Triumph TR4
With so many badly restored examples and rising prices, it’s more important than ever to check carefully before you buy
The Sixties TRS offer a great value proposition today but with prices of these rugged, fun, traditional sports cars rising rapidly, it makes sense to buy sooner rather than later.
Improving parts supply makes ownership easier, but an abundance of bodged restorations means you need to be more knowledgeable than ever before comitting your cash. Their separate chassis makes it easier to inspect most rot spots, while back-up from specialists on parts and restoration is excellent. Properly restored and maintained, these are reliable and enjoyable sports cars, suitable for racing and rallying – with modifications – as well as touring.
Providing guidance here are Glen Hewett – who has been restoring TRS since 1979, and as Protek Engineering of Wallingford since 1985, but is still shocked by some ‘ghastly restorations’ online – and Neil Revington, who established Revington TR over 35 years ago. He sells parts and performs servicing, competition-prep and restorations on TR2-6 models.
Which one to choose?
TR4 (1961-1965) Giovanni Michelotti restyled the TR3A to make a stunning, modern-looking 110mph sports car. The engine was enlarged to 2.2 litres, the gearbox was all-synchromesh and the rack and pinion steering was a big improvement over the old steering box. The optional Surrey hardtop pioneered the targa roof. In 1963 of Stromberg carburettors introduced. TR4 production totalled 40,254.
TR4A (1965-1967) The 4A brought independent rear suspension, a wood dash and a proper folding soft-top. A new, heavier chassis vastly improved ride and roadholding – though US dealers demanded a cheap version with live axle and cart springs. Power was up to 104bhp; HS6 SUS later replaced the Strombergs. Production ended in 1967 with 28,468 built.
TR5 (1967-1968) The first British production car with fuel injection, on a 2.5-litre long-stroke version of the Triumph 2000 six-cylinder engine squeezed into the TR4 shell. It gave 150bhp, making this the fastest production TR, with 120mph and a 0-60mph time nudging 8sec. Wire wheels, overdrive, leather seats and Surrey top remained options. Total 2947 made.
TR250 Triumph didn’t sell the TR5 in USA, instead producing the TR250, with identical cosmetic spec but a twin-stromberg 106bhp 2.5-litre six, no quicker than the TR4A; 8484 were built.
TR6 (1969-1976) A neat design revision by Karmann, with a more clean cut front and rear panels, and a one-piece hardtop option. US customers still only had twin Stromberg carbs. Injection cars received a tamer cam with just 125bhp in 1973, alongside new chassis prefixes of CR (injection) and CF (carburettors). Production totalled 77,938, with 13,912 injection cars. Bodywork
is the most costly area to get right on all these cars, so look closely at the fit of the panels, especially where the door meets the rear wing. When the sills and floors rot, the gap opens at the top, as the rear body starts to collapse – rectifying this properly is a very skilled job that could cost anything from £2500-£10,000. A car with dull paint and localised rust but good panel gaps will be much less expensive to restore. Full rebuilds are easier on a TR than many contemporaries, but are still extremely costly if you don’t do the majority of the work yourself, or if the body is severely corroded – like most unrestored UK cars. Use a magnet to check any areas that look as if they have been filled; there are some terrible bodge jobs around. Check the sills and screen surround, inner wings, bulkhead, floors and A-posts especially carefully, though you could find rot anywhere. The good news is that you can buy everything, but new panels are not always a perfect fit, especially those specific to the TR6. Getting a perfect finish necessitates very tricky fettling – a professional body restoration can cost up to £25k.
Chassis condition is equally crucial and again, all sorts of horrors might have been concealed under filler and underseal. Get the car up on ramps and go over it very carefully – with a separate chassis, all the problems can be found if you take the time to look. Check especially around body mounting outriggers, rear suspension and differential mounting points (notably weak on the 4A/5) and check for signs of accident damage front and rear. Make sure all past repairs are sound, and not about to rot through again (tap with a spanner or small hammer and listen for the dull thud or crunch
‘These are extremely reliable and enjoyable sports cars, suitable for racing and rallying – with modifications – as well as touring’
suggesting layers of rust). You can buy a new chassis for £6000 – but that’s exchange, because the deep pressings for the front suspension on the 4A-6 chassis cannot be made now, so must be swapped. Of course, transferring an entire car’s worth of components from one chassis to another takes many hours of labour.
Check identity
carefully – differences in value mean there are quite a few TR250S (Cd-prefix) converted to TR5 (Cp-prefix); carburated TR6 cars were Cc-prefix, injection continued with CP- then Cr-prefix. Some lesser cars have been upgraded with engines from the 2.5PI, but aren’t as powerful as a TR unit in standard form. Many four-cylinder cars have been converted to right-hand-drive, including 4As with live axles.
The TR4 engine
is a robust, torquey unit that will last well with regular oil changes. Oil pressure below 50psi at speed should raise suspicion – listen for a deep knocking indicating worn crank bearings. Also check for excessive oil leaks, especially from the rear crankshaft seal which is time-consuming to sort. A DIY engine rebuild will cost about £2500, a full professional one £5000-plus, and a pro rally/race engine around £10-12k. The TR5/6 engine is liable to eat its crankshaft thrust washers and wreck the cylinder block – check for any fore/aft movement of the front crank pulley when the clutch pedal is pushed. Otherwise, engine wear checks are as TR4, including oil pressure. It’s easy to fit the early-spec cam to 125bhp injected TR6S, but converting carburettor to injection is much more complex. A good injection system, with Bosch pump and modern regulator, is the ideal and most desirable.
Gearboxes
get a hard life – check that the synchromesh is in good order, especially on first and second, and if the optional overdrive is fitted (a desirable extra both for ultimate acceleration and for high-speed cruising), check it operates smoothly in all the gears it should (second/third/fourth to 1972, third/fourth from 1973). Dip the clutch in neutral to see if the noise reduces – if so, layshaft bearings need £250-£750 replacement. Check for leaks from front and especially rear seals.
Interior trim
is widely available but does tend to get swapped around – so if originality is important, check the car you’re viewing has the correct spec. Some items, such as the domed-glass temperature gauge on early TR4S, are extremely scarce and might have been lost if an early painted dash has been converted to the
‘With a separate chassis, all the horrors can be found if you look’
TR4A wooden dash spec. Check the condition and fit of the hood (especially around the door windows) and the hood cover; a tonneau cover is a plus (although check the fit), as is a hardtop. If a Surrey top is fitted on TR4-5, it may have either a fabric or metal top panel (or both). The top costs £2400 secondhand.
Rear axles
suffer if allowed to run low on oil – check for oil leaks from the front and sides, and for whining or rumbling while driving. The welding and dismantling involved in putting it right could cost up to £5000.
Front suspension
can wear rapidly and the steering can become heavy if big, wide tyres are fitted. Power steering conversions put extra strain on components far beyond what they were designed to take and it’s not uncommon for poorly-maintained suspension to collapse when driven hard on wide wheels/tyres. A suspension rebuilt could cost £1000 so check for play or reassuring signs of regular lubrication.
Wire wheels
are a popular option – but if fitted, check for broken spokes and worn splines (a clunk when taking up drive or braking) and budget £1500-2500 to replace wheels and hubs if wear/damage is evident.