Western Wedge: 1979 Triumph TR7 Convertible
Jamie Palmer is our resident British vehicle expert and collector but I ran across this 1979 Triumph TR7 Convertible and couldn’t resist. I almost can’t resist buying it but never having owned one, and with the shipping cost, I may have to think about it a bit. This one can be found here on eBay in Belgrade, Montana, just a dozen miles or so west of Bozeman on Interstate 90. The seller is asking $2,200 or best offer and the description alone is worth $2,200! You have to read it.
I admit to never having owned a British car, that’s just ludicrous. I remember the TR7 back when I was in high school and remember thinking of how cool it would be to have one, or even better, a TR8! Or, a TR8 convertible. But, back to this Inka Yellow TR7 droptop. Jamie, or someone who knows these cars, what’s with the front bumper? Is the cover pushed down below where it should be?
The TR7 was made from 1974 to 1981 and I think that it’s a very appealing design. This seller has one of the best descriptions that I’ve seen in a while with good info and great humor. The seller works on vintage European motorcycles and vintage American outboard motors. Cool stuff. They bought this TR7 15 years ago and haven’t found the time to restore it and they need the space for motorcycles. Did I mention that there is NO RUST?! They even show the spare tire compartment in the trunk and it looks rock solid. That’s great news. The car has new tires and they also have a brand new $425 convertible top that goes with the sale.
Unfortunately, even with 23 good photos, there isn’t one photo of the interior that shows the seats. There are a couple of partial photos showing partial views, but for a convertible to not have a photo of the interior is a little unusual. I do see a dash pad so I’m assuming that the seating surfaces may need work but we don’t know for sure. This car has factory AC which was a rare option, according to the seller. It also has a 5-speed manual instead of a 4-speed which they say was an $850 option.
This is a replacement engine, but they do have the numbers-matching original engine if the buyer wants it. The 2.0L inline-four has around 90 hp. It’ll need some tinkering with the carbs from sitting but they say that it will run. This looks like a fairly easy project for anyone looking for an inexpensive, fun little summer convertible. Have any of you owned a TR7?
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Comments
My favorite car when these came out (I was young and anything with a wedge configuration = speed). Anything with hidden lights I gravitated towards. They were rare around here but went to Toronto a few times in the early eighties and there were gobs of them. Preferred it in green.
I agree with the author that price is decent, but you can find similar or better condition and running in the same price range. I also know this one has been for sale for quite a while.
“The Shape of Things to Come”
I’ve noticed that people either love or hate TR7s.
I was impressed when I test drove one that was well-sorted.
A nice car to drive. Much nicer looking as a convertible.
An insult to British enthusiasts everywhere when it came out. This is what replaced our beloved TR6? We’ll have no part of it,,,fast forward to today, it seems to be the most affordable British roadster you can get. Looks much nicer than a Spitfire, at twice the cost, for some odd reason. I thought these were belt driven cam, but I read it’s chain driven and this motor was used extensively in British cars. Bozeman is a bit of a stretch for me and I refuse to go through the “shipping fiasco” again, but I swear, if one came up in my area, be hard pressed not to go for it. I think these aftermarket places, like Moss have the parts. And being British, rest assured, you’ll need them. Great find, tho.
Worked on too many of these on dealer warranty.Overheating #1 problem. The cylinder head is about as rigid as cheese and held on by studs at 2 different angles.If the studs don’t seize in the block the head will come off in one piece.Maximum resurface .020 Lots of heads scrapped.Under engineered gear driven water pump is under the intake manifold on top of block. The 5 speed gearbox has a fiber gear oil pump and must run ATF or it shears the pump teeth.The auto choke is best retrofitted with manual cable operation. My best wishes to anyone who buys this,
The nice thing is that you can fit uprated water pumps and there are fixes to keep the head gaskets in place too. Given the air conditioning, included cans of R12, new top and tires and NO RUST this is a *great deal*. I, too, loved reading the ad and as far as TR7s go this is a really nice one for the money!
Another note: The TR7s seats are very comfortable–so comfortable in fact that they were put back into production to be fitted into ANOTHER British sports car after the TR7 and TR8 were gone. Quiz; anyone know which car I’m talking about?
Scotty, buy this car. Seriously. You won’t regret it.
Mg f?
Nope. Although it was a two seat convertible…
Jaguar XJS.
Nope. Since I own an XJS, I can tell you that at least as far as my back and posterior are concerned, the TR7 seats are more comfortable!
TVR 280i I think
Seems like a good deal if you’re handy with British cars. The ad is well worth reading too!
Upgrade the engine to V8 and you have a great car.
I’ll bite, what car gets the seats?
Reliant Scimitar SS1: see it here
had a 76 tr7 with factory air. worked so well ha an inch of water on passenger foot well
I actually owned a 1980 TR7 that was the exact twin of this one. While I was in High School.
It drove really well. The heater was amazing. Otherwise it was absolutely awful. The top leaked. The a/c was terrible and power-sucking. It was nose heavy. It might not start if it was rainy or windy or cold or hot or day or night or sunny or cloudy. 50/50 chance the headlights would rise, but they did always illuminate. I replaced the head twice, and the radiator twice due to blown head gaskets. The oil filter canister thingy was about the stupidest design I have ever seen. The windscreen wipers would come on but you had to turn off the entire car to shut them off. The first time, and last, time I sounded the horn the entire wiring loom burnt to a crisp. The SU carbs were a nightmare to keep adjusted properly, and this was a continuous challenge.
So yeah, Scotty. Definitely do buy one of these.
“…the description alone is worth $2200!” I completely agree! Hire this guy to write up barn finds in Montana – I would enjoy reading about each and every car.
Agreed!
In 1976 I went to Texas to compete in the British Leyland Solo 2 competition.
At the end of the racing they had planned to let the class winners compete in identical cars which were TR7s. The problem was that most of the brand new cars broke down before they could compete. I think only half of them were available for the race. Once the racing started a large percentage of those broke down also. It was not a good look for British Leyland.
I went to a car show a few years back. I drooled over a beautiful silverTR8 that was on display. I got to see it again parked on the side of the interstate.
These cars are good looking and have nice interiors it is too bad they are so pitiful. I wonder if a LS would fit.
Skip, it will and has been done, as has a small-block Ford and of course the Buick/Rover V8. I’ll be the first to admit the TR7 powerplant doesn’t excite too many folks. However, I’ve been lucky enough to own a well-sorted TR8, and believe me, it’s not pitiful.
Also, as a side note, the build quality got better as time went on (and manufacturing was switched from one plant to another to another.
I had no intention of insulting your car. I only intended to tell about what I personally have seen. Heck, I would buy a TR8 myself. I have always loved the look of both versions.
Skip, no offense taken :-) You have to have a thick skin to be a British car lover….
It does. A guy is Santa Rosa California has a 5.3 in one.
Steve R
I had a 1980 TR8 and it was a blast to drive and that little V8 would push it along pretty good especially if you worked it. My 8 was all original including 3/4 of the paint but to be completely reliable it needed a total rebuild and I just didn’t want to throw the money into something that wouldn’t be worth half the restore. I had all the paperwork and repair receipts since new and after traveling around 5 states it went back to where it was imported, New Orleans and crazy as it may seem the first owner was an architect and now after all these years not only did it go back to New Orleans but the current owner is an architect!