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Re: Observation @ VTR

To: Alexander Joseph H <AlexanderJosephH@Waterloo.deere.com>
Subject: Re: Observation @ VTR
From: Bob Lang <LANG@ISIS.MIT.EDU>
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 10:22:06 -0400 (EDT)
Cc: "'Amici Triumphi'" <fot@Autox.Team.Net>, "'Triumphs'" <triumphs@Autox.Team.Net>
On Wed, 12 Aug 1998, Alexander Joseph H wrote:

> A recent thread on the "Triumph List" indicates a significant absence of
> TR4/TR4As.

Well, I'm a bit "behind" on that list... but this thread pops up from 
time to time there.

> Jack Drews and I made this observation at the VTR Convention. We were very
> surprised that they were hard to find in the parking lot at the hotel.

I've noticed this at many events that I've been to, and that's "all 
over", not just the midwest - Bowie, MD about 5 or 6 years ago; there 
were probably 30 TR6's but only 5 or 6 TR4's and 4A's. Bowie is a "big 
show" with something like 800 cars. 5 or 6 TR4's is a very small turnout 
for a car that had production numbers like TR4s had.

> A bit mind boggling....why is this and why are they being hid out?

Good question. The production numbers indicate that there were a lot 
manufactured - so they should be out there. However, I can offer some 
thoughts. I'll bet that a lot of TR3 owners snarfed up those nifty "all 
synchro" trannies. Maybe some other parts too. Maybe a lot of 4's were 
used up as parts donors for the TR3's. Then there's the fact that 4A's 
might donate body panels to TR250's/TR5's - cars that have a somewhat 
interesting history of being "rare" from the get-go. Between the erosion 
from the earlier and later cars - maybe a lot of the 4's got "eaten up". 
This is just a guess. It would be interesting to know how many 
TR4's/TR4a's are listed by owners in VTR. Just for yucks. 

> Not as classic as a TR3 and not as "new" as a TR6, but quite civilized as
> drivers. Why are they staying away in droves?

Yes. And they are pretty nice drivers from the "tours" that I've been on. 
There were a couple of folks in my "local" club that used to drive them 
all over the place - I think Jack Emery (from Bangor, ME) put over 50k 
miles on his car after the resoration and before he "jumped ship" to 
drive those V8 powered MBG/GT's that he builds now... And that 50k was 
accumulated over less than 4 years, if memory serves. Another guy (since 
passed on) was on every NET "tour" that we did. He put a lot of miles on 
that car....

Then there's the possibility that there are a bunch out there that are in 
various stages of restoration etc. I know of several TR4's that are being 
built up as road racers or AutoX cars... there's a guy in the New ENgland 
Region (past national Solo II E stock champ in a TR3!!!) that has had a 
TR4 "just about ready" for about three years. There are others.

I suppose the operative might be:

Where have all the TRs gone... long time passing
   gone to graveyards/garages/racetracks/storage - every one
Oh when will they ever learn?

yadda yadda yadda.
 
rml
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