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My Dad was a test driver for British Leyland in the 70’s and 80’s. He test drove many cars including the TR7 and TRV8. He maxed out many of the cars at the Edge Hill test track and Gaydon.
Actually, there were TR8s with automatic transmissions. Acceleration and top speed are the same with the original 13 inch wheels as with after market 15 inch wheels. Lower profile tires are used on the 15s to get the same overall diameter, so no change in acceleration or top speed. Nothing wrong with the twin Stromberg powered cars and carbs are a lot easier to repair than the fuel injection system. And no, that's not an original radio in the car. The best thing about a TR8 is that nobody knows what they are so nice ones are still affordable. For the price, you can't beat the comfort and performance that you get with a TR8!
Scotty is right the 4 cylinder was junk, I blew the engine in mine at 30,000 miles. He is also right about being fun to drive with manual rack and pinion steering. Beware everything else breaks down to. The pop up headlights, windowcrank,headlight switch,clutch master cylinder. The TR7 kept me broke just at the time I didnt need to be broke, but I learned from that and researched reliability. Japanese all the way after that.
The ONLY Japanese cars I have ever liked were the original 240Z/260Z/280Z. Those are beautiful. But I've never seen any other Japanese car that wasn't ugly.
@@scottykilmer keep up the good work scotty! I'm the guy that was having intermittent starting problems in the 2012 Ford fusion. Even emailed you. While you were with family in Rhode Island a while back! Would love to hear from you. I figured out my problem . And also got rid of it.
I worked with a guy who wanted a sports car back in the 70's. His choice came down to a Triumph TR7 and a Datsun 280Z. He noticed at the Triumph dealership the back lot was full of new non-running TR7's. He went with the 280Z. He still owns and drives it to this day.
At the end of 1974 I went to the Triumph/ MG dealership to purchase a TR 6. I always loved that car and it was going to be my very first brand new vehicle. The dealer had the brochure for the new TR7 and talked me into buying one. It really was a futuristic design at the time. The dealer initially got 3 cars in and mine was one of them. Very pretty in Delft blue. Turned out to be the biggest car buying failure of my entire life. I have never owned a worse piece of junk and I have bought cars for $25.00. I couldn't even list all the things that went wrong with it here. Let's just say in the year I owned it the dealer had it in their service dept. for almost as long as I had it in my possession.
And your get to know all the tow truck drivers by their first name, my TR7 broke do an so much my boss said "get a new car, you cant continue to call in that your new car broke down again"
Not the worst car I owned. 80 chevette took the honors. Scotty, the Saab 90/900 of the same period used the same engine with slight modifications and it was magnificent. Explain that one. Do an episode on the Saab. View Top Gear’s episode where they dropped a Saab on its its roof, illustrating occupant survivability. The Tr7 chassis was praised for chassis rigidity and it was fun to drive when it ran.
Great review of a classic! Bought a new ‘80 TR7 and daily drove it for 3 years and yes it blew head gaskets regularly. I currently own the last TR8 to be dispatched from the Solihull factory on October 20, 1981. 1982 TR8 408405. They are so much fun with large cabins, a real trunk and plenty of get up and go.
Growing up, a neighbor had a TR6 and a TR8. Rode in both many items. Kind of bare-bones inside but liked them both. The TR6 sounded faster than it was. The TR8 didn't sound fast (but it was for its day).
I've always loved these Rover (Buick) V8s. As a kid, my friend's dad had a V8 Rover SD1 3500 and to this day I think it's the coolest car ever made. A guy down the street had a Rover P6 with one of these engines in and it was one of the most beautiful sounding cars I ever heard. They're rustbuckets but so are all other cars of their era, especially on our wet, salty roads! Triumph, Rover and MG once made some very nice cars...
In all honesty, that was an absolutely wonderful car, but the TR8 came out too late, and British Layland was already in deep financial trouble. That car was a winner. I’m still driving my 72 Spitfire, and it has been an incredibly reliable car, and I was cruel to it in my 20’s!
I had both a TR7 and a TR8. The TR7 engine went out at 60,000 miles. Loved it but hated the problems. Traded it for a TR8. I put headers, a long 283 rear end, and anti-sway bars front and back. The TR8 was a blast to drive. Kept it for several years and traded it for a Jenson Interceptor convertible which was awesome.
I purchased a red one with a removable black hardtop in Farmington, New Mexico in the early 1990’s. It was a 1981 model with less than 50k miles and plastic delivery covering still on various things. It was the 56th last made TR8 and the highest spec with factory Blaupunkt stereo and cruise control. Shipped it home to Australia when I returned and had it converted to RHD including hand machining the power steering rack to maintain that feature. A very fast and comfortable car for its time. It just loped along the highway just ticking over at low revs and was very economical on fuel. I am kicking myself as I sold it as it would be worth a fortune now. From memory from my research there’s was only about 8 RHD cars made as preproduction models and these were supposed to be scrapped. There were only just over 2,200 made purely for the US market so very rare. I do not believe there were any true TR8’s made in coupe form, they were all convertibles, but I can stand correction. Mine had a tan convertible top with a tan interior.
Scotty the 3.5 litre V8 was originally developed and used by Rover in there luxurious P4 and continued into the P5 the motor was used all sorts of british sports cars and also in Land Rovers anything that had a V8 was this Rover V8 except for the Sunbeam Tiger and it was increased to 4.0 litres and was used in Leyland P76 built in Australia
My father had a TR7 drove it from Chicago to South Florida. The engine was pretty decent, the only issues he had was typical electronic problems, like the popup lights sometimes don't work or the windshield wiper sometimes don't work.
Ah the memories! I had a rare factory RHD one many years ago, in that exact colour. Ran it for years on the Stromberg carbs and had zero issues. Bitterly regret selling it in the 90's. Btw they DID make them with an auto box..... 👍😁
My dad had a BSA when I was growing up 😁. Great bikes. I grew up in Britain and never really liked these cars but I really appreciate how well this car has been kept. Put away for the winters. Our love affairs with cars will never end, we treat them better than ourselves!
The two cars I wanted most in my younger days back in the early 70's were either the TR6 or the GT6...never cared for the wedge shape of the TR7. However, back in the day I couldn't find any in decent shape and there was uncertainty with the availability of parts, so I 'settled' for a 1968 Pontiac GTO instead. Knowing what I know now, I wish I held onto the GTO.
I wish I had a penny every-time I said that ol saying "ONLY IF I HAD KEEP IT" ROFL know the pain. Here is you a better one than that, my uncle mom's brother. He had a "primer gray paint ready to paint" 1969 Chevy Camaro with CHEVROLET 302 Muncy 4 speed manual and 4:11 running gear in rear-end, plus new tires brakes oil change and even tranny oil change and gear oil in rear-end, get this but don't fall over lol. He wanted now, $1,500 dollars back in 1993.... I told him it was to much for such an old car! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! :'(
The major problem with British cars was the electrics - electrics by Lucas, The Prince of Darkness. The wires were wrapped with cloth insulation. What happens to cloth under heat? Yep, it fades. You had to strip back the cloth about a foot to find out what the color code was. As if it made any difference; the wiring diagrams were usually wrong. The easiest way to fix it was to cut both ends of the wire and French wire it.
@@MF-rtard89 - French wiring is cutting both ends of the original and running a parallel wire directly between the switch or relay and the object you want to control. With the Lucas “wiring” wires often changed colors Inside bundles and you never knew where. And wiring diagrams were often just a guess.
I remember when those came out. But it was just too late. The TR7's were just never that popular. Now the TR6's were real popular. There were a lot of those on the road. If I were to go insane and buy a Triumph, the TR6 is what I would go after.
Not popular? They actually made 91,850 TR6 over 8 years, while the not popular TR7 managed 112368 in 6 years, for the time it WAS a popular sports car!
Very cool. I had almost forgotten the TR8. Meanwhile- The Brits beat the Germans during the war, but now the Germans are beating the British with their checkbooks. Who owns Rolls-Royce? Who owns Bentley?
Ye it's a shame really. I think the Brits made a mistake after being on the winning side with America after WWII they should have built closer ties in that direction but they went the wrong way and now it's culminated in BREXIT and they are starting all over again.
The Rover V8 engine was a legend used in many cars such as the Range Rover Mk1 and Mk2, MGs, TVRs, Morgan etc. It was last produced for the Discovery Mk2 in 2004.
My girlfriend had a TR4 and I had a TR6. both fun cars to drive. I never got to drive a TR8, though. My neighbor had a TR7, which was a real dog. Upon totaling my TR6, I opted to buy a Z28 Camaro for added safety, which turned out to be as much of a dog as my neighbor's TR7.
I still have a photograph of myself sitting in the driver's seat of a Triumph TR7 at a New York Auto Show during the 1970's. Now if I were to drive either the TR7 or TR8, I'd have to have the top down 24/7/365. And even with that there's still not enough legroom for my just shy of 6 feet self.
The 4 cylinder engine shown is actually the 16-valve 2-litre 'Sprint' unit. Only about 60 TR7 cars left the factory with this engine fitted. It produced about 127 hp. The usual TR7 engine was an 8- valve 2-litre producing 105 hp.
My TR7 run great, never any engine problems, just everything else rotted and fell apart. Door handles were made in a factory down the road from me. Many cars used the same door handles. Might have been one of the first anti burst door mechanisms. An can see the hood hooks, to stop the hood taking your head off in a smash. I would bang my head on those working on the engine. Takes me back to the 80's. A few choice words spoken over that engine.
@@tongates8079 I did so much to keep it running. Body filler, sills, flitches i rebuilt from steel. Respray. Rewired and rewound the lamp motors. Stripped gearbox to try fix the rubbish 2nd syncro. Replaced the oil pump gears in gearbox. I bet not manual gearboxes that have an oil pump in them. Still rubbish box though.
TR-8 huh. As long time British car mechanic all I can say is good luck. Since you're famiilar with the "prince of darkness" electrics from the Brit bikes, you should be able keep it running well.
Scotty, I'm a Triumph enthusiast, and I really thought this car was not for you. Mind you it's old tech, so right up your alley. Triumph actually made the slant 4 engine for SAAB first, then used it for themselves. SAAB then wanted it altered and so two separate but very similar engines were made, and then SAAB went to make it and further modify it themselves and Triumph were closed down so no advancement from them; something like that, it's complicated. Triumph used the engine in RWD and SAAB in FWD. The V8 is the most reliable and appealing thing in your TR8.
I'm very surprised that Scotty likes this car. There's one (1980 TR8 California car) for sale near me right now for $18,000, but for that price I could buy a C5 Corvette which is much more my kinda car.
It's a shame about Leyland, worse thing they did was to amalgamate all the British manufacturers. Along with the Princess and the Rover SD1 this was a great looking car, such a pity about the unions and poor management.
@@waterheaterservices I think it was more a certain political aspect that ruined that city, as it has so many others. Gary Indiana was once a clean, safe, modern place - a model city - at least until the 60's. Now it's trash. But there's no question that poor assembly of cars here accounted for at least 50% of their decline.
@@rob5944 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ROFL LMAO, Worse conditions and unsafest places I ever worked in was union owned and don't get me started on the POS'S that thought they was special!
I had a 1980 TR7 just like the blue one you show it was a great driving car but you are right problems overheating and in these days it's hard to find a mechanic that will work on one and I'm in Toronto
The TR8's Rover V8 was a nice, light weight engine. We can and do agree on this, Scotty. I had four of those engines in cars I owned for the long term: Two 1970 P6 Rover 3500S cars, and two of the later SD-1 Rover 3500 NAS cars. (I was terribly disappointed overall with the SD-1 NAS, as it was "built on the cheap" as the British would say.) I also had for much shorter periods of time, a Land Rover 109" Stage Two station wagon with a detuned version of the "Rover V8." And, for eleven months I had a 1982 Range Rover four door. I had use of a loner Morgan Plus 8 for about one month in 1978 or 1979. I liked the Rover V8. But the 1987 Range Rovers for the U.S. market had a number of camshaft problems with that engine. My brother in law's 1987 Range Rover had a new engine installed in it under warranty at about 18,000 miles as I recall. One last thing: When William Martin Hurst and J. Bruce McWilliams bought the rights to the 215 cid Buick engine, they agreed to take the GM engineer who played a large part in that engine's initial development. I forget his name, but I'm certain this story is true. As I recall, that engineer had a year or two left on his career with GM. Rover agreed to pay him for his last year and also agreed, I was told at the time, "to pay his retirement." Andy McKane, Maunaloa, Hawaii, 23 February 2022.
At least the V8 stopped the front lifting and going light above 70mph. On holiday in Arizona we bumped into a TR7 meet. At least there they don't rot away.
Yep that's a pretty sweet little wedge Scotty I like that little V8 almost sounds like it has spur straight cut racing gears be cool with a dog box California and Florida are a good place to get rust free cars as long as they haven't been sitting by the ocean too long
As someone who lived in Eureka California for many years, that place comes close to places that salt the roads when it comes to rusty cars. Except they rust from the top down instead of from the bottom up.
its a shame we in the uk have virtualy no car industry left, occasionally we can come up with good designs ...yet many of the formula 1 car teams are uk based
My friend Jeff had a white TR7, I notice he didn't have it very long. He always had cool cars back in the 70,s. The first one I am remembering him having was a dark blue TR4, British racing green 1969 MGB, and an Orange Opel GT.
You heard the one about what’s the perfect gift for a fan of British spots cars? You give them a quart of oil. Cause if they own a British sports car, they’ll need it, and if the don’t own one, they can pour the oil on their driveway and everyone will think they own one.
I had a '76 TR7, 1 owner car, dealer maintained...about 75k miles. Engine and chassis was fine, but just as the old joke goes about Lucas, I had never ending electrical problems. Endless alternators and batteries. Then the diff, then the clutch. Dumped it after that...
In the rest of the world, the fuel injected Rover V8s were 192hp, clearly the Poms decided you guys couldn't handle it... Yes, I know it was because of emissions. Actually does Rover V8s went for years, from the sixties through the 4.6 litre in the Range Rover. The 4.6s could be a dodgy motor, probably should have stuck to a max of 3.9. The Australians had their own version which was 4.4 litres.
I had a 76 TR7 as my first car. Damn thing was always in the shop and overheated non stop. I would have to stop 2-3 times on my way home from school to let the car cool off before I could drive a little further.
A Triumph with a V8??? Wow. My step dad has a TR7 that he used to enter into car shows. It just sits in their garage now. My mom calls it a garage ornament/storage shelf.
First time I saw one was on the I-5 freeway with its nose stuffed under a 78 Ford Galaxy. The windshield stopped 3 inches from the gas tank. And thought? Ya the shape of things to come. The bumpers were lower than everything America made.
@@stu_jam I believe aluminum contains aluminium, but what brits are referring to as Al Lou Minium is actually aluminum. I'm sure some mechanical professorial types have or will detail it in the comments.
Back in the 80s those were everywhere. They were at least as common as a Saab 900. Now you only see them at car shows. The bad thing about them from what I've been told is the electrical system in them is highly unreliable. You will frequently replace switches and have to rewire.
I had 2 different TR8's, a 1980 and a 1981. The car in this video is a 1980 'California' car, as the 49-state TR8 wasn't fuel-injected until 1981. Also, they imported around 50 'pre-production' cars, all coupes, in 1978; all with a crappy Borg-Warner 3spd automatic.
Good luck Scotty! Just remember what that mended motor is bolted into! Beware of gifts from GM! Drive it for a year and then I'd be interested in your next report! How's the brakes and Lucas wiring doing? Not a reworked Buick tranny or rearend in there either! Too bad it doesn't have its original wheels. It was the only way you could tell it wasn't a TR7!
On the spy show THE NEW AVENGERS in the mid-1970s, Joanna Lumley (of the comedy ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS, et al) had a spy character named Purdey and she drove an MGB for about the first half the series, then gave her a TR7, but she hardly used it as much and held off licensing toys of the MGB, skipping it to of Purdey's TR7 in a few formats. I never knew the car was this bad!
The 4 cylinder 16v Triumph engine was only decent in the Triumph Dolomite Sprint. Issue with a lot of the British engines build quality was due to the occasional working hours the staff did as they tended to be out of work more than in work. This meant important jobs were halted like cleaning out the casting after the engines had been cast which is why the Triumph Stag V8 (which was two of the triumph 4 cylinder 16v engines joined together) tended to have the overheating issues. The Rover V8 in this car lasted all the way up until the early 2000's and was fitted to other cars like the Lotus Esprit V8, many TVR's, Land Rover's and Jaguar's
I had a TR7 back in the 90's....the first car I bought by myself. I drove it too hard over some bumpy roads and broke the tailpiece on the manual transmission...It was also the first time I changed a transmission...it also had the overheating/ wiring problems...
I remember the triumph TR3 in the fifties the engines were poor, when the Motorways in England were made and people started using them the TR3 engines couldn't stand the speed and the engines were breaking up under the strain . The Motorways were first made in about late 1958 . The TR3 is a 4cyl engine.
This New Recall Scares the Crap Out of Me: ruclips.net/video/QMZcGCeOjrE/видео.html
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Scotty, The British never made aluminum engines! ...They made "aluminium" engines!
My Dad was a test driver for British Leyland in the 70’s and 80’s. He test drove many cars including the TR7 and TRV8. He maxed out many of the cars at the Edge Hill test track and Gaydon.
Love your enthusiam and wonderful energy and knowledge .you are truly an amazing human sir
I could be a test driver. I love to push a vehicle to its limits. I deliver pizza for a living.
Actually, there were TR8s with automatic transmissions. Acceleration and top speed are the same with the original 13 inch wheels as with after market 15 inch wheels. Lower profile tires are used on the 15s to get the same overall diameter, so no change in acceleration or top speed. Nothing wrong with the twin Stromberg powered cars and carbs are a lot easier to repair than the fuel injection system. And no, that's not an original radio in the car. The best thing about a TR8 is that nobody knows what they are so nice ones are still affordable. For the price, you can't beat the comfort and performance that you get with a TR8!
Scotty is right the 4 cylinder was junk, I blew the engine in mine at 30,000 miles. He is also right about being fun to drive with manual rack and pinion steering. Beware everything else breaks down to. The pop up headlights, windowcrank,headlight switch,clutch master cylinder. The TR7 kept me broke just at the time I didnt need to be broke, but I learned from that and researched reliability. Japanese all the way after that.
Don't forget the transmission. I also remember a nut for every bolt (no studs or tapped holes).
The ONLY Japanese cars I have ever liked were the original 240Z/260Z/280Z. Those are beautiful. But I've never seen any other Japanese car that wasn't ugly.
@@geraldscott4302 Beauty is in the eye of your girlfriend....
@Ivan Poohbear Maybe you're right, But I know I could never fit in an MX-5 / Miata. I'd have a better chance with the TR7 and TR8.
I put 2 cylinder heads on my TR7 The heater control and vent control Always broke
If I take my rav 4 to you for maintenance scotty, I bet it will triple in value because it was maintenanced by scotty!!!!! Good afternoon scotty!
afternoon!
@@scottykilmer keep up the good work scotty! I'm the guy that was having intermittent starting problems in the 2012 Ford fusion. Even emailed you. While you were with family in Rhode Island a while back! Would love to hear from you. I figured out my problem . And also got rid of it.
The slogan was "The shape of THINGS TO COME". I admired the TR8 when they came out.
Yep. Scotty got it wrong at the beginning of the video, but he got it right toward the end.
i had a tr7 back in the day... it was like driving a beer can, without the beer can's structural integrity.
All cars were the same back then, unless a Volvo, much of which was made in Britain.
Oh my God! I owned a TR7 a TR8 and two Spitfires in my day. What fun!!
I worked with a guy who wanted a sports car back in the 70's. His choice came down to a Triumph TR7 and a Datsun 280Z. He noticed at the Triumph dealership the back lot was full of new non-running TR7's. He went with the 280Z. He still owns and drives it to this day.
Who asked you?
I remember those back in the day, zipping around. Cool looking back then, still Cool looking today. 😲😲😲
At the end of 1974 I went to the Triumph/ MG dealership to purchase a TR 6. I always loved that car and it was going to be my very first brand new vehicle. The dealer had the brochure for the new TR7 and talked me into buying one. It really was a futuristic design at the time. The dealer initially got 3 cars in and mine was one of them. Very pretty in Delft blue. Turned out to be the biggest car buying failure of my entire life. I have never owned a worse piece of junk and I have bought cars for $25.00. I couldn't even list all the things that went wrong with it here. Let's just say in the year I owned it the dealer had it in their service dept. for almost as long as I had it in my possession.
And your get to know all the tow truck drivers by their first name, my TR7 broke do an so much my boss said "get a new car, you cant continue to call in that your new car broke down again"
Pity you didn't get the TR6, a much better car
@@lordleonusa To this day I regret that decision. I still love the look of the TR6
Not the worst car I owned. 80 chevette took the honors. Scotty, the Saab 90/900 of the same period used the same engine with slight modifications and it was magnificent. Explain that one. Do an episode on the Saab. View Top Gear’s episode where they dropped a Saab on its its roof, illustrating occupant survivability. The Tr7 chassis was praised for chassis rigidity and it was fun to drive when it ran.
I always wanted one of these but I didn’t have a job at the time. I drove the TR7 and loved it.
Great review of a classic! Bought a new ‘80 TR7 and daily drove it for 3 years and yes it blew head gaskets regularly. I currently own the last TR8 to be dispatched from the Solihull factory on October 20, 1981. 1982 TR8 408405. They are so much fun with large cabins, a real trunk and plenty of get up and go.
yes no problem putting two golf bags in the trunk except now you have to remove the drivers because they are longer now
Growing up, a neighbor had a TR6 and a TR8. Rode in both many items. Kind of bare-bones inside but liked them both. The TR6 sounded faster than it was. The TR8 didn't sound fast (but it was for its day).
I've always loved these Rover (Buick) V8s. As a kid, my friend's dad had a V8 Rover SD1 3500 and to this day I think it's the coolest car ever made. A guy down the street had a Rover P6 with one of these engines in and it was one of the most beautiful sounding cars I ever heard. They're rustbuckets but so are all other cars of their era, especially on our wet, salty roads! Triumph, Rover and MG once made some very nice cars...
I drove my bosses SD1, had that square steering wheel.
There's nothing that warms my heart like an MG with a Rover 8 in it.
I like the sound, the vehicle makes.
In all honesty, that was an absolutely wonderful car, but the TR8 came out too late, and British Layland was already in deep financial trouble. That car was a winner. I’m still driving my 72 Spitfire, and it has been an incredibly reliable car, and I was cruel to it in my 20’s!
Appreciate your time,
I'd share a beneficial knowledge 👆
Always like the design of this little car.
I do love the look of the hardtop TR7, as well as the Fiat X-19. I bought a new Pontiac Fiero in 1986. Drove it for 12 years.
I had both a TR7 and a TR8. The TR7 engine went out at 60,000 miles. Loved it but hated the problems. Traded it for a TR8. I put headers, a long 283 rear end, and anti-sway bars front and back. The TR8 was a blast to drive. Kept it for several years and traded it for a Jenson Interceptor convertible which was awesome.
I purchased a red one with a removable black hardtop in Farmington, New Mexico in the early 1990’s. It was a 1981 model with less than 50k miles and plastic delivery covering still on various things. It was the 56th last made TR8 and the highest spec with factory Blaupunkt stereo and cruise control. Shipped it home to Australia when I returned and had it converted to RHD including hand machining the power steering rack to maintain that feature. A very fast and comfortable car for its time. It just loped along the highway just ticking over at low revs and was very economical on fuel. I am kicking myself as I sold it as it would be worth a fortune now. From memory from my research there’s was only about 8 RHD cars made as preproduction models and these were supposed to be scrapped. There were only just over 2,200 made purely for the US market so very rare. I do not believe there were any true TR8’s made in coupe form, they were all convertibles, but I can stand correction. Mine had a tan convertible top with a tan interior.
Scotty the 3.5 litre V8 was originally developed and used by Rover in there luxurious P4 and continued into the P5 the motor was used all sorts of british sports cars and also in Land Rovers anything that had a V8 was this Rover V8 except for the Sunbeam Tiger and it was increased to 4.0 litres and was used in Leyland P76 built in Australia
My father had a TR7 drove it from Chicago to South Florida. The engine was pretty decent, the only issues he had was typical electronic problems, like the popup lights sometimes don't work or the windshield wiper sometimes don't work.
Ah the memories! I had a rare factory RHD one many years ago, in that exact colour. Ran it for years on the Stromberg carbs and had zero issues. Bitterly regret selling it in the 90's.
Btw they DID make them with an auto box..... 👍😁
My dad had a BSA when I was growing up 😁. Great bikes. I grew up in Britain and never really liked these cars but I really appreciate how well this car has been kept. Put away for the winters. Our love affairs with cars will never end, we treat them better than ourselves!
Appreciate your time,
I'd share a beneficial knowledge 👆
I’ve like those since I was a kid.
The two cars I wanted most in my younger days back in the early 70's were either the TR6 or the GT6...never cared for the wedge shape of the TR7. However, back in the day I couldn't find any in decent shape and there was uncertainty with the availability of parts, so I 'settled' for a 1968 Pontiac GTO instead. Knowing what I know now, I wish I held onto the GTO.
I wish I had a penny every-time I said that ol saying "ONLY IF I HAD KEEP IT" ROFL know the pain. Here is you a better one than that, my uncle mom's brother. He had a "primer gray paint ready to paint" 1969 Chevy Camaro with CHEVROLET 302 Muncy 4 speed manual and 4:11 running gear in rear-end, plus new tires brakes oil change and even tranny oil change and gear oil in rear-end, get this but don't fall over lol.
He wanted now, $1,500 dollars back in 1993.... I told him it was to much for such an old car!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! :'(
ps We still cry over that car, because he took to crusher 2 months later, just imagine what that CHEVY 302 would go for now.
Scotty Kilmer is the only reason I watch RUclips . He's so interesting every video is jammed with knowledge . Keep up the good work Scotty Kilmer 😁
Rumble should offer Scotty a Joe Rogan sized contract. Or, better yet, Scotty should just buy Rumble.
The major problem with British cars was the electrics - electrics by Lucas, The Prince of Darkness. The wires were wrapped with cloth insulation. What happens to cloth under heat? Yep, it fades. You had to strip back the cloth about a foot to find out what the color code was. As if it made any difference; the wiring diagrams were usually wrong. The easiest way to fix it was to cut both ends of the wire and French wire it.
My TR7 had normal plastic insulation, but did catch fire under the dash, a known problem. Had to rewire the whole car.
What does "French wire it" mean? That's one I haven't heard before
The "joke" I heard... Mr Lucas says: "Ride anywhere you want, just be home by dark!" ;-)
@@MF-rtard89 - French wiring is cutting both ends of the original and running a parallel wire directly between the switch or relay and the object you want to control. With the Lucas “wiring” wires often changed colors Inside bundles and you never knew where. And wiring diagrams were often just a guess.
@@M4DesignUSA How true. How true. How true. If the starter and or generator worked.
That would be cool car today with a Toyota 3.5L V-6 and maybe a nice infotainment system. I would be a buyer!
I remember when those came out. But it was just too late. The TR7's were just never that popular. Now the TR6's were real popular. There were a lot of those on the road. If I were to go insane and buy a Triumph, the TR6 is what I would go after.
To me the TR6 is a much better looking car; that cheese wedge style of the '7 is very plain looking. I'll bet the 6 was a much better car altogether.
Not popular? They actually made 91,850 TR6 over 8 years, while the not popular TR7 managed 112368 in 6 years, for the time it WAS a popular sports car!
Scotty's chauffeur blows past the 25 MPH speed limit sign. 🤪 😄
Those TR8's were really nice touring cars for a short trip on a sunny day.
Appreciate your time,
I'd share a beneficial knowledge 👆
Very cool. I had almost forgotten the TR8. Meanwhile- The Brits beat the Germans during the war, but now the Germans are beating the British with their checkbooks. Who owns Rolls-Royce? Who owns Bentley?
Ye it's a shame really. I think the Brits made a mistake after being on the winning side with America after WWII they should have built closer ties in that direction but they went the wrong way and now it's culminated in BREXIT and they are starting all over again.
He's driving an English car in New England 😎
The Rover V8 engine was a legend used in many cars such as the Range Rover Mk1 and Mk2, MGs, TVRs, Morgan etc. It was last produced for the Discovery Mk2 in 2004.
Appreciate your time,
I'd share a beneficial knowledge 👆
My girlfriend had a TR4 and I had a TR6. both fun cars to drive. I never got to drive a TR8, though. My neighbor had a TR7, which was a real dog. Upon totaling my TR6, I opted to buy a Z28 Camaro for added safety, which turned out to be as much of a dog as my neighbor's TR7.
I still have a photograph of myself sitting in the driver's seat of a Triumph TR7 at a New York Auto Show during the 1970's. Now if I were to drive either the TR7 or TR8, I'd have to have the top down 24/7/365. And even with that there's still not enough legroom for my just shy of 6 feet self.
I am taller than you, you will fit easily
Whenever Scotty Kilmers drops the new videos I drink the shot of whiskey and puff on the Cannabis Cigars and get all schmoked up
Long as it's got pop up headlights I'm cool with it
The 4 cylinder engine shown is actually the 16-valve 2-litre 'Sprint' unit. Only about 60 TR7 cars left the factory with this engine fitted. It produced about 127 hp. The usual TR7 engine was an 8- valve 2-litre producing 105 hp.
My TR7 run great, never any engine problems, just everything else rotted and fell apart. Door handles were made in a factory down the road from me. Many cars used the same door handles. Might have been one of the first anti burst door mechanisms. An can see the hood hooks, to stop the hood taking your head off in a smash. I would bang my head on those working on the engine. Takes me back to the 80's.
A few choice words spoken over that engine.
Mine was good too, well except for the wiring and body rot. A fun time on the twisty back roads.
@@tongates8079 I did so much to keep it running. Body filler, sills, flitches i rebuilt from steel. Respray. Rewired and rewound the lamp motors. Stripped gearbox to try fix the rubbish 2nd syncro. Replaced the oil pump gears in gearbox. I bet not manual gearboxes that have an oil pump in them. Still rubbish box though.
Did my driving test in 1985 in my TR7, only time i managed to lock the brakes up. I still have the greasy Haynes manual and owners manual.
@@tongates8079 Just typed in TR7 Haynes manual ebay, dozens for sale. Even new.
I love the tr8 I never seen one in person since I was a kid
I have a 1973 MG Midget. I love it.
I had a 78’ TR-7, it was a blast to drive. The quality of the construction at the factory was poor. I wished I still had it.
TR-8 huh. As long time British car mechanic all I can say is good luck. Since you're famiilar with the "prince of darkness" electrics from the Brit bikes, you should be able keep it running well.
Scotty, I'm a Triumph enthusiast, and I really thought this car was not for you. Mind you it's old tech, so right up your alley. Triumph actually made the slant 4 engine for SAAB first, then used it for themselves. SAAB then wanted it altered and so two separate but very similar engines were made, and then SAAB went to make it and further modify it themselves and Triumph were closed down so no advancement from them; something like that, it's complicated. Triumph used the engine in RWD and SAAB in FWD. The V8 is the most reliable and appealing thing in your TR8.
I'm very surprised that Scotty likes this car. There's one (1980 TR8 California car) for sale near me right now for $18,000, but for that price I could buy a C5 Corvette which is much more my kinda car.
Yes. And parts are readily available for the C5.
Especially since he regularly rags on Chevy for their lack of quality - this TR makes a Chevy look like a Lexus.
I have 2 Spitfires and a 98 C5 in the driveway. Guess which one is the basket case.
It's a shame about Leyland, worse thing they did was to amalgamate all the British manufacturers. Along with the Princess and the Rover SD1 this was a great looking car, such a pity about the unions and poor management.
Glorious, revolutionary, socialist people's unions helped make Detroit the safe, pristine city it is today.
@@waterheaterservices I think it was more a certain political aspect that ruined that city, as it has so many others. Gary Indiana was once a clean, safe, modern place - a model city - at least until the 60's. Now it's trash. But there's no question that poor assembly of cars here accounted for at least 50% of their decline.
Unions are like governments, they are your best friend long as you slave to their rules!
@@watup110875 those rules are often there to protect one whilst at work.
@@rob5944 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ROFL LMAO, Worse conditions and unsafest places I ever worked in was union owned and don't get me started on the POS'S that thought they was special!
I love those tr8
I had a 1980 TR7 just like the blue one you show it was a great driving car but you are right problems overheating and in these days it's hard to find a mechanic that will work on one and I'm in Toronto
I believe it was Motor Trend that referred to the TR7 as “That British door stop.”
The TR8's Rover V8 was a nice, light weight engine. We can and do agree on this, Scotty. I had four of those engines in cars I owned for the long term: Two 1970 P6 Rover 3500S cars, and two of the later SD-1 Rover 3500 NAS cars. (I was terribly disappointed overall with the SD-1 NAS, as it was "built on the cheap" as the British would say.) I also had for much shorter periods of time, a Land Rover 109" Stage Two station wagon with a detuned version of the "Rover V8." And, for eleven months I had a 1982 Range Rover four door. I had use of a loner Morgan Plus 8 for about one month in 1978 or 1979. I liked the Rover V8. But the 1987 Range Rovers for the U.S. market had a number of camshaft problems with that engine. My brother in law's 1987 Range Rover had a new engine installed in it under warranty at about 18,000 miles as I recall. One last thing: When William Martin Hurst and J. Bruce McWilliams bought the rights to the 215 cid Buick engine, they agreed to take the GM engineer who played a large part in that engine's initial development. I forget his name, but I'm certain this story is true. As I recall, that engineer had a year or two left on his career with GM. Rover agreed to pay him for his last year and also agreed, I was told at the time, "to pay his retirement." Andy McKane, Maunaloa, Hawaii, 23 February 2022.
At least the V8 stopped the front lifting and going light above 70mph. On holiday in Arizona we bumped into a TR7 meet. At least there they don't rot away.
Yep that's a pretty sweet little wedge Scotty I like that little V8 almost sounds like it has spur straight cut racing gears be cool with a dog box California and Florida are a good place to get rust free cars as long as they haven't been sitting by the ocean too long
As someone who lived in Eureka California for many years, that place comes close to places that salt the roads when it comes to rusty cars. Except they rust from the top down instead of from the bottom up.
It is a nice car. If you like wrenching. The front crumple zone ends at the rear bumper, so the ride is quite an adventure.
Beautiful car. My 79 is great.
I saw TR8 here in Florida a few years ago. Very rare.
its a shame we in the uk have virtualy no car industry left, occasionally we can come up with good designs ...yet many of the formula 1 car teams are uk based
Scottys sense of humor is reliable as the 94 Toyota celica
I loved the TR7 hardtop
Nice to see British and keeping them going👍
My friend Jeff had a white TR7, I notice he didn't have it very long. He always had cool cars back in the 70,s. The first one I am remembering him having was a dark blue TR4, British racing green 1969 MGB, and an Orange Opel GT.
Fantastic video, as always - but that wasn't a bonus question and answer, that was a bonus editorial!
I used to love the TR7’s
So pleased to see you have a tr8 my sister had a yellow tr7 and I used to sit between the two seats i don't think my arm would fit in the gap now
How about the TR6. With an electric overdrive. I had one in 1972. One of the best cars I ever had.
Appreciate your time,
I'd share a beneficial knowledge 👆
Lucas electric, the inventor of darkness. One of my favorite jokes. Used to own MGs.
You heard the one about what’s the perfect gift for a fan of British spots cars? You give them a quart of oil. Cause if they own a British sports car, they’ll need it, and if the don’t own one, they can pour the oil on their driveway and everyone will think they own one.
@@Changbastard 😝
Scotty, There are a few companies that are making camper conversions on the Toyota Seinna vans here in the USA
I had a '76 TR7, 1 owner car, dealer maintained...about 75k miles. Engine and chassis was fine, but just as the old joke goes about Lucas, I had never ending electrical problems. Endless alternators and batteries. Then the diff, then the clutch. Dumped it after that...
And the best thing is the growl of the v8
That’s a great looking car!
I know about TR8s. Always wanted the hardtop! I haven't seen one in decades! A TR7 with a Ford 289 might suffice.
Appreciate your time,
I'd share a beneficial knowledge
Never heard of this thing. Definitely a cool little sports car.
This is what I love about british cars that are tiny and noisy, superb!
This shelving new? It’s bright haha. Shelve LEDs and warm white hopefully coming! And don’t ever get rid of the cat plush!!
Run, Forrest, RUN!!!!
"A proper gentleman does not motor about after dark"
In the rest of the world, the fuel injected Rover V8s were 192hp, clearly the Poms decided you guys couldn't handle it... Yes, I know it was because of emissions.
Actually does Rover V8s went for years, from the sixties through the 4.6 litre in the Range Rover. The 4.6s could be a dodgy motor, probably should have stuck to a max of 3.9.
The Australians had their own version which was 4.4 litres.
Nice to see you do a review on a Triumph
I had a 76 TR7 as my first car. Damn thing was always in the shop and overheated non stop. I would have to stop 2-3 times on my way home from school to let the car cool off before I could drive a little further.
A Triumph with a V8??? Wow. My step dad has a TR7 that he used to enter into car shows. It just sits in their garage now. My mom calls it a garage ornament/storage shelf.
First time I saw one was on the I-5 freeway with its nose stuffed under a 78 Ford Galaxy. The windshield stopped 3 inches from the gas tank. And thought? Ya the shape of things to come. The bumpers were lower than everything America made.
"Triumph TR8 - The Shape of Things to Come"
pop up and down lights always increase value.
Had a '59" Triumph TR3 got stolen. boy do I miss that car!!
TR3 is one of my all time favorite cars.
I drove the TR8s in the day. Part time job delivering cars from dealer to dealer and from auctions.
Yes, but the brits call it
Al Lou Minium
The correct pronunciation 😜
@@stu_jam I believe aluminum contains aluminium, but what brits are referring to as Al Lou Minium is actually aluminum. I'm sure some mechanical professorial types have or will detail it in the comments.
Back in the 80s those were everywhere. They were at least as common as a Saab 900. Now you only see them at car shows. The bad thing about them from what I've been told is the electrical system in them is highly unreliable. You will frequently replace switches and have to rewire.
Appreciate your time,
I'd share a beneficial knowledge 👆
I had 2 different TR8's, a 1980 and a 1981. The car in this video is a 1980 'California' car, as the 49-state TR8 wasn't fuel-injected until 1981. Also, they imported around 50 'pre-production' cars, all coupes, in 1978; all with a crappy Borg-Warner 3spd automatic.
Good luck Scotty! Just remember what that mended motor is bolted into! Beware of gifts from GM! Drive it for a year and then I'd be interested in your next report! How's the brakes and Lucas wiring doing? Not a reworked Buick tranny or rearend in there either! Too bad it doesn't have its original wheels. It was the only way you could tell it wasn't a TR7!
On the spy show THE NEW AVENGERS in the mid-1970s, Joanna Lumley (of the comedy ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS, et al) had a spy character named Purdey and she drove an MGB for about the first half the series, then gave her a TR7, but she hardly used it as much and held off licensing toys of the MGB, skipping it to of Purdey's TR7 in a few formats. I never knew the car was this bad!
Some of these ended up being switched over to tried-and-true aftermarket stuff: Holley 650 dual-pump carbs, headers, dual exhaust....
Growing up I wanted a TR7
The 4 cylinder 16v Triumph engine was only decent in the Triumph Dolomite Sprint. Issue with a lot of the British engines build quality was due to the occasional working hours the staff did as they tended to be out of work more than in work. This meant important jobs were halted like cleaning out the casting after the engines had been cast which is why the Triumph Stag V8 (which was two of the triumph 4 cylinder 16v engines joined together) tended to have the overheating issues.
The Rover V8 in this car lasted all the way up until the early 2000's and was fitted to other cars like the Lotus Esprit V8, many TVR's, Land Rover's and Jaguar's
Very nice and good value for money classic
I had a TR7 back in the 90's....the first car I bought by myself. I drove it too hard over some bumpy roads and broke the tailpiece on the manual transmission...It was also the first time I changed a transmission...it also had the overheating/ wiring problems...
I remember the triumph TR3 in the fifties the engines were poor, when the Motorways in England were made and people started using them the TR3 engines couldn't stand the speed and the engines were breaking up under the strain .
The Motorways were first made in about late 1958 .
The TR3 is a 4cyl engine.
Love this history lesson 👏
That looks so simple and elegant compared to the overdesigned ugly modern sports cars
"So let's see what this thing can do."
Mashes the accelerator... immediately passing 25 MPH posted speed limit @3:54.😆
"Hi, this is Scotty. Look, I was doing a road test video of your car and the most amazing coincidence, the engine blew up...'