SPWCC CAR PROFILE. NAME…….David Finch. CONTACT TEL NO. 01746 716459 CLUB MEMBER FOR. 3 Years. D.O.B. 1943. [Older than the car] MAKE OF CAR. Triumph. MODEL. TR6. YEAR. May 1974. WHEN DID YOU FIRST ACQUIRE IT? May 1999. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAR? I really wanted a TR3 but silly money so settled for the TR6. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE ITS CONDITION ON PURCHASE? A good looker [just like me]. WHAT IS ITS CURRENT CONDITION? MECHANICALLY: Good. BODYWORK: OK to Good. PAINTWORK: OK to good. COLOUR: Mimosa. IS THAT THE ORIGINAL COLOUR? Yes. Nearly. WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT OWNERSHIP? Goes well, steers and stops. I always wanted one and early seventies saw me start on the Company Car bandwagon. They wouldn’t let me have a TR. WHAT DO YOU LEAST LIKE ABOUT OWNERSHIP? Various bits of me creaking when I get in and out of it. WHAT OTHER VEHICLES DO YOU HAVE? Classic Series 3 Landrover Safari. VW Tiguan 4WD. WHY DID YOU PROFILE THIS ONE? The TR is my main Classic although the Landy called Scruff works hard all the year round. Its main job is pulling posh modern 4x4’s out of the mud when they get stuck on my ‘’Shoot”. GIVE A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CAR BEFORE YOUR OWNERSHIP; The Heritage People tell me that the car was manufactured in May 1974 and despatched on the 3rd of June 1974 to ‘Border Motor Company’ Hawick, Roxburghshire. The vehicle was not registered for the road until the first of November 1975. [hence all the trouble I had to go to get it accepted as Historic Vehicle status. Now all that is done.] There have been 8 owners including me, but the guy I bought it from in Stafford owned it for 10 years so the last 2 owners have had it for a total of 26 years. It was manufactured as Commission number CR6120-O the O signifying fitted with Overdrive. UK spec with fuel injected 125 BHP engine. Extras factory fitted were static seat belts, headrests and 165x15 tubeless Dunlop SP sports tyres. [Not on there now everything else is.] The original reg number was KNP109P. I changed this to PCO 722 for no other reason than it was on a vehicle I was selling at the time and I thought it may be worth a bob or two in the future. Mileage at purchase was 61908[genuine]. Mileage now 71952 and climbing.
When I bought the TR it came with a fair bit of documentation. It had been subjected to a repaint in the early nineties and a substantial rebuilt to the gearbox, clutch and overdrive unit. Since then the improvements [??] I have made have all been mechanical. To include, recon differential, head restored with hardened valve seats, new valves and springs. Son in law who is in the trade paid for this as a birthday present and took it upon himself to instruct the engineers to resculpture the gas passages. I can’t tell the difference but it was running on 4 cylinders before with 2 exhaust valves completely gone. The original Lucas injection system was replaced with a new Bosch pump and filter and a new metering unit together with injectors. Hope that’s it now. Just before I replaced the brake master cylinder I had a dodgy moment when the servo sucked out all the brake fluid and fed it through the engine. Certainly was a buttock clenching moment. Good job the handbrake worked. How did they get away with that design I wonder? Recent replacements have included all new springs and dampers and new pads and shoes [sheer extravagance]. In the early days I had replaced the steel wheels with new 72 spoke wires and had the original tyres transferred over. Still on today and recently been professionally examined and declared OK. It must only be modern rubber that age degrades, I wonder why? The car came with a separate hard top in black that I have, simply never fitted but still have in storage down in my bottom hangar together with everything else I have replaced. Batteries and wiper blades and the old sealed beam units have been modernised. Jobs to do next. After this season has quietened a little the seats will be re-foamed to stop the yellow dust that seems to appear like dandruff every time I steal her indoors’ mobile Dyson. The seat covers are remarkably good but I might treat her to a new carpet set although the original is still good to live in. I must have forgotten loads that I have done or had done but the old brain isn’t as good as I would like it to be. We all know that running old cars is a never ending procession of spending money but what else would we do? The time is fast approaching when I have to replace the old girl. She is over forty and has the odd wart or two but Yvonne and I are creaking a bit now when mount and dismount. Hope you know what I mean. Got to replace her [not Yvonne] with something more sedate and accessible. Any suggestions? Dave Finch
This is a picture of Yvonne and Dave just before they got married (could only have been taken a few years ago). They are hoping to re-create it in the TR6. Dave mentioned he wished he still had the old fogey now; let’s hope he is referring to the car!
Name:Peter Willoughby Club Member for8 Years Make of car:Plymouth Model: P18 Sedan Year: 1949 When did you first acquire it:March 2015 Why did you choose this car:It chose me – having moved to a smaller house with more car space as one should I could finally fulfil my aim to obtain a large car from the 40s – on my daily trawl through the Car & Classic website “Daisy” jumped out at me – I did not fully realise until I was driving home - it was exactly what I was looking for. How would you describe its condition on purchase:Good original with one or two mechanical issues namely the clutch and carburettor I was able to use this to reduce the purchase price What is its current condition: Mechanically:Improving Bodywork:Excellent (a southern state import Paintwork: Very good cellulose some of it original Colour: A nice green that suits the car Is that the original colour:Yes What do you like best about ownership:Almost everything – but top of the list space/comfort and the exhaust note – also the availability and price of original spare parts What do you least like about ownership:M.P.G. it averages about 17 miles to the gallon driven with £££ signs very much in mind – but this should improve a little now a new carburettor has been filled and the tick over set correctly. What other vehicles do you have:Only my every day car which is a 10 year old last of the line Rover 75 – My 1973 Midget went to my son and daughter currently has the 1983 Metro Automatic Why did you profile this one: By request of the Editor Give a brief history of the car before your ownership: Daisy has lead a very sheltered life – the 53,000 is believed genuine she was brought new in 1949 by Howard Earl Williams a disabled resident of Clay County Missouri and was only used when he had a driver available – in 1983 he went into a nursing home and the car to a local museum. In 2007 it was imported to Northampton – converted to 12 volt and had a few more sensible modifications before being registered as 141 XUK in 2008. The last owner from Basingstoke kept it for 7 years before I purchased it in March 2015. Give a history of the car since coming into your ownership: With moving house and erecting a new home in the form of a double garage for Daisy I have had little time to fully enjoy her. Some essential mechanical improvements have now been made so I can look forward to a full season next year with the occasional run in the meantime. Like many cars the Plymouth was a victim of badge engineering sharing the same body shell and mechanics as Chrysler, Dodge & Desoto models – however it does mean that the already excellent spares support is even better. Normally order on Thursday by email - arrives at Heathrow or Stanstead by Sunday night only to wait up to 4 or 5 days before delivery to a UK address. Parts look very cheap until shipping cost and duty are added they then work out only relatively cheap, providing there is a favourable exchange rate against the Dollar.
A few facts and figures:Daisy has a few period extras like a trilby hat holder in the roof – an original chrome Kleenex tissue holder – spot lights and a little prism like gadget on the dash board that allows the driver to see the overhead American stile traffic lights from under the sun visor. The engine is a 3600cc straight six flathead (Side valve) that was produced from 1937 until 1963 and fitted to scores of different vehicles – it has three on a tree (3 gears – column change) front coil springs - turn-key start and auto choke as standard. The handbrake is a basic mechanical device that clamps the propshaft. The chassis would put to shame the average 3 ton truck. Driving a yank has its upside, it means Maria sitting on the right hand side gets the dirty looks from any other road user considering themselves hard done by - I can wear a baseball cap (recently purchased from Chris) as well as spit and chew gum with impunity.