'Normal' TR7's

[paulheritage]

Has been bugging me recently.

All TR7's are important, not just the first, last, one-off, etc. We need to celebrate EVERY TR7 and not just covet the special milestone cars we see. In fact, if it wasn't for the owners of 'normal' cars there would be no following. Normal cars are worth less, but we still restore them even though it's not finanially beneficial.

Cheers Paul,

1976 TR7 2.0 FHC, ACG 2367 - Carmine Red (on the road)
1980 TR7V8 3.9 DHC, Orient Blue (on the road)
1977 TR7V8 4.0 FHC rally car, ACG 35005 - Tahiti Blue (on the road)
1976 TR7 2.0 FHC, ACG 3115 - Java Green (now sold)

www.TR7.co.uk

[Workshop Help]

Oh, dear! I fear we've pried open a can of controversy with this topic. I'll respond first.

Normal. Is it normal to make a kind of history by using a TR7 as business coupe to fulfill ones work needs? Is it normal hop in the car to chase the setting sun on a whim? Is it normal to slay the dragons of negativism about the TR7 by legions of naysayers in the press? And, to do it for the past 37 years?

No, it is not normal to trod the different path while marching the beat of ones own drum. But, I do it and do it quite well with a normal, run of the mill TR7. Was it born early or late in the production run? Was a ever a competition car? Was it owned by a celebrity or someone of renown? No, to all three.

So, yes, a normal TR7 is important based on how we use it, and maintain it, and defend it from those who deride it.

Then, as time goes by, the passing years reveal the lasting value of purpose-fullness which the glamour queens parked in the garage become more envious. Each time a TR7 coughs to life with a pull of the choke, the whine of the electric fuel pump, and the engagement of the starter, the open road beckons. Be it for a trip to the store for a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk, or to the hardware store for a plumbing part, or to the other side of midnight, our normal little car ventures forth yet again.

Mildred Hargis

[Maxwell]

Paul - You are correct. Whilst the Souvenir Issue of TR-Driver featured the oldest, the youngest, a Rally Car still wearing fresh Welsh mud and a re-imported Victory Edition, we also featured a few 'normal' cars as you describe, in particular Dave Thomas's Fixed Head; and all made it to Gaydon. Space is a problem in any 'Club Magazine' but the 'normal' car is always going to be the backbone of any club. It's a shame that more members with 'normal' cars don't volunteer to attend major shows - it would be nice to ring the changes to avoid repetition and there are some cracking examples out there..... but let's have them displayed on the TRDC stand and not in the car park!
Maxwell



2.0 TR7 FHC \ Current
1.8 Mazda MX5 \ Current

[trekcarbonboy]

MY car is the most important one I know. It's pretty special to me. And in my mind it's not worth less, it's priceless![:D][;)]

I guess one can become somewhat partial and delusional after owning a car for 26 years. [:o)]

Craig '75 2.0 FHC

[Paul_TR8]

The TRDC are trying to get members with "normal cars" more involved in the major events next year. We have for instance on the Practical Classics stand at the restoration show at the NEC in March four cars that are owners pride and joy. The idea being they will display their car with history of trips, restorations, problems etc. They each have a display at the side of their car to fill.

The cars for instance are:
a V8 conversion
Steve Thomas car that just made the Anniversary event
a TR7 DHC that has had the interior refreshed for £15
a car that was restored and cost £80k

We are always looking for owners with cars that they have an affection with and would not mind telling other people about it. Please PM me if you want to be put on the list.

Paul

JRV459X TR8 DHC EFI Cashmere Gold
UPK688S TR7 FHC Auto Inca Yellow
TCK162P TR7 FHC New White
TFX458R TR7 FHC Pimento Red
NDP505X TR7 DHC Triton Green
XCK645R TR7 FHC Inca Yellow VICTORY Replica?

[rugbyref1]

Hmmm ... indeed a can of worms

For me, society always celebrates the unusual, the strange or the most valuable - that is life. However that takes nothing away from the 'value' of the remainder. Those who have spoken to me (not many!) will know that I am an advocate of putting normal cars on the stands or at shows - but we also need the foolish (like me and several others) that are fortunate in being able to spend far more than the value of the car to make them better than the factory made them.

I enjoy looking at all TR7's and TR8's - indeed I spent more time looking at the multi-coloured, put together with string and tape car at Gaydon than the magnificent original TR8 which was 5m away from it.

What is important as a club is that we all make our cars available to Paul and the show team so that he can select a cross-section of the cars which makes the stands varied from show to show and also attract interest from all members new and old, owners of the original and absurd, the shoe-string keep-it-going and the money no object restorations.

<b> Christopher </b>

A respectable collection.

[claypole1360]

There is nothing normal about any TR7, that's why it is revered/reviled everywhere, it is a styling polemicist and it stands out. I love mine!



1978 TR7V8 FHC
1962 Herald Coupe 1200
1989 Peugeot 205 xs
2003 Peugeot 206 GTI
2009 VW Passat

[dursleyman]

I love Mildred's description, almost poetical and kind of says it all.

Russ

1981 TR7 Sprint DHC
Dursley
UK

http://tr7russ.blogspot.co.uk/

[Hasbeen]

Yep my stockish 7 is the best & most satisfying car I have ever owned.

Hasbeen

[birminghamtr7]

I love them all.

if you factor in the earth's rotation, we are all speeding

[FI Spyder]

My "normal" car gets lots of attention. OK, being an FI Spider it's not that normal, especially here in Canada where FI wasn't available (I did see a 1981 TR8 FI from Victoria formerly Calgary).. But I have a "normal" local car (being restored).......OK, it's not that "normal" being Tumeric Yellow, only available in 1979. I've never seen another that colour in any car show or picture. I often wonder how many where actually made. So much for normal.

- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

[nick]

Normal cars are purchased and owed buy normal owners. There are no normal owners on this forum. They are all crazy. About their cars that is.[:D]

[img][IMG]http://i615.photobucket.com/albums/tt234/nickmi/TR7%201975/Yellow.jpg[/img]
nick
'79 TR7 DHC
'76 TR7 FHC

[Chris Turner]

Paul, have you forgotten Tony Parkes TR6.

www.triumphtrs.co.uk
THE Coca Cola car
The C+C Conversions rally car JDG 941V
TR7 Sprint SJW 530S on the road for the 1st time since 1984
TR7 Sprint SJW 539S

[Beans]

<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>

<font size="2">... Normal cars are purchased and owed buy normal owners. There are no normal owners on this forum. They are all crazy. <s>About their cars that is</s> [:p]</font id="size2"><hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1976 TR7 FHC (needs some TLC ...)
1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, a.k.a. Kermette)
1981 TR7 FHC (Sprint engined a.k.a. 't Kreng
</font id="blue"><b>[url="http://www.tr7beans.blogspot.com/"]<u><b><font size="3"><font color="red">My full Blog</font id="red"></font id="size3"></b></u>[/url]</b></i></center>

[John Wood]

<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 birminghamtr7</i>

I love them all.

if you factor in the earth's rotation, we are all speeding


<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Ditto

TR7 Sprint & TR8