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Cheapsnake
Jedi Trainee
Offline
The TR8 was to be my steeping stone to the true love and passion in my life - a Cobra (replica, of course). Cheapsnake, get it? Anyway, I finally realized my dream a couple years after the TR8 and the TR8 became the neglected and forgotten child. It was banished to an open carport, sometimes covered, most times not, driven more for utility than for fun, maintained just enough to keep it alive.
Yesterday, I woke up with the sole objective of cleaning, fixing and tweaking the TR8. BTW, I had just replaced the Lucas alternator with a GM, so it wasn't completely neglected. However, it reminded me of the reason LBC's are held in low regard by some. As I'm washing off the layers of grime, I'm taking in the lines, somewhat radical at the time, somewhat dated by today's standards. Who hides headlights anymore? What were the discussions in The BL board room over those veddy un-British lines? Who cares? I love em.
Speaking of un-British, where did that modicum of comfort come from? A/C, power steering, power brakes, this ain't your father's Triumph.
And finally, the piece de resistance, the reason the TR8 is the TR8, that marvelous little V8 nestled under the hood and making the sweetest sounds this side of a Ferrari. It won't pull the fillings out of your teeth, but it'll sure as heck put a smile on your face. I fell in love with that engine (put one in a 914). Hooked up to a not-so-silky-smooth 5-speed tranny and this thing is a blast to drive and good to cruise at 90 all day long. Apparently BL didn't plan on the TR8 stopping much, with rear drum brakes, but in the whole scheme of things I'll give them a pass on that one.
So, I've rediscovered the TR8 and like a relationship that's gone bad and been revitalized, my love for the car is even deeper. So, will it replace the Cobra as my favorite drive? Probably not. For cheap thrills, nothing beats the Cobra, but for thrills with a little more civility, the TR8 wins hands down.
Tom
Yesterday, I woke up with the sole objective of cleaning, fixing and tweaking the TR8. BTW, I had just replaced the Lucas alternator with a GM, so it wasn't completely neglected. However, it reminded me of the reason LBC's are held in low regard by some. As I'm washing off the layers of grime, I'm taking in the lines, somewhat radical at the time, somewhat dated by today's standards. Who hides headlights anymore? What were the discussions in The BL board room over those veddy un-British lines? Who cares? I love em.
Speaking of un-British, where did that modicum of comfort come from? A/C, power steering, power brakes, this ain't your father's Triumph.
And finally, the piece de resistance, the reason the TR8 is the TR8, that marvelous little V8 nestled under the hood and making the sweetest sounds this side of a Ferrari. It won't pull the fillings out of your teeth, but it'll sure as heck put a smile on your face. I fell in love with that engine (put one in a 914). Hooked up to a not-so-silky-smooth 5-speed tranny and this thing is a blast to drive and good to cruise at 90 all day long. Apparently BL didn't plan on the TR8 stopping much, with rear drum brakes, but in the whole scheme of things I'll give them a pass on that one.
So, I've rediscovered the TR8 and like a relationship that's gone bad and been revitalized, my love for the car is even deeper. So, will it replace the Cobra as my favorite drive? Probably not. For cheap thrills, nothing beats the Cobra, but for thrills with a little more civility, the TR8 wins hands down.
Tom
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