Neilson Posted October 18, 2023 Report Share Posted October 18, 2023 Hi all, I’ve been quite a journey to find a new TR4, 4A, 250 or 5. I very nearly purchased a TR4 yesterday, but the kind folk on the TR4/4A section advised against it, so the search for the holy grail continues…. I’ve been offered this car and wondered what people’s opinions were. It has an extensive file with all photos documented throughout the restoration process. He’ll be sending me some tomorrow, but I wondered if there’s any other questions I could ask? The car is a Yellow TR250 - https://www.thedriverspaddock.co.uk/cars/triumph/tr5/tr250/692158/ Thanks in advance! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Morrison Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 Hi Neil, Well that's not Royal Blue, or any kind of Blue. Strikes me as a lot of money for a TR 250, you can get very close to a TR5 for that, which I think will always be worth more. You know the photos we need Neil, chassis etc, to give you some guidance. John, Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neilson Posted October 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 4 hours ago, John Morrison said: Hi Neil, Well that's not Royal Blue, or any kind of Blue. Strikes me as a lot of money for a TR 250, you can get very close to a TR5 for that, which I think will always be worth more. You know the photos we need Neil, chassis etc, to give you some guidance. John, Hi John, I know! :-) I’ve always loved the Jasmine yellow, which comes a very close 2nd to the Royal Blue. I registered my interest with lots of different dealerships who had TRs, to look out for a blue one for me. I was ringing up yesterday to see if they had any luck, and they offered me this, which is the owners father-in-law’s car. I’m negotiating a deal with them and they’re sending me some images later of chassis etc. I’ll post once I receive them. Best Neil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tom Boyd Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 Neil, That TR250 is about 4 miles away from me... We had it in the workshops July 2021 to sort o/d wiring & set carbs up if i remember correctly. Was a nicely put together car Tom Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neilson Posted October 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 2 hours ago, Tom Boyd said: Neil, That TR250 is about 4 miles away from me... We had it in the workshops July 2021 to sort o/d wiring & set carbs up if i remember correctly. Was a nicely put together car Tom Hi Tom, that’s amazing! Thanks for the reply. Are you TR Enterprises? Thanks Neil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neilson Posted October 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 Here’s some restoration images… Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR NIALL Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 I don’t think we like that Rear Shock Conversion your putting all the stress into the Wheel Arch. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Quicksilver Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, TR NIALL said: I don’t think we like that Rear Shock Conversion your putting all the stress into the Wheel Arch. +1 if it is not attached to the chassis it is a NO GO! It is a beautiful one by the way......but the same as with the blue TR4 if the base is not good then only problems will follow.... Marcel Edited October 19, 2023 by Quicksilver Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tom Boyd Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 That conversion is attached to the chassis using the original mounts for the lever arm dampers. Tom Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR NIALL Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 1 minute ago, Tom Boyd said: That conversion is attached to the chassis using the original mounts for the lever arm dampers. Tom Yes but the Wheel Arch has to be taking some of the Shock/Load. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phil Read Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 2 hours ago, TR NIALL said: I don’t think we like that Rear Shock Conversion your putting all the stress into the Wheel Arch. My 250 has had this conversion for years with no problems. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tom Fremont Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 Looks to be well done and if Bring A Trailer is any guide not out of line for a TR250 with overdrive in that [ apparent ] condition. I am puzzled that fitment of a CP cam wasn't matched with a set of triple DCOEs, something TR Enterprises was doing frequently a decade ago ( " We put them on everything we do! " said one of their guys at Malvern in 2012 ). Without these I wonder if the smaller bump in performance it gets with two throttles is worth the reduction in fuel economy guaranteed by the switch in camshaft. Having done around 150,000 miles in my '250s on DCOEs and spending more on them than they would sell for I realize that I don't have any hankering for the P.I. alternative, a TR5 with its LUCAS P.I. unsuitable for my purposes and sacrilegious to remove it. Better to have the underdog, woefully detuned TR250 at a discount and kit it out as I've done with mine. The beauty of TRIUMPH's U.S. market cars is they are ever sold at a discount to their RoW counterparts due to their lesser performance. Thanks to Webers this shortcoming can be rectified now that they've aged out of the emissions laws in the U.S. When they were in production ( and for some time after ) this was impossible as the cams so essential to compliance mooted fitment of anything but the dual emissions carbs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
marko Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 Hi Neil, For the price they are asking (£38k) which by the way is way over top money for a 250 over here, I would expect the floors to be all body colour and the wheel arches not to be "caked" in tetroseal / underseal. It doesn't look like its had a "body off" restoration and the chassis also seems to be caked in underseal. It is pretty much impossible to judge a car from photographs but for that money this car should be virtually concours condition based on the market prices and the decline in classic car prices recently. But what do I know? as I'm retired now! Mark O Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neilson Posted October 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 18 minutes ago, marko said: Hi Neil, For the price they are asking (£38k) which by the way is way over top money for a 250 over here, I would expect the floors to be all body colour and the wheel arches not to be "caked" in tetroseal / underseal. It doesn't look like its had a "body off" restoration and the chassis also seems to be caked in underseal. It is pretty much impossible to judge a car from photographs but for that money this car should be virtually concours condition based on the market prices and the decline in classic car prices recently. But what do I know? as I'm retired now! Mark O Hi Mark O, you’re right and I’ve put in an offer in for significantly lower and they’ve accepted. They're getting some oil leaks done with Tom at TR Enterprises (pre-warning Tom, they’re booking it in ), and they’ve advised I can speak to Tom directly once he has it up on the ramps in terms of chassis condition etc. I spoke to Tom earlier, and he also knows the guys who did the restoration so that’s always a good starting point. Fingers crossed Best Neil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
marko Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 Good Luck - But It looks like its had more of a respray than an restoration. You certainly need to see the car on the ramp "before" committing to purchase. The chassis and inner body needs to be inspected carefully as I have seen loads and loads of ex US cars with bent chassis's (normally the O/S front corner) or poorly repaired (Stuart I'm sure will also confirm this!) Good Luck though Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neilson Posted October 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 14 minutes ago, marko said: Good Luck - But It looks like its had more of a respray than an restoration. You certainly need to see the car on the ramp "before" committing to purchase. The chassis and inner body needs to be inspected carefully as I have seen loads and loads of ex US cars with bent chassis's (normally the O/S front corner) or poorly repaired (Stuart I'm sure will also confirm this!) Good Luck though Thanks for this Marko, I’ll make sure the car is fully inspected as I don’t want to lose money. The seller is also going to send me some more images, but they seem very professional. I’ll hopefully upload some further images soon. Thanks for everyone’s tips and advice Quote Link to post Share on other sites
marko Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 I think it's pretty clear it hasn't had a nut & bolt Restoration Neil, a strip and respray by the looks of it - Get it inspected independently! You may want to get them to rectify this.... (Just my warped humour) but nonetheless worrying! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neilson Posted October 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 13 minutes ago, marko said: I think it's pretty clear it hasn't had a nut & bolt Restoration Neil, a strip and respray by the looks of it - Get it inspected independently! You may want to get them to rectify this.... (Just my warped humour) but nonetheless worrying! Thanks Marko, I’ve put down a fully refundable deposit, dependant on whether the car meets certain criteria. If not then I can walk away Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Morrison Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 Good to see you are not retired, retired Marko. Always valuable insight. John. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
marko Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 55 minutes ago, John Morrison said: Good to see you are not retired, retired Marko. Always valuable insight. John. Ha ha Thanks John, Hope you're well up there??......batten down the hatches tonight my friend! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Morrison Posted October 19, 2023 Report Share Posted October 19, 2023 Ooh it’s grim up North but I’ve bedded the ferrets down so hopefully all OK John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PGB BME Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 Isn’t that car the one P Moffat restored? Phil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dave McDonald Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 11 hours ago, John Morrison said: Ooh it’s grim up North but I’ve bedded the ferrets down so hopefully all OK John You’ll need yer flat cap on when you take the whippets out for a walk. Dave McD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neilson Posted October 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 4 hours ago, PGB BME said: Isn’t that car the one P Moffat restored? Phil Hi Phil, They told me Bill and another guy, restored it together. Tom knows them as they’ve done lots of restorations in the past, but I’m not sure if the other guy is P Moffat. Thanks Neil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
marko Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 7 hours ago, PGB BME said: Isn’t that car the one P Moffat restored? Phil I don't think so Phil, I've had a couple of Peter's cars - His cars were restored (nut & bolt) to a much higher standard, under the wheel arches and the chassis would never have been plastered in thick underseal like that if Peter would have done it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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