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Todd,
There were a few issues with the TR. They had a differential problem that usually became noticeable when the diff came apart and took the case with it. Big money to fix. Mine chewed up first gear, which wasn't surprising given the amount of torque they make and how small the gear was (few teeth.) Don't hot rod the car in first.
The car will have 4 catalytic converters on it (if the exhaust is stock) and a pair of electronic boxes that monitor thermocouples in the exhaust, to warn of overheating. These boxes give false readings and are an expensive pain to deal with. If the car has lost the cats along the way, make sure the owner gives them to you in a box, as it's huge money to replace all that.
The fuseboxes give some trouble. Check them often. Window regulators can need replacing.
Lots of bushings in the suspension and few owners ever service or change them. Frankly, most cars never get enough service work done, regardless of what the owner thinks. These cars last a long time, if properly serviced, yet that means taking things apart periodically to check, clean and grease stuff. It's expensive, which is why it never gets done. I dropped $30k on one of my cars in the span of 2 years. Most owners don't do that.
Most of the body work is aluminum, which will dent under hand pressure. Look for dents in the front bonnet and engine cover. They are hard to get in and out of driveways, as the front overhang is long.
Parts are getting hard to find. Half the stuff is obsolete through the dealer network and the independents are having a hard time supplying things. You might want to visit with a parts guy to see if you can readily get bushings, shocks, brake parts etc. I sold my TR a couple years ago and still have a 328GTB. Things like shocks aren't available any more for that car....
Make sure the PPI is done by a dealer that has a mechanic that knows the car well, preferably one that has been schooled on that car, back in the day. If you use an independent workshop, consider the case of the guy that bought one and shortly afterwards lost a cam belt from an independent shop having failed to tighten things properly. I recall his pocket was the one that got picked for replacing a zillion valves and what not.
If you ever intend to re-sell the car, make sure it has all service records from new, all tools, all manuals, etc.
Good luck,
JR
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