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Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site pyuxhh.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!pyuxww!pyuxhh!dxp
From: dxp@pyuxhh.UUCP (D Peak)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Help with (used) car shopping wanted  (Triumph & Fiat)
Message-ID: <727@pyuxhh.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 2-Oct-84 09:31:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: pyuxhh.727
Posted: Tue Oct  2 09:31:22 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 3-Oct-84 20:12:40 EDT
References: <591@trwspp.UUCP>, <197@pyuxt.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Communications Research, Piscataway N.J.
Lines: 29

TRIUMPH  For : Reasonable access to engine ,reasonable fuel economy,
               reasonably uncomplicated engine layout 
         Against : heavier than fiat,not as much luggage space as fiat 
FIAT     For : Good fuel economy,reasonable performance,all of them
               offer wind-in-the-air driving.
         Against : restricted engine access,driver limited to 6'0->6'1,
               has a pretty bad rep for reliability(this is mostly due
               to incompetent mechanics - I did have an excellent 
               mechanic but he got promoted)

All in all they both CAN be excellent little cars ; later models, due to
EPA they are both severely under-powered and due to the fact that they are
both imports after-market tuning & parts are expensive ($200-250 for a
good camshaft for the X 1/9). Funnily enough the earlier 1300cc Fiats have
more power than the later 1500cc jobs (1300cc=75bhp ,1500cc=67bhp).
Turbocharging the Triumph would probably the best way to make the thing
work as intended (TR8 gives great performance but as marcus hand stated
it takes up a lot of room - the best engine for the TR7 is from the Triumph
Dolomite Sprint a 16 valve engine almost exactly the same size as the original).

Enjoy !!

-- 

    Dave Peak (pyuxhh!dxp)

   "Kabooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom"
   - Guy Fawkes