Carburetors are often cited as a source of constant frustration-adjustments, synchronizing, and repairing linkage “slop” are thought to be time-consuming exercises which rarely produce pleasurable results. However, the myth is that British cars require a prodigious amount of fiddling. The auto enthusiast looks forward to “fiddling” with his/her automobile. But that story is for another time.īritish Carburetors Need Constant “Fiddling” My worst leakers were the seven Chevrolet Corvairs I owned. From Pontiacs and Buicks, to Mazdas and Volkswagens, they all leaked some oil. But this was an exception, and not the rule for every British car I have owned.
58 TRIUMPH TR3A POS. OR NEG. GROUND. PLUS
In the 300 plus miles, I left an oil track that even Hansel and Gretel would have been proud of. I drove an Austin Marina from Portland, Oregon to my home near Seattle, Washington. My point is that every car I have ever owned leaked oil and therefore, it’s not a problem unique to British cars. Contrast this with the cost of parts for many American vehicles, especially since they are not “made in America” as they once were. They seem to be everywhere and most likely will remain tucked away in sheds and garages for decades to come. While wrecking yards have dried up, Craigslist has exploded with parts cars and used parts. These parts are not expensive! No one is giving them away for free, but the cost of replacement parts has dropped on many of my favorite makes and models. Few wrecking yards have the parts I need, but there is a wealth of reproduction or remanufactured parts available for the enthusiast. There were few manufacturers making reproduction parts, but the reverse is now true. In the early 1970s it was possible to find used parts in most wrecking yards. Not only is this a myth, it has been proven to be false with nearly every repair I have had to make on my many British vehicles. For example, my TR3 had only four fuses! Contrast that with my BMW 325, which has more than 50(!) fuses on its panel. Lucas systems in the early years were delightfully simple. Most of the electrical problems I had were due to my own attempts to add fog lights, 8-track tape decks, or some other accessory. I learned that, for the most part, Lucas designed a system that was pretty reliable. Yes, I have had my share of electrical gremlins in many of the British cars I have owned. Here are few of those “myths” which are often spoken of but which are not certainties by any means.Įveryone has a story of being left on a dark night without lights, or finding that their car won’t start because the battery has died for some unknown reason. Through all the joys and frustrations of ownership, my vehicles have taught me many truths and dispelled others. Since then, I have owned six Jaguars, seven MGBs, two Midgets, one Sunbeam Alpine, two Triumph TR3s, and three Austins. The vehicle was a Jaguar XK150, which I drove through my first three years of college. I began my ownership of British cars when I was 19 years old.