Race Cars and Motorsports

My name is Mike and I have been involved with British cars since 1986 with a 1969 MGB-GT and now 52 cars later! I have owned 5 Triumph TR8 coupes, 1 Triumph TR8 convertable and over 30 Triumph TR7s! Built SCCA ITS TR7s & TR8s and worked for The Wedge Shop for 5 years on too many wedges. I am currently converting a stock TR8 to a BL Motorsport "Works" rally TR8 conversion. I started with an original Triumph TR8 coupe which is #20 of 158 produced for retail sale in late 1979 for 1980 model year. This particular car was a 98% original car with 88,000 miles. Car was equipped with a 3.5 litre 215 cubic inch all aluminum Rover V8 mated to a manual 5-Speed transmission. Rear axle was a 4 link with drum brakes and a 3.08:1 ratio. Front suspension was MacPherson Strut with disc brakes. Included was power steering, power assisted brakes, air conditioning, AM-FM radio, Ermine white exterior with Green & Black Tartan (Check) interior.







I purchased the car in 1998 from its 3rd owner in Maryland where the car has always resided until I brought it up to Massachusetts. The car has always been garaged and maintained as stock. The body is in excellent condition with very few locations of bubble/blisters in the 1 repaint. In 2001 2nd gear syncro failed in the transmission and the car started to come apart for a clutch and transmission rebuilt.



Here it is 8 years later and still in pieces but in the process of being converted into a rally car.
Since the conversion has began I have been in contact with numerous owners of original works rally TR7V8s in the US and Europe. I have collected as many vintage and New Old Stock (NOS) parts as possible that I could find.
Specifications

Engine & Drive train

-320 hp Rover 3.5 Litre aluminum V8 bored .060” with 12.5:1 compression, .520 lift cam, roller rockers, stage 2 heads, custom pistons, chevy 327 connecting rods, lightened flywheel, blue printed & balance.
-Engine moved back 1-inch
-BL Motorsport/Huffaker Engineering 4 Barrel intake & Holley 600 cfm carburetor
-BL Motorsport oil cooler (STR 0755) with remote filter
-Huffaker Engineering NOS headers
-BL Motorsport single bore 3-inch exhaust
-Rover LT-77 5-Speed with NOS BL Motorsports close ratio gears (STN 0084)
-BL Motorsport heavy duty clutch (STR0785)
-Dana 44 rear axle (Equivalent to Salisbury 4HA STR 0418)
-BL Motorsport heavy duty radiator (STR 0414)

Suspension, Brakes & Tires

-BL Motorsport NOS Bilstein front stub axles with 7-inches of adjustment
-BL Motorsport NOS Bilstein front struts sets of 320/120, 280/120, & 220/120 dampening rates
-BL Motorsport NOS front upper mounts
-BL Motorsport NOS 300lb progressive & 300 single rate front springs
-BL Motorsport NOS Bilstein rear shocks 190/80 dampening rate
-BL Motorsport NOS 300lb rear springs
-Urethane front & rear suspension bushings
-TR7 Front sway bar
-Front & Rear disc brakes
-13x7 & 13x8 Superlite rims with DOT competition semi treaded tires
-Hydraulic & cable activated rear hand brake

Body & Interior

-BL Motorsport front rally flares
-BL Motorsport rear forest, tarmac (3 types) flares
-BL Motorsport front air dam (2 types)
-BL Motorsport roof deflector (STR 0379)
-European specification front & rear bumpers
-Trunk mounted alloy spare tire post
-8-point roll cage
-Corbuea seats
-NOS trunk lid tie downs
-Rover SD1 shift knob
-Seam welded & reinforced body

Electrical & Instruments

-Lucas NOS 20-20 8-inch & 6-inch rally fog & driving lamps
-Lucas NOS rear fog lamp
-NOS Sun Tachometer
-Lucas NOS Horn Push from Rover
-Lucas NOS switches
-Relocated fuse block
-Lucas license plate lamp
-T-Handle battery kill and fire suppression cables

My original intent was to replicate a works TR7V8 in Red, White and Blue livery, but with a set FIA Group 4 Homologation papers for a TR8 and only one officially badged TR8 was rallied in the 1981 RAC Rally by John Buffum it made sense to keep it in the original color and to remain a TR8 true to the cars origins.





























Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/24/2009 04:08PM by WedgeWorks1.

So here it is December 24 and I decided since it is nice and cold in my unheated garage to do the 2nd crappiest job .....chiseling out sound deadening material! It seems that the material above the gas tank and front half of the transmission tunnel comes out with ease since it was put over gray primer! The floors and behind the emergency brake lever is a pain in the ass and that is on the black primer. It’s either pops off or a little bit with each whack! I’m using a brass chisel and a small hammer and so far the cold with the tools is going pretty well. I figure I can get it all off with the exception of the inside of the rear quarter panels. There is more in the trunk area once I am done with the interior.









I also decided to make a works rally steering wheel which not available state side so I took a Moto Lita wheel from a TR7 and drilled some holes in it and well I think it turned out pretty good for a guy without a drill press and using a step drill bit. I love those things! A little semigloss black paint and who will ever know! Beside those who read this obviously!

My version!


Original Works

Mike, sounds like a Merry Christmas for you. Can you access the backside of the panels where the undercoating and sound deadening material is? If so I've found that an electric heat gun or even a propane torch heating on the reverse side will loosen old sound deadening material and bondo very easily. Just apply the heat moving it around in a small area but not too concentrated so not to risk warping the sheet metal and watch the surface, when it starts to bubble up a bit it will usually peel right off with prod from a putty knife. Wish I could open your photos, but the firewall here at the office blocks them. The wheel sounds interesting.

Bill-I have the same problem with opening the photos at work. There is a firewall in my company software that stops this. Im not really concerned with the sound deadening material on the inside of the rear quarters. All the original rally TR7/8s still had it in place. I am going to try a heat gun and a puddy knife to get the material off for the rest of the interior. The most difficult job is next and it is the undercoating. I have some of the spray to losen it but still the bear of bears!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/2009 11:01AM by WedgeWorks1.

The heat method also works well on undercoating in most cases. I've used it to strip both the interior of sound deadener from my Midget and the old bondo and undercoating from my MGA.

Well unforetunately my head cold is keeping me from going out to the garage to heat things up! Oh well it make for a good way to start the new year by getting better and having fun with the car!

Wedgeworks One,

Thank you so much for posting.

Your TR8 is so very significant !

What an incredible project you have ! And, right-hand drive ! .....

You have historic material here, and I hope you keep up the reporting of the project of restoration.

Keep them on the track.

Phillip G

Sorry Phillip G but from the strip-down pics it appears to be left hand drive ........................... !?

The car is really not that signifigant. I would say all the parts have more history. Now for the car yes it is a chunk of history #20 fo 158 for 1980 retial production TR8 coupes....BUT British Motor Hertitage Industrial Trust in the UK tried to get me a certification for the car and well in typical British Leyland/Jaguar-Rover-Triumph there records do not exist for the car. They have car #19 and #21 but not mine, #20. Also I know it was renumbered to be a 1980 model year car from a 1979. So no proof or history besides the VIN and titles well perfect candidate for a competition car. Just so everyone knows......I would love to have a RHD car!

So here is the 14-inch steering wheel I ordered and I need to make a 1.25" spacer so my hands dont hit the wiper/turn switches. In the end I will have a 13 & 14 inch wheels to suit different needs (gravel or tarmac or autocorss)




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/2009 11:37AM by WedgeWorks1.

Wedgeworks One,

In the black and white photo you have displayed, your "Original Works" TR8 looks to be right hand drive.

Is it an original works right hand driver or is the black and white photo simply a snap of another TR8 ?

Fascinating stuff - left or right hand drive. It only matters to SCCA because they demand all racers (except for a few with very old log books) be only left hand drive.

You have a great project going there !

Keep them on the track.

Phillip G

I got into the garage today and decided to just finish stripping the interior out of the car. Dash, wiring, steering, heater core all gone. The insulation padding on the firewall/bulkhead in the trash! All I have left is the rest of the sound deadening on the floors, e-brake, and boot/trunk area and thats it! I will use the heat gun and a small scrapper to try to get the thin stuff off. Still on/in the car is the doors guts, brake lines, fuel lines and gas tank. I am at the point of no return so on to making a rotisserie!







I did not want to lose the ID tags so I hung them up!


Phillip the B&W picture is of one of the "original" works TR7V8s. They did make them in both LHD & RHD, more so the RHD.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2009 10:07PM by WedgeWorks1.

So how are things progressing Mike!? (must have thawed out by now!)

Neil..........I have 34 inches of snow since last week and snow banks over 5 feet tall! The garage is not heated so I threw the cover over the car and cleaned up the place. I had to put a halt on the project for now to get some things taken care of that I hope will not effect the project. I have my fingers crossed!

Jeez, thats a fair amount of snow! (glad I never get to see any in my part of the world)

The snow is gone and its been about 50 degrees on average and I ordered a body cart so I can get the car up in the air and mobile so I can finish cleaning it up for the roll cage installation. I also could not pass up the price too!

The TR8 has new wheels now and after being locked up in the garage for 9 years it will see daylight!



This is the best $300.00 I have ever spent! Only thing was getting the body 25" up in the air by myself! I did not need all the tubing so I busted out the squirt gun and did some welding to make the connections to the body and after about 2 hours she is mobile again!

Rear attachment




Front attachment




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/2010 08:36PM by WedgeWorks1.

That's some nice work... and at just two hours, speedy too!

Well the work is going to be for nothing but future aids in moving a spare body shell around. Im going to build a rotisserie now using two engine stands and a ton of pictures from this forum site!

Here is my Frankenstand...........I am almost done with the rotisserie. I have the main supports welded up and finally got the wheels. I have the mounts bolted to the bumpers and well about another hour and its 360 degrees of fun rotation!

Welding fun!





This was done with a Lincoln HandyMIG on 115v using .035 flux core (inner shield) wire and 1/8-inch wall tubing. Melts like butter!

The Master!


The Master Piece!


The other is almost done just some welding, drilling and cutting and we are going round and round!