Hi Phil,
I know where some of the TR4's are. Met a fellow lister today who has an
even half dozen here in Calif., one of which is a 200 mile a day daily
driver that is a great deal cleaner than my garage project car (but I'm
working on that!).
I only have one TR4. But I am doing basically what you are suggesting,
"replica" of works car, Group 44/SCCA style, not so much a rally car. As
a guide, look for the "TR4/4A Competition Preparation Manual" written by
Kas Kastner. It's available from Moss. You can buy it separately or as a
part of the Bentley factory manual reprint. It has a wealth of
information about how the cars were set up. (sorry listers, no info on
using a generator to power an array of aircraft landing lights mounted
on the front bumper and the roll bar)
I am going for a moderately high-performance car that will be fairly
reliable as well. The Comp Prep Manual doesn't cover things like Weber
40DCOE's and Mallory ignition systems. It focuses on getting improved
performance out of existing equipment, for the large part. Cams that
were available from the dealer. Moderate suspension modifications. Etc.
Another book to look for is "Vintage Racing British Sports Cars". It
covers a lot of ground and doesn't get into a great deal of detail on
specific cars. However, it gives you lot's of ideas how these cars were
set up originally.
Also try to find a copy of Richard Langworth and Graham Robson's
"Triumph Cars", a great history, including racing.
In your search for a buildable vehicle, I'd suggest looking for a
rougher car (mine was raced in a previous life, was hit in the left
front before I owned it and "totalled" 20 years ago from the rear while
I was driving it. Not a good candidate for a concours shows... just
perfect for fun.) I prefer the solid rear axle for simplicity of setup,
although the Prep Manual does cover the IRS. I like the early TR4 over
the TR3 for the rack & pinion steering and only the late TR3's had front
disk brakes. The early TR4 had solid aluminum steering rack mounts, but
these can be retrofitted to later 4's. The first few years' 4's didn't
have any emission control stuff at all. The early 4's had one
disadvantage: non-adjustable front-end geometry (ok, it can be adjusted
by heating with a torch and bending, yeah right!) On the other hand, the
later cars with adjustable front-end geometry require significant
reinforcement to keep the mounts from pulling off in hard corners.
There are a lot of cars out there that have been screwed around with,
some good, some bad. You may find something with the head already
milled, Webers and headers in place, maybe a hotter cam. Mine had a
"custom" lowering job on the rear, a hunk of pine 2x4 as a spacer
between the spring and the axle! Trick, huh?
Plan to check a lot of parts for stress cracks and replace a few. Also,
I think all of the "works" TR4's I've seen were white.
I'm concentrating my rebuild from the ground up... brakes, suspension,
drive train and frame first. Cosmetics and comfort (hah!) later. Happy
shopping!
Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif.
'62 TR4 #CT17602
Philip E. Barnes wrote:
> I can't help but notice that the last few British car gatherings I've
> been
> at featured very few 4/4A models. Where are they all? Adirondack TR's
> show
> had only one and a show in Syracuse yesterday saw none at all. There
> is the
> usual mix of TR3 and TR6 in roughly equal numbers, but no 4s. How
> come?
>
> I would like to build a replica of a "factory" rally car from the
> 50's-60's. This obviously means a TR3A or TR4. Ideally I'd like to
> start
> with a solid driver that is "cosmetically challenged" (Hey, rallying
> is not
> pretty.) Any leads for this project would be appreciated.
>
> Phil Barnes (peb3@cornell.edu)
> Cortland, NY (nowhere near New York City)
> '71 TR6 CC61193L (21 year owner)
>
> Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.
--
MZ
|