1977 Triumph 2000 TC 2.0 litre straight six from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

A match made in Heaven

Faults:

Steering rack had to be reconditioned at $600 to pass the warranty of fitness.

Volts meter irregular reading sometimes peaks to 15 plus with head lights lighting up the entire neighbourhood instead of the road.

Flood in front foot well ruining 26 year old carpet. Drain plug on the floor helped prevent future floods and served as an effective plumbing solution.

Steam engine simulation on the way to work when all the coolant leaked through a ruptured heater hose. Problem solved with $10 rubber hose and coolant.

Bomb proof engine starts up every morning. Hard to believe it's a 26 year old British classic.

Boot lid taking in water water a rainy day.

General Comments:

The Beast as I call it is a sensation for any driver. Able to cruise at 120k on the highway and turn a few heads. It a living proof that driver cars are not always expensive, V12, and Italian.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th June, 2003

1970 Triumph 2000 Mk2 2.0 Straight six from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A good, individual car for the money that saves on tax and insurance what you will spend on petrol.

Faults:

Alternator packed up. Lucas 34amp now replaced with Lucas 65amp from a Range Rover V8 (tight squeeze with battery though).

Bearing rattle from engine, especially when started from cold. This is common. My parents' 2500S has this as well.

Clunking coming from front suspension somewhere. Not track-rod ends or lower ball joints - suspected wheel bearings.

Rear axle whine. Axle has leaked oil and been run dry over the years by previous owner. Now been replaced with one in the garage of slightly higher ratio (from an automatic).

General Comments:

My parents' 2500S automatic is a beautiful, reliable car which very often carries 4 people plus luggage and a 21ft caravan down to Blackpool, Wales, Weston Super Mare etc. I bought a bad one. Be careful when choosing.

Mine has been botched and abused, and VERY badly welded, costing me £150 to get it through it's MOT.

However, this car is amazingly comfortable, even on long motorway runs or in stationary motorway traffic.

Performance of this car is good. It has been fitted with larger carburretors so it does go quite well, but best of all is the sound of that amazing 2.0 liter six cylinder under the bonnet. Especially when I get the sports exhaust on.

Handling is OK. Soft suspension and no anti-roll bar (except on 2500S and estate models) means high speed corners are scary - especially with the cheap tires on the very small 13-inch wheels. I may have a heavy right foot, but these just help the back end to slide in 1st or 2nd gear corners.

If you get a good one you will be very pleased, because it will be quick reliable and fun. If you get a bad one it will be a constant drain on your wallet and clunks are very hard to find.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th May, 2003

7th Nov 2003, 21:56

I had a 1970 Triumph GT6+ when I attended University in 1974 to 79. The clutch went out, along with the last of my money, so I stored my GT6 at my parent's home in New Mexico for 20 years.

I have spent the last 3 years restoring this vehicle, and I can't tell you how much pleasure it's brought me. I can get any parts I need from Spit bits in Northern California or Rimmer Brothers in England. Spit Bits is on the web, www.spitbits.com, and Nigel is more than helpful in locating the parts I need, and with advice. It does get pricey at times, but many of the parts are within reason. I also buy some parts on eBay, although at times the seller doesn't know the difference from an MK1, 2 or 3 part, so be careful when bidding on eBay.

After 20 years of sitting, the engine is still as tight as when I shut it down in 1979. Naturally, the brakes and rubber grommets were worn so all had to be replaced. We found it difficult to reconstruct the rear axles because of the Rotoflex donuts. They were a pain to install, but not impossible.

If you have a Triumph and want to restore it, I would strongly advise giving Nigel a call at Spit Bits for his advice. And, if you're not sure you want to restore it, don't think - JUST DO IT! Good luck...