New to the TR7

[jclay (RIP 2018)]

sA friend of mine here in Houston rebuild Rolls-Royce for a living. He told me that it costs just as much to rebuild any other car as rebuilding a Rolls-Royce. So, rebuild something you can get the money out of.

I guess I never learned that one!

Have fun, drive fast & safe, be kewl,

jclay

[Urchin]

Merry Christmas Everyone!

FYI, my '80 TR-7 Spider has 108,000 miles on it and I would take it anywhere, anytime.

I bought it sitting in a barn with 45,000 miles on the odometer. Structurally, it was in great shape, but it had probably had a respray. Everything worked at the start. I needed the car as a daily driver, all year, all seasons, to commute to work at a school. Because I needed to return home on the weekends, I further needed it to start every day and run reliably. So here's what I encountered:

1. Bad clutch push rod took two clutch disassemblies to diagnose and repair - once done, no more clutch problems. Bad clutch from time of purchase ruined one transmission selector, replaced with another transmission by previous owner. Done professionally but except for one instance, car remained driveable the entire time.

2. Replaced starter motor [toasted from start-stop with bad clutch] and alternator at different times, installed myself. Did some push starts and battery charging waiting for parts delivery.

3. Bad alternator caused engine fire, melted engine wiring. Need new harness created, installed myself

4. Front wheel bearings each failed at different times, replaced professionally once, by me once.

5. Leaky rear brake cylinder, replaced by me. Replaced front brake pads twice.

6. Usual round of oil changes, distributor cap/rotor, filters, spark plugs.

I bought the car in 2003. For one year, the daily commute was under 20 miles a day on back roads. On the weekends, the drive was only 50 miles round trip.

But from 2004-2006, the daily commutes were from 10-30 miles per day and the weekend ones home were between 200-300 miles round trip, all in rural areas. For two winters, it was my only transportation. It needed to start in temperatures of -20 F, provide some heat, and safe driving [snow tires mandatory] in blizzard conditions. The heavy use of salt on the roads in Maine took its toll on the sills and paint, but the car never stranded me on those trips.

In recent years a new set of jobs means I put far fewer miles on the car but it remains as reliable a car as any 28 year old car should be. Yes, I travel with tools, a manual, a cellphone and parts catalogues, and stay on top of maintenance [knock on wood], but I look for any excuse to drive the car.

Jeff

Jeffrey Aronson
P.O. Box 90
Vinalhaven, ME 04863
USA
'80 TR-7 Spider
'66 Land Rover Series II-A [2]
'66 Corvair Monza

[jgreen]

things i should have checked but didnt and ended up replacing when i bought my 7, windscreen surround and seal is it bubbling/been touched up if it is chances are will neeed a new surround, bulkhead under the battery area get your hand right under there and push very firmly, try not to punch a hole you will no if its rust, next check for replacement sills, get int he foot well if you can and pull up carpets, lok in corners of footwell especially, next is the a pillars and the pillar inside of the door!!! and finally check underneath generally and i had problems with the underneath of the windscreen wiper arm cover over the bit at the bottom of the winscreen if it looks tampered with probably some rust under there too, big one as well is the forn headlamp panel look behine it once bonnet is open at the edge that should come over.
good luck

[jgreen]

forgot to mention that after 12 months of welding cutting smoothing spraying etc. the body work was finished then i could get onto the good bit like putting my sprint motor in so make sure the body is a good oen before getting it!!!