The tip for this mean green machine comes from Barn Finds reader Jacob C., and we thank you. This 1976 Triumph TR7 is for sale here on craigslist, and located in Alpharetta, Georgia. The price is $3,500. The owner reports that he has been in possession of the car for more than 40 years, since his college days. He says it runs, drives, and shifts well, and it has always been garaged. According to him, his kids who are now in college themselves, are not interested in it. It has a 4 speed manual transmission, and everything is original except the radio.
Unfortunately, this is the only photo the seller has provided. While the green color will scare off many potential buyers, I happen to like it. It’s one of very few cars I can think of that would look good this color. It has a place among the black ’57 Chevys, the white ’59 Cadillacs, silver BMWs and red Camaros of the world. It can compliment the purple Gremlin X, and that’s not an insult to either of those cars. What do you think of it?
Based on the striping and year, this is one of the TR7 “Victory Edition” specials, created to celebrate the TR7’s successes on track. Unfortunately, the major cosmetic difference apart from the roof and striping was the “spoker” wheels, a lot of which were manufactured incorrectly and ended up being recalled (thus the aftermarket wheels on this car, I’m sure). The spoker wheels (I have a set that weren’t in the recall) are also unbelievably heavy and require specific low-profile valve stems that are difficult to come by according to my local tire store. Just in case someone has one of the cars with the original wheels and is wondering whether they are safe or not, the original recall documentation is available here, thanks to the Wedge Owners Association: https://www.triumphwedgeowners.org/uploads/3/0/4/2/3042952/77-z-1.pdf
I guess I’m really getting old. I remember them when they were New, Used, Junk and now Vintage.
You’ve almost got it correct, should be – New\Junk, Used \ Junk, Junk\ Junk and now Vintage \ Junk.
In case you can’t tell, I don’t think they’re much good .. .. ..
GREAT comment, jim !!!!
Java Green! a fun colour once you get past the initial shock. Common colour in the British Leyland livery back in the ’70’s.
Not my shade of green, but nice car for the price.
I loved the commercial, not as much the car. When the TR8 came out, at least the wedge could start moving…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrgF38F_qw0
The only people interested in these would be in Depends or checking out soon.
I am 38 in perfect health, and want a TR7 bad!
too young to have been there and learned the ugly truth……
This, along with the Stag, killed Triumph. Warranty claims ate ’em alive.
Dim, flicker, off. Had one (1980 conv. model)…slow, plastic-laden junk. Alignment guy worked on it, said whoever designed the front suspension and steering system was confused. Dim, flicker, off. One day the oil pressure sender cracked open at 60mph and emptied the motor. Dim, flicker, off. Never again. Couldn’t give me one.
Not that I’d ever touch one, but you have to admit, it’s different.
Sounds like a researcher discussing a virus or something. . .
At least the Stag was an interesting and attractive car. Friends tell me that if you could keep the V8 from overheating, it was a pretty solid engine.
But these TR7s – particularly the early ones assembled by dockworkers – earned a reputation as just plain bad cars. The same critics who hated these cars had some serious respect for the TR8s – despite the same wedge design. As an MGB guy, I can hate ’em ’cause for the same investment, they could have given the MGBGTV8 a fresh start and the cars would have really sold well in North America – where they should have been sold in the first place.
As it is, they took a bad, unpopular car and tried to revive it – while they dumped a lot of frustrated MGB buyers. It didn’t make sense then, and it doesn’t make sense now.
Had a Stag for 20 years. 1986-2006
Sold it for what I payed
Great car original engine
Always had to tinker with it
The automatic has the kick down as a button on the floor under the gas pedal. Didn’t mater how fast you were going it wanted to downshift. Yes can you imagine doing 80 and have it downshift. Always managed to lift before it could go Bang.
I remember these when they were new. Their tag line was “the shape of thing’s to come”. Triumph hit the nail on the head with that one. Personally I would rather have the TR8. Only because of the modifications that could be done. And with a David Nelson motor,there’s NO way you couldn’t stop driving it fast. If I remember correctly he is getting 300hp on the dyno. If I had play money,I’d be dangerous. Happy Motoring.
One either loves these or hates em apparently. Personally I am in the group who would own one and love it. My wife looked at this and said “its neat but I dont like the way it looks” . She had a spitfire that she was quite fond of but like so many others would pass on the TR7s and 8s. This one really appeals to me with the sweet 70s green and the long time owner. The price seems fair too. I dont see it taking long to sell in Atlanta.
Does everybody remember that the TR7’s 4-cylinder engine was actually a Triumph V-8 engine with only one bank of 4 cylinders…..think about that……these engines showed up in some saab 99s, too…………I remember when I ran my imported car repair garage back in 1982, some guy from out of town brought his 6-year old TR7 in for a taillight repair…..while I was moving it into the garage, the timing chain was so worn-out and stretched that it let the timing chain tensioner FALL-OUT of its block, stopping the camshaft and bending all of the valves……try explaining THAT to a customer!……..TR7s were junk when they were new…….and I am saying that despite being an English car guy for 45 years……
Actually I am aware that the TR7 motor is half a Stag engine of which the two halfs were the “A” bank, also called the bad half, and the “B” bank also referred to as the other bad half.
my friend Dan, here in Charleston, wv, has a white TR7 convertible and it is his high school daughter’s everyday ride………rain, sun, snow…….I assume she carries her dad’s toolbox with her……….and a AAA card for towing…….
Boy, what did that girl do to piss her father off like that!? Sounds like a pretty severe punishment.. .. ..