Mark:
All of the items that you cite in your list I did to my car, by myself. Now
admittedly, my skills may be a bit above average, but the point is that you
don't have to be a wizard to work on this car and you don't need
sophisticated equipment, either. At this point you have to decide what you
have more of, time or money. With a bit of time on your part, you can do
all the work that the mechanic recommends. Some of the jobs are easier than
others, but all can be done in your garage at home.
The front springs can be a bit tricky, but once out, the whole front
suspension is just nuts and bolts. A machine shop can remove and install
the bushings for you in an hour or so. The steering probably needs
adjustment and new bushings; the alignment is best left to a shop after you
finish all the other work. The carb rebuild is a one-nighter. The
distributor in your car has a vacuum retard, and you can get along fine
without it, just plug the line.
My whole point here is that you CAN do this work IF you want. You are
certainly not the first person that got scared when faced with the task of
freshening up a 25 year old car. Those of us on this list represent the
greatest resource available anywhere for advice and help. If you choose to
have someone else do the work, make sure you are confident in their
credentials and talk to other customers first. There are an awful lot of
repair shops that do bad work on any car, not just Triumphs.
Phil Barnes
Cortland, NY (nowhere near New York City)
peb3@cornell.edu
'71 TR6 CC61193L (20 year owner)
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