Has anyone tried making a FHC from a DHC

[Maxwell]

Hi Marc - Quality.

At the end of the TR7s life it was being built at Solihull, alongside the out-going Rover SD1.

I believe I'm correct in saying that when more SD1s were needed, TR7-workers were pulled off their line [and onto the Rover line] in order to boost production, and the reverse happened when a batch of TR7s were needed quickly.

Ergo, there were some TR7s that were being built by untrained Rover guys, and some Rovers that being built by untrained Triumph guys. This is the state of BL-management by the late 1970s, and is the reason why build-quality was dubious, even at Solihull.

Could someone with more in-depth knowledge please confirm!
Maxwell [:D]




bad' was

2.0 TR7 FHC \ Current
1.8 Mazda MX5 \ Current

[John Clancy]

I've seen late dropheads rot just like some of the dubious quality cars that came out of Speke. Whilst quality control undoubtedly improved as you would expect there are some Speke built cars on the roads of Britain today that have never been welded and still in their original paint.

With regards to what went on at Solihull, the SD1 and the TR7 shared the same production line and the assembly teams from both models had to build both cars despite the Triumph crews not being trained for the SD1 and the Rover crews not trained for the TR7.

I would say that just about every car still on the road over here is either a good one or has been sorted by now. Yes, there are exceptions but how many dogs of original dubious build quality are really left? There can't be many.

There were only nine new panels to make a drophead out of the fixed head. If you go down your proposed route you'll need those nine panels plus the full roof assembly off of the fixed head. It may be possible to weld the rear wing tops to the drophead wings if you're skilled enough so that would negate two of the required panels. On the face of it it really does appear that to repair the fixed head car is the best option to you.

<center><b>[url="http://www.triumphdvd.co.uk"]Triumph TR7 and other car documentaries on DVD here[/url]</b></center>

[march]

Useful information John - Thanks. The FHC car I have has sat in a garage for over 21 years and has suffered accordingly. Along with the bad front end I have not got fully underneath it yet but it does not look too good hence this mad plan.

Do you know which nine panels are different as this would help with any decision?

02 Range Rover
94 Honda Fireblade
99 Lotus Esprit V8
Space in garage for TR7

[march]

Sorry Maxwell didn't see your post - Thanks also useful information

02 Range Rover
94 Honda Fireblade
99 Lotus Esprit V8
Space in garage for TR7

[FI Spyder]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by march</i>

Hi Cobber - Hadn't thought of importing a shell so had a quick look at shipping costs - from Australia to UK is approximately £1600 so with any purchase price and other costs it really makes this option unrealistic - good thought though.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Shipping from UK to Vancouver is around $1,000 to Halifax and around $2,000 to Tacoma which has more paperwork as there is no shipping to Vancouver so needs to be shipped through the States with a bonded shipper in the case of the MGF as they are not allowed in the USA. Not sure about other cars. Must be similar the other way. Beans would have some idea. There are companies/people that specialize in this. You do need contacts over here to facilitate it. A lot of details but the books say 9 out 0f ten TR7`s went to N/A plus you get the rust free cars of the Great American Desert which streatches from California up to Kelowna, BC Canada and as far east as Texas. But there are rust free samples on the West (Wet) coast as well. My $100 Yellow TCT, Ron's son's $1,000 green coupe, Norm's $2,500 brown coupe etc.







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

[Maxwell]

Love that green - really suits! Or is it a trick of the light?

Maxwell [;)]



2.0 TR7 FHC \ Current
1.8 Mazda MX5 \ Current

[Maxwell]

Marc - Drop Head Shell just been relisted on eBay if that's the way you're heading...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Barn-Find-Tri ... 1e9999cc42

Maxwell [;)]

2.0 TR7 FHC \ Current
1.8 Mazda MX5 \ Current

[parrish]

Robsport had a FHC stripped shell recently for sale.

1983 Del lines TR8. FIAT 131 Abarth Replica.1977 FIAT 131 1600 TC, 1996 2013 Fiat 500, 2012 Ford Fusion.

[gaz]

Andrew are my eyes deceiving me.......is that Triton Green and Russet Brown:



It looks like a chocolate lime:




www.classiccarrunblackpool.co.uk

1981 DHC 2.0 Litre
1980 DHC pedal car
1982 DHC TR-ailer in the making

[march]

Yes I have seen this one and its just up the M5 from me. First impressions are its a bit rough but then again at 99p [:)]. May be worth a look - getting it on and off a trailer could be interesting. I have emailed a couple of people advertising DHC's locally as well but no response as yet.

02 Range Rover
94 Honda Fireblade
99 Lotus Esprit V8
Space in garage for TR7

[FI Spyder]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Maxwell</i>

Love that green - really suits! Or is it a trick of the light?

Maxwell [;)]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I believe Ron said it's a Volkswagon green. It is interesting. If I remember the details right it was blue, painted green off the showroom floor because that's what the customer wanted. Ron painted it a slightly different green (VW green) although as I remember the original paint it wan't that bad (but I only saw it a few times and it was a while ago).

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

[Maxwell]

I thought I recognised it - my father had a similar-coloured Golf\Polo back in the late 1970s.

It goes well with the white logo on the trunk lid and the back panel. Any more images?

Maxwell [;)]


2.0 TR7 FHC \ Current
1.8 Mazda MX5 \ Current

[march]

Am just trying to arrange and look at the convertible shell listed on Ebay. If it is good and they can help load it may be an option.

02 Range Rover
94 Honda Fireblade
99 Lotus Esprit V8
Space in garage for TR7

[John Clancy]

March, the nine panels which are different...

1) near side rear wing
2) off side rear wing
3) the rear deck
4) inner rear deck (whatever that's called
5) near side door (owing to the window frame)
6) off side door (owing to the window frame)
7 and the sill inner strengtheners mentioned elsewhere in this thread
9) can't think! But I reckon it's the inner horseshoe developed for the drophead to replace the missing roof and therefore put some strength back into the shell. This I believe was adapted into the later fixed head shell and can be seen from where the seat belt retaining clips are located. On early shells it's down on the sill and on later cars it's up behind the seat on the inverted horseshoe.

Please feel free to point out other differences or corrections chaps as I've knocked this list up off the top of my head based on what Norman Rose (TR7 Body Engineering Executive) told me in interview which I think I can recall was included in "Bullet Reloaded".

<center><b>[url="http://www.triumphdvd.co.uk"]Triumph TR7 and other car documentaries on DVD here[/url]</b></center>

[march]

John - Thanks, this is really useful stuff. I think this may be becoming a viable project especially if the DHC shell on Ebay is cheap enough.

02 Range Rover
94 Honda Fireblade
99 Lotus Esprit V8
Space in garage for TR7