Best Driving Roads

[Guest]

Putting the car in low will stress both the engine and box. Both are considerably more expensive to replace than brake pads, or stopping for a coffee to let them cool down.

Not when used with the brakes, don't let the engine do all the braking! Still, you could fit vented discs, green or yellow stuff pads, braided hoses, willwood calipers and use silicon fluid. Coffee maybe quite expensive in Italy

[DJT]

Putting the car in low will stress both the engine and box. Both are considerably more expensive to replace than brake pads, or stopping for a coffee to let them cool down.

I must have been doing it wrong for the past 46 years then. Strange, seeing as how I was taught by a police driving instructor.....

[Andy S]

I agree. All these modern multi-tronic boxes you get today. You play with it for the first 3 weeks of ownership and then it just gets put in D.

After all, you don't buy an automatic to change the gears yourself.

My other classic is a 944 where I specifically searched for a manual version as I believe it is a car better suited to a spirited run.

[Andy S]

Police Instructors don't pay for the engines and gearboxes they wreck. They are training Police Officers to drive a car safely at high speed on public roads. Slightly different goal to a sunny Sunday afternoon drive.

[DJT]

Police Instructors don't pay for the engines and gearboxes they wreck. They are training Police Officers to drive a car safely at high speed on public roads. Slightly different goal to a sunny Sunday afternoon drive.

Well I guess we'll have to agree to disagree then. I'll keep using engine braking when I feel it is necessary to help with slowing down on steep gradients, backed up by the brakes. You carry on relying entirely on the brakes and think of something else if/when they fail.

[Andy S]

Kind of on the same point, did the Police ever use Stags?

They must have been lent some to trial at some point by Triumph. I believe it's considered good PR by the manufacturers and many constabulary are budget conscious. Rarely turning down the use of a free car.

[DJT]

I'm not aware of them using Stags. Plenty of Triumph saloons in most engine configurations found themselves in police service throughout the country.
Several 2-seaters were also used: MGAs, Daimler SP250s, MGCs, Sunbeam Alpines, and some TRs.

[Tdm]

I'm not aware of them using Stags. Plenty of Triumph saloons in most engine configurations found themselves in police service throughout the country.
Several 2-seaters were also used: MGAs, Daimler SP250s, MGCs, Sunbeam Alpines, and some TRs.

I seem to recall the Triumph 2.5Pi was a popular Police vehicle in my day, certainly in the North of England where I used to live before moving into Cheshire and then North Wales.

It was also a popular Company Car with ICL Computer Sales & Support people whom I dealt with, as I used to get chauferred round to see new Mainframe Computer equipment that had just come onto the market in them.

Both the Police & the ICL Pi's were always white in colour, the best colour for Triumph cars!

[Carboy0]

We had 2.5 PI saloons and a permanent Lucas technician in the county workshop! As I recall the 'system' of driving required you to be in the right gear for the next event i.e. Drive round the bend in the gear you want to exit in, rather than coast round the bend and then change down, likewise change down before you pull out to overtake, rather than hit the gas, bog down, and then change down. Likewise slowing down for lights change down, ready to pull away. If the lights stay red, then coast to a halt with the clutch dipped and select first ready to go when the lights change - it's all really just anticipation of the next event.

[MandM]

Well I guess we'll have to agree to disagree then. I'll keep using engine braking when I feel it is necessary to help with slowing down on steep gradients, backed up by the brakes. You carry on relying entirely on the brakes and think of something else if/when they fail.

I'm with you Dave I use my box, drop it down to 2nd, then first. drop it down to second sometimes to overtake then back to D, even hold it in first from the lights, then nudge it into second and so on. The best thing to do is just have fun with it

[KOY 23]

I agree with the above 2 posts, it's the only way to play.

[Tdm]

My wife's former Honda Prelude was an automatic, but it had a sports button, which, if you pressed it delayed the upchanging till the revs were higher. So you had the choice of easy relaxed driving with reasonable economy, or more sporty driving which used more petrol.

On quiet back, good North Wales roads we used the "sports" button quite a bit. Would be nice to have something similar to that on the Stag. Although the Prelude was Maureen's car, I quite enjoyed driving it also. The model I am talking about is the one shown in the picture below outside our former Glan Conwy home.

[KOY 23]

Use the lever and your right foot.