----- Original Message -----
From: David Lee <davelee1@home.com>
To: triumph <triumphs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, December 10, 1999 7:37 PM
Subject: took my tr4 to the shop!
> (snip)
> Hi everyone
> On with the saga of the 40 degree tr4
> Everyone was right about it being the cam! Thank you very much.
> Its going to cost me $210 to get the cam degreed
> The list of things to do were crazy long
> I understand I cant skimp but i was looking at $1300
> Anyone out there in the orange county ca area that wants to install a
wiring
> harness for me for less than this guy?
> Anyone out there that wants to just help me get this car running correctly
> so I dont die on the freeway for some extra cash?
> im just a KID!!!
> hehehe
> David Lee
David:
Look up and join the local Brit. car club. You'll meet a bunch of people
with the experience and advice that you need. ( another way of saying "I
screwed it up a few times until I finally figured it out!!) We all started
in this hobby as "kids", not knowing a damn thing about these cars, but
wanting one 'cause they are SO COOL!
And, just like you, it was learn to fix it yourself, or have what meager
cash a young man has available turned over to a repair shop.(Of course,
after marriage, this becomes the meager cash that daddy has after the
mortgage, feeding the kids, etc.,etc.)
Step one:
Go to Sears- they're having a great sale on tool sets- an nice set for @
$200 will cover 90% of anything you'll need to do on your TR and will last
you a lifetime. And, you won't be making a payment on your mechanic's boat
every time something goes "thump" on your TR. These cars are some of the
most straightforward to work on. The wiring is point A to B stuff, not a
microchip is sight. The gas pedal works a lever on the carbs, not a throttle
position sensor. It mechanics at it's simplest, which is why I enjoy working
on them.
Step two:
Buy the shop manual. It's the best hands on guide you'll get. Next, this
list will answer any possible TR question- a world of experience an email
away and it's free! You youngin's don't know how good you have it
nowadays.......;-)
Step three:
The most important ingredients- patience and perseverance. I used to be this
rash kid who would dive into projects, but then abandon them at the first
sign of getting frustrated. Restoring my Tiger taught me not to panic, how
to keep focused on the task in front of me (i.e. get the front end rebuilt
and not worry about the pile of parts that used to be a Tiger that was
scattered around the garage). If I got stuck, I'd stop, catch my breath, and
seek the sage advice of other owners who had been there. It works every
time! And the tenacity to realize that your not always going to get it right
the first time. The TR6 will be the next beneficiary of these hard won
skills.
The payoffs are wonderful-way beyond the cash you save! Eventually, you be
proud that you can do it all yourself, and not be at the mercy of someone
else's schedule and cash demands.
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