Colin Lindsay

Are you one of the sleep poor then?

I'll agree with that, it's not what the car looks like but what it actually is. We tend to forget that there are many people out there who have never seen a GT6, or even a Herald. I'm intending to rebuild my 1200 but to an extent where it gets an MOT, and then can be actually driven and enjoyed, without worrying about who is going to chip the paint or put a dent in it. That's much more fun and certainly less worrying.

... in fact first show since 2015.... The Argory, a stately home in Co. Tyrone hosts this show every year and for many of us it's the traditional start to the show year. A good showing of Triumphs this year, in fact GT6 were the most plentiful, and I noted there were no 1200 Heralds at all. Must remedy that!

Never had a new car! The most reliable have been Fords, my Focus (I had two, a 2000 and a 2002 model) and my current Mundaneo. It's a workhorse and the boot is always full of rubbish for the dump. The one I loved the most was my Discovery TD5. Worst ever have been Renault Clio, bought as a stopgap and it lasted two months with me, and Renault Lagunas which were dreadful cars, again I had two, and I was ripped off by the salesman when I tried to trade one in. I also had a Rover 213s, the Honda engined version from 1987, and I kept it for seven years, running up 177000 miles in it. It was superbly reliable but the body rotted away around the mechanicals. It was the car that enabled me to buy my first Triumph, as it was so reliable and cheap to run that I actually had spare cash. Worst Classic ever was a Reliant Scimitar - a real money pit - that was on the road for two days during all the years that I owned it.

I like this style: http://www.holden.co.uk/displayproduct.asp?sg=1&pgCode=010&sgName=Electrical&pgName=Lighting&agCode=0062&agName=Reverse%2FRear+Fog+Lamps&pCode=010.451/A

It pulls out but is not available new any more, so like most things be careful you don't damage it. One of my 1200 heads is missing it completely, so will have to source a s/h replacement if they're available.

Bad news, Mr Lindsay, you've failed on emissions...

MMMMMMMM.... just watching the clouds floating by, man. Gimme another of them yellow ones.

That's an eminently sensible option, one that I'd go for myself. A second pair of eyes plus the professional equipment can spot things a rose-tinted owner wouldn't, or mightn't want to. Re Dave's post - we all do it, I just realised yesterday en route to a show that I'd a toolkit with me, but no jack or wheelbrace... AND finally: re Blitz' post on Insurance..... I bought my first Spitfire and drove it on the clause in my main car Insurance that said: "the certificate holder may also drive any vehicle, whether belonging to him or not, or owned by him under any hire purchase agreement" etc etc." TWO YEARS LATER after attending myriad runs and shows, my Insurance came up for renewal and I called in at the office where they arranged cover with a new Insurer. "Will it still cover me for the Spitfire? " asks I. "You were never covered for any Spitfire" she replied, puzzled.... Oops...

Ah.... now. You're asking the wrong person for that! Period mods and add-ons yes, light upgrades where necessary (alternator, electronic ignition etc) welcome, but a Ford engine / gearbox? Not my cup of tea / slice of toast / bowl of catfood, I'm afraid. (Be aware too that with the new regulations coming in, mods like that will affect your historic status) Plenty of owners here to guide you, though.

Three for the price of one!! That's a bargain in itself...

That's a real bargain! Who's supplying them, again?

That's a bargain! Who's supplying them?

That's a bargain! Who's supplying them?

Hello Rao. You can go one of three ways here: have your own rebuilt, buy refurbished, or buy second-hand, condition unknown. For having your own rebuilt, talk to Mike Papworth who has a great reputation: mike.papworth1@btopenworld.com There are rebuilt gearboxes available to buy from time to time, but you'll need to ask the seller who did it and what was actually done: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-TRIUMPH-THREE-RAIL-GEARBOX-FOR-GT6-VITESSE-MODELS-4-SPEED/253579996522?hash=item3b0a8bad6a:g:DmwAAOSwkhNawkCM Second-hand you can get from any dismantler, and the prices vary, but make sure it's a reputable supplier who will stand over a box if it fails or is damaged. Check the ads in The Courier for both private sales and professional refurbishment. Cost can depend on what exactly requires doing. Contact your local area, they may have one somewhere in a member's spares pile, or else advise locally as to who can refurbish one for you.

As Pete says, Les, for a performance upgrade you'll need to add cam and manifold to see any improvement, however if it's only for a replacement carb you can go for anything from Stromberg and SU to Reece-Fish or Weber; with the first two you can buy bolt-on manifold adaptors on sites like eBay - I ran a Stromberg 150 with a 6J needle in my 1200 for six months with no problems other than working out to attach the cables (see photo). I've also got a SU carb from a Ford Anglia that has the float chamber in the correct orientation, and may experiment with that at a later date. Webers etc will be wasted on a standard engine but the manifold for the 1200 can be hard to find. You can buy an adaptor to use on the standard manifold - again very hard to find - or hold out for the proper manifold, but I think it may be too much for a standard road-going setup.

Haven't checked yet Pete but the lights are illuminating on the dial; however as I have four in place of the original two I've added earths from the gauge mounting screws to earths in the loom, as a belt and braces approach. Thinking out loud, if the gauge is illuminating then it's earthing... goes off to scratch head a bit more....

No, we have privately owned ones over here, AC Components is my local and they have this stuff:

That's possible Clive, as I rewired the earths to all the gauges when I had the dashboard out, earthing each one individually as opposed to an in-line single earth; this was due to fitting led bulbs in all the gauges and with some it was easier to make a new earth rather than stretch the loom or existing cables. So: I've been looking at the wrong end of the wiring... Ho hum, out comes the dash.... again....

What is/ was the general opinion of the Comma Classic? Local Autofactor has it on the shelf.

Ok... update! I removed the offending high-reading sender, and replaced with the original one; again an intermittent reading - I had normal temperature, then it dropped to zero, then back to normal. I then tried an unknown one from the spares pile; this one read low - about 1/4 across the dial but I decided better low than hot, as I'd get more warning of any faults. On the return half of a forty-mile trip to a show today it started to read centre of the gauge, where I'm used to the needle pointing, then dropped to 1/3, then back to 1/2, then right down to almost zero, then back to normal again. This may point to something other than the sender, but what? All other dials are reading normal, (I have four in the same row) so I can't suspect the stabiliser. It has never happened on the GT6 before, but that's two senders behaving in the same manner. Possibly wiring? Any simple tests I can try?

It's funny how some people think they have THE opinion.... I was at a local garage recently, the owner is into all sorts of classics but mostly Fords and has been about since the year dot so knows all the tricks, but when I told him I drove Triumphs his comment was: "Cheap and nasty rubbish..." No worries about hurt feelings there, then... It's amazing how many people look at my GT6 at shows, nod sagely and remark "crap handling" without ever having driven one. They must read a lot.

Quite a few of the glass-top models on eBay, service kits including the brass filter are available from suppliers, but I suppose in order to change the lever over you have to actually have a proper one in the first place....

Must see if I can find any locally; it's £17.95 for the oil and £15.00 delivery.

My father's first car was a Rootes Hillman Minx, I still remember the big red circle on the dashboard. It rusted to death daily, I remember bits dropping off as we drove along. Sort of like my first Mini too, when I think of it.... I had a lookover a Holbay Rapier a few years ago, turned it down as I'd no room, but I remember all of the windows dropped on either side leaving it completely pillarless. The seller was asking £1200 or thereabouts. Whoever sprayed the red Sunbeam Harrington needs to go back and match the doors...