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Re: Automatic Spitfire? Huh?

To: "Spitlist" <spitfires@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Automatic Spitfire? Huh?
From: "Laura Gharazeddine" <laura.g@141.com>
Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2002 10:05:27 -0700
>Ok- now I'm curious. Someone has a listing for an AUTOMATIC 

transmission for
>a 65 Spit on ebay (#1803972763). I've seen auto trannies 

mentioned briefly
>in a couple of Triumph books, but no real info to speak of. The 

pic on the
>auction looks rather like an OD with a sealed shifter rail. 

Anybody know
>about these? Think about it- in the spring you'd never be 

scratching your
>head trying to remember where reverse disappeared to over the 

winter! *grin*
>
>Jon
>'77 (mostly) 1500 "Ol' Yeller"
>www.bigolbear.com

That's a lame excuse if I ever heard one for something as silly as 
an automatic swap! (I got into Nigel after not having been inside 
or seen a Spitfire in over 4 years and knew *exactly* where 
reverse was.) Nope, you'll have to do better than that to convince 
me (or a lot of people for that matter.)

Now, a friend of mine has an elderly dad who has been a 
Triumph/Sports Car enthusiast since before most of us were born. 
This dad has a lovely, early TR6-since it was new, I think (or 
close to it.) THe car is all original (and beautifully kept) but 
for one thing-this elderly gentleman had a stroke a few years back 
and because of it, he wasn't able to drive a stick anymore. He 
could still drive a standard-but he really missed his TR. So his 
son converted it to automatic and until very recently, dad was 
still driving it! (It even has a small bagde in script on the 
back-similar to the "Overdrive" one found on round tails-that says 
"Automatic") Now, it's going to the old man's grand daughter as 
her college graduation present. (And she's a little gear head 
herself! A remarkable family!)

That is the sort of reason for converting. Otherwise it's like 
engine swaps in Spitfires and Hummer strech limos-all I can do is 
shake my head and say, "Why?!"

Just my two sou's,

Laura G.                 

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