Triumph Other (1966)
for sale
Price: US $24,999.00
Price: US $24,999.00
Up for sale is my 1966
Triumph TR4A with an Over Drive transmission (which functions flawlessly), a
rare solid axle, and dealer installed Surrey top and dealer installed luggage
rack. This extraordinary care is a
fantastic example of a survivor. My
father purchased it 30 years ago after the prior owner drove it into his
garage, pulled the motor and dissembled it. This ruse free car sat in my father’s climate controlled basement for
the duration of his ownership, remaining out of the elements and staying very
well preserved. Once I got the car from
him, a little over a year ago, I started the meticulous process of
refurbishing/restoring it with every intent on maintaining the cars originality
and patina. I wanted a Triumph that was
as original as possible while being able to drive it without any worries.
The first item on my
list was to order a Heritage Certificate to verify the numbers on the block and
the features of the car. Indeed, this is
a “numbers matching” TR4A. Numbers
matching being in quotes because they never really matched. The BHC verified that the motor was the one
that came with the car, as well as the OD transmission. It was originally Royal Blue with Midnight
Blue Hyde (leather) interior, a white soft top and white tonneau
cover, both of which were replaced at the dealer with a surrey top which had
white headliner. Somewhere along the
way, the seat covers and carpet were replace with black, and the panels and
headliner were painted black as well.
Keeping to the goal of
the restoration, I decided to go back to the original blue leather interior
with white piping and white headliner. After removing the old wood dash, I went through all of the original
gauges to clean and verify functionality. As this time, I also verified the heater motor and wiper motor
functioned as well. I had to replace the
turn signal and headlight switches as well as replace some missing switches, such as the heater switch. I installed a
new walnut dash and pads with a plastic glove box insert for durability. I also installed the white headliner in the
surrey top at this point as well. After
this was done, I put the interior on hold and moved to the motor.
Due to the motor
sitting in pieces for so long, I had to replace some of the major components
due to rust and pitting. This includes
the pistons, liners, cam, and tappets. The crank was in perfect shape and was turned only one-thou. Everything was
inspected and machined at the shop where needed. For assembly, I turned to a local Triumph
mechanic and assisted him at his shop for the assembly. The cam was replaced with a mild street cam
and the rear oil seal was upgraded to a much more modern version. Coupling the new cam with the 40ish year old Abarth
exhaust gives this TR4A a pretty throaty sound. The build also included new rings, bearings, oil pump, water pump, distributor, all new bolts, and a spin on oil adapter. The starter was also rebuilt.
In addition to the
major motor work, the SU Carburetors were professionally rebuilt and the
radiator was re-cored. For stopping
power, the car got new (correct): master and wheel cylinders, calipers, pads, shoes, drums and stainless steel braided hoses. The new clutch also received a new master and slave cylinder, steel
braided hose, and the entire fork assembly was rebuilt in the bell housing.
Once the motor was
back in the car on new motor mounts, the interior was put in. This includes a plastic transmission and
propeller shaft tunnel, correct blue carpet, blue panels and blue leather
seats. I also painted the seat frames a
dark blue color.
To improve the
reliability and enjoyability of the TR4A, I upgraded the generator to an
alternator which utilizes the stock generator pulley to maintain the use of the
original belt. The fan was also removed
and a water temperature controlled electric fan was installed.
There are still a few
items that need attention. First is the
heater blower motor. It was working when
I tested it, but has since stopped working. Secondly, the wipers wipe in the wrong direction. It seems that at some point in the cars life, the wheelbox for the wipers have been rotated 180 degrees, which causes
this.
The list of new parts
put into this Triumph are far too many list, but the total spent on the refurbishment
is nearly $14000 and the labor spans over a year in time. There are very few survivors like this
remaining! This is a very unique
opportunity to own a car like this! Clear title in hand.
Out for a drive
Exhaust note
Factory details of the car:
Wire WheelsOver Drive TransmissionSolid AxleHeaterRoyal Blue paintMidnight Blue Leather interiorBuild Date: 22 Sept 1966
Some highlights:
Completely rebuilt motorAll new, correct
interiorAll original chrome
(except the front bumper over-riders)All original gauges“Numbers Matching”Paint is 40 years old
and was cleaned. All body panels are
original to the carOriginal wire wheels
with new tubes and tiresDealer installed luggage
rack (Rare)Dealer installed
Surrey Top (Rare)
update: 2017-02-08
Condition: | Used | Year: | 1966 |
VIN (Vehicle Identification Number): | CT/72807-LO | Mileage: | 92,000 |
Transmission: | Manual | Make: | Triumph |
Body Type: | Convertible | Model: | Other |
Warranty: | Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty | Vehicle Title: | Clear |
Exterior Color: | Blue | Options: | Leather Seats |
Interior Color: | Blue | For Sale By: | Private Seller |
Number of Cylinders: | 4 |