[M5Rick]

The question nearly everyone asks is why BL didn't fit the 16V Sprint engine.

[grannyknot]

Brings back memories, In the mid 70's I worked at popular car wash/gas station and when things got slow would get one or two of the new cars we had on contract from the dealerships out of the new car compound and bring them up to the wash.

TR6's and 7's, MGB's VW Sirocco's and Bugs, lots of different imports. Back then they didn't come from the factory all pristine clean like they do now, they were covered with greases, sealants and writing on the glass so we had to clean them up before they could go out on the showroom floor.
It's really where we all learned to drive, me and 4-5 other teenage boys.

If you were doing a closing shift on the gas pumps you could bring up a decoy car to the pumps so it would look like it was a customer getting gas and it would signal to anyone driving by that the place was still open for business.

Giving access to the keys for a dozens of new cars to a group of teenage boys was not the smartest move, we put some hard miles on those cars racing them around the lot, doing handbrake slides and screeching stops, good times.

After the shift when you had closed up for the night sometimes we would grab a dealer plate and throw it on the car of our choice and head out driving around for an hour or so, no license, no insurance and no common sense.

[Murf the Surf]

Originally Posted by grannyknot

Brings back memories, In the mid 70's I worked at popular car wash/gas station and when things got slow would get one or two of the new cars we had on contract from the dealerships out of the new car compound and bring them up to the wash.

TR6's and 7's, MGB's VW Sirocco's and Bugs, lots of different imports. Back then they didn't come from the factory all pristine clean like they do now, they were covered with greases, sealants and writing on the glass so we had to clean them up before they could go out on the showroom floor.
It's really where we all learned to drive, me and 4-5 other teenage boys.

If you were doing a closing shift on the gas pumps you could bring up a decoy car to the pumps so it would look like it was a customer getting gas and it would signal to anyone driving by that the place was still open for business.



Giving access to the keys for a dozens of new cars to a group of teenage boys was not the smartest move, we put some hard miles on those cars racing them around the lot, doing handbrake slides and screeching stops, good times.

After the shift when you had closed up for the night sometimes we would grab a dealer plate and throw it on the car of our choice and head out driving around for an hour or so, no license, no insurance and no common sense.

That wasn't the Executive Car Wash on Front Street was it?

[grannyknot]

Originally Posted by Murf the Surf

That wasn't the Executive Car Wash on Front Street was it?

No, it was Automat Car Wash on Kingsway in south Burnaby

[Car-Addicted]

We worked on a lot of these in the day. Fun little car. I was involved in racing Triumph Spitfires when Ken won the national title in F production and we were third. Ken went on to run the TR7 and then the TR8

[M-technik-3]

I like em but would honest rather have a clean 68-72 TR6 but that being said have have seen two with M52 Aluminium blocks and 5 speed swaps and they from what I hear really make a difference.

Do a painless wiring swap if they make one to get away from the Prince of Darkness and some modern upgrades and you have a nice classic style roadster.


This one is on sale in Sufolk LI for 3700 obo
https://longisland.craigslist.org/pt...910383222.html

[M5Rick]

The works rally prepared Leyland TR7 V8 in the hands of legend Tony Pond and his co- driver Fred Gallaher made an impact on the rally scene.

''We thought we were going fairly slowly''

[M5Rick]

Too good to let it go now, the sound of this rally TR7 is intoxicating. On the Epynt it was a walk in the park winning every single stage , no wonder it's smiling.

[M-technik-3]

Was the TR8 a US name only for the Rover powered TR7? Funny we are mentioning this I saw a YouTube video today about the SD1 Touring that was V8 powered as well.

[Car-Addicted]

The V8 was a Aluminum Buick 215 that Rover and others continued to develop.
Really too bad that the British automotive industry fell apart as these were pretty good cars and great potential race cars.

[M-technik-3]

Yeah I know the story about the how the BL got the unloved Buick block, my question was did the TR8 Exist in UK or was that just a NA naming thing to differentiate the two.

[Car-Addicted]

This should clear that up

[FrankL]

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

The V8 was a Aluminum Buick 215 that Rover and others continued to develop.
Really too bad that the British automotive industry fell apart as these were pretty good cars and great potential race cars.

Back in the day around high school, I wanted a TR7. Then the TR8 came out and that was the one to get. I tried to save up for a BMW 2002 as a kid.

In college, I would spring for a UK CAR magazine which was like the Vogue of car magazines. The magazine was about $5 or 6 which would be $12 today. One issue had the chairman of Ford of Europe testing out the new Ford Escort. The guy's name was Bob Lutz.

The Bob Lutz who gave us the 2002 Turbo, BMW M Motorsport, fixed BMW's FU sales channel run by a crook, a clay design studio. When Bob came in as a young man at BMW, the 3 series (E21) was about to launch. The staff begged him to redesign it cause it was awful. Bob got it done and the rest is history. The E21's are still beautiful today.

[Davil]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

Even more strange is why there wasn't a factory V8 3.5 litre version with uprated dynamics.

There was the TR8 but I think that was just for the US. A few of them made it down here and got converted to RHD. Worth quite a bit these days. Plus lots of V8 conversions done too.

I always thought these were cool when I was a kid. Love a good wedge. Not the finest era of British manufacturing though. There are stories of some being delivered with missing gears.

[Car-Addicted]

I had a TR7 convertible for a mouth or two as a daily driver. Remember that they were not all that powerful and used a MacPherson strut front suspension with a single lower arm and a swaybar used as a torque rod. Very crude even for the time. The rear was a solid axle (non-limited slip) and not a terribly strong one.

[Car-Addicted]

A blast from the past. Not a TR7.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by Davil

There was the TR8 but I think that was just for the US. A few of them made it down here and got converted to RHD. Worth quite a bit these days. Plus lots of V8 conversions done too.

I always thought these were cool when I was a kid. Love a good wedge. Not the finest era of British manufacturing though. There are stories of some being delivered with missing gears.

You mean in the gearbox?

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

A blast from the past. Not a TR7.

Attachment 3910745

For sure a Spitfire, the poor mans TR6

[M5Rick]

On the first special stage of the 1980 Lombard RAC rally the famous Tony Pond excursion into the Longleat lions feeding den happened damaging the TR7 V8 roof with an angry lion actually wanting to get to Gallagher but some hasty reversing saved the day. It required a fair amount of roof panel beating and a partially duct taped windshield then after another side swiping moment that cost him more time than the roof repair an unbelievable drive by Pond from 114th place nailing stage wins a plenty finishing an amazing 7th.
No actual footage of the Longleat visit only this @ 4:18 of them getting the car to service.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by FrankL

Back in the day around high school, I wanted a TR7. Then the TR8 came out and that was the one to get. I tried to save up for a BMW 2002 as a kid.

In college, I would spring for a UK CAR magazine which was like the Vogue of car magazines. The magazine was about $5 or 6 which would be $12 today. One issue had the chairman of Ford of Europe testing out the new Ford Escort. The guy's name was Bob Lutz.

The Bob Lutz who gave us the 2002 Turbo, BMW M Motorsport, fixed BMW's FU sales channel run by a crook, a clay design studio. When Bob came in as a young man at BMW, the 3 series (E21) was about to launch. The staff begged him to redesign it cause it was awful. Bob got it done and the rest is history. The E21's are still beautiful today.

And brought over the "Ultimate Driving Machine" from his days at Pontiac.

[M5Rick]

More on the mainly US destined TR8 with Leyland deciding to shoehorn the updated 215 ci Buick V8 used in Rover saloons against the unreliable Stag 183 ci small block.