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Wedge Tell us about your TR8
- Thread starter PATR8
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PATR8
Jedi Knight
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OK, I have figured out the Picture attachment process now, here is an older pic of my 8. She is currently in getting some bubbles out of the paint and buffed. Next week end the North Hills Sports Cars club is holding a Auto cross in Washington PA for a local charity. Anyone interested in racing or even coming to watch should contact them (NHSCC.com).
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swift6
Yoda
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I suppose I have some time this morning to relate the details of my TR8 purchase and ownership. Here goes...
I purchased my TR8 a little over a year ago. The purchase was precipitated by my 'regular' vehicle being totaled in an accident when I was minding my own business stopped at a redlight and was rear-ended by a Jeep travelling at about 35-40 mph. I had seen the advertisement for this TR8 in the Rocky Mountain Triumph Club newsletter for a few months but thought nothing of it until I needed a 'new' year round vehicle. The TR8 Coupe was just the ticket. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Having owned my TR6 for 15 years, TR ownership was not new to me. In fact, I used to drive my TR6 pretty much year round until I re-painted it and hot rodded the engine. I first drove a Wedge about 5 years ago and thought they were quite comfortable and handled fairly well in stock form. That Wedge however, was a TR7 and I knew I wanted more power. I had played around with the idea of converting an early TR7 coupe into a TR7V8. So when the above circumstances occured, the realization of having my cake and eating it too became apparent and I was quickly on my way to owning one of the few authentic TR8 coupes, to be known hereafter in this story as '015' as it is the 15th production TR8.
The previous owner was the second owner of 015, having purchased it in 1982, and had previously owned a long list of TR's. He was a TR enthusiast and had enjoyed the car as a daily driver into the late 1990's. At which time it became a weekend car and eventually a very little used car. He was losing interest in TR's and his fondness for R/C airplanes was on the rise so the TR8 began to gather dust. He refused several low-ball offers for the car, knowing that the car was not perfect and was the 'less desireable' coupe, but was not going to give it away either. After a few short e-mails and photos were exchanged with him, I made a three and a half hour trip to look at the car and give it a quick test drive. The car had 127K miles on it. Quite a bit more than most other TR8's that I have seen or looked at for sale. However, the high mileage and the low amount of repair bills had told me that the car was a reliable example. It had proved itself rather well actually.
At this point in its life, the major repairs had consisted of, a new catalytic converter (one had collapsed), a new starter, a new alternator, a new electronic igniton (the Lucas had failed and was replaced by a Crane), the water pump and finally, the air pump had been replaced at about 65k miles. Other than those items, the car was maintained and driven. The suspension was completely original and it showed. The shocks and strut inserts were very tired, the springs were pretty sagged and the bushings were at least still where they were supposed to be. I made the owner a reasonable offer. He looked at the care and attention that I had lavished on my TR6, thought about my offer for a day and then rang me back up and accepted it, knowing that his TR8 was going to go to a good home.
I have since, replaced springs, strut inserts and shocks and the front end bushings, the difference is amazing. I have also gone through and put all new belts and hoses on as the old ones had been on for a while and I didn't want any sudden age failures in those areas.
Items that have failed since I bought the car have been the fuel pump, oil pressure sender, coil and just recently the radiator has sprung a leak. So far, all original pieces that are 28 years old and have now over 130K miles on them. So it's really not suprising me with anything.
Since I have the car up and the radiator out. I am slowly going through some other housekeeping items. Finishing the rear bushings. Replacing the gearshift bushings and the transmission mount etc... and once the radiator is back from the shop, that reminds me that I need to call them, I should be back to motoring with V8 goodness.
I know I'm going to need some exhaust work in the near future and can't get the idea of running some Flowmaster Delta's out of my head. A big rumble from that little car would just be cool when pulling up next to the Mustangs and such.
So now some particulars. 015 was built in December of 1978 at the Canley production plant in Coventry England. It is a factory A/C car and the A/C blows strong and cold when ever I switch it on. It is a true North American, non-California, Triumph TR8. It has been registered in Colorado since new. The research I have completed so far shows it as the only current TR8 coupe in Colorado although there are several convertibles in Colorado.
I guess that's it for now.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
I purchased my TR8 a little over a year ago. The purchase was precipitated by my 'regular' vehicle being totaled in an accident when I was minding my own business stopped at a redlight and was rear-ended by a Jeep travelling at about 35-40 mph. I had seen the advertisement for this TR8 in the Rocky Mountain Triumph Club newsletter for a few months but thought nothing of it until I needed a 'new' year round vehicle. The TR8 Coupe was just the ticket. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Having owned my TR6 for 15 years, TR ownership was not new to me. In fact, I used to drive my TR6 pretty much year round until I re-painted it and hot rodded the engine. I first drove a Wedge about 5 years ago and thought they were quite comfortable and handled fairly well in stock form. That Wedge however, was a TR7 and I knew I wanted more power. I had played around with the idea of converting an early TR7 coupe into a TR7V8. So when the above circumstances occured, the realization of having my cake and eating it too became apparent and I was quickly on my way to owning one of the few authentic TR8 coupes, to be known hereafter in this story as '015' as it is the 15th production TR8.
The previous owner was the second owner of 015, having purchased it in 1982, and had previously owned a long list of TR's. He was a TR enthusiast and had enjoyed the car as a daily driver into the late 1990's. At which time it became a weekend car and eventually a very little used car. He was losing interest in TR's and his fondness for R/C airplanes was on the rise so the TR8 began to gather dust. He refused several low-ball offers for the car, knowing that the car was not perfect and was the 'less desireable' coupe, but was not going to give it away either. After a few short e-mails and photos were exchanged with him, I made a three and a half hour trip to look at the car and give it a quick test drive. The car had 127K miles on it. Quite a bit more than most other TR8's that I have seen or looked at for sale. However, the high mileage and the low amount of repair bills had told me that the car was a reliable example. It had proved itself rather well actually.
At this point in its life, the major repairs had consisted of, a new catalytic converter (one had collapsed), a new starter, a new alternator, a new electronic igniton (the Lucas had failed and was replaced by a Crane), the water pump and finally, the air pump had been replaced at about 65k miles. Other than those items, the car was maintained and driven. The suspension was completely original and it showed. The shocks and strut inserts were very tired, the springs were pretty sagged and the bushings were at least still where they were supposed to be. I made the owner a reasonable offer. He looked at the care and attention that I had lavished on my TR6, thought about my offer for a day and then rang me back up and accepted it, knowing that his TR8 was going to go to a good home.
I have since, replaced springs, strut inserts and shocks and the front end bushings, the difference is amazing. I have also gone through and put all new belts and hoses on as the old ones had been on for a while and I didn't want any sudden age failures in those areas.
Items that have failed since I bought the car have been the fuel pump, oil pressure sender, coil and just recently the radiator has sprung a leak. So far, all original pieces that are 28 years old and have now over 130K miles on them. So it's really not suprising me with anything.
Since I have the car up and the radiator out. I am slowly going through some other housekeeping items. Finishing the rear bushings. Replacing the gearshift bushings and the transmission mount etc... and once the radiator is back from the shop, that reminds me that I need to call them, I should be back to motoring with V8 goodness.
I know I'm going to need some exhaust work in the near future and can't get the idea of running some Flowmaster Delta's out of my head. A big rumble from that little car would just be cool when pulling up next to the Mustangs and such.
So now some particulars. 015 was built in December of 1978 at the Canley production plant in Coventry England. It is a factory A/C car and the A/C blows strong and cold when ever I switch it on. It is a true North American, non-California, Triumph TR8. It has been registered in Colorado since new. The research I have completed so far shows it as the only current TR8 coupe in Colorado although there are several convertibles in Colorado.
I guess that's it for now.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif