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The Right Kind Of IRS: 1967 Triumph TR4A

The acronym IRS doesn’t usually conjure positive thoughts and feelings, but in this case it’s actually a good thing. This Triumph TR4A is equipped with the independent rear suspension or IRS. It was discovered in a barn with a decent layer of dust covering it. The current seller bought it from whoever found it in the barn, but hasn’t done anything to it since buying it. There’s no word if they had plans to restore it or are simply trying to flip it for a profit. It can be found here on eBay in Blacklick, Ohio with a BIN of $15k.

Triumph TRs are quickly becoming popular with collectors, but they are pleasant cars to drive and still affordable enough that many owners actually drive them. The TR4A was a fairly extensive update to the existing TR4 and offered improved ride quality without compromising performance. There was still a demand for live rear axle equipped cars in the US though, so a number of TR4As were built and delivered with a conventional rear end.

After cleaning off the dust, this Triumph actually looks pretty good. The body looks straight and while the paint has a few scratches, it looks like it would polish up nicely. There is some rust on the underside so there might be some major repairs that need to be done. It also needs the engine sorted, as it currently doesn’t run. It also will need the brake system put back together and the new included parts installed. This could be a big project, but it looks like a good find, let’s just hope the seller will accept a more realistic offer!

Comments

  1. Avatar Joe Cat

    Gone–it was sold. Nice car.

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  2. Avatar Bruce Best

    Unlike most British cars of the 1960’s this was a pleasant drive. The IRS rear end made a world of difference and may have saved many a kidney. Not perfect but you can roll the windows up keep the tonneau cover on the passengers side and once it is warmed up you can drive it with the top down in perfect comfort till freezing. I was getting 25 to 30 MPG with the overdrive mine had. That is also a very useful addition.

    This car is very much like a TR-3 in that is about a basic a car as you can find. A total restoration by a first timer should only take a year. Almost all the parts are available and the cost is not prohibitive. Good, looking, useful, good performance for what they are, useful in everyday traffic there is very little not to like with the TR-4. That is why the prices are going up.

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  3. Avatar Rob K.

    It’s already sold 😔Bye bye 🤗

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  4. Avatar Bob

    Like Bruce stated, they are a pretty basic car, but a lot of fun on a narrow country road. Like all British sports cars of that era, it isn’t so much about going fast, but the feeling of going fast.
    It would be fun to own and drive.

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  5. Avatar BRAKTRCR

    Always loved these… started when I had one or two… as Tootsietoys, in the early/mid 60″s

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  6. Avatar Steve R

    Well constructed ad, reasonable price, good pictures and to the point text, no wonder it sold.

    Steve R

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  7. HoA Howard A Member

    Aw, quit picking on the poor IRS. It’s a small price to pay for such a wonderful state of affairs today in this country,,,(cough), in the last couple years, my brother and I shelled out tens of thousands of dollars in taxes from my parents estate ( due to poor planning on my parents part, if you haven’t done that yet, have fun) I guess it’s our contribution to the “hurricane relief”. Now,,,what were we talking about? Oh yeah, the TR4.
    Speaking of “tens of thousands”, someone going to sink a ton of change into this. $200 cars years ago, IRS or not. The TR4 was my favorite as well.Truth be known, I’d be just fine with a non-IRS TR4, the IRS is a pain to work on, live axle so much simpler, and they ride ok, just can’t push it as hard in the corners, and I’d have no intention of pushing a classic that hard anyway. Sorry, TR4’s are nice, but not “tens of thousands ” nice.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Don P

    Best of luck to the new owner replacing the rocker panels on both sides. Did it twice and I have the scars to prove it. Not nearly as easy as on a TR3.

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  9. Avatar Rich Nepon

    Had a TR4, not IRS. DROVE THE HELL OUT OF IT. had a tonneau cover and a convertible top. White over red. No rust in 77. Was a 64. Went to a Brit car show and it started valve tick. Removed the valve cover. No oil coming up. Sold it on the spot for more than I had in it plus a 50 mile ride home. Really enjoyed a backroads trip from Philly area to Ocean City,MD.

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  10. Avatar jimbosidecar

    I ws working in a gas station in my junior year of high school. My daily driver at the time was a 1956 A-H 100.4. My coworker, also in high school had a 1967 TR-4A. After work we had to drive a few miles up the road to make the deposits at the bank night depository. We would race up there, and then race back. The 2 cars were pretty evenly matched. But the interior of that TR-4A was what really grabbed me. Roll up windows, wooden dash, comfortable seats, and no furnace under the floor to melt your sneakers. It was like driving a Cadillac compared to a buckboard. But it was a quick buckboard.

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  11. Avatar Bill McCoskey Member

    Like all the TR cars, a big problem was [and still is] the open frame ends. TR chassis rails are a square tube design. But Triumph didn’t weld the back ends closed, so water and dirt can flow in, & build up at the low spot. On the live axle cars, this spot is usually just to the rear of the forward leaf spring attaching point. But with the IRS, once that section of the chassis rots thru, the entire rear suspension on that side can shift or even pull away from the body mounts because the only anchoring place for the rear suspension is on the chassis rail. Always check the chassis side rails with a hammer & chisel.

    Another IRS problem, usually related to the 6 cylinder TR cars, but also found in 4 cylinder TR4 IRS that have been raced or driven hard, is the studs holding the final drive [diff] in place. The forward studs are welded onto the cross member, and with the diff twisting with hard use, these studs can break off. The repair requires either the entire body lifted off the chassis, or removing the fuel tank & cutting a hole in the body to reach the top side of the cross member. While stopped, if the diff moves, with the brakes on and you slipping the clutch, putting pressure on the drive train, then the studs need re-welding.

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    • Avatar BMWTtundraGuy

      The wealth of knowledge on this site is absolutely astounding!!!! I have learned more here, than I ever learned, turning wrenches through College!!!!!! I sometimes think it would be a nice feature to be able to come on, say “I am looking at buying XYZ car”, give some details, and ask for “things to look for” specific to whatever car you are considering. I believe that most of the members are intelligent enough to perform their own PPI. Given some “specifics” from the rest of the “family”, it could save one from making a big mistake because of a small problem that few might not have known about.

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  12. Avatar JMB#7

    I had a TR4A with the live axle. I cannot say that I had any issue with the ride. The low end torque was loads of fun, and the exhaust note was really nice. My only complaint would be the wire wheels. They are much heavier than any aluminum or steel wheel. If wire wheels are not well maintained, they can get costly in a hurry.

    Like 0

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