Andrew Smith Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 My knowledge of TR7/8s is extremely limited, but reading through "Classic Cars" (November issue), I noticed in the classifieds an advertisement (p165) for a RHD Factory Developed TR7 V8, for sale by a dealer: Ian Grange of Manchester (0161 881 2112). The car is claimed to be one of only three factory development TR7 V8s with an ATC chassis number and was sold by the factory in 1991. The registration number appears to be: X50 748S. The car is for sale at a whopping £19,995………yes £19,995! Is this a genuine car and does anyone know its history? Is it really worth that amount: I guess it is, if someone is prepared to pay that for it? Cheers Andrew Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chris turner Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 If you look in the auction page of that same mag you will see he paid less than £7000 for it. It is a development car for the DHC not for the TR8 the V8 conversion was done after it left the factory.It is in nice condition but has had many alterations in its lifetime. The previous owner had tried to sell it many times for a lot less money. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew Smith Posted October 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 Chris Well, all I can think is that the dealer must have huge overheads to try and make that much profit! ??? Really.....is that anyway to do business? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
malcolm Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 They are behaving just like any other car dealer. The selling price is what they think they can get, or at least a starting point for negotiating a deal. They are being unfair (and I haven't seen the ad) by mis-describing the car as a V8 prototype if it isn't. As a development hand built DHC I don't know what it is worth, but there is a very limted market for this sort of car. Malcolm. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rayjones Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 If it is the one I think it is (a Red FHC) it was on sale privately in Ashton under Lyne or Mossley area, for 5K four years ago, when I was first looking around for mine. Generally good condition, other than a smallish hole at the front of the nearside sill. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chris turner Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 Ray its a DHC. The one you are talking about is the development fuel injected FHC, it was bought by a chap from Chester. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rayjones Posted October 17, 2004 Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 Yes you are right Chris, I should have read the previous posts more carefully, it was fuel injected, and had extra plugs in the wiring harness in the boot, for test equipment as I recall, no sunroof either. I had wondered what had happened to it since I saw it! Ray Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chris turner Posted October 17, 2004 Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 Ray, the car belonged to a friend of mine, it is the best TR8 I have driven, it had the ultimate spec, FHC without sunroof, fuel injected engine, uprated by second owners Lucas(187 bhp) and slightly uprated suspension, every modification the factory did was noted on the parts concerned. When Lucas had the car it was fitted with equipment to monitor the fuel injection system the meters used still exist in the hands of a TR Drivers club member. When the car was originally built it had a carburretted 10E engine(which is in my garage), this was replaced by the power train division of BL before it went to Lucas. The reg no was WAC 27?S, and painted flamenco it has never been to any shows with its present owner. When we took the car to the firstl TR8 day at Billing in 1999, the original owner,an employee of Lucas who had it as a company car before buying it, introduced himself to us and gave us a lot of information. I will one day write a book and fill it with all this useless information. I also have some pictures of the car. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rayjones Posted October 17, 2004 Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 I knew I should have bought it at the time Chris, just that I had not got into 7,s quite by then! It also had air con fitted at one point too. Unbelievably there was another DHC 8 (gold)in the back of the garage, which I was told belonged to someone else, and was also genuine! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chris turner Posted October 17, 2004 Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 Guess who that midas gold TR8 belonged to Ray, I bet the registration was ATR 80V I have owned it for 6 years, in 2001 it won overall best TR at Malvern and in2002 best TR8 at Billing. I had left it at Glenns house whilst I built a garage for it, its original garage being occupied by DWR568W the ex Richard Connew DHC.Ialso regret not buying the FHC, WAC272S, at the time I had no room but it had so much history and it was outstanding to drive. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
andrewt Posted October 18, 2004 Report Share Posted October 18, 2004 I know the car from the original thread very well as I am a friend of the previous owner. It was first registered by him and as Chris says was built in its current configuration by him. It is a DHC development as some features of the DHC conversion seem to be unique to this car! It is a good honest car that has been well looked after up to its recent sale. Indeed it was in our local motor transport museum until recently. To the best of my knowledge it had various engines in it at the factory as well as being LHD & RHD at different times. Cheers Andy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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