WWzD/Automotive Alphabet Aerobics: T is for Triumph, Alternatively Titled: WWzD, Mr. KQ Edition

Owning an Italian sports car has been compared to having a beautiful younger mistress. The experience is exciting, dangerous, and expensive. Sometimes you'll be embarrassed to be seen in public together, but you'll privately love the sounds it makes. People who don't know you will laugh and assume you have a mid-life crisis, although the reptile part of their brain will envy you. It will explode at the least convenient times in the least convenient places. Your wife will eventually issue a "it's me or her" ultimatum. It will seem like a good idea at the outset and you'll be in love (or lust) for a little while, but ultimately you'll regret the decision.

Owning a classic British sports car is more like being friends with Whitney. The cost of entry is comparatively low. You'll smile a lot and have lots of fun, despite the lingering fear in the back of your mind that it could collapse in a heap at any time. Passers-by will grin and wave, people you don't know will come over just to talk, people familiar with the car will tell you stories about their experiences with it for hours. Sometimes it'll backfire and smell stinky. Your wife won't understand the allure at first, but after a while she'll grow to enjoy the experience too. Simply put, if you take care of [Wh]it, [Wh]it'll take care of you.

There are a number of affordable British marques if you're looking for a fun rear-wheel-drive two-passenger droptop. One is Triumph, which was founded in 1885 and went out of business in 1984. They made a number of sports cars with nifty names like Spitfire and Stag, but their premier model was always named after TR. Seriously, they had the TR1, TR2, TR3, etc.

You probably remember seeing the TR7/TR8 in the 1980s, or parked in front of the Sigma Chi house circa 1995-96 (the guy from Saddle River had a white one). They look like doorstops--this was a big design theme in the 1970s, particularly with Italian designers.

The TR7 has a weak 2.0 L in-line 4 making 90 (ninety?!) horsepower. The much rarer TR8 has a 3.5 L V8 that puts out a staggering 133 horsepower. The TR8 doesn't seem to command any premium over the TR7, and at this point both cars are 35+ years old so I'm not sure you'll find one that can meet those power figures, so I wouldn't sweat finding one over the other.

I'm not going to tell you not to get one of these, they're pretty and fun and the price of entry is low (here's one for $3750 OBO in Garden City). But even the crispiest example isn't worth much and repairs will be necessary and expensive if you can't do them yourself, and it doesn't really have a ton of cache (it was part of Triumph's death-gasp and is generally unloved--it's too new-jack for fans of British roadsters who are a tweedy lot, and it's way too underpowered for people who like its wedge styling). You'd be better off buying a 20 year old Miata.

The perfect Triumph is the TR6. Like all vintage roadsters it's completely analog--there are no computers between you and the carburetor, the brakes, or (God forbid) the steering rack. The driving experience brings tremendous tactile feedback in these types of cars. If you drive over a quarter you can tell if it's heads or tails. It has a straight-6 engine, a wooden dashboard, pontoon fenders, upright styling, and a faaaaantastic exhaust note.



BaT explains it better than I can and they have some helpful links at the end. TR6's are relatively plentiful and cheap too. This one was stolen for $12,500.

TR6s are also cool because they came in a broad range of riotous 60s/70s colors. Do you remember when cars had colors? Go to any car company's website and try to build a car that isn't black, white, or gray/silver. It's not uncommon for manufacturers to offer two different versions of black and three or more versions of gray. Here are your color options for a base Toyota Camry:

You won't have many more options for a base Honda Accord:

Chevrolet also provides a wealth of boring options for the top-of-the-line Impala:

If you're like me and you bemoan the death of colorful cars, take a look at these color charts, they'll break your heart. Here's my favorite:

That Carib Blue though! It would work on any convertible. Oasis Green is perfect for an SUV. God I love 70s car colors.

Here are the options for TR6s:

Wow! Conifer, Laurel, Saffron and Signal get it done for pre-1973. From 1974 onward Triumph put giant black rubber warts on the TR6's front bumper, but I'd deal with them (or just take the warts off) if it was British Racing Green, Java Green, Topaz, Mimosa or Pimento. Topaz and Mimosa might be perfect colors for this car. BRG is obviously an impeccable classic choice too. Here's a clearer paint card for 1973-75 which might be the best of the bunch.

The average TR6 is a little over $12,000. For about $20,000 you can get a very nice example. The only must-have, as far as I'm concerned, are Union Jack decals on the rear quarter-panels. If you're going to drive a Triumph you have to rock the Union Jacks.

Family Truckster!

Some lunatic genius in Alberta, Canada took a 1989 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Wagon and turned it into a Family Truckster.

Predictably, it's up for auction at BringaTrailer and it closes today.  I have no idea what the right number is for this monstrosity beauty but I will not be surprised if FoGTB DB wins it.

via GIPHY

A few other choice auctions that are within reach and end today include a 1990 300ZX Twin Turbo for Mark, a 1974 Fiat Jolly for our man at the beach, a very cheap and very shady 2014 Jaguar F-Type right here in NJ for rob, a 2004 VW R32 for rob's kid, a Laguna Blue (!!) 2001 BMW M Roadster in Acton, MA that Squeaky needs to buy right now (even the dreaded spot welds in the trunk look good), an Assuan Brown 1982 Volkswagen Westfalia with striped (not Boogie Woogie, sigh) fabric seats for rootsy, a Yellow Mist 1965 Mercury Comet Caliente Convertible for Whit, a remarkably crisp 1973 TR6 for Mr. KQ, and a 1972 350SL for Marls.

The Twelve Days of Gheorghemas: Day 6

On the third day of Gheorghemas, Big Gheorghe gave to me:

Six splurges for Christmas

Five Good News Stories, courtesy of Shlara

Soon to be Four on the Floor

Three Habits Forming

Two beers with Marcus Aerelius, an OBX Dave Joint, and

Two(?) dudes bested by Kazansky

Yeah, I know I did something like this last year.  Whatever, I'm a material girl and I like to splurge.

1. A Wrensilva record console

My grandmother had this big piece of wooden furniture in her living room.  It had a radio and a turntable and cabinet to hold records.  The record player could even flip the record when it got to the end.  I think she threw it out when she sold her house.  At the time it seemed useless but right now I'd like to have it.

I'm not alone in this regard and Wrensilva has the answer.  They sell hand-made wooden record consoles in three different sizes with modern accoutrements like Sonos and Bluetooth.  They are expensive and obsolete but oddly I want one (but I'm too cheap and don't have a place to put it).  Seems like a nice splurge for you vinyl fans out there.

2. A mechanical watch

I've said it before and I'll say it again: everyone should have a mechanical watch.  I understand why you might love the functionality of your AppleWatch or your G-Shock, or the ease of your quartz timepiece, but interacting with a little machine that keeps track of time through gears and a spring is just a great experience.  You can find good ones at any price point too.  zfamily vacationed in Switzerland this summer and while the distaff members went to an art museum to see a Picasso/El Greco dual exhibit, zson and I staggered around Basel, eating street meat and ducking into stores.  We found a Patek Phillipe dealer but it was closed (probably for the best if you've met zson) but next to it was an Oris dealer.  They gave us free water, iced tea, chocolates and ice cream (zson ate deeply from the ice cream fridge) and let us look at their wares.  Their best offering, in my humble view, is the Divers Sixty-Five with the gray ombre dial and light blue markers.  Yes, it would be cooler if it was the Divers Sixty-Nine.  Yes, Tiffany blue dials are way too trendy right now.  Yes, $2,400 is a lot to spend on a watch.  Whatever, go try one on you'll see what I mean.

Maybe you already followed my advice and bought a mechanical watch.  Is it a GMT?  You need that extra hour hand to track a second time zone!  You're a ramblin' man!  Pimpin' all over the world!  Magnum had one for Pete's sake!  You need a Zodiac Super Sea Wolf "Pan Am" World Time GMT.  Then you can not only tell time in two places at once, you can say "I don't like that Pan Am coffee ..." when people ask about your watch.

3. Some pants from Duck Head

I know you remember Duck Head, purveyor of chinos in the south in the 1980s and 1990s.  They're back, or at least someone bought the trademark and stuck it on some chinos.  And they're good chinos!  Not so slim that you look like you're wearing your girlfriend's pants, and not so baggy that you look like a slob.  zwoman got me some shirts and a jacket too.  You won't be disappointed.

4. A Meater

Meater is not the name of an app for casual sex, although it should be.  It's a wifi and Bluetooth enabled leave-in meat thermometer.  You stick it in your meat, then set it to a temperature on your phone.  It will tell your phone when your meat is ready.

5. A Donald Trump NFT

I'm kidding when I say you should buy DJ Trump's NFT's.  I'm not kidding about their existence, I'm kidding about buying them because (1) they're sold out and (2) he's a piece of shit.  They exist!  I will find the time to make a full post out of this, but for now I'll just say that being Trump is a license to print money--he sold all 45,000 of his NFTs at $99 a pop.  That's almost $4.5 million.  For NFT's like this, featuring Trump chipping out of a sand trap with a salami in his pants: 

Or this one featuring Trump in a superhero outfit that flatters his ripped physique:

The NASCAR NFT is particularly interesting.  He's wearing #47 either because he expects to win in 2024, or he doesn't want to take Kyle Petty's number.  That his racing suit says "TEXAS," not "FLORIDA" or "NEW JERSEY," has me scratching my head.  Or maybe I'm just scratching my head at this whole thing.

6. A WCSaGD for Mr. KQ

Mr. KQ was obliquely mentioned in an ur-WCSaGD post entitled "WWzD/Automotive Alphabet Aerobics: T is for Triumph, Alternatively Titled: WWzD, Mr. KQ Edition."  I know he has an emotional connection to TR6s but I didn't get into that at all.  However, this post partially birthed WCSaGD.

You are an awesome person if you're getting Mr. KQ a TR6 for Gheorghemas.  But if you want my advice, I'd consider something else for him.

I met Mr. KQ at Gheorghefest.  His hi-fi setup is legendary.  He's a little bit older and a lot cooler than me, although the latter is a low bar.  And speaking of bars, Mr. KQ knows beers.  He knows smooth jams to rock the party and the ladies, so he needs something that can hold a party or an intimate encounter.  And cargo room is useful in his line of work.

You should get Mr. KQ a 1977 Dodge Tradesman B200 finished in yellow over a beige and brown interior, powered by a 360 cubic inch V8 paired with a three-speed automatic transmission, with a body kit with a rear spoiler and front lip spoiler, a sunroof, side pipes, oval-shaped windows, swivel captains chairs, button-tufted and quilted vinyl interior panels, a bed platform, LED lighting, a refrigerator, a flat-panel TV, an aftermarket sound system, a mirrored bar, and wine bottle storage.

Have I ever gotten a WCSaGD more right?  Check out this den of iniquity:

Even the transmission is perfect--three on the tree with a surfer knob.  That's what you should get Mr. KQ for Gheorghemas.