Well, here goes nuthin'. My name is John Day, and I am 39 years old. I'm not
quite sure how I got hooked on British cars, considering my older
stepbrothers were 'gearheads', one having bought a Camaro SS with a 396(?)
brand-new in 1968. I saved my $ earned at the local A&P, and in 1979 I went
to Toronto from my home town of Belleville, Ont., armed with the sports car
classifieds from the Toronto Star. I bought my current TR6, a 1976 model
with 19,000 miles on it, for $6,200. They were selling at a premium then due
to the existing backlash against the wedgies, though if I'd known then what
I know now, I probably would've gone for an earlier TR with more bells &
whistles for much less $. My concern at that time was reliability (from a
LBC?), so I wanted the newest, lowest-mileage car available. I drove the car
for 3 summers, then put it away while university and getting on with things
mattered more.
Flash ahead to 1989: I managed to pay for school without selling the car,
and had worked enough years to buy (along with the bank!) a house, so here I
was in Ottawa with my wife Lori (we married in 1985) and a big garage (a
prerequisite). I had the car trailered up by my brother-in-law. Still, the
car was not a major focus, but I joined the Ottawa Valley Triumph Club in
1991, became its newsletter editor, and figured I'd better have a car to
drive. The TR6 received a minor 'restoration' of a respray (in original
russet brown), plus a lot of perishable items like hoses, etc. By 1993, it
was back on the road again, at an odometer reading of 33,000 miles. It now
has 45,000 miles, and apart from an overdrive added from a parts car (the
first of 3 such TR6s), it is all original mechanically. I haven't even taken
off the air pump or EGR!
After visiting Europe in 1995, including a driving tour of the south of
England in a Fiat Punto, I had the chance to meet several members of the TR
Register, including Bill Piggott. I had bought a signed copy of his 'Triumph
by Name' compendium from Bill at his home, and reading it made me have
second thoughts about the sidescreen cars. I had to get one. Shortly after
arriving home, what should turn up for sale in Ottawa but an early (TS 537
L) long-door TR2. I got out-bid on that car (to Brian Thomas of Kingston),
but I kept watching & waiting. A club member unfortunately passed away at
the early age of 52, and his widow had contacted the club regarding the sale
of his TR3A. I got the message (editor, as you recall), and called her
regarding the details of the car. A 1958 model, original overdrive model,
with wire wheels and factory hardtop. Needless to say, it never made the
newsletter. It required only front brake pads and a headlight (not so much a
beam as an 'aura', the mechanic put it :-)). I figured the best car to buy
was one that wouldn't otherwise be for sale.
So there you have it. My TR6 passed its 20th anniversary in my ownership in
June, and the TR3A is going strong. I've bought another 3A parts car which
I'm presently stripping, so I should be well-supplied for both cars for
years to come. I've enjoyed the list immensely, and have chimed in myself
from time to time, but often prefer to read the 'serves and volleys' from
others. That's yer lot.
Cheers, JD
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