Hello triumph vehicle consultants-
I just spent yesterday looking at a super condition TR4 as my first (though
Im sure not last) triumph acquisition- Ill put some details through here in
the note, and I hope you can come in with suggestions on value and bidding
strategy...
My goal- I want a nice, drivable TR4 type (4, 4a, 250) for commuting, etc,
that will not cost crazy amounts to keep up. I personally am not a mechanic
type, nor does my lifestyle allow me to start doing this now, so repairs,
rather than being a fun activity, would simply be expensive for me. You
guys have been super helpful up to this point, and I was hoping for some
more assistance on how to deal with pricing and bidding for this car...
I live in Boston, and there are not a lot of TR4s for sale up in this area-
this car is at a DEALER, and while I am hesitant about dealing with a
dealer, there are very few other cars available around here...I certainly
could fly to CA to look at cars and hvae them shipped, but that is an
entirely highre level of activity/expense.
The car-
British Racing Green TR4, i think 1964, no overdrive. (serial number I wrote
down somewhere else...if its important to value I can supply it). Car
changed hands in 65 to original owner, then in 67 to its second owner.
(Bill of sale exists) It was stored from 69 to 99 in a dry garage, totally
un-driven, covered. It was then sold in need of a rebuild to a lawyer in CT
(via this same dealer). The lawyer had the dealership/shop "New England
Classic Cars" do all the rebuild work, and the 1999 rebuild is as follows.
It shows 70K on the odometor, 2K of which comes post the rebuild (the dealer
says)
Restored items
-New rings, but no rebuild on rest of motor
-New double in line mufflered exhaust
-Rebuilt brake system
-New carpets
-New BRG paint job everywhere but inside hood
-new 3 point seat belt system
Aftermarket items
-Electronic solid state ignition/distributor system
-new air horn
-Electric fan on radiator
-stereo
-Electronics shutoff (like on a race car, but mounted in passenger foot well
as a security option)
-cigarrette lighter
-New top
-Luggage rack
Orignal items (completely original since day one)-
-Original Tanneu (sp?), great condition
-Original leather seats, good condition
-original dash, wheel (wood dash is in great shape, vinyl cover above wood
dash has one crack)
-Electronics
The examination-
The car is 100% rust free. I spent an hour with a flashlight all over.
Wheel wells, fenders, trunk, floors, doors. etc are in perfect condition.
The car's details are all original and perfect- gauges, interior, (even
orginal headlight bulbs), lucas electronics. Original wires.
The paint looks great, but was done with masking of chrome rather than
removal.
The under-hood is great, but not show quality- it is clean, but not shiny,
anodized, refinished. The paint under the hood does not perfectly match the
rest (very subtle difference)
Chrome looks 95% great- a little bit of bubbling, etc but very good.
Car sits level, all suspension/shocks work great
Car for two hours after test drive dripped 4 drips of oil (may hvae been
from me removing the dipstick though)
-Overall, car looks like it is in a new car showroom rather than used
condition. The visual impression is stunning.
Mechanicals-
Compression is 150, 150, 155, 155 across the four cylinders
Spark plugs are a tea/coffee color
Voltage looks great. Didnt confirm it with a seperate guage
Oil pressure is 55 at idle (cold) rises to 60 at idle (warm) and to 80 at
high RPM. Didnt confirm it with a seperate guage
Steering is tight, braking is good.
All lights, etc. work perfectly.
Test drive-
Car started on first crank, needed some fiddling with the choke (it was 50
deg F outside). I got to ride, but not to drive (not very good at driving
stick yet). Acceleration was super, revved clean to redlines, shifting was
quick and sure. Braking, hard turning all felt great. Best of all, it was
QUIET. No rattles, knocks, clattering, or anything. Car restarted when
warm, and shut off with no dieseling.
My questions-
--I did 99% of the tests that the VTR website suggested- I couldnt do
independent voltage and oil pressure checks lacking those guages- should I
bring in an independent mechanic to do more tests? What would he do that I
did not do? The dealer will let someone come to him to do tests, but wont
let the car go to someone else (he claims for liability reasons). Is this
sketchy, or normal?
--The dealer is asking $14K for this car. While this does seem to be a
super condition triumph, this also seems like much more than I see others
selling for. Is this a totally unreasonable price? If so, what owuld be
reasonable?
--I am willing to pay ~$1.5K more for this car than for a nice condition car
in, say, CA, because it would cost me $800 to ship it, and this car has a
few aftermarket options (fan, electronic ignition, luggage rack, tanneu)
that I owuld get anyway, and would probably cost ~$600 to install. There
are not a ton of TR4s available in New Engaldn to compare this to.
--I would like to make a bid for this car, but I dont want to pay too much
more than resale value. What should my first bid be if his offer is $14K?
Is $12K too mcuh to bid (15% below offer)? Is it improper to make a first
bid at $10K (which might be closer to the "fair resale value" of the car
(30% below offer)?
Thank you (in advance) so much for your help! Im really eager to hear more
experienced people's opinions on this car...
Thanks again!
Noah (sorry for long trailer)
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