Automatic Herald on eBay

[Colin Lindsay]

I've contacted the seller asking how it was done, and asking for more detailed photographs, but he hasn't made contact. Anyone know this car? I always thought there were structural and chassis problems caused by the auto box which required modifications to the main rails etc? I remember looking at a fire-damaged Dolomite 1300 back in the early 1990s and asking if the automatic gearbox could be used in Heralds, but being told there were too many problems to overcome simply.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1965-Triumph-1200-Convertible-AUTOMATIC-GEARBOX-HERALD-/172120328363?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

[TomL]

Hi Colin,

 

There are certainly chassis issues with fitting an automatic gearbox with a 6-cylinder car.  I imagine with a 4-cylinder, though, there's a bit more room to play with.

 

I don't know the car and it's interesting that there's no photos of the gear selector.  I wonder what that looks like and to what sort of standard the conversion has been done.  There's really not much description to go onr, considering the amount of work that must have been done.

 

Tom

[Colin Lindsay]

I did message the seller asking for him to make contact so I could find out the finer details, but to date no reply.

[Steve C]

If the seller is admitting clearance issues with both the exhaust and the prop shaft I would be rather suspicious. The issue with converting any small-chassis Triumph to auto has always been the narrow space between the main rails, The auto Vitesse that is still within the club has a substantially-modified chassis with "stepped" main rails to accommodate the auto box from (If I remember correctly)  a 2000 saloon.

While it would be possible to source a compact auto box from something modern, and either adapt the box to a Herald block or fit the whole drivetrain from the donor, it is a lot of work to end up with a car that would have a power-sapping auto, on an engine that was never that powerful to start with, or if fully converted, a car which would be substantially non-Triumph. I actually like autos, but only on big engines over 2 litres with the grunt to cope.

 

Steve C

[TomL]

Steve, if the car you are referring to is mine, it does indeed have modified mainrails.  The car's original gearbox was a Borg Warner 35, which were used in Triumph 2000's as you rightly say.  The actual version that was used was from a Rover 2000 though, as the output arrangement and connection to the prop is shorter, which was needed due to chassis restrictions.

 

Colin, has the seller responded?

 

It is strange not to go into a bit of detail about the car and the conversion work, as any buyer is going to want to know about the standard of the conversion.

[Colin Lindsay]

No Tom, no reply. He seems happy to talk to prospective buyers but no answer to technical questions; maybe it's because I have no intention of buying but am merely interested in how it was done... although I didn't say that....

[Colin Lindsay]

The seller has responded with a link to an album of photos, which sadly don't really tell me much! I'd love to find out how this conversion was done, how it drives, and what the pitfalls were... but we'll have to wait for the new owner to tell us. If there is one.... some of the photos are less than appealing, especially those of the underside. 

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/s76d2kv1q8uikzh/AABa98E05tx1rb5wylc7bH-da?dl=0