Friday Petrol Head Post

MRC

Here's a TR3 story.

As Mech Eng students in the late 1960s one of our class was the envy of all by owning a TR3. He claimed a top speed of 110mph maybe 115. At that that time I had a Mini van, which even after I'd modded the head and carburettor achieved about 70mph 🙁 but I had a secret weapon. A Heuer chronograph. And the newly built motorway nearby (freeway/autobahn/autoroute) had markers at 1/10 mile intervals. No tachy scale on my Heuer but I could do the arithmetic in my head -- as I would hope any aspiring Mech Eng could.

So we set out after closing time at the pub in which we'd been arguing the top speed of a TR3. Perhaps not optimum.


We drive 15 miles north (well after dark) and I can't get a clear enough view of the 1/10 markers. 15 miles south and I still can't get a clear enough view. What I did get a clear view of was the blue flashing lights behind us as we pulled off the motorway. To our relief they stated that as the maximum speed at which they had clocked us was less than 100mph they were just going to give us a warning. Result! An elderly TR3 in uncertain state of tune couldn't reach 100 mph -- official 😁

larryganz

Some cars do reach past 100...

MRC

Here's a TR3 story.

vbrad26

I mean Mr. Bean wrecked his F1 TWICE and it was fixed both times.

mjb

Weeeeellll... I credit Rowan Atkinson with actually driving his cars and enjoying them, rather than having them collect dust in a warehouse. And I don't know the circumstances, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he probably wasn't drunk and acting the fool on a busy Manhattan street.

mjb

OK, my turn.

Mom & Dad had a TR3, it was their only car, when I was a wee tot. My brother and I would sit on the parcel shelf behind the seats. For you youngsters, this 1955-62 produced car was made before seat belts were mandatory in the USA.

mjb

All I remember about that car was the side curtains and that when Mom was driving us somewhere one day, I pulled the key out of the ignition. The car kept on running. She thought that was fascinating.

mjb

All I remember about that car was the side curtains and that when Mom was driving us somewhere one day, I pulled the key out of the ignition. The car kept on running. She thought that was fascinating.

K killer67

Not sexy but 400K+ on the clock