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hello!
Posted: 07 Dec 2008 17:43
by David Price
I'd like to say hi to everyone. I have just joined the forum. My first TR7 was a white tin top bought in 1987 - which I kept for 15 years as my sole transport. When I first bought it, aged 9 years old, everyone told me it was total rubbish, looked disgusting and would never be a classic. This was from friends and acquaintances driving a Vauxhall Astra 1.6, Cavalier SRi, Sierra Ghia, Orion 1600E, etc. By the time my car finally died in the early part of this decade, those same friends were quite smitten with my TR7 - how times change!
Since then I've had several 7s, including a 'brand new old stock' 36m from new example, a mint late TR8 EFi, and have just bought a 25k mile FHC in Persian Aqua. I prefer the fixed head - the body is much tauter, the sunroof is great and it even looks a quite characterful now - when everyone used to call it ugly.
I'm a huge fan of SD1s too (which is essentially a 'long wheelbase TR7 if you look closely under the skin), and have many. I've also had a Lotus Esprit for my sins, Range Rovers and so on - but right now I have five classic Jags and a Rover 75 as my daily driver! Still, despite all these beauties, I've missed TR7s like hell since I sold my '8 - so it's great to be back behind the wheel of what is for me the purest derivative - the 7 FHC. Even though I loved my 8 with a passion, I always thought the 7s were better balanced, less nose heavy and nicer to drive thanks to the non-PAS rack. Still, it's horses for courses - all the wedges are superb cars if you have a good example - and very practical too.
Having had the most unfashionable car on the road in 1987, it's amazing now - 21 years later - how the public reaction has changed. It's almost always praised by passers by. I think the shape looks far less dated than other cars of its era and in some ways quite modern. The side 'swage' line shocked people in the 1970s, but now it's on loads of new cars, as are near vertical rear windows, small glass area swooping side windows, etc. I think it really was - as the ads used to say - "the shape of things to come".
Posted: 07 Dec 2008 17:59
by Steve-LPS-Thomas
Yep, you got it bad, your in the right place. Welcome to the forum!
<ul><b><li>Ex BL Development TR8 (Rally Replica).</li>
<li>The First and Only UK TR7 "Victory Edition" (Now Sold) </li>
<li>Ex-BL/Safety Devices Development 8v Rally Car.</li>
<li>"The Shape of things to Come" Trailer.</b></li></ul>
<b><font color="blue">http://www.croyde-bay.com/triumph.htm</font id="blue"></b>
<b><font color="blue">croydebay@aol.com</b></font id="blue">
Posted: 07 Dec 2008 18:06
by PeterTR7V8
Welcome to the forum David. Sounds like you will be a huge asset with all that auto experience but why'd you have to shoot yourself in the foot by telling us you drive a Rover 75! [:D]
From this day I will refer to the SD1 as a stretch TR7. Brilliant.
Looking forward to the pictures.
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Posted: 07 Dec 2008 19:11
by davesopener
hi,
welcome to the forum!!
nothing wrong with rover 75s!!
always thought of them as a surrogate jaguar
with that styling.
ty
dave
Posted: 07 Dec 2008 19:25
by tr8coupe
[:D]welcome to the best tr7/8 forum in the world[:D]
BMW Z1 ( sold)
Westfield sport carbon (sold)
Eurosport x1/9 turbo (sold)
TR8 coupe
TR7 v8 monster on 245 tyres all round (sold)
TVR VIXEN

Posted: 07 Dec 2008 20:19
by David Price
Thanks Guys - I will be hitting you with some questions about spares availability soon, as the last time I had a '7 you could drive into an 'Austin Rover' dealer and buy them over the counter!
Meanwhile - the SD1 was engineered by Spen King, as was the TR7, so they share the DNA. Anyone who's driven a factory '8 will know how close it feels to the series one SD1 Rover 3500, which with it shares the same engine, drive train, front suspension and even bits of the floorpan! There's a definite family feel - both are lovely, although obviously the '8 is more sporty. The SD1's better rear suspension and longer wheelbase makes it less twitchy and it has better ultimate roadholding, though, IMHO.
Don't knock the R75 - it was the last British mass production car, wasn't it? It's not exactly sex on a stick to look at, but they drive very nicely indeed and the styling seems to me to work, whereas Jaguar's S-type was a bit of pig in a poke by comparison. Still, a bit off topic.
Have to say how nice it is to have all these TR7 experts around at the touch of a mouse button - something that wasn't available to me in my early days of TR7 ownership in the eighties!
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by davesopener</i>
hi,
welcome to the forum!!
nothing wrong with rover 75s!!
always thought of them as a surrogate jaguar
with that styling.
ty
dave
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Posted: 07 Dec 2008 20:39
by Chris Turner
Hi Dave, just re read your TR8 article from the TR Drivers magazine, edition 3 2003, very good, hope youl write about your latest TR.
www.triumphtr.co.uk
TR8 FHC
TR7 Sprint
Posted: 07 Dec 2008 21:10
by Debpazvin
Hi Dave, You sound like a guy after my own heart. Welcome to the forum. Deb x
1980 Premium TR7-1 of 400 made
.

Posted: 08 Dec 2008 00:25
by nick
Dave Price said: as the ads used to say - "the shape of things to come".
Does anyone have a clip of one of those "shape of things to come" ads. I remember several that ran in the US. One was an indian driving into a wedge shaped teepee. Another was an Eskimo driving into a wedge shaped igloo. Really crazy stuff.
nick
Posted: 08 Dec 2008 01:19
by FI Spyder
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by nick</i>
Dave Price said: as the ads used to say - "the shape of things to come".
Does anyone have a clip of one of those "shape of things to come" ads. I remember several that ran in the US. One was an indian driving into a wedge shaped teepee. Another was an Eskimo driving into a wedge shaped igloo. Really crazy stuff.
nick
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
They're on the Project Bullet DVD. Worth the money if you don't have one.
You're right on David although I prefer the DHC because it's a convertible first and I like the lines second. The shape of the FHC was a capitulation to safety regs and never quite seemed to fit the design of the car but 30 years later it just adds to the uniqueness of the car.
TR7 Spider - 1978 Spifire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra

Posted: 08 Dec 2008 01:21
by PeterTR7V8
The shape of things to come
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ULnObVcuWs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk1QaAH-r_o
Sorry about ripping on the Rover. I was poisened by Rich Hall on Top Gear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL4lqBnvowk
************************************************************************
To do list:
Upholstery/Motor/Gearbox/Suspension/Brakes/Carb/Tyres../Gearbox/Paint/Cam+Motor
Done......./done./done....../done......../done../done/done/redone.../done/under way
Blog:
http://www.forum.triumphtr7.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8548 
Posted: 08 Dec 2008 07:51
by john
Welcome David
[8 whole cylinders worth of punch to ram the world through the windshield and out the rear view mirror. Car & Driver]
1981 Grinnall TR7 v8
1981 Black FHC
1979 & 1980 Black Premium FHC(laid to rest) Sorry
John
Posted: 08 Dec 2008 08:33
by John Clancy
I like the Rover 75 too so you're not alone there David.
<center><b>[url="http://www.triumphtr7.com/documents/sales/codenamebullet.asp"]Buy the story of the Triumph TR7/8 on DVD here[/url]</b></center>
Posted: 08 Dec 2008 09:25
by john 215
Hi David,
WELCOME TO THE BEST TR7 / 8 FORUM IN THE WORLD EVER !!
You are cert in the right place, some very knowledgeable people on here and very helpful [8D].
As for the '75' i done the 10 day factory course on those when launched and was very impressed ( contains a lot of BMW parts and engineering, now work on BMW's so not so sure if a good thing or not [;)] )They can also be picked up dirt cheap, quite fancy one of the Ford V8 powered ones [8D] or realisatly the BMW powered diesel version!
Look forward to your posts.
Cheers John
LIVE LIFE A QUARTER OF A MILE AT A TIME!
1979 3.5 FHC(STATUS PENDING!!)
1982 2.0 DHC NOW A 4.6,ON THE ROAD NOW KICKING AR5E !!!!
Read My Blog
http://www.waringstowntr7s.co.uk/blogs/ ... hp/John215
Posted: 08 Dec 2008 12:57
by andyf
Welcome, and I certainly agree about the 75. I bought an MGZT in 2002 and I still wish I had it now. I traded it for a Mazda 6 but wish I hadn`t. I much preferred the ZT.
1980 persian aqua DHC