Back in the 80's I owned this TR8

[yellowperil]

It was black back then and quite a nice car. I really liked it but sold it to a B.C. resident
(5000 miles away) now it's back on the east coast, actually just around the corner
from me and looks pretty good for all.

TR 8's as you know had the nice aluminum block Buick V8 3.5 litre, I also had a Sunbeam Tiger Mk 2 with the 289 Ford. Both nice cars that were a blast to drive.

[Racerbvd]

I've always had a soft spot for the Wedges..

[stomachmonkey]

Had one, what a steaming pile of odorous excrement.

Among it's many quirks the defroster was flaky.

Pulled the switch one day.

It was taped and rubber banded together.

Mind you, it came from the factory that way.

[ckelly78z]

"The shape of things to come" ?? Evidently not !

[speeder]

As I've mentioned here before, I worked at the local British car dealer in the '70s as a teenager. The TR7 was hands down the worst car they ever sold. And that is including the Triumph Stag, a V-8 powered rolling colostomy bag that never ran from the day it was built.

The highest mileage Stag or TR7 in the world probably has less than 20k original miles. If they ever built one that was a half-decent car, it would be the definition of a freak. Calling these lemons would be a massive upgrade, they aspire but never achieve lemon status. The service managers spent half their days on the phone w corporate screaming, "WTF?!?!"

Other than that, they were OK.

[Baz]

I've owned three TR-7's.

I think I own stock in Victoria British I spent so much money on these things!

The number of spare cylinder heads alone could be used to form an artificial reef!

I had an Silver on Black '80 drophead coupe, a White on Tan '81 drophead coupe, and a Blue on Black '79 coupe that was used strictly for parts.

My gearbox took a dump on I-95 just south of the NC/Va. line while on the way to visit my older brother in Virginia. He came down and towed me back to his place and I had a buddy ship to me a spare gearbox in my garage and I swapped them out in my brother's driveway. Always carried a clutch slave cylinder rebuild kit. Happy days when I sold that baby and all the spares off!

Here's me and my Mom with my '81....

[speeder]

It’s like they hired their engineers from communist Kahkastsan, or wherever that place Borat was from.

[petrolhead611]

My sister had a nearly new TR7 dhc and it was reliable, albeit services to the letter by my father's garage business. It drove quite well ,but was shirt if power.Her husband's TR8 was adequately powerful obviously and was also trouble free. They both have heavy right feet, but always remembered to let the engine fully reach operating temperature before flooring it

[pwd72s]

Where would we be without Brit sports cars to kick around? I mean, the Lucas jokes alone.

I have many fond memories. My buddy David's '60 Bugeye Sprite. 948CC's, a whopping 48 horsepower, top speed of maybe 80...might be able to outdrag a stock Beetle of the same era.

Yet there we were...he 18, me 17, enjoying many fun road trips in it. We and the country still young, the world was our oyster.

[yellowperil]

Wow, you guys are a tough crowd, but in my defence I was smart enough to stay WAY clear of the TR7. It was the TR8 that I enjoyed, and it was reliable and pleasant to drive. And drive it I did for several years. Trouble free!

Although, they certainly were ugly. (I didn't say they were good looking).

PCMSS!

On a more positive unrelated note, my friend Turk Gallant (perhaps even my cousin)
is going to the Stanley cup finals with the Knights. Too bad he's not puttin' it to the Florida Panthers.

[ckcarr]

I had a TR7. Great car for me in it's day.

But then.... Black night, black highway, black angus bull... middle of nowhere Colorado (back then). Two years later someone found and hung the missing headlight on a fencepost, where it stayed for two more years...






This post will self destruct in 10 days...

[Baz]

Ouch....nice colour though!

[Baz]

After I bought my '81 Targa....it's stablemate...the '81 Drophead Coupe became rather obsolete!

[yellowperil]

Originally Posted by Baz

After I bought my '81 Targa....it's stablemate...the '81 Drophead Coupe became rather obsolete!

Don't see any leaks under the front of the Triumph. BTW, both good looking sports car you had there.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by yellowperil

Don't see any leaks under the front of the Triumph. BTW, both good looking sports car you had there.

Thanks...you know what they say.....gone but not forgotten!

I don't recall the TR7 ever leaking anywhere...except when the clutch slave cylinder rubber piece failed it leaked fluid onto my loafers!

The SC had broken head studs - think they were broken when I bought it. Ended up R and R engine to resolve. Then the leaks stopped.

[manbridge 74]

I recall seeing many of these around North Dallas back in the day. I bet less than 10% are still roadworthy.

[fintstone]

I had a used MGBGT briefly when I was 19 or 20 and liked it a lot...so I wanted a British sports car with a little more power. My wife and I went down to the dealer in Denver to buy a new TR8 convertible...with cash in my pocket (reenlistment bonus). We looked young and poor...and showed up in my beloved but partially primered, hot rod '65 Mustang. Finally, after waiting for a very;ong time, we got a snooty salesman to come out and talk to us. He made it pretty clear that we were wasting his time. I asked him a couple of questions about the car and he just laughed and told me I could not afford one...and insulted my Mustang (incorrectly assumed I wanted to trade it, I guess)...telling me it was worthless junk (and seemingly trying to embarrass me in front of my very pretty young wife). We left and used the money to buy a house the next day (our first). Still own the house (rent it out now)...and it is worth about $300K now and we have collected more than $300K in rent over the years. Eventually traded the Mustang in on a new '83 Supra (great car in every way). Not buying the TR8 was the best investment I ever made.

[JackDidley]

A buddy had a TR7 and I thought it was really cool. Got me wanting a TR8 but his 7 was often broken so I passed on the 8 and bought a Corvette. Probably a good decision, I put 200.000 miles on that Vette. Not sure a TR8 could have gone the distance.

[speeder]

After reflection, my memory might be faulty and maybe the TR7 was not in the same category as the Stag. They were just mildly unreliable and had tons of warranty claims. The Stag seriously never ran.

[Chocaholic]

Having owned a TR7, I can attest to its reliable inability to successfully traverse more than a few hundred miles without overheating or having electrical problems. But I knew someone with a TR8 who had a much better experience. Was the 8 a different and more reliable car?