fot
[Top] [All Lists]

Kurt Oblinger Report on Monterey-Nice

To: "'Amici Triumphi'" <fot@autox.team.net>
Subject: Kurt Oblinger Report on Monterey-Nice
From: Alexander Joseph H <AlexanderJosephH@Waterloo.deere.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 10:24:21 -0500
No mention of the Peyote but nice report from Triumph List.  Thanks Kurt.


Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1998 18:40:00 -0700
From: kurt oblinger <koblinger@linkline.com>
Subject: Triumphs at Monterey Historics


Hi all,

Just rolled in from the Monterey Hysteric Old Car Festival and Bank
Account Depletion Weekend. This year the honored marque was Porsche and
there were a lot of the little Teutonic wonders. Probably half the 356s
left in the world were there as well as al the significant race cars I
could think of as well as most of the significant people. I am sure all
the big mags will cover it ad nauseum so I will just tell you about
three interesting Brit cars.

First was the TR250K that Kas Kastner and Pete Brock cooked up in 68. It
is a thoroughly reworked TR250 with an interesting aerodynamic body that
Pete Brock designed for it with a very pointy nose and a high deck lid
with a little moveable flap spoiler. I remember seeing this car for sale
in 1977 for $6500 when I didn't have $6500. The car is now owned by a
collector in Wash. state and has been fully restored. It originally had
Lucas PI but now has Webers. It ran in  the class with the Cobras,
GT350s, 914 GTs, and 911s and basically Brock just drove it and stayed
out of everyone's way.

The second was one of the works Triumph Spitfire LeMans GTs, ADU 4B.
These were the alloy bodied fastback GTs that set the style for the GT6.
This car was painfully original with the proper alloy wheels and the
original paint it had when it ran LeMans.

The last car isn't a Triumph but a cousin so to speak. It is a Morgan
SLR, one of three built based on the +4(TR engined) but with an
aerodynamic aluminum body. The cars were a joint venture between John
Sprinzel and Chris Lawrence and this particular one was raced by
Lawrence with good results including a 3rd at Spa with 2 Porsche 904s
ahead and 4 behind. Appropriate that it would race again against
Porsches. This car has been run for some time in the east but it is now
owned by a Dutch collector and will be going to Europe.

Don't recall seeing many Triumphs (one TR3A for sale in the Christies
Auction, estimate 10k to 15k) but did see some folks camped out with a
Triumph Travelers banner. Yelled a greeting but couldn't have a talk as
I was over the fence doing my imitation of a Big Time Car Photographer.

Must admit I didn't drive a Triumph although I probably should have
taken my TR7. My wonderful German car lost a coolant hose and
subsequently all its coolant. I then managed to snag a large root in a
parking area at Pebble Beach, badly cracking the spoiler and dislodging
a fog light. Then a bolt holding the alternator adjusting arm undid
itself, luckily ending up in the shroud under the engine. I should shoot
my mechanic but suicide is illegal.

Cheers,

Kurt Oblinger
"I am my cars mechanic"

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
  • Kurt Oblinger Report on Monterey-Nice, Alexander Joseph H <=