It didn't really slow down in 68/69. My 79 Honda Accord came in three
flavors California, Hi-Altitude, and "other 49 states." Even then the
differences between Hi-Alt and Other were minor, California on the other
hand......
There's a good reason I moved out, and I was born there.....
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-6pack@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-6pack@autox.team.net]On
Behalf Of R. Ashford Little II
Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2002 11:09 AM
To: 'jonmac'
Cc: 6pack@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: TR6 PI
I should have known those crazy Californians were to blame.
R. Ashford Little II
www.geocities.com/ralittle2
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-6pack@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-6pack@autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of jonmac
Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2002 4:34 AM
To: LaJoMor@aol.com
Cc: 6pack@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: TR6 PI
Were fuel injected Triumphs (TR5-6 in particular) ever imported into
Canada?
Hi, Larry
In reply to your question, not as far as I'm aware. There was such a
gulf of
difference in the performance between the two versions that had it been
offered in Canada, a substantial 'grey' import channel ran the risk of
being
opened up. This would have created chaos and left not only
Standard-Triumph
in the UK but its national sales companies in Canada and the States in
some
considerable difficulties - mainly of a litigation nature. I do know
that
just a few cars did sneak in - in fact, over the course of about a year
and
a half, I sold six to an American who claimed he was living in France
and
the cars I'd sold him kept getting stolen! Wasn't quite that gullible -
but
something was going on. Eventually, we discovered he was driving the
cars to
France, removing the engine/gearboxes and shipping the cars to New York.
The
power units then followed on another ship and were reunited in a covert
operation. The once more completed car was then sold at a substantial
price
premium. I think (but can't be sure) that Road & Track then published a
road-test of one of these 'imports' and then the brown stuff hit the fan
BIG
TIME at the factory. A year later, this guy's wife wrote to me to say
her
husband was doing a ten year stretch in a California State Penitentiary!
Looking back to those days, it's my understanding the Federal Spec car
wished on the whole of North America was the only way to ensure total
product conformity. In reality and probably only in '68 and '69, it was
only
CA that insisted on a reduced level for smog - all or most of the other
States in the US could have coped with the emission levels from the
injected
engine. That said, imagine the problems that would have arisen if
California
had had carbed cars and almost everywhere else in the US had had the
injected variant. Thatr's why all the European manufacturers took the
'easy
out' and offered only one model for all States - and Canada as well.
Cheers, John
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