This is a bit of a rant. Those with sensitive digestive
systems may want to ignore me.
Now, I'm not one of those anal people who worries about
clamps for steering gaiters :-), but I'm a bit perturbed
at the way certain parts I've ordered for Sonja have
worked out.
1) Robbins Top from TRF - Has not the little hooks at the front
nor the retaining garter that keeps the windows from leaking (much).
This is not "all fasteners included" folks...
When I mentioned this to Charles some time ago at a meet, he
said to hang onto it, and I could trade it in on an AMCO top
when they began stocking them _real_soon_now_. That was over
18 months ago. I now cannot return it or exchange it, and I
am looking for a buyer (any takers? I'll give you a good deal).
2) Overdrive and Turn signal switches...
I've seen TR4s with these as original and they had metal/
chrome shafts with little plastic bits on the end. In fact,
I have a turn signal like that. The plastic bit was lost and
I broke the wooden one I turned to replace it, so in a fit
of monetary indulgence, I ordered one brandy-new from TRF.
I went to install it and it's a later style one, with a black
rubberized/plastic shaft. That's not what I wanted.
I realize that these are Lucas crosses, but why oh why don't
they warn you about these things? The O/D switch was the same
vintage, and I think they're butt-ugly.
3) Front springs - "No, these are the correct springs, and you
don't need the spacers for CT34831L". Bzzzzt. Ever try to
get a floor jack under a car with less than 3" of front ground
clearance? "Spacers? No, they're NLA. Sorry.". I've found
a set, but I would rather have not gone through R&R on the
springs twice, and I'm still not sure that the ride height is
going to be correct when all is said and done.
While I'm on the subject, why is it that the TR6,250 and now the
TR3 have their own catalogues from TRF, but the 4/4A are still
out in the cold? The 4 in particular, as the 4A shares much with
the 250. Production nubers are certainly not the issue, there
were about 40K TR4s and about 40K 4As,5s,and 250s (combined).
I know I see many fewer 4's out there than 6s (90K or so made)
and even than 3s (about 75K, right), but I'm beginning to feel
like nobody cares about this car. Maybe (hell, definitely) I'm
a little over the top on this, but I'm really frustrated.
Anyone got a contact at a boneyard somewhere that actually _knows_
this stuff? I need a windscreen washer pump that's been coming
in a few months for the last 2 years...
-MM
|