Motoring Memories: Triumph TR8, 1980-1982

[Arthur Dent]

Great article on one of the most overlooked classics. One minor, minor correction is that the TR6 styling was done by Karmann Coachbuilders of Germany not Michelotti. Although the TR5/TR250 was and the middle section of that remain - Karmann just gave it a new nose and trunk.

Interestingly almost all TR8s are convertibles - most of the coupe production was pre-production examples that went to the US press fleet and most of them were automatics.

[ovr50]

My wife had a 1977 TR7 (she bought it in late 1976, and she & I knew each other but were not together at the time - had we been, I might have suggested a different purchase!?). For the first 18 months or so, it ran reasonably well, then all hell broke lose. She must have spent several thousands of dollars in the next year or so on repairs/fixes to failed systems/etc.

We came together in late 1979, she still had it and drove it until June 1980. We moved to Vancouver then, and we had it trucked to Vanc and sold it cheap to some impoverished SFU student. Pity him, but we were rid of it for good.

Not a good exercise at all.

Were the V8 TR8s better? Don't know but that TR7 has to rank with the worst cars I have ever experienced in my life.

[Railton]

Mine ran like a top. Purchased a 1977 model second hand in 1980 I think.
Sold it a year or two later for $3500.00 (bored with it) for a Vette. Paid around $8K for that one.
Railton

[chrischasescars]

Were the V8 TR8s better?

Dunno either, but the blue one pictured with the article belongs to Paul Williams, our Senior Editor. He loves the thing. I've been in it a few times, and it's a really smooth driver. He says everything in his still works, including the A/C! I believe he bought it in good running condition and has had it painted (the blue colour in the photos) and the seats upholstered.

[tpl]

My wife had a 1977 TR7 (she bought it in late 1976, and she & I knew each other but were not together at the time - had we been, I might have suggested a different purchase!?). For the first 18 months or so, it ran reasonably well, then all hell broke lose. She must have spent several thousands of dollars in the next year or so on repairs/fixes to failed systems/etc.

We came together in late 1979, she still had it and drove it until June 1980. We moved to Vancouver then, and we had it trucked to Vanc and sold it cheap to some impoverished SFU student. Pity him, but we were rid of it for good.

Not a good exercise at all.

Were the V8 TR8s better? Don't know but that TR7 has to rank with the worst cars I have ever experienced in my life.

Ovr I could just copy your post !   We had a '76 TR7 bought new  in 77.

Transmission had to be replaced after 4 months as 1st/reverse gear failed.   Waterpump was replaced about 6 times as it continually leaked.  Wiring to one of the pop up headlights chafed through.  Ignition module failed. 
Mrs tpl loved it, I hated it.  We traded it for the first of the fwd Mazda 323s which was not a bad little car.  ( it was in fact called the GLC as in Good Little Car )

[Arthur Dent]

The TR8s were much better. Early TR7s used a 4spd box for the Morris Marina - not up to the task - the later 5spd sourced from the Rover SD1 is very robust. The brakes and suspension geometry is quite hopeless on the 7 but fixed on the 8. And of course the slant four motor had issues with headgaskets and head bolts. The Rover V8 of the TR8 is a rugged and simple motor that gave good performance with no weight gain. The only sad thing about the TR8 is they all have power steering.

[Honda Owner]

That a TR8 was better is completely relative. I grew up the the garage business. About the only thing that didn't constantly fail in the TR8 was the American designed motor. English cars of the era were absolute junk. You couldn't bolt the parts on them fast enough. There is a reason BL went bust and it was all about their awful products.

[Rupert]

I know that this is TR8 but it seems to have divided up a bit and I hope that no one will object to a TR6 being included.
In 1971 had a new TR6 which I thought was a nice design for a sports car and it looked the part. It was not without it’s problems though and, although it never left me stranded, the problems were unacceptable then and would be a joke today. Much of the trouble was design oriented I think, like the muffler support system (little rubber strap) that fatigued and broke in Baltimore whilst passing over the railway tracks. A temporary repair was made using some electrical wire that I had in the trunk. There were only a couple of thousand miles on the clock at this point. The rubber strap was replaced at the next dealership. I should have left the wiring on though…the replacement strap broke in a couple of thousand miles. One has to remember that the chassis, sans independent rear suspension, was dated; maybe TR2 era. Possibly a bit flexible so that IRS was not very effective.
There were other things like dated steering that was very heavy with the small steering wheel and no power assist. It felt like the front wheels were in charge sometimes. Oh yes the North American left hand drive version did not provide access for removing the cumbersome oil filter. You know the type with the bolt running up through the heavy steel replaceable container. It had to be forced by the steering shaft if you did not cut a hole in the wheel well behind the LH front wheel. I noticed at a local vintage show that most of the TR6s had replaced this style filter with an adapted normal N.American screw on style. Oil changes were dreaded. The engine was a bit of a clunk with the twin Stromberg carb’s (due to emission standards, UK versions had fuel injection). This meant that it was down 30 HP. and ran out of breath. I think the rating was a little under 100 HP. One of the engine push rod dashpots disintegrated which required  a partial rebuild.
The rear suspension springs I think were challenged and did not last long before fatigue set in. This resulted in reduced ride height and the familiar cambered rear wheels. I cured this with rubber spring spacers so that it looked ok but probably was not good to do. I had an Isuzu Trooper years later with a wonderful free revving 4 cylinder OHC engine and often thought that this would have been a great motor for the Triumph with it’s 130 HP. and 5 speeds.
Oh it had to have 3 mufflers and those babies were not cheap.
In the days of the Datsun 240Z, the old Triumph was a bit anachronistic with it’s cumbersome soft top but on a nice summers day, with the top down and the engine on song (well the best it could do) and the wonderful exhaust note one could imagine that one heard the distant fading rumble of Pomp And Circumstance. Or could it be the darned exhaust hanger again. No it was Pomp alright!!! The rubber strap was replaced with my own hand crafted leather one…lasted longer…this being replaced with my original..own design…electrical wire. This lasted until I sold it but not before the heater element started to leak. I don’t know why I still remember this machine fondly, but I do. It had, in spades, the thing that modern vehicles seem to lack…character... and I do not regret owning it…it was the end of a different age. One that I frankly preferred.