TR7 as a daily?

[gregtheo]

Hello everyone,
I'm after a bit of advice about the 2L TR7's.

What are they like as a daily car? I'm very keen to get a 7 of my own as I've grown up with my dad having them and have fallen in love with them! I would need to use it every day but I'm not sure how practical it would be? What are they like on fuel and reliability?

Also does anyone know how I would go about insuring one as most classic policies want you to have access to another car but I'd have to sell my current car to fund the 7.

Sorry for all the questions!

Many Thanks
Greg [:)]

[vitessesteve]

I run my TR7 Sprint engined DHC as a daily. Compared to a modern car the windscreen washers and wipers could be better. Fit halogen headlights. I have a Lenham detachable hardtop on at present whilst it is cold and wet. The boot is a fair size but they little space inside for stuff.

Compared to my Triumph Vitesse it is much more comfortable and economical. Compared to my other halfs Golf it is loud, harder work on long journeys and burns more petrol.

Good luck trying for insurance if you are under 25.

Steve Weblin - AKA vitessesteve
1982 TR7 Sprint DHC

[Wayne S]

Hi Greg,

Welcome to the forum! I'm assuming your under 25?
I am the group leader of the TR Register "Yoof" group. We are a collective of geezers and girls who own, use or borrow TR's and on the whole we are all aged 17-35!

I ran my 2 litre TR7 while at Uni and for several years after as my daily car. The best advice is to buy the best you can afford. There is no point buying a rolling project if you need to get to work on time every Monday morning! Believe me I know [:D]

Arguably the V8 is a more robust and reliable engine, but as I well know they are difficult to insure. I graduated to a V8 when I turned 24 and was lucky to get insured at the time! Plus they will be doing good to return 20 MPG where as you should expect 30 - 33MPG from a 2 litre 4 cylinder car.

The key to reliability is maintenance really, buy the best car you can find and then keep it well looked after. Unlike a modern car you need to give the car a thorough going over every 500 - 1000 miles to keep the AA truck at bay. Regular checking helps spot problems early so you can plan your major works in advance ensuring the car isn't out of action when you desperately need it!

Once you have the hang of this then they are a great car to use everyday! The biggest problem you have is keeping them from rotting if you are driving them through the winter and keeping them outdoors. It's a case of regular Waxoyl and under seal treatments and jet washing the underside to shift the salt. If you buy a convertible ensure you have a cover for storage and be prepared to dry out those carpets from time to time!

Modifications to look at for everyday use in modern traffic:

Electronic ignition: adjusting points is a pain due to the location of the distributor and needs to be done regularly. Put Lumenition or similar on so its fit and forget.

Uprated 4 core radiator and electric fans: keeps it reliably cool in commuter traffic.

4 pot brake and vented disc upgrade: put your braking on a par with all the over-braked modern ABS equipped vehicles around you!

Halogen headlamps and units: ditch the sealed beam units and upgrade to halogens, they just aren't good enough on a road full of HID equipped moderns.


The main hiccups you might encounter are poorly serviced cooling systems leading to overheating. Water pump failure and corrosion of rear mounting suspension mounting points. All these can be relatively easily fixed and solvable with regular maintenance and generally starting off with a good car in the first place!

As far as insurance goes, its always a challenge when your under 25 and needing it for your everyday car. I'm happy to advise by email tryoof@djwaynes.com as I have a few bits of experience and advise for you on that front.

Finally, get over to the TR Yoof facebook page and introduce yourself to everyone there and keep your eye out for the event invites!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9111382939



<b>Red 4.0 Litre V8 DHC Grinnall (with huuuuuge arches...!)</b>

[Chris Turner]

Greg you don't mention your age, if you are under 25 most of the classic car insurers will give you a quote, my son has had TR7s since he was 17 and has always found his insurance reasonably priced compared to modern cars.
Hes now 24 and pays around £150, when he was 17 it was £650.
For everyday use buy the best condition car available and just treat it well, I have used one everyday for years and think they are very reliable, only 1 breakdown in 18 years.

www.triumphtrs.co.uk
THE Coca Cola car
The C+C Conversions rally car
TR7 Sprint SJW 530S
TR7 Sprint SJW 545S
TUD 682T

[gregtheo]

Thankyou for the replies and the great advice! Its much appreciated
Yes I'm 18 with almost a years driving under my belt now. I'm currently driving a 1.4 Rover 25 which I really like but have recently got rather bored of it, it does keep me busy with repairs though!

The maintenance is not a problem at all, I've been brought up around classic cars and my dad is always willing to lend a hand if I get stuck with something!
I'd definitely be looking into getting a FHC over a drop head and it would have to be a 2 litre due to insurance and fuel costs. Although a drop head with a hard top would be a good compromise as I understand the fix heads aren't exactly common any more.

It sounds as though the insurance will be cheaper than on my Rover as well which is a bonus!

Wayne I'll drop you an email shortly, thankyou!


Thankyou for all of your help, I will make sure I bear it all in mind when I start looking for one!

Many Thanks
Greg

[Terry B]

Hi Greg

My TR7 was my daily summer driver, as I couldn't bare to put my TR through the Canadian winter, when I was 16. Once I had it properly sorted it was very reliable and very fuel efficient, espicially compared to my parents 1980 Ford LTD Station Wagon with a 302.

I have a lot a good memories of my TR7, and with your Dad's knowledge and the part supply has never been better I think it is a great choice.

Good luck

Terry B

[Hasbeen]

I used my 7 as my only car for 5 years, & my main car for a further 5. It had sat for 3 years after retiring from rallying, & was a mess.

I brought it back to life, then did a rolling restoration for the next couple of years. This is not suitable if you must be somewhere every day. It does mean some minor roadside delays.

Better start with a sorted car, even if not pretty, & do the cosmetics along the way.

I would expect anyone starting with my car today would have no more expense, & equal reliability to most new cars available.

Hasbeen

PS. But only if you understand the damn thing. See my new thread.

H

[Sautie]

My one daughter has a TR7 coupe she bought in 2003. This was her daily car (& night) for several years. She is a chef & ran a fancy game lodge in the Timbavati some 450km away from home. This she drove to once every 6 weeks & then came home for a week off. She subsequently took a similar position at a game lodge also some 450km away. She continued this for over a year until we had bad rains two years ago. This resulted in the one dirt road becoming impassable unless in a 4x4 & the other one which went through a long drift (with crocodiles) becoming too deep for the 7. Result she left the 7 at a nearby farm & bought a 2nd hand Subaru Forrester. Only problems were new HT lead (the long one) & SU carb kit.
So don't nock daily driving.

[HowardB]

Mine was used as a regular car until I moved back overseas - not quite daily - but clocked up over 6k per year without any breakdowns, so use and enjoy

[troydeon]

My car is my daily driver and has been for about two months. It works really well for me. I am in southern Texas so winter won't be an issue. I have a garage to park it in and it's only about 7 miles to work and the drive is non-highway.

But I love it as my daily car (so far).

Troy
1980 TR7 DHC

[prlee]

Troy, where did you get those mirrors, look like they give a good rear view.

On the TR7 as a daily driver, like most classics, the more they are used the more reliable they are. They dont like being left.

So long as they are regularly properly serviced they should be fine. Like most cars, as they age things do wear out so getting a sorted car is a good idea.

Pete
1981 Carmelian Red 2 litre DHC.
Polybush, KYB shocks, electric fan, electric windows and electronic ignition roller bearing struts and anti-dive kit - otherwise standard
1979 Pageant Blue Spitfire 1500 - some restoration in progress.

[troydeon]

The mirrors came with the car...
I assume one of the previous owners borrowed them from some other vehicle - I don't recognize them though. Down the road I will probably replace them - the passenger sides plastic housing has a crack and some of it missing. They actually don't work so well, because of the way they're constructed they would work better if they were more forward, but if I moved them the vent glass would be in the way... so leaning towards replacing them later...


Troy
1980 TR7 DHC

[prlee]

Thanks Troy, I have standard but with convex but like something a bit better, maybe early MX5.

Pete
1981 Carmelian Red 2 litre DHC.
Polybush, KYB shocks, electric fan, electric windows and electronic ignition roller bearing struts and anti-dive kit - otherwise standard
1979 Pageant Blue Spitfire 1500 - some restoration in progress.

[kstrutt1]

Our dhc was my wifes every day car when we first got it 18 years ago, it did up to 20,000 miles a year and we have now driven it a total of around 100,000 miles. In all the time it has only had to be recovered twice, once was a coil failure ( I had been supplied the wrong one) and once when the clutch master cyl failed.
We did have a headgasket failure but it was still driveable as long as the coolant was regularly topped up.
It now sports a v8, uprated suspension, 15" wheels and is in semi retirement, but I still use it most days in the summer.
Get a good one, religously follow the service schedule check the fluids every week and the only problem you will have is keeping on top of the corrosion, the best advice here is use plenty of underbody wax and keep it washed and polished.
Better brakes, a roll over bar and an electronic ignition were the only mods we made when it was in daily use
Kevin

[Milanoverde]

My thinking is a Speke car is a rolling time bomb unless its been extensively improved upeon in the ensuing years. I would not hesitate to use my later 80 Canley dhc as a dd. Tony