Wedge TR7/8

[jclay]

You know, I have been hearing about how badly we are treated when we join a car club or hang out with other Triumphs. We bemoan the fact that are cars don't seem to have any market value. So, whose fault it this bad treatment?

Well, it's ours! We have the knowledge and the updated parts to make our cars the best Triumphs on the road. Most of us have done that already. So, why are we looked down upon?

Because we allow it! We don't show up for car shows. We don't demand higher prices for our car when we have to sell them. We sit around and complain instead of becoming active.

The TWOA has less than 350 members, the TR7 Forum has about 250 cars at last count, and as a group we have no TR7/8 specific activities other than showing up at TRF Summer Party. If we started having our own shows and meets, come out in force to all the VTR Regionals and National conventions, Triumphest and made our presence known, and actually showed off cars, then maybe we could get the hundreds of TR7/8 setting in garages and barns back on the road.

Can't we get off the couch or at least dead-center and get organized? The structure is in place. We just have to get involved, volunteer to do things and get the ball rolling. I tried to get a Ralley going for this year, but ran into one stumbling block. I think that problem has been solved or will be soon, so that next year I can make at least one thing happen.

Now, what are you going to do this summer? I am going to drive my Triumph TR7 or TR8! Wait, how about this April? The SC Region Convention is in Texas. Wouldn't it be cool if the TR7/8s outnumbered the TR6s? I'll be there and so will Jim TenCate and Dave Massey. I am going to drive my Triumph!

Clay Thompson
VTR SC Region Coordinator
triumphtr7s@mac.com
https://web.me.com/jclaythompson
https://web.me.com/jclaythompson/tr8
https://web.me.com/jclaythompson/VTRSCR/Home.html

 

[tdskip]

I make a point of bringing the TR8 out to our local club event, and at least one rally a year. I know, I know. Needs to be more than that....

 

[tr8todd]

The biggest issue with what you say is the limited number of TR8s out there. Tough to get a large organized group when there are probably less than 1000 road going TR8s scattered around the country. The only densely populated cluster of TR8s I know about is here in Southern New England. I have also found that most of the road going TR7s are not owned by enthusiasts. That's probably a good testament as to how modern a car it really is. Non enthusiasts can still own and drive one occasionally without a large support network. Most TR7 enthusiasts quickly become TR8 enthusiasts. There was a TR7 coupe that I would see drive by my house just about everyday for the last two years. You would think at some point the driver would have stopped by my house and introduced himself, seeing how there are always several wedges in the driveway. Never happened. Last fall I was at the local gas station when the owner of the TR7 pulled in. He was a college kid who bought the car for $400 and was using it as a DD. He had no interest in the car or anything club related. To him it was just a throw away car that was good on gas.

 

[swift6]

The area that Todd is talking about has got to be the largest cluster stateside. Colorado has a pretty good collection as well. North of Denver, in a 40 mile radius of Loveland (50 miles north of Denver) there are 8 true TR8's that I know of that are driveable. I only know of four TR7's driveable in that same area. From the Denver area sout to Colorado Springs, we can add another 5 TR8's and about 10 more TR7's. This area of Colorado that I am talking about is just a small portion of the state, but has the highest population concentration as well. Keep in mind that all of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine could fit within the borders of Colorado. With enough room left over that all of New Jersey and about half of the state of New York could be squeezed in too. But then, all of those states, including Colorado, could be fit into the borders of Texas with room left over. But I have digressed.

My point, I know of 13 TR8's and 14 TR7's in what I consider to me "close proximity" (about 120 mile radius). The majority of the TR7's belong to the Rocky Mountain Triumph Club, only about 4 or 5 TR8's belong to the RMTC. Only three out of those 27 wedges belong to the TWOA. Several of the TR7 owners in the RMTC have held officer positions and the wedges are getting more acceptance within that club because of their participation. The local all Brit car show in the fall (The Colorado Conclave) has had a steady growth of wedges attending. By comparison, there are easily four to five times that many TR6's and MGB's with nearly as large of numbers for other MGs and Triumphs in that same area. Large Jaguar concentrations as well.

What may aid in increasing the wedge popularity is by getting attention to the cars outside of the regular Brit crowd though. Don't wait for the local/annual Brit car show, get them out into other shows as well. Most of the regular crowd does hold a bias, get some new blood involved and those numbers will begin to creep into the Brit car shows as well.

I have thought about trying to organize a more informal Colorado Wedge gathering of sorts. Informal to try and avoid some of the road blocks that Clay encountered. Still sorting it out in my head though. Of course, wedges from outside of Colorado would also be welcome.

 

[philman]

I auto cross mine. It surprises people that I can almost hold my own and have no reliability issues. They also like the V8 rumble. I also showed it at a local retirement home car show.

 

[DNK]

21 of us Wedgies at the Portland show last year.
Only the 6's at 23 showed more