Worldly Scions,
This must have been the week for starter motors.
I finally gave up trying to remove the inertia drive from one
of my Spit starters. It must be a lot easier if you have the
Churchill hand press S4221A with the S4221A-14 adapter.
Anyway I decided to also become a 'traitor' and see if I
could locate a rebuilt one locally. It's always fun calling the
local auto parts store(s) and asking for Triumph parts ;-)
Here's a summary of what I found:
Western Auto - "That doesn't sound to promising"
But they did find a listing for it. They didn't have one in
the store, but could order it. $74.54 exch. They didn't know
how long it would take to get it, or what brand it would be.
NAPA - A 'real' auto parts store IMHO
They don't choke when you say you're looking for Triumphs parts.
Didn't have one in stock, but could get one within 24 hours. They
had two choices; a Ray-dot? (reman company) for $68.98 or
a Bosch for $65. Both are exch. prices. (Bosch? I thought??)
Auto Zone - "Is Triumph made by Ford or Chevy?"
They found a listing under the "T" word tho... $54.94 exch.
Lifetime guarantee - could get it the same day. Didn't know who
it was made by.
Advance Auto - "Who made Triumphs?"
$49.99 exch. Lifetime guarantee - Didn't know who made / remanuf it,
but could get it the same day. Being 'Mr Shallow-Pockets' I took a
chance and ordered one at their 'best' price. I picked it up later in the
day. It's a Lucas OEM rebuilt unit. The housing is slightly dented
and has (too much) thick paint on it, but it will do. The only clue as
to who remanufactured it is a small label that reads; "WORLD CLASS
REMANUFACTURED [bar-code] Made in Japan". All of the intertia
drive components are new as is the drive end bracket. So this may be
the last time I ever have to _buy_ a starter motor for the Spit.
non LBC content:
I also had to replace the starter motor on my '74 Mercury Comet
this weekend. Same parts store - Same lifetime guarantee but
it only cost $20 and was 'in stock'. Still the price difference didn't
nearly make up for the increased hassle of working on the Merc.
(had to change it lying on my back under the car - lot's-o-fun NOT)
The more I work on any other car, the more I appreciate my Spitfires.
Bob Sykes (s1500@aol.com) - - - __,@_\____
'78 Spitfires - -- }-0-----0->
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