What if everything was as reliable as...

[ArunAlec]

I had a Herald, Spitfire and Dolomite Sprint. Nine of them particularly reliable. But at least the Herald and Spit had the merit of being a doddle to hoik the engine/gearbox out of, as the whole bonnet/front wings hinged forwards.

I rolled the Spitfire into a muddy field but after jacking the screen pillars up again and bashing out some dents she was good to go.

I now have a 1962 TR4.

One of my 2 Spitfires.... Clutch replaced over the weekend, having been recovered by breakdown service, took it round the block for a test drive and front suspension collapsed, those were the days!

 

[sidepod]

Clutch was a doodle of the Spit. Out through the floor if memory serves?

 

[ArunAlec]

Clutch was a doodle of the Spit. Out through the floor if memory serves?

Yep, and working on the engine was even better, bonnet up and sit on front wheel.

 

[sidepod]

Robin??

Mini

 

[Velma's Dad]

Clutch was a doodle of the Spit. Out through the floor if memory serves?

Yep, and even easier with the hood down. My GB was out so often it eventually had a few less bolts in the bell housing than Triumph intended.

 

[Borris]

[QUOTE="Velma's Dad - I now have a 1962 TR4.[/QUOTE]

Ooooo tasty. Photos please.

I once bought Mrs B a smashing little mint dark green Herald. Every time it went near a puddle the engine got covered in muddy water. I cured it by bolting sections of SRN4 Hovercraft skirt to the inner wings. I was hoping it would hover afterwards but alas no.

Great turning circle, the car not the hovercraft.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Ooooo tasty. Photos please.

Here you go Borris. Just taken her out this afternoon, as it happens. But as I recall, your cars would make her look a youngster?



My old Herald (13/60 convertible) was a lovely little bus, great student car. Apart from when I lost the brakes totally at 70 on a motorway off-ramp (downhill). Fortunately the handbrake was working and it's amazing how much strength you can find in a blind panic..

 

[westfalia]

Here you go Borris. Just taken her out this afternoon, as it happens. But as I recall, your cars would make her look a youngster?

View attachment 32206

My old Herald (13/60 convertible) was a lovely little bus, great student car. Apart from when I lost the brakes totally at 70 on a motorway off-ramp (downhill). Fortunately the handbrake was working and it's amazing how much strength you can find in a blind panic..

That is a great pic. I need to stop looking at it. I want one.

 

[Velma's Dad]

That is a great pic. I need to stop looking at it. I want one.

But this is real Triumph porn:



(Triumph Italia. 329 cars produced 1959-62. Michelotti bodywork on a TR3 chassis. Poor man's Maserati 3500GT. They had one on the stand at the London Classic show this year. I nearly wet myself).

 

[Velma's Dad]

Sorry forget toasters and hoovers this is now the official Triumph thread.

 

[Bellcrew]

Sorry forget toasters and hoovers this is now the official Triumph thread.

Had a Mk 4 1300 cc Spitfire when we lived in New Zealand, lovely removable hard top, absolutely immaculate, got a dealer to give me more than I paid for it and he waited until I boarded the ship home to gain access. Never that lucky again.

 

[Borris]

But this is real Triumph porn:

View attachment 32207

(Triumph Italia. 329 cars produced 1959-62. Michelotti bodywork on a TR3 chassis. Poor man's Maserati 3500GT. They had one on the stand at the London Classic show this year. I nearly wet myself).

Phorrrrrrrr, now that is sexy.

 

[Borris]

Here you go Borris. Just taken her out this afternoon, as it happens. But as I recall, your cars would make her look a youngster?

View attachment 32206

My old Herald (13/60 convertible) was a lovely little bus, great student car. Apart from when I lost the brakes totally at 70 on a motorway off-ramp (downhill). Fortunately the handbrake was working and it's amazing how much strength you can find in a blind panic..

Wow that's gorgeous. Lovely car, lovely shape, lovely colour and I love the sporty no bumpers look.
Yes my cars are a little older. 1909 and 1912 but I did purchase a modern car last year. You've shown me yours so.....

Sorry it's not a Triumph but a 1933 MG J2.

At least your hand brake held. If I remember correctly, the average student hack back then weren't usually the best maintained of vehicles. I had £17.50s worth of very dodgy early Mini. It had a one piece fibre glass plastic bonnet and front wings. The original front had crumbled to dust years before. Mind you, it didn't last very long as I crashed it into the back of a vicar's car. He said some very un-christian like words and definitely wasn't very forgiving! I believe that incident had something to do with brakes or rather the lack there of.


Ey up a bonus snap. Finger trouble I'm afraid.

 

[Hotel California]

@Borris , is that your ride in the picture above ? Very cool !

 

[Borris]

Wow that's gorgeous. Lovely car, lovely shape, lovely colour and I love the sporty no bumpers look.
Yes my cars are a little older. 1909 and 1912 but I did purchase a modern car last year. You've shown me yours so.....
View attachment 32209
Sorry it's not a Triumph but a 1933 MG J2.

At least your hand brake held. If I remember correctly, the average student hack back then weren't usually the best maintained of vehicles. I had £17.50s worth of very dodgy early Mini. It had a one piece fibre glass plastic bonnet and front wings. The original front had crumbled to dust years before. Mind you, it didn't last very long as I crashed it into the back of a vicar's car. He said some very un-christian like words and definitely wasn't very forgiving! I believe that incident had something to do with brakes or rather the lack there of.

View attachment 32210

@Borris , is that your ride in the picture above ? Very cool !

Yes Wim. It is cool, very cool, in fact at times it can be bloody freezing.

 

[sidepod]

Make it stop........

 

[Borris]

Ello ello ello, anyone seen the toaster thread?

 

[Velma's Dad]

Sorry it's not a Triumph but a 1933 MG J2.

Absolute stunner! The J2 had an OHC engine I believe?.. in the early 1930s! Maybe something to be said for these MGs after all and you won't hear many Triumph blokes saying that.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Ello ello ello, anyone seen the toaster thread?

That particular TR4 (4100 HJ) is still on the road, restored to its orginal police trim with Pye radio telephone, and was for sale recently, I think for around £70k.

 

[Borris]

Absolute stunner! The J2 had an OHC engine I believe?.. in the early 1930s! Maybe something to be said for these MGs after all and you won't hear many Triumph blokes saying that.

And they can fly.

 

[Borris]

That particular TR4 (4100 HJ) is still on the road, restored to its orginal police trim with Pye radio telephone, and was for sale recently, I think for around £70k.

Crickey, that just goes to show how popular the TR4 is today. A friend in our village had a brand new one and I use to caress its sexy flanks at every opportunity and then there was that bulge in the bonnet. Gorgeous.

I'll bet that bobby loved his job chasing villains in that.

 

[Broch Hunter]

Old police cars can be quite expensive even if they aren't Triumphs. This ex Met Police Daimler Dart sold for over £80k in 2015

 

[Velma's Dad]

View attachment 32224

Old police cars can be quite expensive even if they aren't Triumphs. This ex Met Police Daimler Dart sold for over £80k in 2015

Ah yes the Angry Catfish. The most stunningly ugly (and strangely gorgeous) of British post war sports cars. Actually the gearbox was virtually a direct copy of the Triumph TR item, although I just read that some of the police versions had a 3-speed auto box.

 

[Borris]

View attachment 32224

Old police cars can be quite expensive even if they aren't Triumphs. This ex Met Police Daimler Dart sold for over £80k in 2015

Complete with Winkworth bell!

I would imagine that the Daimler Darts styling is a marmite issue. I've always thought it looks a bit odd. IMO it's missing its dorsal fin and gills.

After watching a program about the Cheshire police fleet garage, I'm not sure I would want to buy an ex police car these days. They seem to live a very hard life being thrashed and crashed regularly.

 

[larrylamb]

The most reliable part of my Land Rover is the toaster.