The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

The Number One Club for owners of Triumph's range of small saloons from the 1960s and 1970s.
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PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2016 9:42 am 
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Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2010 8:39 am
Posts: 471
Location: Maidstone, kent
Sad news recently :(

My local favourite old school parts shop is no more.
As far as I know it is the last of its kind in my area.

Always helpful, and on occasion could come up with some surprising goodies...

Am now at a loss for all the little odds and sods he used to sell...

4U2FIT Maidstone. You will be greatly missed...


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PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2016 10:55 am 
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Location: Shetland / here & there
Getting evermore few and far between, there isn't one in Huntingdon (though there are the industrial estate located trade suppliers like Bennetts). I don't know if it's because of cars growing greater complexity or of our throwaway society but people just do not maintain their own cars any more. Of the 60 people in my office at work I'm the only one who repairs their own cars, and an example of throw away when it's broken is a colleague who was going to scrap his Fiat when it started to lose water, and was quite amazed when I stripped it down, fitted a new water pump and it was back on the road for £30 and an hours work.

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Current fleet: '75 Sprint, '73 1850, Daihatsu Fourtrak, Honda CG125, Yamaha Fazer 600, Shetland 570 (yes it's a boat!)

Past fleet: Triumph 2000, Lancia Beta Coupe, BL Mini Clubman, Austin Metro, Vauxhall Cavalier MK1 & MK2, Renault 18 D, Rover 216 GSI, Honda Accord (most expensive car purchase, hated, made out of magnetic metal as only car I've ever been crashed into...4 times), BMW 318, Golf GTi MK3 16v x 3


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PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2016 11:32 am 
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Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2011 1:13 am
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Location: The continent
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an example of throw away when it's broken is a colleague who was going to scrap his Fiat when it started to lose water, and was quite amazed when I stripped it down, fitted a new water pump and it was back on the road for £30 and an hours work.
Now he understands a leaky waterpump is no issue.

Jeroen

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PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2016 11:51 am 
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Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 7:26 am
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Quote:
Quote:
an example of throw away when it's broken is a colleague who was going to scrap his Fiat when it started to lose water, and was quite amazed when I stripped it down, fitted a new water pump and it was back on the road for £30 and an hours work.
Now he understands a leaky waterpump is no issue.

Jeroen
I reckon all he knows now is who to have a word with when the car next goes wrong . :roll:

A few factors at play. One is that indeed people mainly don't fix their own. However, most towns have a ECP who can be handy for moderns, and we have the internet and postal suppliers. Lastly. Ha;fords keeps evolving and amazingly stays afloat. There is a local car accessory shop, but they now do key cutting (mainly domestic stuff) and other DIY bits and bobs, and are evolving into an old fashioned hardware store. Not surprising really.

The elephant in the room is that modern cars simply don't need the servicing or indeed repairs in the same way "our" cars did. I am prepared to be shot down, but our old zafira (2003) got oil and filters annually, and apart fr0m that a battery, couple of sets of brakes, a set of plugs, cambelt and a coilpack (the only non-service issue) in 9 years and over 100k. Old cars need regular points/plugs etc and proper servicing.

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PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2016 10:11 pm 
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Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:12 pm
Posts: 7013
Location: Highley, Shropshire
It's not just car parts, the internet has killed off many high street shops. Since I live in a village in the back end of nowhere, there wasn't a car parts shop here anyway ( the last nearest, 7 miles away, closed 3 years ago) and the one and only local garage (that sells petrol) only keeps expensive oil in 1 litre bottles. Because of this, I keep quite a bit of stuff in stock, especially stuff for Triumphs but also bulbs, fuses, filters and brake pads for the more common moderns and my own rather extensive fleet.
The motor factors I do most business with are 20 miles away, but I get 4 vans a day delivery on weekdays and 2 on Saturdays so I don't need to keep too much. Unless it's a dire emergency, or something very heavy or bulky, I even get Triumph parts sent from Fitchetts, even though they are only 18 miles away, cos their mail order rates are cheaper than the fuel to collect (not to mention my time wasted)

I can only advise fellow Triumph (and modern) owners who do their own maintainence to get a few vital bits into stock, rather than wait till something goes wrong! It's no more than common sense to do this anyway, with the general poor quality of classic bits sold by motor factors (and the few remaining accessory shops) these days.

Steve

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'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey, Now with RWD and Carledo powertrain!

Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
Apprentice served Triumph Specialist for 50 years. PM for more info or quotes.


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 Post subject: Aye,.....
PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2016 11:30 am 
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Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:22 pm
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Location: Caithness, Scotland
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It's not just car parts, the internet has killed off many high street shops
There may be some truth in that but the biggest impact on the High Street has been supermarkets setting up
in Out of Town developments/Retail parks/call them what you will.

The Scottish Government has addressed this by altering the business rates system, small business who have a rateable
value of £11,000 or less pay nothing. The idea is to help small businesses stay in the town centres….tourism is a major industry
in Scotland, tourists don't stop long in places where all the shops are boarded up!
The UK Government are/have been talking about doing something similar to the Business Rates.


Here there is one stand alone Motor Factors left, although there are several repairers who also sell parts.
The other closed some time ago. The owner told me that it was no longer viable because the sales of cleaning
products had practically ended with the arrival of Tesco (who also sell oil, wiper blades, etc).
Mind you he was 86 at the time!




Ian.

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PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2016 7:13 pm 
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Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:12 pm
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Location: Highley, Shropshire
I even get my groceries online, the Tescos, Asdas, etc on their big retail parks are all 20+ miles away, I have a town centre Sainsburys at 8 miles (and my son works there so I get a discount) but it is cheaper to shop online at Asda and get the stuff delivered.

Steve

_________________
'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey, Now with RWD and Carledo powertrain!

Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
Apprentice served Triumph Specialist for 50 years. PM for more info or quotes.


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PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2016 7:40 pm 
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Location: The continent
Even your social life is online???? :mrgreen:

Jeroen

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PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2016 10:24 pm 
:woohoo:


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PostPosted: Tue May 31, 2016 2:16 pm 
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TDC Shropshire Area Organiser

Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:12 pm
Posts: 7013
Location: Highley, Shropshire
Quote:
Even your social life is online???? :mrgreen:

Jeroen
Looks like it, doesn't it? :(

Steve

_________________
'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey, Now with RWD and Carledo powertrain!

Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
Apprentice served Triumph Specialist for 50 years. PM for more info or quotes.


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