Mistaken Identity: V8-Powered 1975 Triumph TR7
This dusty Triumph has been listed on Facebook Marketplace for a few weeks, and we flagged it as potentially being mis-labeled. The reason for this is because the engine bay seems to point to a different model designation than how it’s listed, which is as a TR7 coupe. The hardtop two-door has apparently been stuck in this Sparks, Nevada garage for some time, and the seller is looking for $5,000 on this forgotten British sports car that still wears California blue plates. Find it here on Facebook Marketplace with what looks like an eight-cylinder powerplant under the hood.
There’s the big clue as to a potential misidentification of this British Racing Green project car. The engine looks all the world like the 3.5L mill found in the limited-production TR8, which was one of the more intriguing British performance models ever made. The odd thing is the TR8 didn’t go on sale until 1978, and this being a 1975 model suggests either the seller has the model year wrong or this British wedge benefits from an engine swap. It would make sense, after all, since it wouldn’t be particularly difficult to retrofit a Rover V8 – which was produced in generous quantities – into a car that would later come standard with such a motor.
The Triumph sports some cool period details, like the aforementioned California blue plates, along with a vintage dealer plate frame and a county code-style sticker for Great Britain. You can just make out the period-correct decals still running down the quarter panels, which perhaps suggests this Triumph has been out of the weather for many years; if it was left to stand in the relentless Vegas sunshine, I can only imagine what sort of shape those graphics would be in. The seller doesn’t provide us with any history about this car, just calling it a “project.”
That much is certainly obvious, but it’s not in bad shape overall. The interior is clean, with many original details still in place. The automatic transmission is a bit of a surprise but it will do nicely in terms of pulling that compact V8 around. The often brittle dash plastics and steering wheel would have turned to dust if this TR had been left outside, so this photo lends further evidence to the thought that it has been stored inside for some time. What do you think – is this a case of a mislabeled car or a poorly-written ad or both? Regardless of what it actually is, the price is still ambitious for a non-running project like this.
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Comments
Looks to be like a worn out 7 or whatever it is. Can’t even get a good enough look at it to say if it’s junk or worth investigating.
Why does that look like a Ford small block ?
I’m a retired Ford Senior-Master tech. That is a mid-80’s 5.0l stuffed in a tr7. One of my buddies in the Marine Corps did that swap at Camp Pendleton years ago. Mystery solved.
agreed Mike, Looks to be more part Mustang than part vette.
You have to remember back in the seventies creativity was a key to troubleshooting many problems. Examples I blewthe 305 out of my 77 Camaro in high school. My buddy’s dad had a 71 Mercury Montego with the 351 repeatedly told 351 Cleveland in a 77 Camarowon’t fit can’t be done.! Shaved maybe a 32nd on the motor mounts and Walla
Because it is.
The small block, 289/302 Ford were popular swaps into British sports cars, beyond Cobra’s and Sunbeam Tigers because they are so narrow.
The asking price is too aggressive for what it is, a non running car covered in dust that’s been sitting for who knows how long. I’d be surprised if there weren’t registration issues waiting for the next owner. Its might be worth considering at 50% of the value of its parts.
Steve R
I’m sure i have mentioned it before but my brother put a 302 roller motor and T5 in a 75 or so MGB. What a rocket ship but not for everyone. Would hurt an inexperianced driver in a heartbeat. Just stabbing the throttle moves you around with the torque steer. My nephew owns it now and I fear for him.
Because it is. I’m guessing a 260 or 289 from the looks of it.
I was thinking the shift lever looked like out of a Pinto
That looks like Buick 231 V6. A somewhat common swap back in the day, so I’m told.
The auto shifter is Ford, too.
The fact that it is a ’75 will have some bearing in a state where it has to pass a DEQ inspection. Most people do not want to jump through the hoops that an engine swap will present, not to mention the catalytic converter. I’d bet that shoe box Holley is dumping a bit more extra fuel than that smallblock needs for this application. But, if you only want to have 1/4 mile fun …..
Everyone has the same thought that was my first thought. Looks a lot like a ford 302 from the era. Wondering if they will settle for about half what they’re asking. Then maybe it’ll be worth it. Never hurts to ask right?
agreed-Ford V-8-the Buick based V-8 the distributor lays sideways I believe. valve covers wrong for Buick derivative.
You are correct and that is the definitive identifier. The small block Ford has the front located distributor and is vertical while the Olds/Buick – from which the Rover is derived – has the distributor canted slightly towards the driver’s side cylinder head. That and the obvious Ford/Mustang automatic shifter says this is a 260/289/302 Ford with a likely C-4 3 speed automatic. Actually this car looks very complete and probably wouldn’t take much to bring back to life. I agree that this is a $3,500 car.
Looks like a Windsor to me.And Weiand tappet covers?
And it’s NOT British Racing Green, way too light.
British Racing Green is a very dark colour.
The paint code on the id plate says EAA, which is Topaz Yellow.
There were at least 2 different British Racing Green colors for the MGB. One was fairly close to this, if I remember right. It is significantly faded.
Well, the pristine VIN plate clearly states that the car was manufactured in April 1975, so I’d say that the seller has that much right.
Triumph did in fact build a number of V8 powered prototypes of the TR8 (well over 100) between 1972 and 1977, and these were sold off as used cars after the development phase, but I believe that all of those were Coupes.
Given that it’s not a Rover V8 and it’s not a Coupe and it was built in April 1975, I’d say we clearly have someone’s effort to build themselves a TR8 out of the much more readily available TR7. And for $5000 you can buy a much cleaner one of those without the Ford lump for the same price point and start fresh on your own dream.
It is, in fact, a fixed head coupe, based on the photos.
Yup, my mistake. I was looking at another one on line to compare engines, and it was a convertible.
A true TR8 in tatty condition would go for $5-6K and a “pristine” TR7 with an engine swap would be worth less than that. Even at half that price, this is no bargain.
The TR8 did not use the Rover V8. Triumph developed their own engine. This is just a Ford swap
The TR8 used the same engine as the Rover SD1, which was a Buick V8 which Rover bought the rights from GM.
Triumph developed their own V8 for the Stag, but they used the Rover (nee Buick) 3.5L motor in their TR8.
TR8 had the Rover/Buick V8. Stag had the Triumph crap V8
You’re wrong about that. The TR8 had the 3.5 ltr Rover engine and the Stag had Triumph’s own 3.0 ltr V8
Oh wait, my bad. It is a coupe. Still doubt it’s one of the prototype mules given the Ford engine.
Definitely a ford 302 with an edelbrock torker intake which I doubt would be available for a 3.5 mill. IMO
While this car has a swapped in small block Ford, Edelbrock DOES make a Performer intake for the 215. And yes, this also fits the Rover versions.
https://www.edelbrock.com/performer-rover-intake-manifold-for-buick-olds-215-v-8-engines-2198.html
Looks like the tag expired in 85 so if the engine is not locked up and you show up with cash in hand I bet you can get it for around $2k. This is yet another project that makes me wish my shop was already built.
This thing’s a sleeper. With the little info, its still a no-brainer for 5 grand which is nothing these days. A SBF/auto in a TR7 is about as fun as you can get. Way better than a leakyTR8 dog. Ample power, handling, reliability, style, easy to service if needed.
Could be cleaned up and get running in one or two weekends, and then take the gumball rally to lunch. Looks like the hard work is done. Just have to have a lot of self-control. Yahoo!
It’s a small block Ford that’s been swapped into a TR7. The Ford distributor is straight up, the Buick/Rover distributor is angled towards the driver’s side. Also those are Ford valve covers. Weiand never made valve covers for the 215.
I hope they done something to the suspension ,as the TR8 had different suspension , steering & brakes, i was believed to understand.
That cast iron Ford will be even heavier than the aluminum 215.
Junk. I owned both a Rover SD1 and a TR7 convertible with a TR8 conversion using an original Buick block which was the design that Leyland bought and stuffed into a bunch of stuff. This thing is barely a roller. Yes…it has been a lot of years, but my clean conversion sold for 5000.
Heck, $5K is too much for a running TR7.
For obvious reasons, most of us focused in on the engine swap. But whatever little value there is in this tired TR7 is a function of what kind of shape the body/unibody is in. They were never paragons of quality – and if corrosion has started to take its toll – basically someone’s buying a non-running 302.
My brother and his wife brought one of these home and it died before they even left the house. Pos, they should have kept their Maverick.