Built on Monday 16th May 1960 Commission No : TS 75844 LO
The car was purchased by a US serviceman ' Cold War Pilot ' who had completed his first tour of duty and was returning to the US. ( Interestingly during the 50's/60's many UK vehicles were bought by returning US servicemen with' large pay packets' who could afford our low priced 'export or bust ' sports cars, which had become highly prized back in the US for amateur racing, especially on race tracks around the perimeter of military airbases, following the success the first imported British sports cars of the day created. ) With the right contacts, many of these cars were transported back to the US in the hold of the large C130 cargo transport aircraft, that supplied all US bases in the UK with NAFI goods, that otherwise would return to the US empty. This gave a perfect opportunity for free shipping, with ‘tax free’ export and import duties.
To this end 4264 DU was shipped in a C130 to California in 1960 where it spent the first part of it's life as the pilots every day car and his race car at weekends. The 2nd owner, on buying the car directly from the American ( who's name I have not been able to trace ) back in 1970, was given the cars interesting history. As an amateur racer, the pilot raced the car on the following Californian race circuits of the day : Paramount Ranch Race Course, Laguna Seca, Pamona and Willow Springs. Unfortunately the second owner could not find the original owners details, understandably after having owned the car for 45 years, before selling it to me in 2015.
Having bought a car with racing pedigree, the new owner wanted to use it in competitive motor sport, however the car needed refreshing, so decided on a complete engine, gearbox and drive train re-build and upgrade, using the highest spec available for the early 1970's.
The car already had competition upgrades such as competition front and rear springs with Spax adjustable front dampers and twin piston Armstrong lever arm dampers to the rear. It also already had modified top wish bones to give 1% neg camber, uprated trunnions , front anti-roll bar and stainless steel braided break pipes.
The engine was fully balanced, New 86mm Pistons and Liners (2.2 ) with polished and balanced con rods, SAH high lift 26 camshaft, SAH stage 4 Big Valve cylinder head ( recently x-rayed, heat and porosity tested and re-machined/skimmed with hardened valve seats for unleaded fuel . New 1.75" SU carburettors, high port inlet manifold breathing through a matched SAH 4 branch manifold and Phoenix big bore exhaust system. Nitrided crank shaft, uprated water pump, oil cooler and stat, lightened flywheel & diaphram clutch. ( This was replaced with a heavier flywheel once competitive racing was over ). The gear box and overdrive was re-built by Pete Cox 1976. A full race harness and anti-roll bar and roll cage were also fitted, as well as an oil cooler with in-line thermostat.
I am now the third owner of 4264 DU and having now owned the car for the last 9 years, I have sympathetically rebuilt the car ensuring to keep it’s originality, but adding to the cars overall standing and integrity. I have sourced and refurbished an original factory hard-top that still retains it’s original Perspex rear screen. The car was rebuilt a year ago with all body panels being removed, inner and outer sills replaced and all brightwork either replaced or refurbished. The work was carried out by a well known Classic Car restorer called BodyCraft.
This car ‘punches well above it’s weight’. It is not just a pretty, shiny TR like many other cars out there, It is superb to drive and is extremely quick and handles really well. I drive this car a lot, and have done several 1,000 mile round trip journeys, sometimes through very bad weather and it takes it all in it’s stride. Never over heats in traffic and I have an auxiliary electric fan and a header tank fitted. It is great fun, very reliable and comfortable to drive, and if you prefer to go ‘topless’, then remove the hard top( 8 bolts ) and punt on the soft top mechanism ( 6 screws ) and enjoy open top motoring. All soft top equipment and brand new refurbished side-screens comes with the car including original Perspex side ‘wind wings’ that deflect the air from the cabin when the side-screens are off.

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