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CT2367

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My name is George, and I have a 1962 Triumph TR4. It is an early one with the short bubble hood/bonnet. I have had the car for about 15 years, and when I got it, it had been wrecked and repaired poorly. The right front suspension was a mix of TR4 and TR6 parts and the steering and ride were horrible. I repaired all of that, but still have a TR6 windshield, top (always down), and seats. Also have wire wheels on adapter plates non-standard sized tires. While living in England, I got the cold shoulder from a lot of other owners because my car was not original. Please let me know now if this is a purist site. If so, I will say my goodbyes now. I enjoy my car a great deal as it is, and don't intend to restore it to original.

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Welcome, George! While there are purists here, I think it's safe to say this is a mixed bag. Plenty of folks who have upgraded their LBC's, either out of necessity or to improve them.

Good looking TR4, by the way!

Mickey
 
Purist site? Hardly. You haven't stuffed a V8 under the bonnet or installed a Miata interior so by the standards here *you* are purist.

The TR looks great and most would have to see it side by side with another '4 to even notice the change of windscreen & seats. I think of myself as a 'top always down' guy -- but you are fully committed.

Welcome to the forum.

P.S. my name is George too and that is not the only similarity...

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Welcome, you have found a home! There are show cars here, there are "bitsas" here, and there are those in between. The members of this forum love little British cars, period, and there will be nothing but a friendly welcome from everyone. The prima donnas don't last long here. Any questions, or especially, given the work you've done, any advice, please jump right in, we would enjoy having your input.

P.S. I own an MGB, that's how unbiased were are on the BCF! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Welcome aboard, George.
While there are many of us who keep our cars original, or at least "period authentic'" you will also find a mix of V-8's in just about anything, and performance upgrades galore.
My race cars are far from original, and they let <u>me</u> in the door! I also have several "original" LBC's.
I think your TR4 looks great.
You won't find a friendlier or more helpful bunch anywhere.
Again, welcome.
Jeff
 
You will find that while we all appreciate a pure car, we also prefer one that is used and enjoyed. "Restomods" are becoming popular because the useability and reliability is improved when done properly. If you had a bone stock all original car in showroom condition and wanted to chop it up, there would be some groans, but taking someones neglected or unloved ride and bringing it back to life is great. I'd love to see more cars out of the barn and on the road!
 
Thanks, Everyone, for the warm welcome
George H.: When I first looked at your post, I thought you had PhotoShopped my car. Our name dates us. Nobody names their kids George anymore.
 
Beautiful TR4 !
Got a bumperless RB Midget, a non A-series Mini and 1380 Mini. All 'messed' with, none original.
As has been said in the previous posts, you'll fit right in!
Common sense and friendly and helpful advice abound on this emminent forum.
A hearty welcome! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
 
It's not like we're a bunch of "numbers matching" lunatics like those dang Corvette guys! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

As in all groups, there are purists and there are resto-mod guys, and people in between. Personally, I'm a purist, but I'm also from the Malcolm X school of collector cars: get it on the road by any means necessary. I prefer the original looks, and original mechanical intent, but I'd rather have a slightly modified working/driving car to enjoy than a numbers matching perfect restoration that I can't.

So welcome, and your stories, insight, humor, opinions are always wanted and will be enjoyed!

Sam
 
Welcome , George!
We are definitely not the sneering kind!
Very pleased to have another Michelotti Tr join our group, my 4a is red with wires, but I don't know how to shrink the file to size so can't post a picture.
You mentioned you had your car in England, but it seems to be lhd; I suppose it was originally a North American car?
Simon.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Welcome , George!
We are definitely not the sneering kind!
Very pleased to have another Michelotti Tr join our group, my 4a is red with wires, but I don't know how to shrink the file to size so can't post a picture.
You mentioned you had your car in England, but it seems to be lhd; I suppose it was originally a North American car?
Simon.

[/ QUOTE ]

I bought the car on a trip back to the states. I drove it from the owner's house, staight to the docks in New Orleans.

As for the photo posting, I use Image Cave. Once you upload the photo, you can click "Modify" and shrink it easily. The one I posted of the TR4 is reduced to 600X450.
 
Welcome George!
If I were'nt able to ask about some of my hairbrained ideas, I'd be lost.
I think we're a pretty broad demographic representation.

This is THE FORUM in my humble opinion and I really don't know where I'd be with our 67TR4a without all these folks.
 
George, the very first TR I drove, and subsequently used rolls of electric tape on looks just like your car. That was in 1970 and a bunch of TR's ago. Welcome to the fold.
This is a great forum - I check it everyday, and usually learn something everyday as well.

PS - that was also the car that (unfortunately) demonstrated the importance of reverse thread wire wheel hubs (ouch).

Ned
 
Welcome! It has been said before there are all knids of car enthusiasts here. Just join in. I guess if I could afford it, I would have a pure restored car, and then one to drive... T.T.
 
Welcome George,

I think you'll be real happy with this group. Lot's of great people, with lot's of expierence.

Personally, I'm trying to make my car as reliable, and functional as possible using the newest stuff available. I'm not too concerned about total originality myself, but I'm trying to update the car, and still keep the original parts just incase I decide to put it all back to original status.
Honestly I got the car to have fun with it. I drive it a lot when the weather permits. With that, I've found it's a lot more fun with some of the modern upgrades that are available.

Remember, it's "your" car. Do what "you" want with it!

Don't worry too much about what people may say.
 
Hi George,

Welcome and not to worry! There are all types here.

I can only speak for myself, my TR4 was far from stock when I got it over 25 years ago. It was painted orange, sporting 14" x 7" chrome wheels and, I just recently found out, the SUs on it came off a Datsun 240Z. It's even further from "showroom" condition now, but I think a little more "correctly modified"!

The whole point of these cars is to enjoy them and that means different things to different people. Some are determined to keep their cars as original as possible, others like to fiddle and tweak.

Personally, I very much appreciate originality, but there is a limit. I've seen old cars that are totally original and pristine, but no one can drive them because the all the rubber is too old, the brakes are questionable and the seats might crack! In fact, I've seen show cars that have no grease in the fittings, to avoid any squeezing out and "ruining" the car! To my mind, cars were built to drive, so it's easy to overimprove and get ridiculous about originality!

Also, these cars were for all practical purposes hand built and there is a lot of variation in them, anyway. That's even more true of the earlier models, perhaps a little less true of the TR6 and later.

I do prefer to stick with "period correct" modifications, but will stray from that if it's a serious safety issue.

For example, my car is getting engine compartment vents. This was done on TR4s by the factory, during their racing years. But, I personally don't like the look of the vents they used: triangular cutouts just behind the front wheel arch. Instead, I'll do it my own way with a series of 6 or 8 louvers in the fender up toward the rear of the front fender, near the waistline. Louvers have been common mods on cars since the 1950s, so the purists can just cover their eyes around my car. On a more safety related vein, I use a TR4/250/early-6 steering wheel, since I've broken two of the original banjo types that "should" be on my car.

By the way, assuming the monniker you have chosen is your car's commission number, it's a very early one, built in 1961, even though it sounds to have been registered in 1962. The same was true of my car, CT17602L, registered in 1964 but actually built in 1962. You are probably aware, the short bulge was used on the earliest TR4s. And, it probably also had 0 degree castor front suspension with TR3 upper A-arms and ball joints, which someone swapped out either trying to improve the car or when parts were harder to find.

I can sympathize with the latter. I remember trying to find parts in 1979 after an uninsured drunk plowed into the back end of my car. Performance parts were even harder to get. Back in those pre-Internet days, there were few foreign car specialists, let alone good parts sources and qualified repair shops, where I lived in Colorado! My "best" parts supplier find took a full year to track down a manifold for the Webers DCOEs now on the car.

I say enjoy your car! It looks great and, you know, if you were to have the windshield frame painted to match the car, no one would ever know it came off a TR6 (I think the frames are identical other than the paint and the trim/top attachment).

Oh, and the release button on the fuel cap should be on the side toward the driver, to be "correct" ;-)

Alan
 
"Oh, and the release button on the fuel cap should be on the side toward the driver, to be "correct" ;-)

Alan"

Would that be on a left hand drive or a right hand drive car Alan? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Welcome George,
Actually Truimph had a recall and required all dealers to cant the release button at a 45 degree angle, from the driver's side. Oh, and my bonnet is louvered. Hardly a purist, though admire them.

Bill
 
Anybody give you any lip on this site, you just let us know. I've seen more ego's go down in flames here than Zeros at Midway. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Welcome aboard. I've got to echo what many others here have said, there is a broad spectrum of types represented here and, IMO, thats good for everyone. You may not agree with what someone has said or done to their car, but you'll be exposed to all different viewpoints, ideas, and experiences, and that itself holds immense value. Also, in my own short time here I've found this forum to be populated with really nice, mature people. You can hold a conversation here and have a difference of opinion and it can still be friendly. I'm on several other car related forums and I'll tell you, contributing to many of them has just become so tiring and tedious that all I do is lurk anymore. It seems that as soon as you contribute something you've got a gaggle of people with attitude problems calling you an idiot for whatever you just said, or whatever you just did and wrote about. I used to think it was just the 16 year olds, but I've run into many "adults" that are just as bad. You won't find much of that here, and I find it's a pleasure to add my .02 in discussions on this forum. Maybe it's just these cars, maybe they attract people of a more easy going, mature mindset.

Whatever the reason, welcome, and have fun. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
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