Fond memories of cars gone by...

[mickle]

The TR7 was originally intended to be rear engined wasn't it.

 

[Black Sheep]

The TR7 was originally intended to be rear engined wasn't it.

a rear engined proto-type was done for the later TR's, i've got a book about their development somewhere

can't find a rear engine prototype.

can find a sports hatch version of TR7 called the lynx tho.

 

[GilesM]

Indeed they were very ground breaking as the engines were known to literally drop out of them . My Grandad had a white one from new. It smelt of plastic looked like plastic and fell to pieces like cheap plastic.

I remember my Uncle had several in the early 70s, I thought they were great, I can't remember any serious problems, (of course that doesn't mean there weren't any), and we used to go out for the day with my brother and myself in the boot, I remember being very unimpressed when he came to visit with an Allegro, even though it was the super posh Vanden Plas.

An uncle, on the other side of my family now, had a blue Rover SD1 V8 Vitesse from new. He bought it in Belgium (RHD) and picked it up at the docks at Dunkirk or wherever when it was a lot cheaper to buy cars over there than in the UK and drive them back here. The interior was cramped and cheap looking to me although I never told him so for such a big top of the range car. The instruments were a case in point. The clock never worked from day 1. The seats weren't much better which jammed after about 1 year as they were electric. The engine made a nice noise but it didn't go that quickly. Driving it was painful as the seat positioning in relation to the pedals and to steering wheel was awful. The electrics were awful as well. It had little rust protection despite being kept in a well ventillated dry garage.

I did say the reliability wasn't impressive, but I remember the manager of the LBS I worked in as a kid, he had an ex Police one, I remember it felt really quick, but my mum had a Citreon Ami at the time, so I guess anything felt quick compared to that.

Anyway Crankarm, for someone who accused me of being a petrol head, you seem to write with vast knowledge and a certain amount of passion about cars.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I remember reading that the chap that designed the front end of the TR7 never met the one that designed the back end!!

 

[GilesM]

I remember reading that the chap that designed the front end of the TR7 never met the one that designed the back end!!

I can only assume that was because they were both blind.

 

[Wigsie]

I can only assume that was because they were both blind.

I remember our neighbour having one when I was about 6 and thinking "I want one of those" thought they were great. Then my Aunty took me out one afternoon in her Fiat X19 and the TR7 dream was over.

 

[Piemaster]

What I meant with the TR7 engine bay size was such that the engineers must always had putting the V8 in it in their plans, thus the TR8. A TR7 with a V8 conversion is usually called a TR7 V8 just to confuse things. It should always have had the V8 as standard, with a 2ltr as an 'ecomomy' version.
TR7 V8 / TR8 was rallied. Rimmer Brothers used to have one next to their sales counter, plus a couple of other rarer Triumphs. There was even one went to Le Mans, it didn't qualify (allegedly to give its grid place to a french car).
Again, the drop-top, V8 and rallying came towards the end of its life. I'm sure it would have been more of a success had they been available at launch. Poor management.

Stags roll-over bar was only bolted in. 5 minutes work with a spanner - I never tried it with mine as they were supposed to help with scuttle shake.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Ahhh mother had a gold coloured Fiat X-19, thrown together in a slap dash manner by Italians - I think it's because they only use one hand, the other one being on their cock for most of the time!

She chucked it under a lorry in the end if I remember rightly.

 

[Black Sheep]

My uncle had a white, S-reg (I think) TR7. He promised it to me -I was 6 at the time- when I was old enough. he became the greateest uncle in the world.

Until I discovered some time later that he'd also made the same promise to the majority of my cousins.

he knew it would be all rust by the time you wanted it

 

[swee'pea99]

The Fiat X-19 is one of those cars only the Italians make, like the Alfa Sud, where their owners all talk about how crap/unreliable/rust-prone they were...but always with a big indulgent misty-eyed smile on their faces...

By contrast, I've never heard anyone enthuse about their TR7. As charmless a lump of metal as was ever stuck on four wheels. A sad end to a great marque

 

[gbb]

Found this on my ride...exactly the same as a car i had years ago...in fact the registrations seems very familiar I still wonder if its my old car, still going strong apparently !!!

 

[threebikesmcginty]

That's a beaut, gbb, from the glory days of British car manufacturing.

The styling, the lovely colour, the fit and finish, quality engine........






.......all missing

 

[swee'pea99]

God but that's an ugly car!

 

[tyred]

Thank God I grew up with German cars

 

[fossyant]

That's a beaut, gbb, from the glory days of British car manufacturing.

The styling, the lovely colour, the fit and finish, quality engine........



.......all missing

ROFL

Princesses and Ambassadors...they were bad. A mate nearly killed us once - driving too fast approaching a hair pin, then realised the brakes were crap...we only just made it - he got a stack of abuse off us.