Speke to me about TR7s

[JohnDeere]

I'm feeling the love for a Speke wedge at the moment - TR7s seem to be rock-bottom prices for two-seat fun*  And I think it's one of the few cars that would fit in my ridiculously small garage.

 

But not many of them cropping up here apart from the rusty two-tone brown one from a while back.

 

Anyone know of one for sale?  I'd be looking for something somewhere between basket case of iron oxide and concours - MongBay seems to feature only examples at either extreme.  My mechanic and welding skillz are non-existent so we'd be on a learning curve together.

[Bren]

I would have one but as the basis for a V8 conversion.

 

I concur, they are something of a bargain, but then again, they're not a ford.

[rml2345]

I think rust is the big killer on these. Look like good fun though.

[cort16]

Aye rust everywhere, thousands of it. they're pretty tough and simple mechanically if you can get a solid one.

A particular party trick (and they need these welded at 3-4 years old so I'm told) is the triangular mounts that hold the trailing arm onto the body. You can get panels but they're expensive so find one without the rot.

 

The one I had was quite an early 4 speed so rare but had the top speed of about 65mph (not a joke) so I'd leave that along unless you're just doing back road blezzing.

[DVee8]

I know it's not the shite way but this place does TR7 in all sorts of guises from shells to concourse.

 

https://www.robsport.co.uk/index.php/ct-menu-item-7

[Junkman]

I tell you something about TR7s now.

If you come across a good, cheap example, in a hideous colour, with that naff Burberry interior, don't buy it!

PM me the details of the seller instead.

[Pete-M]

A decent TR7 drives well. The shell should feel very stiff on a good one. No flex.

 

A baggy tired one isn't much fun.

[Leyland Lawrence]

I wanted a triton green coupe (a more pure '70s looking design) but couldn't find one except one needing restoration. They're all convertibles.

[Sloth in a bowl]

I really want one, but have no where to put it.

 

A TR7 coupe with a Saab turbo motor is my shite fantasy sports car.

[anonymous user]

Sorry to be of no help whatsoever, I've had mine (a late five speed drophead) a few years now, but apart from the first year I haven't driven it and even then the furthest I drove it was the hundred miles down to my brother who is now looking after it for me.

Amazingly everything worked fine on it when I drove it and it isn't rotten (mainly because it was not being used for years before I bought it). I keep meaning to get it back on the road, but, we're half way through summer already, so I doubt it'll happen this year now.

 

Just for Junkman - hideous colour, check, hideous check interior (in blue), check. I'll let you know if I decide to sell it.

 

If you are looking for Speke built, you're more likely to be looking at something like this.

[urpert]

 

Just for Junkman - hideous colour, check, hideous check interior (in blue), check. I'll let you know if I decide to sell it.

001.JPG

 

that pic is GR11. Can't decide which of the 2 I like more.

[red5]

That two-tone one had 3 AS owners...mind you, you couldn't see the tinworm easily at all. Was still a hoot to drive.

[Dajazar]

Ah yes,

 

I had a nice blue Speke built one on an X plate with red tartan interior and a 5 speed box. Quite rare for a Speke car apparently. Great little car on a going day-which was about once every 200 days. I couldn't get it to run right despite attention from specialists. The K and N air filter froze during the winter so I had to put the original air box back. Electronic ignition, a Kenlowe fan and security alarm just proved expensive. What finished me was an elusive earthing fault. No one could find the b***** and it had to go. Never again!

[Stixy]

Make sure the sunroof works  

 

Because in a rear end shunt they wedge the doors shut 

[UmBongo]

I tell you something about TR7s now.

If you come across a good, cheap example, in a hideous colour, with that naff Burberry interior, don't buy it!

PM me the details of the seller instead.

 

My pal GazzaBazzaDazza who owns this fine machine would agree on naff Burberry interiors.

 

Exteriors, on the other hand...

 

[cort16]

That two-tone one had 3 AS owners...mind you, you couldn't see the tinworm easily at all. Was still a hoot to drive.

 

That was all fixed and on ebay a couple of weeks ago for less than a grand. All the welding done, new screen plus it had been de two toned. I had to cable tie my arms to a shetland pony to stop me bidding.

[JohnDeere]

Thanks for all of the comments so far. Naturally all of the tales of woe have increased wantage. On the lookout...

[Junkman]

A decent TR7 drives well. The shell should feel very stiff on a good one. No flex.

 

I had the same impression. Back when I lived in Berlin, an English friend, who was stationed at RAF Gatow,

sometimes gave me his still fairly new TR7, when he borrowed my rubber cow.

It was a 5-speed fixed head in Cavalry Blue, with matching fabric interior (sorry, no Burberry).

The car did not look dated in early 80s Berlin, and attracted quite some interest from German petrolheads.

 

I can't fault the driving experience. It felt tight, but not overly harsh, quite refined, and very solid.

There wasn't much around you could compare it with, since hardly anybody else still made a 2-seater sports car

in the two litre class, unless you were willing to shell out a lot more on something hand built.

Flimsy floppytop flower-boxes ala Fiat 124 and Alfa Spider were more for the Henna-dyed flip-flop bunch.

 

The closest rival in those days was probably the RX7, but that was a different animal altogether, and completely

lacked the "Britishness", which is more coveted in Germany, than many of you would think.

The OMGMGBGTBYMG wasn't too long out of production yet, but considered an anachronism for pipe smokers.

 

The TR7 was unusual, it was a fashion gag, and it was good at what it was intended for.

I even had the odd blast down the AVUS in it, at a 120 indicated, without feeling unsafe, or on the edge, or such stuff.

 

And although the styling was severely slagged off by some back in the days, I find it has aged extremely well.

[rml2345]

^ it hasn't aged badly at all. BL seemed to have a bit of a knack for producing controversial looking designs that manage to look fabulous 30+ years later. The SD1 and XJ-S spring to mind.

[warren t claim]

Ah yes,

 

I had a nice blue Speke built one on an X plate 

Won't be Speke built on an X plate.

[Mr Livered]

I didn't know that the Speke ones were more sought after; why is that?

[cort16]

I didn't know that the Speke ones were more sought after; why is that?

 

Because the pointy bit is at the back and the square bit is at the front on them.

[Mr Livered]

Oh right, cheers

[RedSparrow]

I'd avoid the coupes as they get a bit floppy and rattle themselves to pieces. The hardtops look much better anyway!

They are surprisingly primitive mechanically for what was touted as a ultra modern car.
I've got a Speke one that's been totally rebuilt with a 16v Dolly sprint engine and 5 speed box and Princess brakes. Great fun. Basically how the car should've been in the first place.
 
But yeah, the Speke ones were generally bad. This video gives some insights.

[cort16]

blimey that films an eye opener no wonder it all went to shite

[Mr Livered]

blimey that films an eye opener no wonder it all went to shite

And in fact the British car industry in general - similar situations all over the country saw basically the entire industry either going bust or being so weakened as to allow vultures to pick them off, like Rootes.

[Pete-M]

The Triumph factory in Speke is a perfect example of how not to run a car company. A friend's dad "worked" there and was always one of the first to go out on strike - he had a gardening business on the side so really didn't have any interest in working for Triumph. He'd be at home for most of the summer, or on holiday in his caravan at Rhyl. Mondays and Fridays he'd be renting out rotavators. Tues weds Thurs he was one of the stewards at Triumph trying to get the lads to go out on strike.

 

He's one of the reasons I'm anti-union.

[DVee8]

This is on the Blue

http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/167912/taxed-tested-1000-washington-tyne#.U6qpnLE2U1k

[RichardMoss]

The Speke built cars are (generally) awful and to be avoided if possible. -I would go for the latest you can get - ideally one built somewhere else after Speke was put out of our misery. Ones with a push-button boot release were built on the SD1 line at Solihull and are the best of all. In between, they built them at Canley.

 

Like most Triumphs, they appear to have been built down to a price rather than up to a standard (get it?) so nothing really feels classy. The Solihull cars just look so much better finished, too. I love them - I've had a VERY late Solihull car and also a Canley car with a Sprint engine (that could shift!)

[dollywobbler]

I agree Pete. But the management must also take plenty of blame. The pioneers of these companies - Herbert Austin, William Morris and William Lyons etc - tended to be pretty good at industrial relations. Then a wave of management came in who had no experience of the shop floor and saw themselves as superior to the workers. That's what bred such hate between management and the unions. If Edwardes hadn't come in and put a stop to such nonsense, Austin-Rover would never have happened. It would have all gone to the wall back then. 

 

Interestingly, Solihull was also an exceedingly militant place. That's why SD1 production was shipped off to Canley, where the Maxi assembly line workers were exceedingly happy to have something nice to build, so they did a great job.