Amici:
In the early 1980s, I saw a set of 'spats' at one of the NATC efforts in
Detroit. As I remember, they belonged to a guy who had run into some
financial troubles and 'lost' his TR3 to the bank. The spats were all he
saved, and they were to be auctioned off. I recall Charles Runyan (TRF)
taking all kinds of measurements towards duplication (particularly the
mounting hardware). I had the idea I wanted them for my race car, so that it
would look more like the Jabbeke TR2, but Mike Belfer poured cold water on
the idea saying I would have to give up the Goodyear Eagle 70% aspect ratio
tires, and go back to 5" wheels (from my Silverstone 5 1/2" mags) in order to
run them, and stay inside the spats. He said it might look neat, but was not
a good idea.
Imagine those considerations, and then add IRS.
Bill Dentinger
PS
So at the auction I bid on and bought a huge Triumph sign. It must have been
ten feet wide and two feet high. It was a huge glass lens, meant to be back
lighted. I hauled it all the way back to Brookfield, Wisconsin, and stood it
against the garage while I unloaded the car at about 1:30 in the morning.
Remember it was made of glass (that's the way it was in those days), and it
promptly slide down the wall and smashed into about a million pieces.
I should have bought the spats.
|