Triumph TR7 3UZ swap. Classic waste of time, effort, space and Money

The 1UZFE EGR Delete Kit is available for sale here.

Axis of Evil

Member
Messages
99
Location
Gold Coast Australia
I once sold an MGBGT using the heading," Car for someone lacking the taste or money for something better." This one fits that bill.
In a sad time in my life (English car disease) I owned two TR8's. One a7 I converted using a 7 Coupe, the other an 8 ragtop from the States that I converted to RHD and put a worked 4.6 Rover engine into. Chassis made of bubblegum . when the engine was revved I could watch the gap between the drivers door and rear guard open and close.
After Zuffen went public with his Suzuki " Mightyboy" swap ,I decided that this could be an appropriate time to take my own simplemindedness public :eek:

This car somehow appeared on an unrelated search I had in on Gumtree, don't know how, or why.
My first thought was " who in their right mind would want to get involved with on of those ugly primitive disasters?" straight body with a Dead Dolomite sprint engine,-I did notice it was one of the few that did not have a hole in the roof for a sun/rain roof (Webasto, a Latvian word that means leaky) also rust free.. Hmmmmm?
It was still listed when I looked again a day later, $1,000. Checked it out.
It had been in a shed for 11 years, but It had had fans in that time, the rats had loved the interior.
so I bought it. What could go wrong?

Plan, 3UZ, (1UZ had been done before, so no problems with fit)
Positives: Small, light, rear wheel drive, and a good rally car in their day.
they were factory fitted with a 3.5 Rover V8, so makes it a bit easier to road register.
This one has a roof, so body not as bendy as a convertible.
Those three points just about gets me past the fact that it is a butt ugly design, (the car that sent the Triumph car company to oblivion)
Point 4, It is not a "Mightyboy";)
The fact that it is probably a ridiculous waste of time space, effort and money by putting a quality
engine in a reborn rats nest somehow got past me at the time.
First steps in the plan;
Repaint, get rid of the13 inch wheelbarrow wheels, new seats, update brakes, suspension, de-badge it (get rid of the funeral wreath on the front for starters)
20 years ago, my thoughts were I never wanted another one of these primitive cake boxes, in this lifetime or the next!
Old age and early onset dementia made me forget.

First step. get rid of that horrible 70's bumblebee colour scheme.


:oops:IMG_20190630_094223 (2).jpg
 
When I was a kid, my bus would go by a house that had a TR7 in the driveway every day. It had a huge impression on me (late '80s-early '90s, most of what was on the road in the US at the time was dreadfully dull).

I also noticed that it never moved. That had an impression, too.


Should be a hoot with a 3UZ!
 
Parked next to "dull", I would take dull. Even when they moved with the quaint English 4 cylinder, they did not move all that quick. The Rover V8 got the performance levels up, but by the time it made production ,Triumph was dead in the water.

Link to a 1UZ in a convertibleTR7, I really think a roof is needed to hold the body together.
(I remember seeing a picture years ago of a 7 coupe with a V12 Jaguar transplant-scary!)

 
Thanks for the trip down memory lane and reminding me how Triumph mgt completely lost the plot (and the company) after the TR6.

It's amazing how many car companies come out with something like the 7, and it's an immediate "WTF were they thinking?" Some survive these blunders, others don't

I certainly wouldn't waste a good Japanese engine on that.........

All in fun.....we've all suffered from British car disease at one time or another - mine was for E types, and I'd probably sell an organ or two to own an F type SVR.
 
Last edited:
The TR7 definitely killed Triumph,
The convertible with the V8 was not a bad looker. A little to late.
I had a 1965 E Coupe, sold in 1968, If I could find another S1 cheap,:rolleyes:, I'd like to do a 2JZ Vvti TT conversion.
There was am absolutely magnificent XKD replica show up at a local coffee and cars a few months back. had me seriously thinking,A Acompany in Brisbane (Australia) was selling the kits.IMG_20190615_080154.jpgIMG_20190615_080228.jpgIMG_20190615_081138.jpgIMG_20190615_081730.jpg
Alloy Chassis, glass body, wife didn't like the passenger seat set up.:oops: (I mentioned that I'd only do one if it had a wrap around drivers screen)
 
When stripped back body was very straight rust free, now all couloured in:D.
About to strip a 3UZ engine, This had done 320,000K's, oil leaking from everywhere. sump, rocker covers, front (and probably rear seal.
Will replace , and check bearings etc on the way through.
The cam belt was last changed at 115,000K's :eek:so will be replacing as a priority.
Donor car was bought cheap mainly to get all the wiring, ecu and security bits, but engine ran so well I will rebuild. Prior to pulling a compression test showed 180 PSI on 7, one was 200, but had oil filled spark tube prior to test, so calling that 180 as well. Surprised comps were so good considering K's it had done, but was a country driven car, all hot running. oil was clean, and coolant deep red, no bubbles, or oil present.
Transmission ran without problems but when I drained it it looked like it had been filled with vegemite. New seals, filter and fluid a must.
.IMG_20191211_095043 (2).jpgIMG_20200527_152451 (2).jpgIMG_20200528_112941 (2).jpg
I had bought a second LS430, only had 190,000 K's on it, was going to use the engine from this, figured it would be a better proposition, But.... this one had had all it's running in the city, compressions were all over the place, from 120 -170.
 
OK. I'll fess up.

I once owned a TR7.

Years ago we ran an insurance organisation that only insured collectable cars. Like a Haggerty in the States or Shannon's in Australia.

We used to buy all the repairable damaged cars, repair them, sell them and use the profit to pay off our mortgage. My wife and I turned a nice profit on most cars.

The TR7 we ended up with was a stolen and recovered car and it was missing headlights and sundry bits. Same colour as Axis of Evil's car.

At the time I drove a Hot HDT Commodore and Helen drove a 911 Porsche so we had high expectations.

I will say I thought the TR7 was the most fun to drive of almost anything I've ever driven. Maybe second to my Son's EvoVIII.

They weren't powerful but the thing handlled brilliantly, the gear shift was sweet and you could flog the heart out of it and it just kept going. Great fun on a twisty road.

Sold it at a profit so in my books not a bad car.
 
OK. I'll fess up.

I once owned a TR7.

They weren't powerful but the thing handlled brilliantly, the gear shift was sweet and you could flog the heart out of it and it just kept going. Great fun on a twisty road.

Oh no, another one comes out of the closet...... LOL

OK confession time: first car I owned was a dam P1800 Volvo. A brit car posing as Swedish. Used to enjoy watching the road passing through the rusted out floorboards. Finally put some plyboard down so I wouldn't forget and stick my foot through them. It was such a POS and I was such a dumbass that I proceeded to buy two more Brit cars after that (SMDH) and would buy an F type now if I hadn't loss my ass in the great Corona stock market crash.

I thought about it, and the only reason I could come up with for it being a rust free English car was,
Its not a real one! it is a cheap knock off from Asia! ;)

Russ

Now THAT'S believable!!!! LOL
 


Top