Відео

Ha! Thanks for watching and commenting.

Thanks for the kind words. All of the essay's characters (so to speak) are alive and well. Sadly, I did read that Gary Anderson, the editor to whom I sent the first version of my essay, passed away in 2022. Thanks for watching and commenting!

Many thanks for the kind words and encouragement! I've been slower than expected developing content this summer, but I hope to have something new posted soon.

Mine came from my father's electrical supplies. I've not shopped for them, although I had no troubles finding images of these items for my videos through a Google search. While I can't provide a surefire link or source at the moment, if you search eBay for "fuse box clips" or similar, some options will pop up in your results.

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching! On the subject of writing, I'll note that I've always enjoyed your quirky sense of humor on your website; it adds a nice touch to the useful information provided.

Thank you for sharing, and I'm very sorry to hear about Ken Dallison's health. It sounds like he is not only extremely talented, but a wonderful person too, and I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers. I've had his art in my life for quite some time, and I deeply appreciate learning something about the man behind it.

@@SmallTriumphSportsLaA Ken has a book out, Ken Dallison my life in illustration, get a copy but there kind of rare, your not nerdy but probably an artist yourself but don't know it. I'm also a massive book collector of automotive books myself so I can appreciate your video.

I did a search and I'm afraid that book is rare and likely to be always out of reach for me...but I'll keep an eye out. I don't recall the press about the Kickstarter for the book when all of that was going on...and it seems like I would have heard about it. Regardless, the search did lead to some other little discoveries I will follow up on. Thanks again for reaching out, and thanks for the kind words. I did a lot of artistic things in high school, started college as an engineering major, and ultimately became an English professor. Now that I'm more advanced in my career, I'm committing more time to pursuing my passion for cars, including/especially the marriage of art/books/cars. (It would help if I had an unlimited budget, but alas!)

Thanks for that information. I really don't know the history of the TR6 extremely well (of course, some might say--not entirely without reason--that I don't know Spitfire and GT6 history as well as I'd like to think, either). Tonneau covers apparently became standard for Spitfires around 1974. It sounds like they were not standard for the TR6 when your car was sold; I'm not sure if they ever became standard for that model. Your response reminded me, though, that window stickers are an excellent source of information that I typically overlook, and then I immediately recalled seeing a photo of a window sticker as part of an old Bring a Trailer listing for a late Spitfire. I went back and looked, and, sure enough, it is a window sticker for a 1980 Spitfire. On that, all equipment is listed in a single category (although that window sticker is torn at the outer left-hand edge and I can't see the full title for the list...I can only see "QUIPMENT"). However, after the hard top and the luggage rack, extras that involved additional charges, there is a list of standard items for which there was no charge ("N/C"). Among that list of standard items--which amusingly includes "pile carpeting," "walnut dashboard," tachometer/trip odometer," and "center armrest" (once part of a luxury package but standard long before 1980)--is listed the tonneau cover.

I'm interested to hear about your experiences after you get it installed and give it a try. Obviously, to this point I've only used my tonneau cover on fairly warm (but not hot) days. In terms of temperature, the drives have been comfortable. I'm really looking forward to giving my tonneau cover a try on truly cool/cold days in the fall and into winter to see if helps trap some warmth from the heater in the ways I suspect (and as I've heard from some folks). Thanks for watching! I've watched your videos of you tussling with your seats and other things recently in the mornings while I'm getting things together for my son's lunchbox. Keep plugging away!

@@SmallTriumphSportsLaA Well update on the Tonneau I received! I doesn't fit! Was told from others on group pages and forums that a MK IV will fit a 1500!! Well they where wrong! Now I am on the hunt for one that fits or make this one fit. It is close but needs snaps changed and Pins on dash moved. I am going to think this over for a couple days.

@@TheLostWrenchGarage I don't doubt you, but I'm surprised by that. The body and snap, etc., placement should be the exact same for the Mk4 and the 1500 (all cars model years 1971 through 1980). Out of curiosity, I just checked a June 1974 factory parts catalogue for the Mk4 and 1500 and for tonneau cover kits and tonneau covers it shows the same part numbers across the board (still 822501 for the black LHS headrest-pocket tonneau cover I ordered). It does look like white tonneau covers were still on offer in every configuration in 1974, so I banked that little nugget in case it comes in handy later. Anyway, I hope there's a relatively simple solution to your problems!

@@SmallTriumphSportsLaA The part number on is 577267 with out the head rest pockets. I also had friends say that it may have shrunk so I am going to try laying it out in the sun and see if I can get it to fit better.

It may very well have. I wouldn't have thought that a tonneau cover could suffer such "shrinkage," but numerous people I trust have reported it. It's a key reason I was a little reluctant to buy a NOS tonneau cover, but mine obviously worked out. Good luck with it!

A sickness, indeed! Sometimes I think I need a blindfold to avoid finding things I "need."

@@SmallTriumphSportsLaA I hear ya! Maybe we should start some support of support group…maybe a dial in line 😉

Thanks for the information!

Thanks for watching! The early efforts are pretty rough; I think I've gotten better, but there's still lots of room for improvement. I've been buried in work lately, but I hope to have a new video (or two) posted before Christmas. Happy holidays to you too!

Thanks for the information! The date code on the glass would provide a useful clue; please let me know if you can make it out.

Your group did a great job…and I’m sure you were there, then! If I had known, I’d have looked for you. Of course, I didn’t catch/remember the name of everyone with whom I spoke. It’s funny with the Triumph/car community; often, chatting with a stranger quickly begins to feel like chatting with an old friend, even if you end up debating some upgrade or detail. It was truly a great time!

@@SmallTriumphSportsLaA it sure was it would’ve been nice to meet

Thanks for commenting/sharing! I've not driven my GT6 and it will be a while before I do, but I look forward to eventually being able to compare driving it with driving my Spitfire (I have 30+ years of experience with that car). Many say they are two very different creatures built on the same platform, and I expect that's true.

In my opinion there is NO comparison between driving a Spitfire, a TR and a GT. I've had several spits and a TR. Great cars, But the GT will not dissapoint you. I say often; If money was not a factor and I could have any car in the world, what would I choose? A Triumph GT 6+. The absolute most fun on 4 wheels possible.

I almost forgot. Tires. I run with BF Goodrich P205/60R13 Radials. The car takes on a different look (low & mean) and curve handling is amazingly better. Just a suggestion.

How are you avoiding tire rubbing the firewall? I’m just starting to choose tires and wheels, and it seems like 60 ratio tires would impact speedo, no?

I have not had any tire rubbing and It is all stock 13inch steel wheels. Speedo effect minimal I don’t remember how much. It was 50 + years ago I had a Fla. Sheriff pace me, he said it would not be enough difference to get pulled over. That part I do remember.

Good catch! I didn't notice that detail. I was looking for a photo of a Mk2/+ with horizontal elements, and I prefer to use my own photos when possible. That is a shot I took of a fellow club member's car. It's a 1969, and I don't think there is any way that boot handle is original. I've spoken with the owner a few times, and he once told me that he has a parts car and enough parts to probably make a complete car, so it's possible that he has done a little mixing and matching.

I also noted that the horizontal elements had the late knob as well. I wonder what the assembly process was and if they inadvertantly fitted complete Mk3 tailgates on some Mk 2s. Quality control was not the greatest.

I missed this comment earlier. Seems possible. There are plenty of stories that indicate "quality control was not the greatest," and we have good reason to believe there was some mixing up of old and new parts when the production of two different versions of a car overlapped.

I appreciate the kind words, and thanks for sharing! If possible, I'd be interested in the date of manufacture for that glass if you can find and read the marks.

Thanks for watching, and I appreciate the encouragement!

As I've only had the GT6 for about three years and it's my first major overhaul, the vast majority of my "stupid taxes" have derived from maintenance on my Spitfire. That said, obviously there is no shortage of opportunities for the GT6 to generate these taxes...and they will come due at multiple points in the process, I'm sure...

Thanks for watching! Yes, a little fear/anxiety is generally the first hurdle to cross when doing anything new that seems fairly high stakes. I know I've occasionally struggled to get started with certain work because it seems intimidating, but if we're going to do a thing, we all have to start somewhere. Now I've reached the point with metalwork where I kind of figure I can repair anything I mess up...and, if not, someone with much better skills than I can be called in to do so. Hence, I've gotten rather bold with the bodywork. Thus far I've been pretty cautious with the engine, as I'm trying to keep my car mostly original/numbers-matching, etc., so I'm very much trying to avoid any irreparable harm.

Thanks for following along! It's true that significant accident damage is probably a lot worse than rust...unless we're talking rust where portions of the car have absolutely disintegrated/collapsed and no decent replacement panels are available. But I'm trying to stay positive (i.e. keep the old "glass half full" mindset). Your website has been one of my most important resources. I stared at photos of your car in various states of disassembly numerous times before I dove into mine (although I was still surprised about a couple of things I didn't pick up on). Hopefully one day we'll have cars that look very similar, as I'm sticking with the 25/Conifer/Triumph Racing Green color original to my car that "you" (by which I mean your wife, according to your telling of it) chose for yours!

Find a spitfire doner rear section and get your inner panels needed as they are the same. right and left quarter panel is the same also

Thanks for the advice! I have BMH/Steelcraft/reproduction panels for the worst of it (boot floor, rear valance, rear wings, rear inner panels). From where things stand in the video, I really would like to salvage as much original metal as possible (whatever can be straightened to my satisfaction), but I've definitely been thinking about getting some additional patch panels from Spitfire or GT6 parts cars to help with some of it.

While one of my aims was to get to the bottom of the original color of the lettering, I can't disagree with you, especially given the other comments here. Sadly, it's not the only time I ramble or operate on what seems to be a false assumption. I'm striving to do better. Thanks for watching and commenting!

Thank you! Correcting errors and gaps in the factory literature (and other such documents) is clearly a collaborative effort, and I wouldn't get far without others. Indeed, I hope that someone, somewhere has compiled or is compiling this type of information in a single, accessible source. Beyond that, I'm obviously no more accurate than the documents we're discussing, of which there is ample proof on my videos and elsewhere...

Thanks! Unfortunately, my "research" was rather costly because I bought the widely available reproductions before researching them, and because nice original (and nice reproduction) badges are quite expensive...

I haven't researched it, but it's an interesting issue. (I responded to your post over on the TE forum.)

Thanks for the comment. You make an important point. On my late Spitfire, the lettering seems to be silk-screened on the finished dash. That would explain why it has remained white and why the edges of the letters have worn over the years, etc. I had assumed my GT6 dash was the same, but I just pulled my center panel out of storage and, running my finger over the letters and examining them in different lights, I do think they were added prior to the finish being applied. That would explain the yellowing...and it also explains why some of the lettering on GT6 dashes seems a bit smeared (see my "BRAKE" letters for a good example). Perhaps Triumph moved to putting the letters on last because of yellowing, smearing, etc.? Anyway, it would not be the first time I assumed something about the 1969 car based on a long history with the 1980 and turned out to be wrong...

Thank you! And thanks for sharing!

It really was something I stumbled upon for the first time back in 2020, when there was more time than usual for searching for period documents and NOS parts and such. I got it from a US-based eBay seller. I didn't see another for a long time--but I think I recently saw one for sale in the UK. Your point about the paint chips makes sense to me.

Thanks! New video was posted this morning. Quality is still not great, but hopefully I'll improve over time.