ianc Posted December 16, 2020 Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 (edited) PRESS RELEASE NEW TR7/8 HEADLAMP PANEL WKC4077 A JOINT PROJECT FROM THE TR DRIVERS CLUB & TR SPARES DEVELOPMENT FUND 16th December 2020 The TR Drivers Club and the TR Spares Development Fund are proud and delighted to announce that the project to remanufacture the TR7/8 headlamp panel (WKC4077) has now reached fruition. The inaugural batch of 10 units of this most complicated of all TR7 panels is now available for sale. At the time of writing, we have retained a few in bare metal, as delivered by our chosen partners for this project, Ex-Pressed Steel Panels Ltd, and the price of these bare metal panels is £624.59 plus carriage. Five are being held in stock at Robsport International and these have been etch-primed by Robsport, so the cost of these is therefore slightly higher. Anyone who has their Triumph Wedge booked in for restoration at Robsport International and is in need of a new headlamp panel will have one of these exceptional replacements installed on their car. It has taken more than two years to reach this point and it is essential that all TR7 and TR8 owners support this venture. If the panels are in demand and sell, then Ex-Pressed Steel Panels Ltd. will put the TR7 headlamp panel back into full production. This means that the TRDC/TR SDF spares team can then start planning for the next TR7 panel project. However, if there is insufficient support, then the plans to resurrect TR7 panels will end with this inaugural project. It is therefore vital to the future of Triumph’s last sports cars that this venture is indeed successful and we hope to be able then to offer the other body panels such as front wings, outer sills, offside door skins and other items currently unavailable in the coming years. There is a Press Release on youtube and also available is a video detailing the situation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkYSq14I1EQ&t=3s Also on the TR SDF website news page: https://www.trsdf.uk/news Please contact John Clancy of the TR Drivers Club for further details or to arrange a purchase. Tel: 01579 346716 email: john.clancy@bfcc.biz web: www.trdrivers.club John Clancy & Brian Ridley-Jones - TR Drivers Club & TR Spares Development Fund www.trsdf.uk (Chairman, Ian Cornish) Background Triumph dealers found out that British Motor Heritage had scrapped the TR7 press tools when a bulk order for TR7 front wings could not be fulfilled. Although nothing had ever been reported to the Triumph car clubs or dealers it is believed that the decision to sell the press tools for scrap was taken when the BMH Blackburn site was cleared out several years ago. Had advance warning been given, the main Triumph dealer, Rimmer Bros., would have put in a bulk order to guarantee supply for many years into the future and it’s also possible the TR clubs would have joined forces to re-site the enormous press tools. A whistle blower within BMH notified the TR Drivers Club that the press tools had been scrapped only a month prior to Jon Burgess of Classic Car Weekly contacting the club to ascertain if there was any truth to the story leaked to him. The TRDC were able to confirm the story and advise that the club was already looking into alternative methods of manufacture and supply. Shortly after this, the TR Spares Development Fund came on board to ensure the project got over the line. Edited December 16, 2020 by ianc Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR8IAN Posted December 16, 2020 Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 Thanks for posting this Ian, what excellent news and well done the SDF , Drivers club and all concerned. I shall be purchasing one of these panels to keep in case of a problem with my own. Regards Ian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted December 16, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 Having seen photos of the underside of one of these panels which had been removed from a TR7, I think that rustworms will have been busy at work on most TR7/8s, even if the owners are blissfully unaware! Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
acaie Posted December 16, 2020 Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 An important achievement. Very well done to all those involved. Al Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Forey Posted December 16, 2020 Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 A great team effort, well done. Mick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pogo Posted December 16, 2020 Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 Brilliant! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted December 17, 2020 Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 Well done all those involved. Did anyone ask BMH if they would add the batch of 10 panels to their own panels that go through e coating ? https://www.euroqualitycoatings.co.uk/e-coat/ Cheers Peter W Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 17, 2020 Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 Hi Pete, questions are being asked. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted December 17, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 Thanks for this, Peter. I am passing on as a suggestion should the success of this project mean that the TRDS/TRSDF will be able to consider future projects with Ex-Pressed Steel. Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR8IAN Posted December 17, 2020 Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 I'm in and have paid my money. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cvtrian Posted December 17, 2020 Report Share Posted December 17, 2020 3 hours ago, TR8IAN said: I'm in and have paid my money. Thanks Ian, as it stands I think there are only 4 left for sale........................................... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Emrys Parry Posted December 24, 2020 Report Share Posted December 24, 2020 I'm also in, money paid and Robsport Int'l have my headlamp panel, which is being etch primed. Just waiting to collect (or have it delivered). Purchase was so simple and very fast. My current TR7 looks great from the outside; however when I checked the underside of the panel I was horrified. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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