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There has been a fair amount of discussion about the Grinnall TR8 recently on the forum as cars have come up for sale on ebay, some attracting high prices.  This has become particularly topical this year with the formation of a fledgling TRR Grinnall Register and renewed interest in Mr Grinnall and his cars expressed in TRaction by our editor Steve Redway.  As TR7/8 Registrar I've heard conflicting oppinions on this and I'd be really interested to find out what you think.

 

Please vote and/or comment.

 

Malcolm.

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Chris.  That's why I invited 'comments' too.  What have I missed - surely either it's a very special car, just another V8, or overrated in being considered 'special'??

 

Malcolm.

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Hi Malcolm

 

I think the point Chris was trying to make was that Grinnal didn't, as I understand it, turn out a 'set in stone' conversion. They were generally made to customers specification - some were, in my opinion, super looking cars, others over-body kitted dogs.

 

On the whole, just another conversion - not that that is neccessarily a bad thing.

 

Mike

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I'm rather ambivalent toward them - some look rather unfinished in the detail, the rear lights in particular with the original protrusion not being continued along the top of the entire SD1 light cluster.  Some of the kits don't exactly butter my muffin either - the 'MX5' a like as I christened it on the first incarnation of my site is certainly not a fave.  Though I appreciate that it does appeal to some - it'd be rather dull if we all like the same mods/original features wouldn't it?

 

I think some of the mods found stateside with the various V6's are of more interest than 'just another v8'.  Slightly off topic but the one mod I have not come across of late was the use of a 2.0l Pinto engine (used in the Capri?)

 

On the Grinnall side my attitude is probably summed up by "Would I want a Grinnall car?"  the answer being "Not particularly."  Is that ambivalent enough?

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Ok,ok: I also know that Grinnall offered many options during their time working with TR7s.  What has really differentiated them from the other companies knocking out 100s of V8 conversions was some of their body styling options.  Particularly the full body style below:

 

gal27-04a.jpg

 

Though perhaps badly worded the 'kit' car option represents the view that these are no longer TR7/8s.  Personnaly I'm ok with Grinnalls, even if I'm not sure why they have such a high status with some in the TR7 community.  

 

Did anyone notice that Grinnall gets 3 pages in Bill Piggott's 'Original Triumph TR7 & TR8' book, whilst the TR7 Spider only gets 1/2 a page??

 

Malcolm.

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Guest ajttriumph
I bought my 8 (in LH drive form) in the uk in 1991 when i lived in wales, looked at lots of 7V8's, 8's and the odd grinnall, my observation was that they tended to look great in photos but not close up, i am in the kit car camp i am afraid as i wouldnt think that some of the dogs that i looked at would be any better today some 13 years later, in fact they may becoem very collectable as they wont stand the test of time as well as a 7 or 8.
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  • 7 years later...

I am the current owner of a Grinnall 8.It is a 1993 conversion with 3.6lt,crane camshaft,high compression pistons,vanderbilt bearings,offenhauser top with full stainless exhaust,holly 390 carb.4 pot uprated brakes,fuly adustable shocks,power steering and anti dive.200 bhp at the rear wheels still!!

The body is the basic2+2 in red with recessed minilites.Mark is an excellent engineer and it shows in his work.The car is a fantastic drive and when you get to the twisty stuff handles really well,very few other trs could stay with it.Proper drivers car.

I am a fan of the wedge shape and always get a great response at shows or just out.

Grinnalls are a great addition to the tr family and perhaps without them those 7s would not be still around to enjoy

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  • 10 years later...

I have always wanted a TR8 but as we all know they are 1 very rare 2 very expensive   But i saw a fantastic Grinhall converted car for sale on Ebay i could not afford at the time it was to die for it was RTA 37X my dream car no idea who bought it It was even registered as a TR8 & had a fantastic spec i even have a Lenham hardtop for when i find a nice spec car being 78 years old it might die first     regards  IAN

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Hi   Its a very difficult thing the clone car situation there is the Sunbeam Tiger & Alpine Tiger? Mgb & Mgb v8 convert cars there are many clone models even more modern Focus RS  ST modified to RS spec ???  I believe there is a place for all of these cars PROVIDEING THEY HAVE BEE DONE TO A GOOD SAFE STANDERED !!!! As not many people can afford the real thing PROVIDEING THE CARS ARE SOLD AS WHAT THEY ARE & NOT MADE TO DECEIVE  I have driven a Alpine Tiger it was a superb car & was identicle to a genuine one I feel it  is up to the individual clubs & as you say members as to wether they recognise these cars  I dont mind if they are always honest about them 

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Welcome to the forums Ian.   

I agree with what you say although 'clone' is maybe not the right word to use to describe these cars. 

I guess you do realise though that you are replying to a ten-year-old thread?  Many of those who posted above don't seem to appear on the forum any longer. 

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Hi   Sorry not sure its difficult without upsetting folk America seem to call them clone cars ???? i am 78 years old & had a LOT of cars i am a retired motor mechanic & 18 years as a AA patrol When you retire you dont just hang up your spanners i like to play I have a very rough Sunbeam Tiger also a very rough MGB GT V8 My wife runs a VW GOLF MK 4 GT TDI 150  & i run a Meriva  A  VXR I ALSO HAD YEARS AGO  a TR2 & a RARE AUSTIN HEALEY SEBRING SPRITE  a Frog eye & a lot of others  I then went American Muscle but this is the TR Register so  Early cars & my restoration i love the V8s hence my wish for a TR8 most of my cars need work thats the only way i could afford them      regards  IAN

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  • 4 weeks later...

Grinnalls weren't clones of anything.

They were were a company legitimately re-engineering the TR7.  They didn't sell them as fake TR8s.  You might liken them to say Crayford who made convertibles of more mundane cars.  Not car manufaturers in their own right at that time but coachbuilders and engineers doing a proper job.

I believe Grinnall have evolved and manufacture cars and trikes in their own right these days.

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 12/2/2021 at 10:53 AM, oldcurious said:

I have always wanted a TR8 but as we all know they are 1 very rare 2 very expensive   But i saw a fantastic Grinhall converted car for sale on Ebay i could not afford at the time it was to die for it was RTA 37X my dream car no idea who bought it It was even registered as a TR8 & had a fantastic spec i even have a Lenham hardtop for when i find a nice spec car being 78 years old it might die first     regards  IAN

Hi Ian, I bought the car last July, unseen but based on the amount of money that had been spent on it. I'm told that it's a genuine Grinnall and one of only 18 +2 roadsters converted with only 9 surviving. The car is ok but both door bottoms are rotten and the drivers electric window doesn't work but I knew about these and I'm now fixing them. What did disappoint me was the lack of a bulkhead steering bush and no nut to hold the steering wheel on, someone had put 3 blobs of weld to prevent the wheel coming off! A bad oil leak which was picked up on the last MOT and an underbody covered in a thick coat of underseal including petrol and brake pipes. Hope you find your dream car, incidentally I'm 77, surely we should know better! Best regards, David 

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  • 4 months later...

I own two of the Grinnall cars, my fist one has been fully restored with the body being done at S&S, the second one is sitting on the TR7 Jig a brought from Steve at S&S and is currently undergoing a full restoration.

New floors front and rear Both sides

Rear Hanger repairs

New door skins both sides 

New wing both sides

New inner flitches both side

new front panel

New boot lid and bonnet

Be under no mistake the mechanicals of these cars are sound, however be prepared for full body restoration

In relation to them as a separate mark, I think they do stand out, as a customer you had many options making each car unique, for one of mine I even have the letters exchanged between the commissioner of the car and Mark Grinnall.

Both mine carry 5 stud wheels, V8's with power steering, adjustable shocks etc, as well as the exterior styling.

You guessed it I like them, I also own a TR7 V8 fixed head and when you see them parked next to each other, you start to appreciate the very different stance and presence the cars have.

Of course each to there own, but lets all agree that keeping TR7's in all there forms on the road is the important thing 

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@Grinnal - you may not have noticed that this thread was started over 18 years ago! 

Attitudes have changed since then thankfully and you'll find the club as a very active and up to date Grinnall register run by Phil Horsley with a report in every magazine. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 2/9/2022 at 10:32 AM, David Patrick said:

Hi Ian, I bought the car last July, unseen but based on the amount of money that had been spent on it. I'm told that it's a genuine Grinnall and one of only 18 +2 roadsters converted with only 9 surviving. The car is ok but both door bottoms are rotten and the drivers electric window doesn't work but I knew about these and I'm now fixing them. What did disappoint me was the lack of a bulkhead steering bush and no nut to hold the steering wheel on, someone had put 3 blobs of weld to prevent the wheel coming off! A bad oil leak which was picked up on the last MOT and an underbody covered in a thick coat of underseal including petrol and brake pipes. Hope you find your dream car, incidentally I'm 77, surely we should know better! Best regards, David 

 

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Hi   You were very lucky if you ever decide to sell your Grinnall please let me know the powers that be on here have my Email though i doubt you will sell it I will never find an original TR6 though doubt i could afford it   As you say we are both old but we can still play all the best  regards  IAN

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