TR7 for me ... advice welcome!

[PompeySteve]

Hi, first post on here and just wanted some honest (if biased) views on whether a TR7 might be for me. I am just in the process of offloading a couple of Porsche 924's and now looking at the next pit in which to throw my cash! Short-list seems to be TR7, X19 or MR2 (spot a trend?!). Have not even driven an MR2 or TR7 however.

What I like - Practical car to work on with good parts/tuning opportunities. Small, informal owners club. Car that (when maintained) is vaguely reliable. Not to hold up lorries on a motorway!

I'm not really interested in a DH, so what would be top money for a FH TR7? Once the 924's have gone I will probably have about £2k ... about right? I've read your buyers guide and it looks like later the better. Any other nice to haves on a propective purchase?

Any thoughts much appreciated.

Cheers Steve

[john]

monies about right steve two informal owners clubs in your area and very active at that

Once the car is sorted there is no reason why it cannot be reliable, i've always found the more i use it the more reliable it is.

ofcourse a very nice to have would be a V8 within the engine bay but again this is a very easy to do conversion

[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

[PompeySteve]

Thanks John ... can the 2.0L be tuned to any extent? Do you know what the history of the engine was ..i.e what else it was used in?

[Hasbeen]

Steve, about 10 years ago, I had the same short list.

I could not find an X19 that did not require too much body work,
when you looked a bit closely.

The MR2 was a bit too hard to get at for maintenance, It was fun to
drive, but a bit too modern, & revy for relaxed cruising.

I believe I made the right choice, although I'm now on my 4Th 7 FHC.
I've had this one 8 years, on the road for 7, & 65,000 Km. I also
have a 4.6L 280 BHP 8 DHC, which is a great car for fun, & a couple
of other cars for different uses, but if I could only have 1 car,
it would be the 7.

Yes, they respond to a little work. I have cleaned up the inlet
manifold, fitted high flow air filters, which require richer
needles in the SUs. Add a set of extractors, [quality tubular
exhaust] & you will pick up around 20% in power, without spoiling
the low down torque, which is what makes the 7 so good. A mild cam
may be good too, but I haven't tried one.

Another good thing about a 7, no one will ever think you are a poser.

Hasbeen

[PompeySteve]

Thanks very much ... good insight. Have owned an X19 ... great on the couple of occasions it worked perfectly! I share your thoughts on the MR2 ... very frustrating if I can't actually work on it.

Having been a 924 owner for the last 5 years I have heard every bit of car snob abuse going! Actually that 'van engined excuse for a Porsche' is a really good car but never really tugged at the heart strings. I have always been an admirer of the TR7 and never really understood the stick it got. I think it goes back to Mrs Robinson who was the glamorous teacher at my junior school ... she got a new one in 1977 and all the lads just worshipped it (and her!!).

[john]

[:D] i can relate to that

obvious avenue's are 16v sprint conversions and the saab used the engine in turbo form only one has turned up that i know of in a TR7 revington will do a injection kit for a seven

as for the clubs Steve the Drivers club down here share events with the porche club sometimes and do a few shows throughout the year and the New Forest run ofcourse the Register will do a run every month out to a pub somewhere for lunch Duck races if you have kids and even if you don't [8D]

lots of sociable occasions car quizes BBQ invited car club nights and visits to local museums etc etc lots of knowledge in both clubs and a good selection of cars..

http://www.groups.tr-register.co.uk/wessex/

you just missed an excellent event at Goodwood with 8 rally car competing see here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvYj9DkEev0

even done a track day here myself

http://www.youtube.com/user/jmorkey#p/u/14/mYJDVVXtK_0

[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

[Beans]

Welcome,
As for the tuning potential for the 2 litre;
In the US of A they raced the 8 valve engine and it produced a reliable 175 BHP @ 6800 rpm (using Strommies [:I]).

It's easier to put a Sprint in though, and probably more cost effective.
With a decent, more or less standard set up, that should give 140 BHP with SU's.
With the Sprint head it is possible to run into the biggest problem with these engines, they aren't strong enough if taken to the limit.
If tuned over 200 BHP they will just break in the end, if fully thrashed and not strengthened [B)]

<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, currently being restored)
1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)</font id="blue">
<b>[url="http://www.tr7beans.blogspot.com/"]<u><b><font size="2"><font color="red">My Weblog</font id="red"></font id="size2"></b></u>[/url]</b></i></center>

[PompeySteve]

Okey dokey ... thanks for all of your replies ... probably tells me what I need to know for now. Will be back in a couple of months with something wedgie!!