Help, I've been tempted to the dark side......

[busheytrader]

My other half's MX5 Mk2.5 sport was written off 5 years ago when the car beside her had a tyre blowout on the motorway sending her into the barriers.........

This was replaced by a Corolla T Sport, bonkers when the valve lift kicked in at 6,200 to 8,200rpm but you don't really get the chance to use it as it's so far up the rev range but I'm digressing.

It became time to sell my 16 year old Golf Gti (the local police kept stopping me to check my car insurance and tyres expecting a teenager to be driving, not a 50 year old) so I've inherited the Corolla and the wife's now got one of the launch Mk3 MX5's.

The trouble is the MX5 is really good and fun to drive. It fits someone who's 6'2", like me. The instant grunt of a V8 isn't there of course but it doesn't drink like a fish. There's a few other incidentals like a rain proof hood, wipers that park after the first attempt, no scuttle shake, no rattles, no bangs and crashes over potholes, a slick gearbox when cold and no vices.

Please help me as I feel I'm being drawn over to the dark side and my 26 year relationship with my 7 / 7V8 will be compromised.[:0]

Adam



TR7 V8 DHC Jaguar Solent Blue. 9.35cr Range Rover V8, Holley 390cfm, JWR Dual Port, 214 Cam, Lumention, Tubular Manifolds, S/S Single Pipe Exh, 3.08 Rear, 200lb Spax & PolyBushes all round, Anti- Dive, Strut-Top Roller Bearings, Capri Vented Discs & Calipers, Braided Hoses, 4 Speed Rear Cylinders, Uprated Master Cylinder & Servo, AT 14" 5 Spokes or Maestro Turbo 15" Alloys, Cruise Lights, S/S Heater Pipes, Replacement Fuel Tank. No Door Stickers. Mine since July 1986, V8 from 1991 courtesy of S&S V8 conversion and big brake kits.

[andyf]

The thing to do is lend your 7V8 out for a year or so rather than sell it so you are not burning your bridges, then you can make an informed decision without committing yourself. Purely to help you out I am volunteering to take this task on for you, and I won`t even charge you for doing it!

Please pm me your details and I will be up to collect it next week.

[;)]


1980 Persian Aqua DHC

[birminghamtr7]

i had the same feelings with my other halfs mgf, as you say all the the above starts on the button, handles grea,t comfortable more than enough power, great heaters wiper elctric windows it feels like cheating though....

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

[seven]

I had the same feelings about 10years ago, really thought about my old Triumphs, saw everyone else in there modern pocket rockets, no bonnets up, no cars sitting on axle stands, no skinned knuckles, no grease under the finger nails and always with their loved ones....I sold everything up and..............within 6 months found sanctuary...What would we do without our beloved Triumphs, plus I missed having skinned knuckles, grease under the fingernails and being late for dinner [:D]


Triumph TR7 DHC
Triumph 2.5 Estate
Bentley Eight
Renault Laguna Estate
Mercedes 320SLK
Jaguar X-Type Estate
Kawasaki GPZ

The car is unable to handle my driving capabilities

[Roy Hankins]

I'd give it 6 months and you'll soon be pining for
that V8 burble.

So I wouldn't worry.

Roy

[Hasbeen]

I have absolutely no trouble loving my 7, & appreciating my Honda S2000. The Honda goes very hard when asked, & not only starts on the button, but the roof folds or comes up on the button too.

It's a great car, & after 18 months ownership I'm very glad I bought it, however if I had to have only one car, it would be the 7. Sure the Honda has a little more grip on the bitumen, but it does not offer the feel of the old girl.

Getting into the Honda is a bit like sliding into the old F11 Brabham, but getting into the 7 is like a homecoming, every time.

Hasbeen

[FI Spyder]

Got the Honda (Acura) for the modern car feel although had to replace rear trailing arm bushings (not easy, big and pressed in), frozen rear brake pistons, leaking rear caliper seal (rebuilt caliper(s) each time), crippled ICU (cheap capacitors used but can't get at it to repair, not available new, if I could get at it), got the Toyota for reliability (new mechanical fuel pump every 57,000 Km.) and 4 wheel drive for the odd snow (two or three per winter) but I got the Triumph for fun (driving and tinkering). As long as they work no plans to replace any of them. If they fall short of my needs I wouldn't have bought them in the first place, the needs unlikely to change as I'm to old to change and too young to not be able to drive for a long time yet.



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

[prlee]

I am tempted by the call from the Mazda too [xx(]. It does everything I want the 7 to be able to do but don't have the time or money to do. I decided to keep my Spitfire a couple of years ago and getting it back to top condition is the priority.

The TR was bought to provide open sports car driving for the bulk of the year replacing the Spitfire as the main summer car, but its very standard so doesn't really give the performance. The drivers seat is not sorted yet and there is still an annoying vibration at 70mph though much reduced from what it was.

Still I have had the 7 for just over 4 years, spent 2 of those sorting out the body, and have covered over 22000 the majority have been very enjoyable, so can't complain really.

I will make my mind up over the next few months.



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.

[busheytrader]

Its been an eventful month in the Bushey household.

Mrs Trader's valiant efforts have at last been recognised by her employers and has been told to expect a company panzerwagon in the near future. No idea what's in mind but we should know shortly.

Master Trader (still at Uni and costing the Bushey household a small fortune after a course change) wrote his Fiesta written off one evening on a wet road with brand new tyres on. Even so it looks like young blokes' insurance premiums are much lower now since young blokes and girls must be priced the same thanks to the EU.

It looks like my 96,000 mile Corolla T Sport will be moving to Master Trader and my daily drive for the foreseeable future will be the MX5 Mk3....... The M25 is a great leveller, all cars are reduced to the same performance - none[:0].

The dark side is all consuming, but the 7V8 and I cant be parted after 27 years. I just have to replace the broken up steering column bush and speedo cable and a softer gearbox mounting rubber and I'll be set for the summer.

(On the T Sport and the MX5 much of the bodywork has to be removed to change a headlight bulb, that's progress for you!)

Adam



TR7 V8 DHC Jaguar Solent Blue. 9.35cr Range Rover V8, Holley 390cfm, JWR Dual Port, 214 Cam, Lumention, Tubular Manifolds, S/S Single Pipe Exh, 3.08 Rear, 200lb Spax & PolyBushes all round, Anti- Dive, Strut-Top Roller Bearings, Capri Vented Discs & Calipers, Braided Hoses, 4 Speed Rear Cylinders, Uprated Master Cylinder & Servo, AT 14" 5 Spokes or Maestro Turbo 15" Alloys, Cruise Lights, S/S Heater Pipes, Replacement Fuel Tank. No Door Stickers. Mine since July 1986, V8 from 1991 courtesy of S&S V8 conversion and big brake kits.