• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

TR4/4A Ageing out

Share this page

Rut

Rut

Obi Wan
Country flag
Offline
Like many people in this hobby I’m getting to the point where maintaining these cars is as much as I have left in me. I’m finishing up an IH Scout II for my son and his family and I might have one more resto that I can do. I currently have 3 TR4as, 1 early TR4 and 2 TR6s in the barn at the farm along with lots of spare parts, tops, frames, etc. One TR6 is complete except for final assembly and paint, one TR4a has a rebuilt engine, tranny and an amateur paint job at best. The TR4 has an OD tranny, but might be a tough one to save. One TR6 and one TR4a should be considered glorified parts cars and the last TR4a is a 67 that’s very straight, but the engine is locked and the drivers floor and boot have rust holes. I also have several parts for MGBs and Bugeyes, non OD transmissions, SCCR transmissions, 1275s, etc. I want to sell off the majority of these cars and they need to be seen before you would consider purchasing one or all. I’m in west central Alabama about an hour away from my farm and can work with interested parties. My alternative is to bring them to Tuscaloosa one at a time and sell them that way. That would give me the option of delivering a car to a buyer who is relatively close by (SE).
Rut
 
Boy, howdy. That "age and stage" thing a dear friend and I have talked about for over a decade. What to do. Know things have to go, certainly not to be left to someone else to deal with or outright dispose of.

Time's a bas***d!!
 
DrEntropy said:
Boy, howdy. That "age and stage" thing a dear friend and I have talked about for over a decade. What to do. Know things have to go, certainly not to be left to someone else to deal with or outright dispose of.

Time's a bas***d!!
Click to expand...
Hi Dr,
Yep, time marches on for those of us lucky enough to be here! My situation is not very different from a lot of other people who enjoy this hobby and my passion is still there, but my ability to do everything myself is declining. Where I see cars that need to be saved, my family sees a barn and 24’ cargo trailer full of junk and I don’t want to put that burden on them. I only have a couple of car guy friends in town and they are my age with the same issues and we help each other when needed and they are putting out feelers, both in the car hobby and racing circles. Good thing is that my farm is the perfect place for storage since it’s essentially free.
Rut
 
Yeah, I started thinking seriously about what's going to be left for my wife to deal with about a decade ago.
TR6 stuff has been lightened up considerably...She may have to deal with the car and what's left will be lagniappe.
I've lightened up with my other collections as well...Like they say "You can't take it with you"
 
Starting to dig thru some boxes of parts from TRs that I’ve collected over the years and found this. Need to check and see if I still have the car.
8B64E85F-11E3-4A2A-9BB6-F477BBF1F4E6.jpeg
 
I have a TR6 frame, epoxy primed and chassis black urethane paint as well as a TR4a IRS frame, media blasted, gussets welded in and powder coated black, several sets of TR4a seat frames, also media blasted and powder coated black.
Rut
 
Lots of emotions over that one. I look at my cars and think the same thing, but I'm hoping I've got another 20 tough hard years left in me. I know I could take that '67 from you (I have an extra bonnet and access to the greatest welder known in these parts), and maybe I could take the OD transmission, but what would I then do for space? I'd really do it just for restoration and resale to a caring owner, though I fear caring owners are fewer and farther between. So much to think about. Maybe a road trip to Alabama to start. Gosh will my mind ever stop dreaming.
 
KVH said:
Lots of emotions over that one. I look at my cars and think the same thing, but I'm hoping I've got another 20 tough hard years left in me. I know I could take that '67 from you (I have an extra bonnet and access to the greatest welder known in these parts), and maybe I could take the OD transmission, but what would I then do for space? I'd really do it just for restoration and resale to a caring owner, though I fear caring owners are fewer and farther between. So much to think about. Maybe a road trip to Alabama to start. Gosh will my mind ever stop dreaming.
Click to expand...
I don’t think I would come to Alabama until it cools down…it’s brutal!
Rut
 
Along with everything previously listed, I’ll be selling Jim Phillips ‘Desert TR’, a fully restored 66 TR4a and the 66 Bugeye Sprite with 1275 and 5 speed, also restored.
Rut
00333824-70C7-46C9-8A46-02D4C2F2C386.jpeg
E0A360BF-695B-4F53-B309-FBB948353ABD.jpeg
16B2C020-AFD7-4AC2-9592-6B961A714303.jpeg
 
You're killing me...I'm going to have to stop following this topic
 
poolboy said:
You're killing me...I'm going to have to stop following this topic
Click to expand...
Ken,
At almost 73, I thought I would have a better back, neck and hip than I do and I’m trying to be kind to my family. I don’t think they would have any issues selling the restored cars, but all the cars at the farm would be a pita if something happened to me. My health is pretty decent otherwise and I’m blessed that my wife is happy that I have a hobby I love and a full shop to work in. We are traveling more as long as we can, I enjoy taking my son and his 2 daughters hunting and fishing and we spend a lot of time at the beach with friends. My love affair with LBCs won’t end, but I have to be realistic about our future and cleaning up my ‘messes’ is part of that. None of this stuff gets better with age and if they’re not being driven and maintained it only makes it worse.
Rut
 
I hear you, Rut. I'll be 77 in December and I don't now or never had as much sports car stuff going on at one time as you.
But I've got to be realistic about the future and not start going in the wrong direction accumulating instead of reducing, but I have to admit..those 2 cars got me hankering for more.
 
I think I finally realize what I have is enough. Still not interested in selling, but one in full resto, one needs floor and seats done, third needs some holes patched, fourth (RV) needs refridge work, microwave and generator reinstalled plus exhaust bolts replaced, fifth my LR4 needs full suspension redone and cooolant hoses, sixth, is ok for now, same with seventh. Eightth is the bullet. GT6 2 owner, sat for 42 yrs and engine locked, but minor rust. Then the boat needs carbs rebuilt (3) trim bled and fuel tank cleaned. How much more time do I need after 72? Not bored though! All was slowed down for invalid MIL, now full speed ahead.
 
malbaby said:
Rut.....I fully understand selling off all the unwanted stuff.
Also OK with you selling the Sprite, you will regret selling the 4A.:p
Click to expand...
Mal,
Not unwanted or unloved, just unused and way too many projects that I’ll never get to. I’ve had a TR4a since 69 and I loved it then, moved on and bought another, repeat. There comes a time in everyone’s life when they need to move on or they die and I have other things I want to try that won’t leave my family with something they don’t know how to get rid of. It’s all about personal decisions and I’ll take the next step, whatever that might be.
Rut
 
I'm right there with all of you - 72 now and while overall health is good, still have issues (won't bore you with 'em).

Down to two - the Victor TF and the Jag XK8. One thing that concerns me is they aren't being driven as much as they should be, especially the Jag. It's an '03 model with only ~20k miles on it. These cars NEED to be driven, or all sorts of electronic (not simple electrics) failures occur. Not to mention the expertise involved in working on the thing. The Victor, at least, is a fairly new build, but still needs regular exercise. And it's simple enough that I can fix what ails it when/if it pops up. I still watch Bring-a-Trailer and eBay (and here - DANG YOU, Rut 😠 !) and lust after another toy.

But I look around the house and garage and wonder how we ever managed to accumulate all this... stuff. And how much ever gets used - so is it really necessary, and if not, why in the world are we hanging on to it? Guess it's all part of the process of reaching the silver/golden years.

In the meantime, I'm staying busy with banjo and guitar jamming, working in the yard, the occasional motorhome trip, and helping out a friend with a British car shop. Just like the cars, got to stay active or things start deteriorating rapidly!
 
You got that right Mickey, keep moving our we get just as rusty!;)
 
Back
Top