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Wedge TR 7 Rebuild?

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OH_TR7

OH_TR7

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First time Triumph owner here.I have a 1980 TR7 that I am going to restore or modify over the next year. What are the common problems to look for in this model? What other car parts are interchangable with a TR7? Such as if I cannot find reasonable engine rebuild kit (one place over $1000),what engine/trans. is a good replacement? Morspeed Performance has a nice body kits but are others available.

Thanks and Hello
Roger









/
 
Welcome to the BCF Roger. Your are lucky enough to not only own a Triumph, but to also own a very under-represented model of the marque. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif There are a few 'wedge' owners here (myself included) but not nearly enough.

Unfortunately, there are not as many parts sources for wedges here in the US as there are for other Triumphs. Mostly because the wedges are still mostly seen as 'outcasts' amongst the Triumph crowd but that is beginning to change.

One of the best websites for you to look at that is US based is the World Wide Wedge [https://www.team.net/TR8/] but the server is having some difficulties right now so keep checking back for it. That site is part of the TR8 Car Club of America but also covers a lot of TR7 stuff.

Your best parts sources are Victoria British , Ted Schumacher (TSI) , Wedgeparts , Rimmer Bros and The Wedge Shop . The last one, The Wedge Shop, will try talking you into installing a V8. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Some other really good forums for Wedge based info are these in the UK, where the Wedges were accepted a little more readily. I like to visit Club Triumph , TriumphTR7.com , TR7-TR8.com , and TR-Register . I visit those forums but practically live here on the BCF.

There aren't many cars that have interchangable parts with the TR7 except the TR8. With about 115,000 TR7's being produced and only about 2,700 TR8's, well you can guess what gets pilfered for what.

There are a few body kits available from Victoria British and Rimmer Bros but these are mostly airdams, side skirts rear valence etc... The MorSpeed kits replace the bumpers as well and are a bit more extensive. There really isn't much to choose from in that regard.

Rebuilding any engine will be tough to do for under $1,000 anymore. Unless you don't plan on anything seeing the inside of a machine shop. Plus, since there is not the demand for TR7 2.0 engine parts, it will cost a lot more to build than your average small block chevy.

No British car is cheap to restore and if you do you will be upside financially before you are even near finished. So don't try to do this to make a quick buck. If however you are looking for a very rewarding driving experience and a very friendly group of enthusiasts than charge full steam ahead and dive into that TR7. The wedges are wonderfully comfortable sports cars with good handling and adequate power (more power makes them that much better /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif ).
 
tr7/8's share some bake parts with later mgb's. TR8's have a larger brake power assist servo, discs and calipers -- i think that I used an mgb rebuild kit on my tr8 calipers.

Some fastners are metric and some are sae, the trick is figuring out which is which when you can't see the bolt head.

some neat parts can be had from ebay.co.uk, like su carb set-ups. I use british parts northwest in dayton oregon for a lot of parts, they sell for all lbc's and are pretty knowledgeable. they don't seem to overcharge for shipping like some of the other vendors -- not TSI or wedgeparts I also use them.
 
No-brainer, Roger - go with the Rover V8 swap. The cars were MEANT to have 'em.

Mickey
 
Get on ebay and do a search on TR7 and you'll usually find 2-300 listings of parts, many of which you won't find anywhere else. Other than that, the vendors listed by others are all good sources.

As for the V8 swap, it's a no-brainer. But, if you're doing this on a budget (aren't we all?), I think there've been several successful transplants of Miata and Ford 2.3L engines that produce more power and better reliability than the stock 2.0 engine.

Either way, welcome to BCF and don't hesitate to ask.

Tom
 
I found out that the parts are hard to come by,the local Advance Auto had nothing.On the good side one of the employees was a TR7 owner.He said rings and bearings a could be matched to fit.Gasket sets I am finding on ebay,plus other parts.Probally go with the Morspeed Performance Bumper covers,I like the look.

Thanks Swift6,I will check out the other sites.I was looking for the side skirts.This is project is not going to be a fix and sell.I like the TR7's. Most of the work I plan on doing myself except for the valve job.

Philman, Thanks for the info on the brakes.Also on the Britsh Parts Nortwest and ebay.uk(I never would have thought of that).

As for a V8 swap others suggested,I just want a little fun car for the weekends.With my lead foot a V8 in a little convertable ,I wouldnt live too long.Just looking to get out of this project is a nice looking fun car to drive.

Thanks for the replies
Roger
 
Here's a picture of mine - food for thought:
 

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Mickey Richaud said:
Here's a picture of mine - food for thought:
Click to expand...
Looks great!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/bow.gifIs that a Holley 650? Just a lot more then I need.I'm an old grandpa now.My speeding days are done. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/nonono.gif

Roger
 
Sorry I'm late getting back to you, Roger. I've been out of pocket.

The Holley is a 390. You don't need any more than that with a (more or less) stock 3.5. Another popular choice is the Edelbrock 500. I got my stuff from Woody at The Wedge Shop. He's done all the "guinea pig" work, and will set you up with equipment that is pretty much sorted out for you. I recommend him highly, though there are other sources available.

Mickey
 
A simple rebuild is enough for me.So far this week ordering parts has cost $625... thats more than what my son inlaw bought the car for!!! Starting to look like a money pit.Originally I just thought maybe $1000 into fixing up an old car would be enough.While looking through the photo gallery, it makes you want to do more.So many nice cars.The members here seem to enjoy their little cars,maybe I will too.Engine swap....Maybe in the future.Gotta see if the 2.0 will do first.

Hope its worth it when I am done.
 
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