Wedge TR8 Pre Production?

[JFS]

Bill Piggott, <span style="text-decoration: underline">Original Triumph TR7 & TR8</span>, states that in Feb. 1977, ". . . TR7V8 fixed-head pilot build cars for USA evaluation commence assembly, ACN series (not badged as TR8s)." p. 78.

Later he states, "1977 TR8 fixed-head North American specification: ACN 1 to ACN 1116 built February to October 1977. Most numbers not used, believed 100-150 cars made." p. 82. Are these the numbers of the of the pre production cars? He does not so state.

He also states that "most, if not all" preproduction cars had the Weathershields sunroof fitted.

What is the possibility of a car with an ACN number described above but without the sunroof being a pre production car?

 

[Dale]

I'm pretty sure I've seen two of these cars. One at Breckenridge 01 and one local car last year. I don't recall either of them having the sun roof.

 

[swift6]

Of the ACN cars that I have seen, most have not had the sun roof.

 

[tr8todd]

I've had three of the ACN coupes, and only one had the roof. I would guess it was about 50/50n on the roofs. All three of my cars left the factory as automatics, as is the case for the majority of the ACN cars. The 2 TCN coupes(race cars) I have are both 5 speeds. The 5 speeds are much more prevalent in the TCN series coupes. My ACN8UA has a build date of Jan 77 on the door tag, so I don't know where that Feb 77 date comes from. I know that Ted Shoemaker has one or both ACN1 and ACN 2, and they do in fact have a Feb 77 build date, so maybe that is where it comes from. Seems like someone assumed car number 1 was the first one built. I thought the first 8 were sort of test mules all built at the same time. There were also a few with serial #0024,25,26 built shortly there after in March or April. It wasn't until May that they started making the ones that started with the 1XXX VIN numbers. My #8 car also has the contradicting VIN tags of AC8UA on the door and ACN0008UA on the windshield. All of the ACN cars also have the tire inflation tag inside the glovebox that says TR7V8 instead of TR8.

 

[WedgeWorks]

Here is the breakdown: first batch ACN00XX about 20 cars with the "big" gas caps but not all have been documented then 116 ACN01XXX coupes with "small" gas caps built after for 1977 (called 1978s) are the Preproduction/Prototype coupes. Now from there was the TCN150XXX coupes for 1979 and TCN160XXX coupes for 1980. The TCN coupes were the "retail" cars. Easy identification is the prototypes have the semigloss rear tail light panel and the retail cars have body color rear tail light panel. Now they had a lot of V8 coupes in general with the slide back sunroofs. I would say its almost a 50-50 split.

 

[JFS]

Thanks for the replies, guys.
Michael, you gave me the info I was looking for.
I have located one of the 116 ACN01XXX coupes. Unfortunately, it has a rusted open crack where the left strut tower joins a rusted left inner fender. It also has a broken apart left upper door hinge as well as some other seemingly minor rust spots. I have not put it up on a lift to examine the under carriage.
I suspect a proper repair/restoration would be quite difficult and costly -- much more than the car would be worth.

 

[tr8todd]

Rebody it. TR7 coupes are cheap. One of my race cars is on it's third.

 

[swift6]

My TCN coupe, build date of Dec. 1978, has the sliding glass roof.

 

[WedgeWorks]

Shawn,

Ahh one of the Southern Skies TR7 sliding glass sunroofs! That is dealer installed vintage if I ever seen it!

 

[Mark Jones]

Call Ted Schumacher. Has has one sitting in his workshop.

 

[PATR8]

My TR8 is really a clone, it started out a TCN car but the strut towers and the rears of the floors were rotted out and for $125 I got a rust free TR7

 

[swift6]

Shawn,

Ahh one of the Southern Skies TR7 sliding glass sunroofs! That is dealer installed vintage if I ever seen it!

According to a TSOA newsletter, while the sliding glass sunroof was a major part of the Southern Skies cars, it was also available nationwide on all coupes (TR7 or TR8). I tracked down the original owner (I'm the third owner) and he told me that the dealer in Denver, where it was purchased new, did not install the sunroof. It arrived on their lot with the sunroof installed already (he was there when it came off the transporter). I'm wondering if it was installed in Leonia before it shipped to Colorado.

My TR8 seemed to be fully optioned. Sliding glass roof, Luggage rack, A/C and rear defrost (which I believe all coupes had), it even has the switches and wiring for fog-lights. I've since removed the boot-lid with the luggage rack and replaced it with the boot lid from another Carmine Red TR8 without a luggage rack. I can switch the boot-lids in about ten minutes if I need the luggage rack.

 

[tr8]

HI


I have been looking for TR8 coupes for over ten years and have become a kind of 'registrar' for them. I currently have about 190 VIN listed with over a hundred of them with pictures.

Chances are that I already have a history of the car that you are looking at, if I do, I can give you the details. If I do not, I sure would appreciate finding out the VIN number of the car so that I can add it to my list.

Thanks

Paul MacDonald

macdonaldp@rogers.com

 

[bgbassplyr]

Welcome to the forum Paul. I'm not a wedgie, but there are many here who are and they will be adding to this thread.

 

[tr8todd]

When people refer to the sliding moonroof, they are generally talking about the Webasto sliding vinyl roof. The one on your car was part of the Southern Skies limited edition package for early TR7s. Very rare. You might have the only TR8 ever delivered with that roof. I have never seen or heard of that on a TR8 before, but there were around 400 coupes. Paul would probably have a listing of it if there is another one.

 

[tr8]

Of the 111 coupes that I have pictures, Shawn's is the only one that appears to have this sliding acrylic sunroof.

There are a few that have the pop up type acrylic ones (aftermarket looking) and a bunch with the Webasto and then some without sunroof.

Paul

 

[tr8todd]

The Southern skies roof had a bronze tint to it from what I remember.

 

[swift6]

The one on your car was part of the Southern Skies limited edition package for early TR7s. Very rare. You might have the only TR8 ever delivered with that roof.

According to the May-June 1976 edition of the TSOA Newsletter (Volume 22, No.3), the sliding glass roof was brought to market by the Zone Manager, David Bird, for the Central Zone headquartered in Detroit and was initially offered in the Northeast, Central and Northwest zones. It was soon to be offered throughout the country. The Southeast zone manager, Cary Cooper, offered the sliding glass roof, special side stripes and a decorative emblem known as the "Southern Skies Edition"

So as I stated above, it was available on all coupes. The "Southern Skies Edition" was the only <span style="font-style: italic">Special Edition </span> TR7 with it, but it could be had outside of that <span style="font-style: italic">Special Edition </span> vehicle. I will concede that it is best known from the "Southern Skies TR7", but I have seen more than a few TR7 coupes with the same sliding glass roof that never set wheel in the Southeast zone. I've seen some rotting original coupes in California with the same sunroof but no stripes and no special badge. I bought a second sunroof for the black rails that the glass slides in from a parts car in Connecticut that was also not a "Southern Skies" car. At least now I have a second piece of glass.

Yes the glass is bronze tinted.

I took it into a local sunroof specialty shop and asked if they could find more info on it. The rep they talked to had been with the sunroof company since the 70's and remembered the sliding glass roof for the TR7 coupes. HE said they only made them for a few years so the chance of any spares was pretty much zero.

Mine might be the only TR8 Coupe with one of the sliding glass roofs and I guess that and $4 will get me a venti Starbucks. :wink: Since mine is one of the first production coupes, I wonder if they were using up left over stock of sunroofs after they were discontinued. Might be a question to stretch Mike Cook's memory.

 

[swift6]

The Southern skies roof had a bronze tint to it from what I remember.

It is a bronze tint when viewed from inside. from outside it appears more like a dark mirror reflective surface.

 

[tr8todd]

Man, bronze tinted glass sliding moonroof, a plaid interior and a Starbucks Venti- the women of Colorado don't stand a chance! I am so jealous! TR8 coupes rule, and you have one of the nicest ones out there!