TR4/4A What to do?

On the heels of my TR4 rust bucket comment, I have another query/comment. There have been several posts on various LBC forums in regard to leaving nice cars/lots of junk to people who don’t have a desire to own them. Coupled with the frequent passing of forum members and friends it’s really playing a mind game with me. I currently have 1 MGB, 1 Bugeye Sprite, 2 TR6s, 5 TR4/4As, and a Scout 2 and Jeep YJ that I’m building for my son. We just moved into a new house and I built a 30x40 shop with it for cars, wood working, and general piddling around. I just turned 69 which is young enough given my family history (95-100+) and other than a little arthritis, a bad back, and crappy memory I’m doing well. I figure I have 2, maybe 3 restorations left in me and the YJ is only a couple of weeks from being finished. I want to do a 4A resto and a 4A restomod and the Scout 2 since my son likes it. That leaves me with a few extras and other than possibly putting one of the 3 TR6 motors in the 4A restomod I probably need to consider selling, whole or in parts a lot of these cars. No one can answer these questions for me, but I really needed to share my thoughts on this dilemma. My good friend and car buddy Sam says that I should sell it all and buy something nice to restore like an early XKE or 356 (he’s a racer and driving instructor for PCA). That sounds easy enough, but LBCs are what I grew up with and I have a strong connection to them. My wife says sell a few, keep a few and buy a newer 911 so she can drive it since she’s not into roadsters. I’m really interested in what y’all have to say and I’m curious about what you’ve done to address this issue, if anything.
Thanks, Rut

Well, if it were me, also 69, I'd thin the heard a little for starts. You reach a point where it becomes more of a responsibility than a joy, and while I can't say if you've reached that point, the fact that you're asking makes me think you're getting there. Sell off a couple, then see how you feel about it, and go from there. You don't have to make a momentous decision and do it all at once.

Being only a little older than you I can see/have thought about your situation. I only have 3 LBCs and have considered reducing that by one but really do not need the space, the money or the time they take so I will enjoy them a bit longer. The tipping point for me may be when I am no longer able to work on them - then it will be time to pick one.

If they don't bother you (make you feel guilty, weigh on your mind, distract you, etc) then it sounds like you have the space to hold them for now -- personally it would bother me to have more than one car at a time that could not be driven far & fast on short notice.

Your wife is a very smart lady.

I also like your idea of a restomod, which is always a challenge, particularly with some old skool POWER...who would not enjoy driving a car like that.

Unless you're actually driving them all - or get a really strong kick by just looking at them - why not thin the herd by donating/selling to folks who will drive them.

You obviously enjoy restoring these cars. But just having a museum doesn't sound like your goal. And of course, if you're not around, what will happen to the collection, if you can't control who gets them.

You have eleven classics. Are they being used?

Just my two shekels.
Tom M.

Obviously this is a question each of us will answer differently.
I am just a couple years older than you are. Absolutely love my cars.
My decisions along this line is.... what might I be leaving for those I
love most... to clean up or wrestle with. Frankly would not be a
enjoyable project for my wife... and my adult kids have their own
lives and are already way too busy.
I am in the mode to enjoy life and make the most of it.... but to
make things as easy as possible when my day comes.
Just my thoughts
Gil. NoCal

Guys,
Thanks for the advice and I’ve got some thinking to do. The most logical course of action is to sell off some of the cars I won’t get to in this lifetime, so I need to sort those out first. 2 TR4As will keep me busy for quite awhile and I’ll put my son to work on prepping the Scout. That leaves 2 TR6s, 1 TR4, and 1 TR4a to go on the chopping block along with lots of extra parts. Again, thanks for the input and I’ll do my best to get off my butt to get it done.
Rut

This subject has come up at the car club I am a member of lately. One of the things that seem to be important is to get younger people involved in the LBC hobby.
To most of us they are the cars we started driving or aspired to drive so they have a special place in our hearts.
If we do not get the next generation of drivers interested our cars will end up in big collections not being driven or worse being recycled.

David

Yeah, I came to the realization that I won't live forever and when I'm gone it'll be a burden on my wife as to what to do with my stuff.
I began and continue dehoarding my hobby stuff a few years ago, firearms, photography gizmo's and TR so called "spare parts"
I doubt if I ever get to the essential stuff where I have just enough to entertain myself and nothing more, but I'm working on it.

Most of you have read about some of the horrific fires in
Northern California this past year. One consumed a whole
town. One of the tragedies there was the property and
British car project collection of a 90 year old man.
Although many had tried to buy some of the projects....
none were for sale. Up in smoke and ruin were a number
of 1950's Jags and a very early small mouth 3.
We were offered the 3.... just come get it.
Although a long drive away we hooked up the trailer and
drove there.... hopeful we could salvage at least something.
Sad to say we left there empty handed. Toast. Real TOAST!!
When I say nothing worth saving.... nothing! Really sad.

Gil. NoCal

poolboy said:

Yeah, I came to the realization that I won't live forever and when I'm gone it'll be a burden on my wife as to what to do with my stuff...

Click to expand...

That's a variation on the thought process that led me to buy an E-Type 7 years ago.

I said to my wife "On the off chance that I am not going to live forever, I think I'd better get one of these now".

Yeah, this thread has me seriously thinking about thinning the herd (but the E-Type would not be the one that leaves).

Rut, I was a few years ahead of you. At 73, I built the 30X40, mover to a one level house and some acreage. I helped fix friends cars, a Spit6 being one and after driving that, dumb ass you should have been spending that time doing your own. Well, it took a while to get the GT6 that wasn't worth restoring for the drive train and after that frame was bad, just went with the Spitfire rear out of the only one of 4 cars that was anywhere near being the work I wanted to put into it. Some body work, but not the whole bottom of the car.
So at 79 I'm just about ready to jump in the finished product, it will be my daily driver. You have enough cars to take the best of the breed and put what you want together. Maybe even that 350 small block in the TR6 and 280Z rear. Ask Ted how he did that back in the day when he was doing IMSA.
You have the knowledge and the canvas, so paint.

Rut, understand your dilemma. Plenty of cars and stuff around here too and if I go first my poor wife would have to deal with all this stuff. So I'm kinda with the crowd that says to thin out the herd. Sounds like you have a lot that can fund the things you and the wife really want. Also about your wife, sounds like she has different thoughts from what you like. Use some of the cash you get from the sale of the stuff/cars that your not as fond of and get her her 911. I know mine has put up a lot with me and my hobbies and I know she loves me because she rarely says anything and backs me up when a lot of her friends ask why she puts up with it.


Started to think about this myself too. I'm 63 now and 2 years from retiring. Couple of health issues got me asking my kids about the cars. DavidApp is thinking along my thoughts about getting the younger crowd involved in our hobby. My kids have always been involved with my cars and have enjoyed driving and racing them. My son used the TR7 in his wedding and went on his honey moon in it. They have even been to TRF's Summer Party with me several times. I've asked my kids which of the cars they wanted because that issue can come up at any time. They were a bit annoyed that I asked but I only wanted them to start thinking about it. I would like to leave them both with a car of their choice (2 out of 4) and put the cars in both of their names so one just can't sell off for the cash.

I know it's hard to let go and my quarry/dilemma is I enjoy my 3 soon to be 4 TRs in different ways. It's hard for me to take care of all I have with the 4 TR's, my work car a truck my wife's car, 2 boats, 10 acres a pond, house, grand kids... I sit back and when it all becomes overwhelming (everything seems to brake at once) I try to decide which cars are going to go. When I decide which ones then soon after I'm in the mood to drive the one them then next week it's the other. The TR3 I like driving when I feel nostalgic, (which is most of the time). The TR250 when I'm kinda up set or revved up (it's modified) . The TR7 when I don't want to drive a modern car and have some highway driving to do. The TR6 I've never driven (in restoration) but always wanted one since 1974 when I worked in a gas station across from the Triumph dealership. They used to tease me by displaying a line of sixes differently every day in the front row.

Anyway take your time thinking about it pray about it, talk to the wife and your son and get their thoughts. Good luck.

I am still relatively young, but we just moved and I went through similar issues with my stash of parts. It started with a TR4A I bought in college in the 80s. The guy I bought it from, also in college, said I had to take another 4A in parts as part of the deal, per his mother's orders.

When I started out in this hobby I didn't have much money plus you couldn't get Triumphs and MGs anymore (actually you could, but shortly after you couldn't) so my thought process was keep everything, you might need it.

Fast forward to a couple years ago. We are moving. I have a garage and basement full of parts, and the new place has a one stall garage (this is changing but that is another story).

I sold what I could and took about three heaping pickup loads to the dump. Sheet metal that was rusty but might be used to make patches, an MGB transmission I couldn't give away, wheels, etc.

All saved for when I or someone else would need it. Well it was going on 30 years and the need had not come up so I pitched a lot.

I sometimes watch the clean up your junk shows with my wife and people talk about how they feel a burden has been lifted when they get rid of stuff. I felt no such elation, was kind of sad to see it go, it was my stuff, my history, kind of part of me. But now that it is gone no big whoop and probably for the best.

I know the original post was about cars. I only have one collector car now, but have often had two, and that seems quite enough unless I fall into some money. As far as leaving extra cars behind, if complete and together for the most part they would probably be a lot easier to dispose of than the boxes of parts. I would worry more about getting them to the level you enjoy.

My fun lately has been to buy what I call cheap and cheerful drivers from the 70s and early 80s outside my decades of experience with LBCs. Tinkering with them to make them run and look better without getting into the job that is a full restoration and learning new stuff as I go.

If I did another restoration it would have to be a really nice car like a Jag or an Alfa GTV.

So in short, do what you enjoy, don't be afraid to try something new.

Geo Hahn said:

I said to my wife "On the off chance that I am not going to live forever, I think I'd better get one of these now".

Click to expand...

:thumbsup: good attitude

Rut said:

... I have another query/comment. There have been several posts on various LBC forums in regard to leaving nice cars/lots of junk to people who don’t have a desire to own them. Coupled with the frequent passing of forum members and friends it’s really playing a mind game with me...

Click to expand...

Well Rut, this is all your fault for putting that notion in my head...

Geo Hahn said:

...Yeah, this thread has me seriously thinking about thinning the herd...

Click to expand...

My TR3A is now listed on BaT: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1959-triumph-tr3a-18/

Not an easy decision but a practical one. Going to need a new avatar.

Your car's presentation on BAT is great, and the car itself looks like a good buy. The driving video on the dirt road is the best part - shows how sports cars are meant to be used! Stream crossings are especially fun in a TR.

Very fair price but I’ve got a car and this is about thinning. But it is a really nice car....

My car is not nearly as nice as yours and I just paid 19k for it in October. Before I could get it home someone offered me 26k for it.
Wish I had taken the 26k and bought yours instead.

All the best with the auction Geo. Hope it goes into good hands... maybe even someone on the BCF!