The carrier delivered my TR7 coupe today.
I paid a bit too much for, I guess. But I am really happy to have a low-mileage one-owner '79. Not many '79 and '80 coupes out there,

After sitting since 2008, my car will need pretty much everything. The suspension is soft, the steering column bushing has perished, as they say. The brakes are a mess. There is no clutch pedal -- hydraulics are gone.

The engine turns over and appears to have compression. Except for weird Tuffy muffler or whatever is back there, the car looks pretty righteous. I see no modifications other than the radio.

My plan to make it great is coming together this way:

-- Fuel tank out for cleaning
-- All rubber fuel lines replaced.
-- I may have the opportunity to buy a complete EFi system, so I may convert it. If not, European SU carbs
-- Will install the 1975 non-cat down pipe and left-side of TR8 exhaust system
-- KYB shocks and lowered springs; poly bushes, uprated anti-roll bars; new ball joints, tie rods ends and steering boots; Ted's needle bearing strut kit.
-- TR8 front brakes and complete brake job with SS lines
-- Woody's brake proportioning valve
-- High capacity radiator.
-- Removal of air pump and other non-functioning emissions equipment
-- European high compression pistons, new head gasket
-- European Delco distributor with vacuum advance; replace points with Pertronix module
-- New German timing chain, sprockets and guides, all new engine seals.
-- High volume Saab 99 oil pump


And that should make the coupe a pretty sweet ride.

Looks like a nice coupe. Good luck with that project.

That is the stupidest and laziest way I've ever seen to tie down a car to a trailer. Some of those hot shot truckers are just plain dangerous.

It was only a 425 mile ride from Green Bay to Detroit on good roads and in good weather, so I'm OK with the way the car was secured.

Rich,

FYI, my memory is a bit fuzzy but as I recall when I was shopping for my TR7 there were two dealerships close to home about six blocks apart that were selling Triumphs and between them they had about 7 or 8 convertibles but only 1 or 2 coupes, so your post-convertible coupe might be a little rare. Also, neither dealership had a TR8 of any kind, this was March 1980.

Hey if you are serious about ditching the sock carb setup I'd be interested in the FASD unit to rebuild.

This is a Canley built coupe. Dec. of '78.
It's one of 883 made that year.
Kinda cool.
It has the small gas cap and the later cooling system and other upgrades.

It will be a Euro spec car when I am done.

Parts are inbound from Rimmer and a TR7 fan in Germany is supplying the Euro SU setup.

Rich

That mess is gonna be off my engine this summer.
I have no idea if it works.

Stay tuned here. I will let you know when the complete carbs/intake assembly is available.

Hi Richard,

It was great to meet you at the Range Rover Velar Launch. I enjoy following your articles and columns in Automotive News!

Congratulations on your TR-7 FHC from mine

Jeff

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Jeffrey Aronson
Editor, Rovers Magazine
Vinalhaven, ME 04863
'66 Land Rover Series II-A 88" SW
‘97 Land Rover Discovery I SE7
‘77 Triumph TR-7 Coupe
'80 Triumph Spitfire 1500
'66 Corvair Monza 110/4
www.landroverwriter.com
www.roversmagazine.com

May I ask what is Woody's brake proportioning valve? Sounds like the name of my next band.

It is not actually a valve, it is a block that replaces the valve.


http://www.thewedgeshopstore.com/50-50-proportioning-block/

---

Darrell Walker
66 TR4A IRS-SC CTC67956L
81 TR8 SATPZ458XBA406206
Vancouver, WA, USA

Thanks, Jeff.
That was a fun trip.

I have one more box of mostly suspension parts to order than I will have everything for a massive D-Day-like invasion of the TR to (1) get it recomissioned for the road and get it up to Euro spec.

I have the pistons, the carbs, exhaust etc. Should be a fun project.

We'll see how she runs with a little more horsepower and some upgraded suspension/brake bits.

I love Java Green on the TR7. One of the be the best colors for that car.

Richard

It's this:

http://www.thewedgeshopstore.com/50-50-proportioning-block/


I use one on my TR8.
It fits in easily, quickly and with no mods. Helps shorten stopping distances by increasing pressure to the rear wheel cylinders.

I very highly recommend this item.

Richard

Its an aluminum block that does the same thing as a tee and a coupling. Instead of proportioning down the rears it allows the rear to get the same brake line pressure as the fronts. The stock valve has two lines coming in and three coming out. The rear is one in one out. The front is one in two out. The stock valve has a shuttle inside that moves based on line pressure and the internal spring. It progressively adds more force to the fronts and prevents the rears from seeing enough line pressure to lock up the rears. Here's the problem with that; you can't lock up the rears even if the rears and the fronts have identicle line pressures. Maybe in a panic stop, on a wet road, going around a high speed corner, you might induce lockup. The stock valve is there to prevent that. That wedge shop block is just a fancy hunk of aluminum with a name on it. It serves the same purpose of coupling the incoming rear line to the outgoing rear line, and teeing the incoming front line to the two outgoing lines. So you can spend the $80 or whatever the block costs, and stand next to your car at car shows and brag that you got Woody's aluminum block, or you can spend $8 and a couple and a tee. Same results.

Now if you really want to create more braking force on the rear, and actually put those rear brakes to work, go out and buy a $50 adjustable proportioning valve, a coupling and a tee. Tee the fronts together as above after you put the adjustable proportioning valve on the front, and coupling the rears together. Leave it at the first click and its the same as a doing nothing. Slowly proportion the fronts back until you can induce rear lock up and then dial it back a couple of clicks for safety. You still want the fronts to lock up first, and ideally never get the rears to lockup. By doing this, you get a slower application of force to the fronts which results in better modulation, as well as more total force on the rears so that they can actually do some braking.

I wouldn't have left the driveway with the car "lashed" down like that..... Frightening.

Interesting project, I was originally looking for a TR 8 Coupe, But came across my Midas Gold convertible instead. What wheels are you thinking of? And are you installing Euro Bumpers? I did and it saves about 60+lbs and look so much better.

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Ron
1972 GT 6 MK 3
1980 TR 8
1965 E-Type Jaguar
2016 Aston Martin Vantage GT
Oxnard, CA