Hi Robert, I know exactly why every NZ Sprint still has that shield and UK ones no longer do - SALT!
In the UK there is a flourishing industry (to which I contribute) making hard brake lines in materials less susceptible to corrosion than the original steel ones are. It's vanishingly rare to come across a Sprint still wearing it's original steel pipes, they've long since rotted away and been replaced. That's when the sheild disappears, into the bin with the old pipe. Because whilst that part of the pipe is in the engine bay and fairly protected, an inch or so away the pipe passes through the flitch and out into the wheel arch, where the tinworms can chew on it!
Nowadays, modern cars have plastic shrouded pipes hidden behind plastic shield plates, this doesn't entirely stop them rotting, just means an MOT tester can't SEE them so the rot goes un-noticed till something breaks! But back in the 70s and 80s cars in the UK left the factories with unprotected bare steel pipes, these often didn't survive our salt caked winter roads beyond the first MOT at 3 years old! Let alone the 40 years since!
Interesting to see what it looked like and where it was fitted though, i'd have expected it to be where the pipe crosses above the bigger shield on the bulkhead rather than on the flitch.
Having said all this, I did recomission a series 4 Sprint last year that had most of it's original steel pipes still present, a combination of low miles and a thorough Ziebart treatment being responsible for their survival. That car certainly didn't have the shield fitted, else I would have known about it! I replaced all the steel pipes with Kunifer regardless of their apparent sound condition (you can't always SEE the rot and this car had been standing many years, the pipes could have rusted internally from hygroscopically acquired water in the brake fluid) Futureproofing, if nothing else. I surely would have noticed the sheild, had it been there.
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.
|