Identity Crisis

[Steve-LPS-Thomas]

from Ebay.. TR7 or TR8 for sale...




http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1981-Triumph-TR8-TR7-3-5-CONVERTIBLE-Met-Triton-Green-/200535820356?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2eb0ddc844

Ad reads as follows...

I have been contact by a fellow enthusiast and given the following info (this may make this car an extremely rare factory converted example):

Have looked at my copy of the TR7/8 records. Your car corresponds as follows:

T Manufacturer - Triumph
P Model - TR7/8
A Market - UK/Europe
D Body Type - Convertible
J Engine Type - 2 Litre (V for 3.5 V8)
7 Steering/Gearbox - RHD Manual
A Model Year - 1980
T Factory - Canley
Followed by 6 digit production number.


This identifies the car to have been manufactured 1980/81 as a TR7 manual UK spec as I believe you have already been informed, it is likely this has been converted, possibly at the factory, at least before registration hence being TR8 on the V5. It would have been difficult to convince DVLA of model change after the V5 had been issued.


I know of another car which had been built from parts by a Triumph employee with similar heritage


So.. I have heard that DVLC did change some logbooks. I used to have a "TR8" built by factory employees with a TR7 vin number.

Apparently some development cars left the factory with V8 but retaining TR7 vin.

I have no connection with the above though...just interested by the suggested provenance of the ad..

regards Steve



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<b><font color="blue">http://www.croyde-bay.com/triumph.htm</font id="blue"></b>

<b><font color="blue">croydebay@aol.com</b></font id="blue">

[Chris Turner]

Its not a factory built TR8.

www.triumphtrs.co.uk
THE Coca Cola car
TR7 Premium
TR7 Sprint
TR7V8 rally car

[MrT]

That's very close to the reg of my current fixed head - ANH 834X...


Agrati Capri (x2)
Triumph TR7
Yamaha SRX-6 (x2)
Skoda Octavia vRS 2.0T FSi

[Steve-LPS-Thomas]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Its not a factory built TR8.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I never expected it to be Chris.. it's kinda slow round here, to tring to stir up a debate!

Steve

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<b><font color="blue">croydebay@aol.com</b></font id="blue">

[Chunk]

I would suggest a TR8 built outside the factory by factory employee's might not be the genuine article, but would be a GOOD example of a TR7V8 and considerably cheaper than a genuine TR8. My car is one of these.
It's all in the VIN number at the end of the day.

1979 TR7V8 FHC.
DJE 4.6 Block and Heads.
22 years of tinkering and tuning......So far!
Now available in red.

[TR Tony]

My TR8 is described as a TR7 on the V5.

Last year, when I took the car to be inspected by the local DVLA office in order to reclaim the original factory registration, I asked if the description could be changed to TR8. The DVLA officer told me that the DVLA database cannot list the car as a TR8 as the TR8 was never registered as a UK model by BL back in the day, & hence does not officially exist!

Tony

<font size="1">1981 2L FHC Cavalry Blue
1980 3.5L V8 DHC Jaguar Regency Red - sadly sold!
1977 TR8 FHC EFI Factory development car Inca Yellow</font id="size1">

[gslittle]

Hi

My original TR8s were both marked as such on the V5.

Cheers

Graham


1979 TR7 TCT DHC 16V
Formerly...
1980 TR7 FHC
1980 Factory TR8 DHC
1980 Factory TR8 DHC Automatic
1977 TR7 FHC Parts Car
1980 TR7 FHC Parts Car

[TR Tony]

Hmmmm.......... maybe I should speak to DVLA Bournemouth again then. Would be nice to have the correct description on the V5.

Tony

<font size="1">1981 2L FHC Cavalry Blue
1980 3.5L V8 DHC Jaguar Regency Red - sadly sold!
1977 TR8 FHC EFI Factory development car Inca Yellow</font id="size1">

[Steve @ SandS]

There is no way that is a factory converted car.That has been done by someone at home.

Steve @ S&S Preparations

[Steve-LPS-Thomas]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">In nearly 40 years of Motor Trading I have never heard that you were able to change the logbook at DVLA <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Above from the Ebay ad...


I have heard that for a while a good few years ago DVLA were in some instances allowing the reg doc to be changed. I have owned two genuine TR8's and one development TR7/8(???) and all said "2 axle rigid body" on the logbook. I think that possibly finding TR8 on the logbook actually makes it less likely for the car to be factory.

However, what about USA imports.. Is a gen TR8 import listed as such on the UK logbook? and of course if they can do that then why not for UK cars.

That said, of course it is mostly about the vin no. My two genuine cars are unquestionably factory V8's and accepted as such so I'm not bothered if the logbook says "two axle rigid body".

Steve

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<b><font color="blue">croydebay@aol.com</b></font id="blue">

[Chris Turner]

US spec cars are TR8s in the logbook, UK spec cars are 2 axle rigid body.
Tony, when your car was built there was no such thing as a TR8, the ACN cars are TR7 V8 as per the glovebox badge.

www.triumphtrs.co.uk
THE Coca Cola car
TR7 Premium
TR7 Sprint
TR7V8 rally car

[REPLIC8]

That's about as far removed from a factory TR8 as you could get. The "is it a TR8" debate will go on forever. I think the only real TR8's are ones made on the production line & a few prototypes built up as V8's from bare shells. Anything else is a V8 conversion, even if it was done at the factory, if it started as a TR7 then it's a conversion.
My car's about as close as you can get to factory spec without it being a real one, most people would only know from the vin number, but it's still a V8 conversion, no point pretending otherwise. It's badged as a TR8 & I call it a TR8 because that's my choice. I can't afford £12-18000 for a factory example, so I'll stick to my replica, it's probably a better car anyway! [:)]

Andy
1981 UK SPEC TR8

[TR Tony]

<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 Chris Turner</i>

Tony, when your car was built there was no such thing as a TR8, the ACN cars are TR7 V8 as per the glovebox badge.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Ah yes, good point Chris, & indeed the Heritage Certificate states TR7V8.

Mind you, I think the model designation TR8 must have been in existance in 1977, at least in the minds of the BL management, as the handbook in my ACN car is printed as TR8 & there was the early promotional brochure for the V8 coupes in the US market(the one that features the red coupe) which also refers to the TR8.

Just another example of the muddle that was BL at the time! Build records, VIN plates & labels on the car say TR7V8, literature says TR8.

Still, I think we all agree that the Triton Green car in Steve's original question is a conversion, even if a previous owner somehow managed to get DVLA to call it a TR8[:)]

I wonder if, in the pre computer database days of DVLA & when people still made the decisions, DVLA were persuaded to register some of the V8 cars in the UK as TR8? Then when the records went onto computer database, & the model designation TR8 did not officially exist on the computer, that possibility came to an end, with only the TR7 designation existing for use in the UK?


Tony

<font size="1">1981 2L FHC Cavalry Blue
1980 3.5L V8 DHC Jaguar Regency Red - sadly sold!
1977 TR8 FHC EFI Factory development car Inca Yellow</font id="size1">