Triumph TR7 - teach us something

I'm likely headed south with a buddy today to look @ a TR7. He posted up on Classic, but there isn't usually alot of traffic over there (though the knowledge base is great when the traffic does come around) so I thought I'd ask over here.

On Classic, he posted:

microsa1 said: I am going to look at a 76 TR7 tomorrow. Car looks to have a new top, decent paint and body, engine compartment looks complete, unmolested and clean. (Not car dealer steam clean, just clean.) Other than the usual things you look for on a Brit car, are there any issues to look for on a carburetor 76?

Anyone care to share some knowledge or opinions?

Do not pay much for this unless you just love it and want to keep the car. TR7's are pretty much the botton of the LBC value heap.

I hated just about everything to do with the engine; it was like the designer was limited to a basket of bad design elements when it came time to do the job.

The car itself has no real faults if you like the styling. If you can be objective about it, it is a much better vehicle than an MGB could ever be. The irony is that since it does not feel like the antiques that most LBCs are, it falls into the boring category.

Hopefully the electrical has not been butchered by past owners. As with most Brit wiring, the real problem was never the original equipment, but rather the accumulated "Fixes" that people applied.

In reply to m4ff3w:

I worked @ a dealership when they were being sold. By far their worst faulth was blowing head gaskets. I'm not sure but suspect that the head bolts stretched or expanded @ a different rate than the head. Normal maintenance is to retorque the head @ fairly frequent intervals. I'd do it every 9000 miles or so. Do it cold, not hot or warm. If you check around there is probably a solution for this problem that I'm not aware of.

Like in all stomberg carbed Brit. engines of the period watch out for leaky auto. chokes. The 76 may have a manual though.

They have some good traits too. Even though the suspension is too soft for my liking and has way too much dive under hard braking, they handle quite well and you can cover a lot of ground with them. The 76 may have a 4 speed and personally I wouldn't want one. Get one with a 5 speed.

Frigging canoe. Submitter needs paddling.

76 and new top isn't computing - convertibles were from 1980 - webasto? Original build quality was notorious and probably intentionally horrible - did he mean unmolested engine compartment as a negative purchasing point? A lot of them have lost the 90 hp slant 4 to bopr v8s and gm v6s.

Rust - sills, spare wheel well, trailing arm mounting points, around headlights and windshield Noisy transmission - whine Warped head - bypassed heater or temp gauge at the 3/4 (or more) mark after a highway blast.

I like triumphs and have had a few, but would much rather have an italian wedge than a british one.

Why would someone want a '76 TR7? Because they have a cheap buy-in?

Considering how well built British cars (ALL BRANDS/MODELS) were in the '70s, buying a TR7 at the early end of it's production run is not the best possible purchase. The assembly "quality" at the factory that originally built the 7 (over it's run it was built in 2 different factories) was so bad, thanks to problems with the unions, that BL took production of the 7 out of the plant and sent the assembly to another plant. There used to be a commonly accept bit of trivia that if the VIN# of a 7 had a certain letter....I forget which, off the top of my head, you should avoid that car at all costs.

These early cars also had the 4 speed transmission, versus the later cars 5 speed transmission. And has been noted, these TR7s did NOT have folding tops, but did have sunroofs. Depending on the model (a Victory Edition, for example) it may or may not be worth saving.

The solution to all your problems is a rotary engine.

I had/have a 7 with an engine swap. Really sublime cars. I love the driving position, the visibility, and the handling were all first class (for the day). Very fun to drive, and can easily handle A LOT more power....like, double or more...

215 V8s are common swaps, but I threw a 231 oddfire V6 in mine with 11:1 pistons. Running high elevens with no trouble.

Great car, fun to drive.

one bad part. The car is still dismantled in my garage because of the debilitating rust. It got the rockers and the floorpan.

With a well sorted suspension, you can make one of these things handle like crazy. I raced against a guy who had one in SCCA ITB, back before the rules creep. Wasn't much in a straight line, but in the corners, he could harass ITA cars! I've always had kind of a soft spot for the cars..I was a Triumph fan as a kid, and one of the reasons is because out of all those "old school" British marques, only Triumph & Jaguar ever attempted to design & build modern cars as the technology changed. Only reason I never bought a 7 was because I swore if I ever went back to Triumph, I was gonna buy an 8.

Parts/instructions on how to build your own 8 are available..
http://www.wedgeparts.com/v8engine.html