Am I expecting too much??

kstrutt1 · Postby **kstrutt1** » 03 Apr 2011 20:31

Comparred to my usual car mine is the model of refinement, mind you my usual car is a 61 Landrover.....

Seriously though, they are better than most cars of their day especially sports cars. The dash can squeak and rattle, I found fitting some cloth tape between the various plastic panels works well, a strut brace is supposed to help with scuttle shake, but I have never tried it though in honesty the DHC is no worse than a early 3 series BMW, escort etc.

prlee · Postby **prlee** » 04 Apr 2011 19:35

[quote]Originally posted by slider

TR's are a old design and go-cart comfort/handling i:e an aquired taste for proper drivers with NO driver aid's, A MANS CAR, just enjoy!! and welllllcome [:D]
<quote>

And I went for mine for more refinement and more comfort than my Spitfire as I get older [:0]

Pete
81 Red DHC
79 Blue Spitfire

FI Spyder · Postby **FI Spyder** » 04 Apr 2011 19:44

Yup, definitely more refined the agricultural Spitfire with it's
Ferguson tractor engine.[8D]

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

prlee · Postby **prlee** » 04 Apr 2011 21:37

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by FI Spyder

Yup, definitely more refined the agricultural Spitfire with it's
Ferguson tractor engine.[8D]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Me thinks you are mistaken, the early 4 cylinder TR's had the tractor engine - 2 litre wetliner engined TR2 - TR4 this was used in the Ferguson tractor.

Spitfire had the SC (Small Car) engine developed for the Standard 8, later the Standard 10 and then the Heralds, developed to 1500cc and also developed into the Triumph straight six used on the TR5 and TR6, later developed further for the Rover SD1 6 cylinder engines 2300 and 2600.

Sorry - got a bit anarak then [:D]

Pete
81 Red DHC
79 Blue Spitfire

Beans · Postby **Beans** » 04 Apr 2011 21:52

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by prlee

... later developed further for the Rover SD1 6 cylinder engines 2300 and 2600 ... <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
These engines are actually in the same family as the Sprint engines.
No resemblances to the Standard derived straight six.

<center>

1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, now restored and back on the road)
1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)
[url="http://www.tr7beans.blogspot.com/"]My Weblog[/url]</center>

FI Spyder · Postby **FI Spyder** » 04 Apr 2011 22:23

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by prlee

Me thinks you are mistaken, the early 4 cylinder TR's had the tractor engine - 2 litre wetliner engined TR2 - TR4 this was used in the Ferguson tractor.

Spitfire had the SC (Small Car) engine developed for the Standard 8, later the Standard 10 and then the Heralds, developed to 1500cc and also developed into the Triumph straight six used on the TR5 and TR6, later developed further for the Rover SD1 6 cylinder engines 2300 and 2600.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yah, I know but same engineers/corporate design philosophy, so it's not far off and makes for a good anecdote. With it's long stoke (1500) it would also make a good tractor engine. [:D]

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

Last TR · Postby **Last TR** » 05 Apr 2011 03:52

I've put a couple hundred miles on my 8 this weekend, mostly with the top up, unfortunately, as it has been rainy in Portland. I, too, find my Wedge to be a model of refinement, as my daily driver is a Jeep Cherokee with live axles front and back.

Ken
Anchorage, Alaska

1980 TR8, 1973 TR6, 1965 Volvo PV544, 1958 MGA, Jeep Cherokees

Sautie · Postby **Sautie** » 05 Apr 2011 09:37

Replica 8 is describing my car on the dirt road, which was last graded in September, from my house to the nearest tar road, & thats in first gear at roughly 10kph.

ColoradoTR8 · Postby **ColoradoTR8** » 05 Apr 2011 21:53

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Beans

[quote]Originally posted by prlee

... later developed further for the Rover SD1 6 cylinder engines 2300 and 2600 ... <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
These engines are actually in the same family as the Sprint engines.
No resemblances to the Standard derived straight six.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

From what I have read, you are both right. The initial design called for a simple OHC conversion of the OHV big sixes. But it did evolve to a point where only a modified version of the big 6's block was used, connecting rods were based on the Sprint engine and the valve train was also based on the Sprint engine but only 2V, not 4V. Really good write up about it on the ARonline site.

Shawn

supercass · Postby **supercass** » 05 Apr 2011 23:18

[quote]Originally posted by REPLIC8

Took the TR8 out today for it's first proper drive, did 80 miles with no real problems. [:)] No leaks, no breakdowns, temp guage stayed at just under halfway all the time. no warning lights came on, pulls really well, steers straight, brakes straight, even the rebuilt seats are nice and comfy.
I think I'm a bit OCD and looking for problems, but I've not had a V8 or a convertible before so I'm not sure what to expect as regard to ride, handling etc. My car is on standard springs but still crashes over pot holes & has quite a bit of skuttle shake / rattly interior etc. There's no problems with the engine but to me it just sounds a bit rough, The whole driving experience seems very unrefined an a bit agricultural. I've nothing to compare it to,(Apart from a new VW GTI - which isn't exactly a fair fight) so does this sound like a normal DHC/ V8 driving experience? I hope so, coz that means my cars OK & I'm just expecting too much!

Andy
1981 UK SPEC TR8

The contemporary brochure applicable to the convertibles made a big deal of the sports car handling and "luxury saloon car" ride. Even at the time I wondered just what luxury saloon they were comparing it with, and concluded that it must have been a Morris Marina / Ital. I imagine a Super Deluxe Marina or HLS Ital must have cynically been slotted into the luxury saloon bracket. I found that researching which tyres were best for comfort (in my case Semperit) and using alloy wheels made a big difference over the standard steel wheels and Goodyears. I have to say I didn't feel that there was a big difference between the FHC and DHC in terms of comfort, rattling , crashing over potholes etc. A lot of minor fettling can improve things though.
Supercass

prlee · Postby **prlee** » 06 Apr 2011 19:55

Thanks Shawn,

This is the info I have, it was originally intended to use the Triumph straight six but costs resulted in a new design based on the six and using the sprint ohc rocker design - apparently very good engines I had an V8 SD1 myself.

However the point was that the TR2 used the tractor engine.

As FI spider refers to the Spitfire 1500 has torque but as comparison to the TR7 the spitfire is a small crude basic car, its and low (5.5inches off the road) it is not refined, or comfortable for long drives, however it is terrific fun and I have getting on for 140000 miles in Spitfires.

The TR7 is much bigger with a more modern suspension system. I drove it to work today and enjoyed every minute, taught, firm suspension excellent road holding comfortable but not cushy, good on the motorway, still a sports car, not remote like a modern car but not as hard to drive as the Spitfire.

Both are great fun, the Spitfire is harder work though - not a bad thing.

Pete
81 Red DHC
79 Blue Spitfire

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Am I expecting too much??

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