Colin Lindsay

What are we going to do with all the unwanted 11mm spanners?

This is why so many local stations no longer stock anything other than plain unleaded; even the Premium Unleaded is becoming harder to find.

I know exactly what you mean; I'm so remote from other club members I've an entire assortment of wheeled dollies and hoists to make the work easier for one person. I've been waiting three months (B********* Lockdown!) for a mate to come over and help me do the final positioning and gapping on a Herald bodytub. The works progressing well with the GT6, and at least you can say you did it all on your own.

2* was for the week before payday.

Excellent to deal with; their order last week was excellent, but on surfing their site I thought I'd try the double-length brass nuts for the benefit of the extra thread and grip; they arrived within 24 hours but won't fit the studs - a quick check revealed they're not UNF. I spoke to Spalding who tell me they've had numerous complaints about this issue and it appears someone has incorrectly labelled an entire production and put it into the wrong parts bin. Not only is it refreshing to see someone admitting to a problem but they're also sending out replacements first with a returns envelope included. Definitely good service.

Sadly, not necessarily so! You can get original square-head versions - I bought two of these last year.

Just like me, easily turned on and keeps going...

Tesco sold it very cheaply a while ago, about £2 per bottle. I use it on all my older engines. Fill the tank, drop half a bottle in, and whatever it does the engine keeps on running.

What about 50% Redex in some fresh petrol, run that through it - it should clear the carbs nicely.

Apart from the interesting scenery, I lasted 2 minutes with that video. Yawn. GET TO THE POINT! Must work on my attention span.... Anyway, I use Brisk NR15S sparkplugs. The shelf is full of NGK / Bosch / Champion etc that never seemed to work as well as I'd like. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152565262972?hash=item2385992a7c:g:h7oAAOSwPh5ZLBKC

Don't knock it, at least it's still open. And miles better than that dreaded wooden counter with the little man in the brown shopcoat with the wooden face who would tell you: "how do you expect me to find it if you don't know the name of it?"

Same engine as the little grey Fergie, more or less?

That's very true, but so many times over the years I've bought something that was totally unnecessary, and wasted so much money, just because a few others said it was great and I just had to have it...

On my Herald it goes to the underside of the steering rack u-bolt.

Gear oil, engine oil, brake pads.... most of them are over-specced for tootling about in our cars for a few thousand miles per year. I spent £50 on Lucas engine oil that was changed a year later after only 300 miles; great reviews, be all and end all of classic motor oil... but my use didn't justify it. If you're a fast driver, rallying or doing high mileage then it may justify additional cost for some of the more high-spec lubricants but for a low-use classic, good moderately priced product is perfectly adequate and performs no better or worse than the expensive stuff, especially if it's all serviced once a year at least.

Interesting! I sent a message well before the auction ended (sent on the 23rd, auction ended on the 25th) and she replied same day that she already had secured a set and was researching shotblasters. Still... as long as someone bought them!

The Spalding Fasteners versions took a UNF nut from my stock on both ends, and screwed into the Herald manifold first time - this is the exhaust fastening stud, not the carbs. With the gasket and exhaust flange fitted there's about 1/8 of saddle visible, but using a spring washer covers that sufficiently to tighten the nut down. On Heralds at least they'd need to be nearly 3 inches or more to cause any problems ie they would foul the block. The eBay Triumph-Supplier version was so soft the stud puller flattened the threads and ate into the metal while I tightened them into the manifold (not even a scratch on the Spalding versions), and the nuts weren't much better and stripped on first use.

You're getting mixed up with Maurice Minor, who appeared in a car ad some years back.

Yes, I miss them too. I used to see so many things I never knew were even made, or else things I needed but never knew the proper name of, just by wandering along the shelves.

A lot of people refer to our cars as Triumph Herald Vitesse or Triumph Vitesse Herald as if the Vitesse is a version or variation of the Herald, so he probably doesn't know his Triumphs as well as we do. As for spelling... Well I did once buy a Trumiph Herlad...

The Spalding ones that have just arrived today are 1 3/4"; quite long compared to the ones I've just binned which were 1 1/4". They're UNF so I can use nuts to fit them into the manifold, but the only worry is that the unthreaded 'saddle' in the middle is quite long - longer than the thickness of gasket and exhaust flange which may cause problems on tightening. If needs be I can keep them for any 6-cylinder that may need some and buy shorter, but they arrived in two days so fast delivery. I'll experiment and report back.

There should be lugs around the outer edge but those are Lucas PL700s, Triumphs never had them so the lugs have probably been removed to allow them to fit.

That's quite sneaky of him. It should go under: "item was misdescribed." It means he's got a clean sheet and it's seemingly your fault the sale didn't go through. Seems he already has previous for the same:

No; I messaged her but she's already bought wheels elsewhere.

Hi Keith; good to hear from you after all this time! Do you still have the same GT6?