The English Corvette - Our Triumph TR8

[hjames]

The fun comes later - while the car is getting the once over by the mechanics to make sure its ready for us,
I'm widening our driveway another 3 foot to be sure I can get it off the street. I widened it once years ago with a row
of 16x8 pavers in a 2' square pattern, but apparently those are no longer available locally (via Lowes or Home Despot).
So, I grabbed a Fit-full of 1' square red pavers, 4 bags of sand and such and am putting in 3 rows to push our 25' long concrete pad
from 10' to 15' wide. That'll be plenty wide for Emma's Civic SI and our Triumph next to it with room to spare.
So I'll need to get more pavers later since I talked Emma into letting me add 3 rows instead of the 2 rows we originally talked about.
Used Dad's old rototiller to loosen the packed yard dirt, but its still hard hot work. ugh.

 

[bobabode]

I am green with envy.
signed a former MGB in oxblood owner.

 

[bobabode]

Wait! No knock-off wire wheels? -grin j/k

 

[spicer]

@gadget73 Agreed buying a car of that age without being gone through is foolish to take on road trip. However as Heather said she bought it from a shop that specializes in these tr7/8's and could easily go though the entire car to make it as reliable as possible for a road trip.

Yeah, one would think it would be ready to go. I get it though, an unknown car of that age and desirability... but still, I'd want to drive it home. I'm sure Heather did too but for caution.

 

[gadget73]

True, but if something did fail unexpectedly, where do you get the part? I've had assorted things go bad without warning. Less of an issue on a vehicle you can wheel into a parts store and get stuff for but I don't expect that o'advancezone has a large in-stock inventory for one of these.

 

[hjames]

Wait! No knock-off wire wheels? -grin j/k

The CT. guy selling the Silver TR8 with the 4.6 liter motor said he had a set of wires for it - but we didn't buy it, or them! (probably aftermarket).
(but it was an award winning car - someone should buy it!)
This silver car was amazing - but - the Poseidon Green Metallic car we bought was better for us.

 

[Mr.Jim]

I don't think tr7 or tr8 ever had wire wheels.

 

[hjames]

@gadget73 Agreed buying a car of that age without being gone through is foolish to take on road trip. However as Heather said she bought it from a shop that specializes in these tr7/8's and could easily go though the entire car to make it as reliable as possible for a road trip.

We drove to MA on I95 and paid MASSIVE tolls (just under $60!).
Siri suggested we drive back from CT on I84 and I81 - and hit some construction, beautiful wooded views, but no tolls.
But - those would be pure miserable places IF something broke down on the 500 mile trip to here.
I'm thinking that internal gas tank fuel pump could be a bitch to fix with no tools - and not likely available at your local O'Reily or Advance Auto Parts shop.
So, much as I want to drive it right now, RIGHT NOW - the enclosed transport is the smart and safe solution
Again, we have AAA - and if something lets go local or even semi local after it gets here, I'll get a rollback to bring it home

 

[sfox52]

Congrats on finding your dream car! Take your time with the driveway, that looks like a lot of work.

 

[OBMG74]

So, much as I want to drive it right now, RIGHT NOW - the enclosed transport is the smart and safe solution

Well said.

 

[OBMG74]

Not her first driveway or car.
Just sayin'...

 

[nolasally]

@hjames What did he want for the 4.6L car. Looks to have had some nice suspension mods done?

 

[hjames]

@hjames Why not just extend the concrete with more poured concrete?? So it’s gonna sit outside? If so I recommend keeping hardtop on at all times. When you wish to use car simply remove. These cars aren’t leakproof! Also if parking outside don’t go cheap on cover. A good proper outdoor cover will run you a minimum of 250.

Because I need building permits and all the rest of that who-ha to have someone pour a second pad to extend things here in the city.
Plus, at 70 I'm still strong and healthy - and I need some good exercise after 2 days sitting in the car for that 1000 mi drive!
(yeah, I stay hydrated and take breaks while shoveling - tho I used the tiller to break up all the sod that was there).

@hjames What did he want for the 4.6L car. Looks to have had some nice suspension mods done?

He has a photo album full of 1st and 2nd place wins at multiple car shows in CT, VT and other shows.
I think he lost interest after his wife passed - she helped manage it and they did a lot together.

The Silver 4.6 is superclean & has roughly 75-100hp more than the car we bought (ours is prob 200-ish), and a LOT more torque
The price on the Silver 81? - well, here's his ad:

1981 Triumph TR8 - TWS 4.6 - $24,000 USD​ 79k Miles, Owned since 1991 Repainted in 1991 using OEM spec paint Interior replaced 1992 All work done in 2007 at 63k miles TWS Motors Performance 4.6 Rover V8 installed Mallory distributor GM Alternator TWS Aluminum radiator TWS high torque starter TWS Wilwood Big Front Brake kit, w/ cross drilled rotors Brake master and booster Rear brakes and wheel cylinders Clutch Slave cylinder Rebuilt power steering rack Shifter bushings Front and rear shocks Compomotive TXN wheels (2012) w/ 205/50/15 tires (2018) Robbins canvas top 2016 2022 TWS health check and inspection, minor issues addressed Equipped with AC, needs recharged His car is listed mid-down the page here - Cars for Sale Dennis Hoagland - (801) 427-9999 - dr.hoagland@hotmail.com Located in Provo UT USA TWS can assist shipping to North America or globally, and answer any questions about the car.... www.thewedgeshop.com Its really clean!

 

[hjames]

About that widening the driveway project. Since the 16 x 8" pavers I used to widen it 2' 15 years ago just aren't available, I grabbed a load of 26 1' x 1' pavers and 4 bags of paver sand at Lowes Thurs to start off with. I went back Friday and loaded the Fit up with 40 more pavers, and 4 more bags of sand. After I unloaded all of that, I fired up the tiller to loosen the dirt, used a pick and shovels to establish the basic area, got an initial start of 9 pavers in place by dinner Friday. Got back into it Saturday and I had 5 rows of 3 paver in place by mid-day Saturday, slow hot work and tough on my back. Victor Aguilar came by mid afternoon as I was making another pass with the tiller, and asked if I had any Landscaping work for him! I pointed at the extendion in progress, we haggled a bit, settled on a price, and he called his crew over and finished my remaining 2 days of work in about 3 hours - Awesome! Now we have a "landing pad" for the TR8 when it gets delivered. (My back and achy knees are VERY happy - and so is Emma)





Above - Penny the Fit, fulling loaded with 40 pavers and 4 bags of sand! - Bigger on the inside ...

Victor and his crew - and the 66 red pavers in place!
Driveway is now 15' x 25' - plenty of room to get 2 small cars off the street! (and my aging back is grateful Victor appeared!)
Now I just have to be patient, wait for info on the car "shakedown", and arrange the delivery details.

 

[init4fun]

Nice!!!!

And if Emma won't go for a full garage, , I've seen some pretty nice carports that'll protect it from snow & ice

(Not my pic, a random internet shot)

 

[Mart Mccall]

Great cars, they were built just down the road from where I grew up in the 1970s. One of the neighbours had one.

Later production had most of the problems sorted. Sadly you very rarely see them on the road in the UK now, not even the standard TR7.

Enjoy it.

 

[hjames]

If I wanted to protect that vehicle from the elements I’d trim up those hedges and cut a hole through them at the top of the driveway and put a metal shed in back sitting on a slab and insulate the inner walls.

Issues to be resolved with Emma over the next year or so. She likes the hedges and all of that, and you can see the main AC power connects to the house in that area.
We have an architect friend I'll pose that Q to once she frees up from some of the massive projects she's already involved with.
Local city code requires a slab under a garage or carport, so the concept is something not to be taken lightly. Maybe by next summer a project to revisit.

@hjames I applaud you for even attempting that job. Though it sounds easy once you get started you realize it’s a bigger job. At least your wise enough to know when your beat! With a tweaked back, what fun would it be getting in/out of TR-8???

Well, I had a good dent in it already, and I wasn't beat, but since I've had my share of hours on the chiropractic table in the past,
so when it came to plugging ahead over the next week or so, or dropping a few hundred to them to finish it (and - same day!!)
It was no contest. The price was right, we had cash handy, and wisdom prevailed over ego! And - it was expedient.

 

[BMWCCA]

I had the distinction of selling these when they were new. Our Porsche-Audi-BMW store sort of inherited the JRT franchise (Jaguar Rover Triumph MG) from the local dealership and I was selling Jags and Triumph and doing endless recalls on Austin Marinas for a few years. When the first TR8 rolled off the truck (also green) our service manager (a well-known SCCA champion driver and constructor) took it for a drive, came back, put it on a lift, and promptly cut out a muffler from each side and replaced them with straight pipes. It as an intoxicating sound. I wish I had as good memories of the rest of our history with the British marques.

Our green "demo" was stolen from our shop (a year or so after my 2002tii and a new 3-series were also stolen and eventually recovered—and by the same juvenile perps) and was found some time later while being involved in a break-in and robbery at several homes in a town about 20-miles away. When the police called us to have us come and retrieve the car after they gathered all the evidence they said they needed. I arrived with my "flap" dealer tag, popped the trunk to hold it, and immediately became aware of the truck being full to the top with silver from local home invasions. I brought it to the attention of the cops who had just assured us they had everything they needed out of the car, and they quickly emptied the trunk of the loot. A few days later those same "investigators" arrived at the dealership to "check on something else" on the TR8 and I asked them if one of the homes in the robberies was owned by someone whose last name started with an "S". They were surprised I knew that, until I produced a huge gravy ladle with monogram that we'd found under the trunk floor during our cleanup, and after supposedly being thoroughly "searched" by those local LEOs. Twice.

Those were the days. We enjoyed the sounds and the relative "performance" given the historical perspective of the time. But I recall simply hating the acres of flat plastic on the interior including the expanse of dashboard up to the base of the windshield.

Have fun! I'm the owner of six BMW convertibles, currently working toward having just one of them road-worthy, enough, but still focusing mainly on enjoying my motorcycles. All the best to you and Emma. Looking for weather cool enough for you to enjoy the Turnip.

 

[hjames]

Nice!!!!

And if Emma won't go for a full garage, , I've seen some pretty nice carports that'll protect it from snow & ice

(Not my pic, a random internet shot)

View attachment 3281742

Harbour Freight has some REALLY cool garage-tents I considered for the 1st year, but why drop $190 (yeah, VERY affordable!) -
if a neighbor complains and I'd have to take it down. And we have a VERY fussy guy across the street who would be the complainer.
He had a fit with his next door neighbor who had a Honda S2000s under a car cover - that somehow kept slipping off the car revealing an old tag.

https://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-x-17-ft-portable-car-canopy-62860.html?event_id=182966

 

[hjames]

I've already ordered another security cam (like the one I've out back on our pond) that I'll mount to watch both front cars in the driveway. Its got a solar panel that recharges the internal battery - works pretty well catching Foxes & racoons out back, and the software will handle 4 cams.

Once the TR8 goes into winter storage (Oct/Nov I 'spose), I can put the Fit in the new space and off the street during any snows we might get.