Nice set of quick qualifiers there.All of them routine 60,000-100,000k service jobs eh!How many gearboxes, diffs and motor transplants did a typical Triumph, Falcon or Cortina really need in a given year!You make it sound like heavy work on a Triumph is a death march - which it patently is not: a factor that may do a lot toexplain why there still more Triumphs on the road than equivalent model Holdens and Fords.
joanie32,
Jan 28, 11:58am
Ok! Im just speaking of things I used to do ona daily basisand would bequiterelevant to someone considering buying a35 yearoldcar.Triumphs werent a bad old car, but definatelynot as easyto work on as many of their contemparies. I doubt many experiencedfolk would arguethat.
rod525,
Jan 28, 11:58am
I would rather do 50 Falcon or Holden gearboxes than one Triumph one.
richardmayes,
Jan 28, 1:15pm
As the OP has now bought the car and asked about good points, I've thought of one: The cooling system is WAY oversized for the job it does on these cars. No amount of hard driving will overheat one as long as the cooling system is working properly.
The big old cast iron block can happily soak up a lot of heat, so if you lose all the water you'll have plenty of time to pull over and stop.
If it ever overheats, it's probably just the thermostat that has died, just whip it out and it'll run fine until you can get a new one.
Water pumps can leak, but never on any I've owned. They just get noisier and noisier with age.
The system is also very resistant to forming air locks, so if you need to replace the rad or a hose, you just fill it up again when you're finished and away you go. I don't know what all these air locks and pressure tests are, that people with newfangled cars talk about!
roadkill3,
Jan 28, 1:30pm
and if you runs out of gas just pump it up at fuel pump
richardmayes,
Jan 28, 1:36pm
You may mock. but I've known people with more modern cars who've had just unbelievable cooling problems!
Wouldn't say I was devoted to that book but whatever. I do actually drive a 1.3L Corolla, that was a good guess. It is an excellent little car and far better than any Triumph could ever be. The D&LG info about Triumphs comes straight from triumph experts themselves, I suggest you talk to one.
ginga4lyfe,
Jan 28, 8:06pm
I dont see how its any "Better" its a matter of prospective as i am not tooo worried about fuel consumption and really i like messing with cars. and the Triumph has a little more style. the corolla is for people that like to play it safe.
tractor9,
Jan 28, 8:10pm
An excellent car ithe Toyota may be, but will it still be around after 35 years of use! It's all very well comparing Triumphs against other cars, but we are talking different eras of cars and different technology. Back in the '60's and '70's higher gas consumption was the norm.
wrong2,
Jan 28, 8:14pm
nothing has made me curse as hard as working on english vehicles
i will not EVER work on another landrover
trogedon,
Jan 29, 6:01am
But hopefully your grammar will improve.
gedo1,
Jan 29, 6:24am
You probably WILL.!
lovemore_mbigi,
Jan 29, 6:31am
Get real.Triumphs were no more difficult to work on than other contemporary rwd sedans.Today the Triumph has be one of the easiest DIY projects around - access to everything is brilliant, the electrics are simple, mechanicals are simple-as, etc.
lovemore_mbigi,
Jan 29, 6:40am
A Triumph cooling problem relates to the fuel line to the carbs - it's plumbed around the front of the engine block.Back in the day, a common sight on a hot summer day traffic jam in the UK were all the fuel-starved Triumphs with their bonnets up lol!
A Triumph water pump gland that lets go will start to leak and then scatter coolant all over the engine bay. An easy-peasy replacement job - although a new pump will probably have to be got from such as Rimmers in the UK.
carkitter,
Jan 29, 8:24am
Yep! It's already 22yrs old and still pristine as the first owner was elderly and had it for 19yrs while barely driving it. I knew him well and feel privileged to own his car since he passed on.
electromic,
Jan 29, 8:51am
I had a Triumph 2500 PI. Fantastic car. I used it for towing caravans for elderly owners. Ran air shocks in rear, gas in front and a big swaybar to make it one with the road. Comfortable to travel long distances in. Mine was not slow or gutless even with an auto, top speed according to the hand book was 130MPH for the manual with overdrive and 120Mph for the auto.Have driven the 2500 tc with the overdrive and it wasn't slow either but not as good as the PI. They can be tuned for more power or repowered with a 3.5 rover if its not fast enough.
electromic,
Jan 29, 8:57am
Two more good points: 1. Made from real metal not recycled coke cans! 2. Easy car to service.
carkitter,
Jan 29, 9:08am
Coke cans are made from aluminium. Honda NSX had the first all aluminium alloy body and also has alloy block and head, as well as suspension and gearbox components. Late model BMW's also have all aluminium suspension for strength and lightness. You should wish that your Triumph was made from recycled coke cans it would be faster, better handling and the only one of it's kind.
lookoutas,
Jan 29, 9:45am
You guys are taking the piss out on "electro" for the wrong reason. He/she just means they were solid, which isn't necessarily a good point. The coke terminology is just hypothetical.
Funny how people/s compare them with late model cars when the comparison should be with cars of the same era - in which case, they were bloody good cars.
Not my cup of tea tho.
ginga4lyfe,
Jan 29, 9:46am
I honestly dont see why people are complaining about its weight. its only 1.3 tons! and @ paparicardo Lol yep I see it, though those all look pretty road going to me!
joanie32,
Jan 29, 10:00am
lookoutas wrote:
Funny how people/s compare them with late model cars when the comparison should be with cars of the same era - in which case, they were bloody good cars.
That pretty much sums it up. I never liked themeither, but they were agood oldcar. Pommy cop cars too, I remember seeing themgetting a good work out on brit. tvshows
scuba,
Jan 29, 4:10pm
the wee steel pin securingthe clutch thrust fork will be broken pay to replace the pin or drill right thru and put a bolt thru or both.
nice old cars but high maintenance,
water pumps still available locally i think so dont need rimmers taught my kids to drive in an automatic version with manual steering-if they can drive that old dunga they can drive anything . there were a few getting dressed up by kids for a while- crazy lol
ginga4lyfe,
Jan 29, 5:41pm
awesome, Ill definatly look to see if thats the case!
tractor9,
Jan 29, 7:02pm
Sounds very nice
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