UPDATE 07/29/2024: Sometimes, persistence can be important when attempting to send a classic to a new home. Such is the case with this 1980 Triumph TR7. It represented very affordable drop-top motoring at $5,995 the first time we saw it. However, with no luck so far, the seller has slashed the price to the point where it might prove irresistible. It is worth a close look because it could be one of the bargains of 2024.
06/13/2024: The Triumph TR7 was launched in 1975 (first in the U.S., then the U.K.) and was touted as the “shape of things to come” for its wedge-like appearance. It became one of the company’s most successful products in terms of sales at more than 141,000 units through 1982. This nice-looking example from 1980 has had more than $2,500 spent on repairs and maintenance and it’s said to run great. A nod goes to Barn Finder T.J. for the original tip!
Designed as a coupe and offered also as a convertible, this roadster was the successor to the popular TR6. While its appearance may have been a bit unorthodox, the drivetrain was not (2.0-liter inline-4). A rotary engine was considered at one point but was ruled out due to expense. A V8 would come along later, and those editions would be dubbed the TR8. A friend of mine owned an early TR7, and I recall it being a really fun car to drive, although it spent a lot of time in the shop.
The seller of this TR7 expends a lot of effort, pointing out that this is the “cheapest TR7 roadster in the country” (which is not the approach I would take). Apparently, it was his neighbor’s car who had been working on it for five years as part of a restoration. It sports a new set of dual Solex carburetors and removable tow hinges to haul it around behind your RV. The brakes and tires are also new in terms of miles, and not time.
Part of the work done by the neighbor also includes a new radiator and water pump, and all the work is backed up by receipts. The body is said to be tip-top, and the Persian Aqua paint presents quite well. A little fine-tuning may still be needed, so perhaps that’s the reason for pushing the low price. Located near the Vermont/New Hampshire border, this Triumph is available here on Craigslist. Originally listed six weeks ago for $5,995, the price has plummeted to $3,599. It is one of about 28,000 convertibles produced during the car’s 8-year production run, and the price makes it worth serious consideration.
. No such thing as a cheap TR7, don’t ask me how I know.
They got a little exuberant with the spray can on that engine, as I’m sure the manifold didn’t leave the factory with paint on it. The car looks good otherwise but if I was daily-driving it I’d be hauling tools with me.
These aren’t really bad cars (for that time period) especially the later ones like this (1979-80). I had dozens of Brit cars in my lifetime and enjoyed the TR7 I owned. GLWTA.
I wonder how many people see the front of this,& then ask
the owner “That’s a British car,isn’t it?”.
With the “cheapest in the Country” statement, I think they are trying to get the attention of the YouTube car guy Tyler Hoover, aka Hoovie. He often claims he bought the cheapest version of a classic/specialty car he could find.
I wanted a TR8 for a while, came very close to buying one listed on Craig’s List here in GA, but my mechanic friend talked me out of it. I might still acquire one, one day, but I am thinking it will be one that someone else has already done the restoring and desirable upgrades to. There is a long list of recommended upgrades on the TR7/TR8 enthusiast sites.
Looks like it may have already sold. The ad is no longer on Craigslist. Not surprised, he was asking for a fair price.
Flagged off, and not reposted. That’s not a good sign.
Oh…didn’t see that it was “flagged.” No, not a good sign.
“[R]emovable tow hinges to haul it around behind your RV.” If a TR7 or TR8 has been flat-towed behind an RV, that car needs a new gear box.
Not if they disconnected the driveshaft. Any test drive will reveal the condition anyway.
I want the Jeep XJ behind it in the 1st photo. I just bought an ex Fl Wildlife Commision XJ 2 Dr with a 5 Spd and low miles. Needs a cpl trim pieces I’m sure will be tough to find.
Still on Craigslist unsold. Is this the famous British car electrical systems I’ve heard so much about?
Really overstated. The wiring on my Midget never gave me problems but the locks on my Chrysler’s have given me fits.
40 year old cars will have wiring issues. If you farm it out it will be expensive and the next problem is looming.
A test light and a six pack with a friend makes a fun and productive afternoon.
The infamous Lucas Electronic System, with their 3 position headlight switch:
Off
Dim
Flicker
Lucas, the Prince of Darkness.
As an owner I can tell you the Lucas complaints are lame. Any electrical problems I’ve had were bad grounds caused by corrosion- no better and no worse than any of the American, German, or Asian cars I’ve owned.
That our having to do the head gasket once a year
Still listed @ $3,599. Reasonable price for what it is. I never saw many TR7s in the convertible. But most TR8s in our area were convertible. When the right person finds this one, they will be getting a good deal.
If I were still in NH, I would be making the trip to check this out.
lota disappointments here @ the time. No mid-engine like many of the time; still live axel, not IRS; none vert. Like all, there’s still some lovers and that aint all bad. Just a case of less when more was possible. Then came the ‘more’ – an 8.
Biggest problem with these was the aluminum head on cast iron block with head studs crossing in the middle of the head. The radiator was made lower than the head, so any “low coolant” situation meant that it was in the head and not the radiator. Of course the head would warp from the heat and corrode the studs which would seize and snap upon removal, making it un-removable and making the engine trash. TR7 was the death of Triumph. TR8 was much improved, but too late.
So true, I get that they wanted a “new” car and hindsight is 20-20 but they already had decent reliable engines that could have been improved with fuel injection or Cooper style tweaking.
The 65 hp 1500 can be bumped to over 120hp with bolt on bits that MOSS is still selling almost 50 years later.
The British did best when they either upgraded a drivetrain or used an existing one with a new body shell.
When they tried to do both at the same time they seem to have very few successes.
It’s more complicated than that, but I think you can get the point.
Russ, I’m a little confused. Where in the Craigslist ad does it say it “runs great”? Or that it runs at all.
GONE, finally.