Testing the waters.....

[littlepippin]

With a heavy heart I am going to have to sell my beloved TR7 union jack soft top car. With the high cost of living, running two cars and garage rental costs is too expensive. Coupled with most of my weekend time now being taken up with caring for elderly parents, as many of us have found time by myself to get out on to the road and enjoy my hobby is pretty thin on the ground.

So, what I would like most is that a fellow TR7 enthusiast may like to buy the car and give it a good home and future for years to come ?

Very briefly it is a solid car that has an MOT from May. It is 1981 and the union jack IS A VINYL WRAP. that if you wanted to you could peel off and return to the original but slightly shabby Triton green. There are minor rust spots on the body work in all the usual places, but she is a sound car overall. Everthing works except the horn has packed up (£7 ebay)

Finally, this is SO MUCH FUN to drive, a real eyecatcher and you will get lots of waves, toots and smiles from people as you pass by and everybody talks about it and remembers the car.... !!

I would want £2000 no offers.

Thanks every one,
Sean

[saabfast]

Sorry to hear you have to let it go Sean. Is there nowhere you can park it with a cover for a while, you may regret it in the future as they are rising in value and popularity?

Re the horn, check the connectors under the bonnet near the headlight connectors. A couple of years ago mine suddenly did not work during the MOT and the guy said to have a fiddle while he did the next car before he did the fail notice. I 'exercised' all the connectors and suddenly it worked again and has been fine since, just a bit of corrosion in it.

[John_C]

Sean, £2k suggests it's a rustbucket. If it's a good car you're looking at a starting price of around £5k now. With the vinyl wrap on it you may find you'll get more interest than without but see what happens as it may prove to be more valuable unwrapped. Triton green is a lovely colour so it may clean up well.

[littlepippin]

No, it is not a rust bucket, it is in fair condition, hence the MOT. I take yours and Alan's point about the prices rising, I just go by the ebay/autotrader prices that seem quite varied for all conditions of TR7's....? It's like the market does not know where it should be, but I suppose at the end of the day it is worth what somebody is prepared to pay for it. I would certainly consider laying it up for a few years, but finding any available covered storage space around Tunbridge Wells to do that for anything less than a small mortgage is I'm afraid impossible. I pay £60 a month for the garage it is in (which is a very good price for around here), but it is so narrow I can barely get in the car to start it, let alone move around the car and maintain it over long term storage.

I paid £1000 for the car 3 years ago, and the wrap was £1400 inc vat.New clutch and other parts I just put down to running costs. Didn't want to make a profit necessarily, I just wanted it to go to a Triumph person who would understand the car and treat it with care respect.

Cheers, Sean.

[John_C]

Apparently the experts look at auction house prices to get a measure of car model value and in that regard TR7s have been doing surprisingly well in the past year or so. Good Dropheads have been fetching around £8k.

But do you have a driveway or front garden where you would be able to park the car? If you do I can point you in the direction of Cover Systems for their pull over garage. It's not perfect but can be made almost completely water tight with the right knowledge and only costs about £700. That would certainly be cheaper than an off-site rented garage and means you wouldn't have to sell the car.

www.cover-systems.co.uk/car-covers/carf ... arages.htm

[littlepippin]

That's a brilliant idea John - thank you. Hadn't thought of anything like that. We live in a old cottage that does not even have a road to it, it is down a windy path way so no drive area to get the car to .... !

But still I will bear this in mind, I may come across somebody that has a car sized area I could access, and it would be a great solution. I think garage rental or a car storage company has to be costed out against any rise in value of TR7's otherwise I will have paid more over say over 4 years (48 x £50 per month = £2400) than the increase in value... ?!

Cheers,

Sean.

[stevie_a]

I think garage rental or a car storage company has to be costed out against any rise in value of TR7's otherwise I will have paid more over say over 4 years (48 x £50 per month = £2400) than the increase in value... ?
.

Come on Sean!!

when is spending more on or TR7's ever made sense, but we all have done that for years,

[littlepippin]

I know, I know. I think I know which way this is heading...............

[stevie_a]

[saabfast]

Sean, there is a Classic meeting tomorrow morning (Sunday 5th) at the Woolpack in Benover near Yalding, starts quite early and is an informal come and go as you please. I will be there along with Andrew (TRDC mag editor) and a few other TR7's. A wide range of cars normally turn up. Pop along, or give me a call, if you fancy coming. If you really want to sell your car you could put an ad in it there.

[simps]

Sooooooo?

What's the verdict?

You can't leave this just hanging.........

[littlepippin]

No, I'm sorry........
Sooo - I took the car out last Saturday morning. The weather was perfect and the little car drove fantastically well, really responsive engine and complete and utter fun around the Kent and Sussex A roads.
Came back through Tunbridge Wells and had the usual waves and thumbs up from Joe public and I came home with the biggest smile on my face !!
It was like the car had sent me a big message - NO REALLY !! -
So......... I'm keeping her, just way too much fun on days like those.

And the money ? Do I really need to drink that many pints a week up the old White Hart ?

No.

Thank you all for your support and advice, such decent people on this forum.

Best, Sean.

[Beans]

Good to see the car decided for you

[saabfast]

Great news Sean.
There should be another Sunday morning meeting at the Woolpack on 2nd September (every 1st Sunday of the month in summer), generally turn up about 10-10.30 ish. It is completely informal, come and go as you please, £1 in the bucket donation to charity. Amazingly for a small local meeting 5 TR7's turned up last time. Be great to see you there, your car would certainly get attention. Let me know if you can make it.

[busheytrader]

So......... I'm keeping her, just way too much fun on days like those.