Hey Guest!
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
Alan_Myers
Luke Skywalker
Offline
Hi again,
Re-reading this, I wonder if folks know what "SAH tuning" is and thought a little additional info might be helpful making a decision or giving advice. SAH is not as widely known on this side of the pond, where other folks like Kas Kastner were doing competition tuning on Triumphs.
Like an SAH-tuned car, a Kastner-tuned car is no longer "original". In fact, it's most likely be better than original today, in terms of value.
Everything else being equal, I'd expect a TR4 with Kas' signature on the inner wheel well might bring an extra $2500 to $5,000 - maybe more - at auction in the U.S., as compared to an original car. SAH is less well known here and might not boost value as much in the U.S., but it probably would in England or Europe.
SAH was a British firm started in the 1960s by Syd A. Hurrell (thus: SAH) specializing in tuning TRs for racing. This was a unique time because after Leyland took over they dropped Triumph factory racing efforts for a couple years. Triumphs had already become quite popular in rally and hillclimb competition in Europe, and on race tracks in the U.S., so a few private companies like SAH picked up the slack.
Add to that, the IRS TR4A were not initially widely accepted for many types of racing, so fewer were prepped for racing and tuned. The independent rear suspensnon made for a nicer street car, but was a lot more complicated to dial in for the race track. Plus, the new chassis design was more flexible and required significantly more strengthening modifications than the older-style TR4 ladder chassis. This probably played a part in the continuation of a solid axle model, at the urging of dealers many of whom had their own race cars or sponsored one, and who saw Triumph's race heritage as a selling point for the cars in the showroom.
SAH later became Triumphtune, which in turn was eventually bought by Moss Europe (which is a separate company from Moss USA). Triumphtune is still a brand name used on various TR performance parts offered through Moss Europe.
Taking this all into consideration, I wonder just how many SAH tuned TR4A there might have been? And, how many of those were LHD and ever managed to find their way to the U.S.?
Much as I like to tune and modify my own less illustrious TR4, the mods needed to make a TR4A into a 250, or transplanting a V8 or - egad - Toyota/BMW motor into it would be difficult to ever reverse. Selling at auction, I'd expect those sorts of modified TRs would likely bring lower bids than a bone-stock car.
If it were me, I'd be thoroughly researching the car's history. Look for other telltale signs, such as chassis strengthening mods and uprated suspension parts. The fiberglass panels point to the car having some sort of racing heritage.
If I had my heart set on a 6-cylinder, I think I'd find a buyer for the SAH car and start shopping for a TR250 or TR6.
Re-reading this, I wonder if folks know what "SAH tuning" is and thought a little additional info might be helpful making a decision or giving advice. SAH is not as widely known on this side of the pond, where other folks like Kas Kastner were doing competition tuning on Triumphs.
Like an SAH-tuned car, a Kastner-tuned car is no longer "original". In fact, it's most likely be better than original today, in terms of value.
Everything else being equal, I'd expect a TR4 with Kas' signature on the inner wheel well might bring an extra $2500 to $5,000 - maybe more - at auction in the U.S., as compared to an original car. SAH is less well known here and might not boost value as much in the U.S., but it probably would in England or Europe.
SAH was a British firm started in the 1960s by Syd A. Hurrell (thus: SAH) specializing in tuning TRs for racing. This was a unique time because after Leyland took over they dropped Triumph factory racing efforts for a couple years. Triumphs had already become quite popular in rally and hillclimb competition in Europe, and on race tracks in the U.S., so a few private companies like SAH picked up the slack.
Add to that, the IRS TR4A were not initially widely accepted for many types of racing, so fewer were prepped for racing and tuned. The independent rear suspensnon made for a nicer street car, but was a lot more complicated to dial in for the race track. Plus, the new chassis design was more flexible and required significantly more strengthening modifications than the older-style TR4 ladder chassis. This probably played a part in the continuation of a solid axle model, at the urging of dealers many of whom had their own race cars or sponsored one, and who saw Triumph's race heritage as a selling point for the cars in the showroom.
SAH later became Triumphtune, which in turn was eventually bought by Moss Europe (which is a separate company from Moss USA). Triumphtune is still a brand name used on various TR performance parts offered through Moss Europe.
Taking this all into consideration, I wonder just how many SAH tuned TR4A there might have been? And, how many of those were LHD and ever managed to find their way to the U.S.?
Much as I like to tune and modify my own less illustrious TR4, the mods needed to make a TR4A into a 250, or transplanting a V8 or - egad - Toyota/BMW motor into it would be difficult to ever reverse. Selling at auction, I'd expect those sorts of modified TRs would likely bring lower bids than a bone-stock car.
If it were me, I'd be thoroughly researching the car's history. Look for other telltale signs, such as chassis strengthening mods and uprated suspension parts. The fiberglass panels point to the car having some sort of racing heritage.
If I had my heart set on a 6-cylinder, I think I'd find a buyer for the SAH car and start shopping for a TR250 or TR6.
