For our British car fans out there, this barn find Triumph TR8 looks like it’s emerged mostly unscathed from years in a New Jersey garage. That’s rarely the case with vintage tin that’s been left to sit for years at a time, and if it’s anywhere near the Northeast or other areas with snow and salt, it’s not uncommon for cars to be parked due to rust issues. This TR8 appears to be a rare case of the owner knowingly taking it off the road for an extended period, but no one knows exactly why. Check out this Poseidon Green TR8 that is listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $8,500.
Wow! That cleaned up nicely. The seller clues us into some interesting history with this TR8, but it honestly just leads to more questions. The Triumph was parked in 1990 with under 40,000 original miles. The owner disconnected the exhaust and all “…front accessories from the engine.” As such, the car has not been started or otherwise tested, but given the clean condition, I would find a way to prove it’s at least not locked up if I were the seller. The TR8 combined stately British elegance with a 3.5L all-aluminum V8 engine, and was produced for just a few years.
The interior is the ultimate clue that both the mileage is accurate and the story holds water in terms of how long this TR8 has been off the road. It’s in stunning condition, frankly, for a car that isn’t a delivery miles timewarp specimen. I would wager it was carefully used for the 10 years it was on the road, likely reserved for weekend driving duty. The plaid pattern on the seats is incredibly period-correct and shows very little in the way of wear-and-tear. The same goes for the armrest, steering wheel, carpets, and dash. Even the leather shift boot appears to be near mint.
In 1980, the TR8 produced 133 bhp and 168 lb-ft of torque. While not an outrageous number, it was respectable for malaise era and made the TR8 at least sound like a gnarly muscle car. The looks of the classic British wedge always suggested it should have been more of a bruiser, so stuffing a V8 under the hood enhanced the car’s image greatly. The seller notes the TR8 comes with a healthy paper trial of service records and other documentation, along with the convertible boot top, tool kit and jack, original radio, and more. We rarely see TR8s in any condition, but especially barn find discoveries that are true survivors under all that dust.
Beautiful color but it appears someone already may have picked it up. The problem from the existing picks is that “rust” appears to be showing its face and that’s not good on this platform. Good luck to whoever purchased it
Cool car, but that high tide mark on the paneling on the wall is a little scary!
True. Flooding from Hurricane Sandy did a number on cars all over the New Jersey coast, so this could have been one of them. Buyer Beware.
The 1980 was a disappointment from the 1979 Spitfire. (IMHO)
Or the TR-6 that the TR7/8 was supposed to replace. A step back mechanically, with the solid rear axle replacing the IRS setup in the TR-6, ditto the four-cylinder replacing the straight six in the TR-6. The V8 helped, but putting a sexy body onto a mechanically inferior platform, combined with the abysmal British build quality of the period, and British Leyland breathed its last in North America, never to return!
To say that the TR7/8 platform was “inferior” to the TR6 I think is a stretch IMO… and I own a TR6 and love it. I’ve driven TR7s (sibling has one) and I can say those have a much more modern and solid feel on the road. The TR6 can trace its roots right back the the TR3 of the 50s and those roots certainly come out when pushed. The TR7/8 chassis feels as one piece, the ‘6 by comparison feels like a lot of parts in close formation. Yes the ‘6 has IRS and the ‘7/8 a solid axle, but there’s a lot more going on than that between the two chassis… the ‘6 is body-on-frame and the ‘7/8 is unibody which makes a world of difference in stiffness. Now styling… that’s a whole other conversation.
I believed these were referred to as the British Corvette. The Vettes of this era were also rather snail-like. I had the 215 motor in my ’62 Buick Special and I found it to be a very good engine that GM should have held onto.
True. A popular upgrade for the 215 V8 was to ditch the dual Stromberg carburetors in favor of a four-barrel intake manifold and bolt a Holley or Edelbrock carburetor to the new intake. Rover fixed all the issues GM couldn’t be bothered to fix, and the result was a lightweight and peppy little motor!
I have one of these TR8 myself that I’ve owned for over 30 years and it’s always been garaged. I’m 82 years of age and haven’t had any time to really have fun with her play with it because of health issues so it hasn’t been driven in about 10 years or so doesn’t appear to be any rust. Naturally the tires are rotten and the battery is dead if there’s anyone out there that has any interest they can contact.
Please don’t list cars for sale in the comments. Send it in so we can feature it here on the site. Thanks!
Why would a TR8 with under 40,000 miles need a new steering wheel? The steering wheel pictured is not factory original.
Yes the steering wheel is factory original for the 1980 TR7/8
Davew833: Thanks, I stand corrected… but that steering wheel looks like something from Pep Boys. Before I wrote my comment, I looked up “1980 triumph tr7/tr8 factory steering wheel” and none looked like the one in this car’s advertisement. They showed a 3-spoke wheel but not the same design. Next time I’ll stick to older domestic cars like my 1962 Olds F-85 with its 215 cid aluminum V-8 that I had my junior year (1964) in highschool.
I was five (5) years old the year you were a junior in high school, and the 215 V8 was in Mom’s 1961 Buick Special, but I tend to agree, that was when the domestics were innovative cars and well built, to boot.
Nice find. The TR8 addressed many shortcoming of the TR7. Reading the horsepower and torque numbers reminds me of why our current technology is better. Period correct modification could push that horsepower to 180 in a very street worthy form.
When I was around 12 or so my brother purchased one of these this same color used when I stopped running and he couldn’t figure out how to fix it he let it get repossessed. I remember seeing it in the backyard but then I got sick and spent several months in the hospital and it was gone when I got home. Now days I wonder if I could have gotten it going again because most of my automotive repair knowledge comes from you fix it or you walk.
Unless it’s a mint car , triumph always need work , lotsa work on all aspects , this ine looks good but still going to be lotsa work and 110 hp is really not much fun , my grandson’s scooter has more get up and go !
“…and 110 hp is really not much fun”
Oh I don’t know… in its day it wasn’t bad by comparison… one would have had to order their Corvette with the L82 to beat it… all other engine choices would lose off the line… and at 1000 lbs lighter, the ‘8 had the agility advantage… …and any car that’s been sitting “for years” is going to need work… lotsa work.
We had to endure the malaise era of 110 hp v8’s , yes i know they were all very weak outputs , i lived it and don’t feel the need for a second run at it ! Thanks for the reply , have a great day
Well… back in those years I was driving a VW Scirocco with 78 screaming hp and a Fiat X1/9 with its mid mounted 68 hp… and having a blast doing it. But yup, today, cars have 3, 4 and sometimes 5x that output… but are we having more fun?….
Well , back then , one had to look for older cars with more power, we drove camaros , chevelles , firebirds and all , left the malaise for others . But now , my little santa fe can out run any stock 70’s and 80’s car , so yes i do have more fun , i do enjoy my 95 trans am and 89 corvette but looking forward to buying a 400 hp camaro, corvette or mustang in the fall , will flush the 2 in the spring