, there it is. A post on a TR6 torque plate, offered for rent. Imagine that. You have a shop you like, and you rent this torque plate, like 30 dollars, the shop uses it to bore and hone your cylinders, they return the torque plate, and you return it to the renter. Then someone else rents it Wow.
Each year, we get smarter on how to improve this power plant. That torque plate is a good example of patience. Sure, some shops have this already, but how many torque plates are out there for us? A handful? We can’t expect a machine shop to have the tools needed to rebuild this motor. Those tools are expensive. So, any shop would need x number of motor rebuilds to offset that cost. A rentable component to this is an interesting approach, allowing us to have more localized support.
Switching gears, and trying to follow this R&D path. Alternators – we don’t need 100 amp units now. Well, nice to have, but we can almost get away with our stock alternators now with this LED wave. I had Sylvania Silverstar halogen headlights. Hot enough to fry eggs, and who knows what those poor old wires were struggling with. Those headlights and my electric fan, drove me to a 70 amp alternator. I’ll probably keep that, but with my new LED headlights coming onboard, I am reducing that footprint. Is that a good word? Certainly a buzzword these days. You feel me.
Throwback. Hardware Mecca
I blogged on Turner Hardware way back in the early years of this blog. That rambling is lost, but not the memory of that store. I got inspired to dust this off this week – who knows what synapse fired, but I can’t stop thinking about this lost in time mecca
Turner Hardware. Small strip center in Carrollton, at the intersection of Josey Lane and Valley View. A DMV office was also in this strip center in 1981. Where I got my first Texas DL. The center is still there, a bit run down today. A hardware store still sits in this location, now ACE, guessing the owners flipped it to a chain. Layout is full ACE, giving no indication that a hardware mecca once stood there. ACE is good. Turner’s was heaven. Dallas is more known for Elliott’s Hardware, as if there was some battle. Elliott’s located near the famous Highland Park, Turner’s in a small strip center in a small bedroom city up north.
First time I walked into Turner’s, customer service everywhere. I am pointed to the woodworking area, 2 guys great me, share Varathane with me for a solution. Its what I end up using for that dash. Here’s the best part. Those guys were there for years. Each department had specialists, and they were always there. Most reading this blog are savvy on navigating nuts and bolts at ACE. Take and ACE hardware isle, multiply it by 5, and you have Turner hardware section. Remember a TR6 has bolts of all threads and standard. Only 1 or 2 bolts weren’t in this store. All in bins. Each bolt, nut, washer was ticked with a paint pen. 1 dash for 25 cents, 2 dashes for 50 cents, and so on.
When I get to Texas in 1981, I don’t know anyone, and the reality is, those early restorations on the 72 car were me finding stuff to do with my time. I think what led me to Turners the first time was a varnish for the dash. I had chipped off my original cherry layer, and wanted something to lay on top of my black walnut veneer. Neighbor Terry Jerry said, go to Turners. It’s amazing. So I did, and if you are wondering if that is his real name, yes, it is. Some funny stories on that guy – none of them TR6 related. I’ve gone to ACE, Home Depot, and have stumped them often. In all my years, I never stumped Turner’s. Ever. I would lost there, losing all track of time. It was like a library to a bookworm. Polish section that would make Autozone cry. Even cool toys and kites and stuff for kids. I bought a replacement Flyer sled there, Chinese made that I thrashed on to fix bad bolts with, Turner bolts, nuts and washers. That sled still hangs in the garage. I told someone once, you could build anything out of that place. I wasn’t kidding. Makes me think of the rooms at The Roadster Factory, with its endless racks of parts and bins. I don’t think we will ever see a store like that, around here anyway. Demand has changed, the younger segments replace rather than restore. Or fix. Nothing lasts forever. At least it’s a great memory, and I hope you had a place like Turner’s when you were younger. I also wish you have something like it now.
That’s enough for today. See you on down the road. Remember. Smile when you drive, and whenever possible, take a kid driving.
Thank you for caring for your Triumph TR6. Lets also thank those considering one. This is a great mark for young and old. This mark is blessed with an amazing network of development, parts, owners, experts and car availability. A TR6 helps people everyday, lifting spirits, bringing smiles. A TR6 brings happiness to Andy, lover of all LBCs Please start your car with it out of gear and foot off the clutch to save your thrust washers – they struggle with oiling at start up. 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 regularly. And please drive your 6 defensively, as if it was a 4 wheeled Harley, and keep your driving lights in good condition.
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I am the 3rd steward of CF50460UO, born September 1975 with paint code 19 and 11 black interior. Nicknamed “the school car”, is now over 100K in miles, with new Cayman Blue Mica 2 stage paint, and 11 interior. Car was delivered with original hard top and factory overdrive. Current upgrades include Volvo overdrive internals, König Rewind 16x7 rims, Michelin Pilot Sport 205.55.16s, 4Runner calipers and 7/8 rear wheel cylinders. Poolboy carbs, FlexAlite electric fan, Patton Fan Eliminator, Pertronix ignitor ignition, TR5 cam, pacesetter header, 70amp Lucas direct fit alternator, solid state Rheostat, Silverstar Halogen headlights, Wishbone 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, high torque starter, JVC Bluetooth audio with front and rear USB, 4 speakers, stainless steel bumpers, flip up scuttle vent, hidden antenna, window tint, custom gear knob, and other concours frustrations.
My to do list
New carpet, new panels, custom dash.
r200B diff with goodparts cv joints and hubs
fresh head with roller rockers.
At some point, a fresh square motor with lightened crank, cam bearings,
Hard top inside insulation, and dome light.
Oh, and AC.
Spare Tire - We caught a flat on our last trip a few hundred miles from Triumphest in San Diego, just a mile or two from the hotel. Pulled into a park, emptied the boot of luggage and spare parts, and used the twitchy scissor jack to install the spare and probably a 30 year old tire, which I did fiil with air before the trip.
A guy at the park came over the chat, help, and admire the car. Cool time. Took the flat wheel to a local tire ship the next day for repair. (and more conversation)
Neighborhood Hardware Store - We had two. A mom and pop store called "Bob's Got It", and he usually did, and the requisite Western Auto. Spent lots of time walking the ailes of Western Auto.
Good old times!
Thanks for the flashbacks.