Long before I rediscovered Cougars I went through a British car period… Nothing says made in England that having the door handle break off in your hand when you are getting out to try to figure out why the lights don’t work. But I digress.
I got a call from a long ago Triumph acquaintance and ended up on the Triumph Registry we site. I wanted to see how they were doing things now.
On that site I read the following:
How can you characterize our membership? We believe in side-curtains. We believe in engines that last forever. We believe in a rock-solid ride and cut-down doors. We believe that overheating in traffic is an unchangeable, natural phenomenon, just as earthquakes and tornadoes, no matter how unfortunate they might be. We believe that the person inside an automobile who is cold in the winter and hot in the summer–just like the weather outside–is a more healthy person, who will no doubt live longer than those who drive along in a controlled, unnatural environment. And most of all, we believe that the TR2, 3, 3A, and 3B series is the last mass-produced, cut-down door, side-curtained sports car that will ever be produced. As such, it holds a special place in the hearts of its Triumph Register of America owners, for it represents the finest of an honest and rugged car design that is capable of providing immense sporting pleasure at a reasonable cost. If you think like we do, won’t you please join us?
I loved my Spitfire convertible. It had a 240Z engine and 5 speed (wonky shifter but I got used to it). I wanted to put the GT6 hood on it but then I had a tire blowout and it screwed up the clutch. Still a very fun car in the twisties and with the Datsun engine it moved pretty fast. (cooked my right foot because it was too close to the firewall but… )
We believe that headlights should be hidden unless needed and turn signals should broadcast your intention, not just blink. We believe that if it wasn’t available on a Cougar you didn’t need it. We believe that you can always get one more relay under the dash and another foot of vacuum hose under the hood. We believe that engines have eight cylinders and wheel have five lugs. We believe that Mercury’s days were numbered when they stopped using the Cougar as their emblem.
To expand on that a little, and have some fun with a few of our favorite bugs…err…features!
We believe that headlights should be hidden unless needed and remain so at least until the car has been turned off. Turn signals should broadcast your intention, not just blink (except when there is something wrong with the sequencer or the relays, then blinking is acceptable, although not preferred).
We also believe that driving a really cool looking car that most people appreciate and dont know what the hell it is is fun.
The luxury along with the speed and performance doesnt hurt either.
Especially when you hit a bump with someone you are trying to impress sitting in the passenger seat. We also believe that spark is a gift from the distributor, not an entitlement, and that no gauge should ever reveal the true amount of fuel in a gas tank.
We believe that when it rains or when your Cougar is washed that cowl leaks are normal. Water should drip inside your Cougar after either of these events and if you own a classic car this does not happen to, that’s abnormal.
Steven
I believe when a Tach fails your car should not start. I believe an amp gauge should never, never, ever move. I believe that a leaking heater core should lead to a full car restoration since you must disassemble the car to get to the heater core anyway.
