The Sprint Tears Up Detroit
The Sprint Tears Up Detroit
Today was the first today I took NGE 6V to work.
Normally I wouldn't this time of year.
But it is the day before a holiday, traffic is light, the weather is surprisingly good.
That car is sensational. The fast road cam and spax shocks give it the edge to mix it up with all sorts of modern machinery on Interstate 75. Such as the nosepickers in the Saturn saloon and Honda Civic who tried to muscle in front of me.
Didn't happen.
They got a nice view of Dolly's rump going away at 85 mph.
Richard Truett
Normally I wouldn't this time of year.
But it is the day before a holiday, traffic is light, the weather is surprisingly good.
That car is sensational. The fast road cam and spax shocks give it the edge to mix it up with all sorts of modern machinery on Interstate 75. Such as the nosepickers in the Saturn saloon and Honda Civic who tried to muscle in front of me.
Didn't happen.
They got a nice view of Dolly's rump going away at 85 mph.
Richard Truett
Bliss
Thems the moments that make it all worthwhile. I think I might just have to find a way to get one of those hot cams for Blue. Hell I miss Blue
Tinweevil

Tinweevil
1978 Pageant Sprint - the rustomite, 1972 Spitfire IV - sprintfire project, 1968 Valencia GT6 II - little Blue, 1980 Vermillion 1500HL - resting. 1974 Sienna 1500TC, Mrs Weevils big brown.
Isn't it a shame the Sprint was never sold here?
That car would have crushed the life out of any of the Japanese cars of the mid 1970s and all of the small American ones. Sprint versus Chevrolet Vega or Ford Pinto? Hah!
Not offering the Sprint in the USA ranks as one of BL's biggest corporate blunders. It would have been huge.
That car would have crushed the life out of any of the Japanese cars of the mid 1970s and all of the small American ones. Sprint versus Chevrolet Vega or Ford Pinto? Hah!
Not offering the Sprint in the USA ranks as one of BL's biggest corporate blunders. It would have been huge.
I know of no car from that era that performs and handles like the Sprint, that has the luxury features and STILL gets aroung 30 MPG. Don't forget America was a dismal place for small cars in the 1970s.
I think the Sprint would have found an enthusiastic audience here, maybe small at first. But it would have grown. BMW started small and kept at it. Now look where they are.
I think the Sprint would have found an enthusiastic audience here, maybe small at first. But it would have grown. BMW started small and kept at it. Now look where they are.
have to disagree there we had no real issues with sprints back then even ones with big milage so long as they were looked after properly most sprint owners in the day had respect for what was under the hood !!
and i'd belive it could have been a big seller in the us it was a shame thart tr7's were forced to have a steel roof because of us restrctions of the day against rag tops triumph could have had big sales there
definatley beter than a pinto or vega even if the later did look a bit like a scaled down camaro
if only ....
and i'd belive it could have been a big seller in the us it was a shame thart tr7's were forced to have a steel roof because of us restrctions of the day against rag tops triumph could have had big sales there
definatley beter than a pinto or vega even if the later did look a bit like a scaled down camaro
if only ....

I have learned the Sprint is much like other Triumphs: If you listen to the engine, it will tell you when it is not right. Or you can feel it. Or you can smell when something is leaking. If you look after it, it will look after you. If you ignore the warning signs, you do so at your own peril.
In other business: I just took my Sprint where no Sprint likely has ever gone before, to the giant downtown headquarters of General Motors.
I had to circle the large building a few times while a colleague went inside to get lunch from one of the restuarants there. I got a lot of cool looks from executives coming out and a thumbs up from a parking attendant.
Long live the Dolomite!
In other business: I just took my Sprint where no Sprint likely has ever gone before, to the giant downtown headquarters of General Motors.
I had to circle the large building a few times while a colleague went inside to get lunch from one of the restuarants there. I got a lot of cool looks from executives coming out and a thumbs up from a parking attendant.
Long live the Dolomite!
Nice to see you both driving the sprints this time of year. Here on the west coast of canada we have had a lot of rain and wind so not to much time to drive my sprint plus it is behind my TR4. I did take the TR4 out today as working on the OD a little chilly with no top on.
Richard sounds like the sprint really rocks it must have had a great engine rebuild. Did you figure out why the guy sold the car after having it only 1 yr here.
Here in BC we have collector plate insurance, if the car is stock you can get a year insurance for around $285 CDN. cannot drive to work or school but its great if you have a couple cars.
Safe driving Denis
Richard sounds like the sprint really rocks it must have had a great engine rebuild. Did you figure out why the guy sold the car after having it only 1 yr here.
Here in BC we have collector plate insurance, if the car is stock you can get a year insurance for around $285 CDN. cannot drive to work or school but its great if you have a couple cars.
Safe driving Denis
I can only speculate about why NGE got 10,000 pounds spent on restoring her and then got dumped.
The man I bought it from said he had a red 1973 or '74 Sprint while he was in school back in England in the 1970s and he wanted a car exactly like it. So he found NGE on the Internet in England last year, sent a friend to look at it and then bought it when the report came back positive.
The car looks the business with a new two-pack carmine red paint job and Britax sunroof, restored wheels and more. But when I landed in Chicago a month ago to drive the car back to Detroit, it ran like hell. The carbs were way, way out of tune. So much so that it would not idle.
The man I bought it from is not mechanical at all. I don't think he could find anyone to look after it in Chicago. There were cobwebs all over it from sitting. And the tires were obviously pumped up quickly in order to move the car because they had at least 50 pounds of pressure in them. He said he was selling because he is moving to Florida and did not want to take NGE with him.
What I know from reading the logbooks is that the engine is bored .020 over, and has a fast road cam and that it was set up on a rolling road and horsepower at the rear wheels is 150. It's a hoot to drive. I would never believe that engine could be so rorty. That's why I am now setting up my TR7 Sprint engine the same way.
Richard Truett
The man I bought it from said he had a red 1973 or '74 Sprint while he was in school back in England in the 1970s and he wanted a car exactly like it. So he found NGE on the Internet in England last year, sent a friend to look at it and then bought it when the report came back positive.
The car looks the business with a new two-pack carmine red paint job and Britax sunroof, restored wheels and more. But when I landed in Chicago a month ago to drive the car back to Detroit, it ran like hell. The carbs were way, way out of tune. So much so that it would not idle.
The man I bought it from is not mechanical at all. I don't think he could find anyone to look after it in Chicago. There were cobwebs all over it from sitting. And the tires were obviously pumped up quickly in order to move the car because they had at least 50 pounds of pressure in them. He said he was selling because he is moving to Florida and did not want to take NGE with him.
What I know from reading the logbooks is that the engine is bored .020 over, and has a fast road cam and that it was set up on a rolling road and horsepower at the rear wheels is 150. It's a hoot to drive. I would never believe that engine could be so rorty. That's why I am now setting up my TR7 Sprint engine the same way.
Richard Truett
One can get classic car insurance here too with antique plates but can only be driven weekends and holidays, I'm sick with dolly fever and simply couldn't drive it only at weekends! The only reason I don't drive it through the winter is the insane amount of salt thrown all over the road in the winter. I've put a tad over 20k miles on it since i've had it, approx 2.5 years, including a few autocrosses where it has performed very well against more powerful modern machinery. It really must have been a joy to drive one off the dealers forecourt back in the day!
Cheers
Mark
Cheers
Mark
We are very lucky here by being able to drive year round as sometimes we get some nice days in the winter. Just did a fall colour drive in Washington State but took the TR4 this year. Last year made some great country road runs with the sprint, surprised my friend who drives a morgan with a race set up. My car is stock was shipped to Italy then back to Scotland I found on the club site was pretty taty when I got it and now needs some body work above the headlights.
I am waiting to hear back on the sprint in Ontario to find out what mods he has done, will not be looking at it until spring now as they get a lot of snow where this car is located. I hope it is a good a Richards car sounds.
Denis
I am waiting to hear back on the sprint in Ontario to find out what mods he has done, will not be looking at it until spring now as they get a lot of snow where this car is located. I hope it is a good a Richards car sounds.
Denis