1965 Triumph Other

Convertible

4 Cylinder

Manual

CT 36223-L

Clear

Gasoline

Up for auction is my 1965 Triumph TR4. I will start by saying this is NOT A SHOW CAR but is a nice driver that you can enjoy and work on. According to the British Motor Heritage Certificate, this is a numbers matching car that was built on August 22, 1964. Back in the 60’s they applied the year the car was sold to the title and not the year it was built. The title for this car shows it to be a 1965 model. The odometer reads just under 104,000 miles which I believe to be fairly accurate but cannot confirm it to be correct. The motor has not been rebuilt as far as I can tell but I do not have any history documented. The Stromberg carbs have been professionally rebuilt but are not professionally tuned. This car has Pertronix Ignition installed under the distributor cap to eliminate the need for points. The last time I checked the compression, all cylinders showed about 140 lbs on the meter. This motor always starts but after the car has been sitting for a while, it needs 5 minutes to warm up. After that, it will start right up and run well. It idles between 900 and 1000 rpm and will have 80 lbs of oil pressure after starting it up. I use Brad Penn 20-50W Racing oil since that has the lubricants this motor requires. The rear end has always made a slap sound if the clutch is released too quickly. I had thought this was due to worn universal joints but after I replaced those with Hardy Spicer joints, the slap did not go away. I have driven the car since I bought it in 2002 and the noise has always been the same. It may be the lash in the rear end that needs to be worked on. I do not know what it would cost to correct this. Here is the Roadster Factory website www.the-roadster-factory.com and their C.A.R. Components department to rebuild items http://the-roadster-factory.com/CARWebsite/CARmain.php . Another source for parts is Moss Motors at www.mossmotors.com . Almost any part is available for this car either through these sites or on ebay. The car was re-painted the original Signal Red color in 1998 by the previous owner in Pennsylvania and is only driver quality. The floor boards were replaced with flat sheet metal and the rocker panels were also replaced. I am not aware of any other metal that was replaced during the restoration and I do not have access to any records. There are several paint chips on the car and the paint on the driver’s rear quarter is thin so the car could benefit from a re-spray if you are looking for a show quality finish. Nobody ever noticed the thin paint until I pointed it out. All chrome is bright and shiny but the aluminum cockpit surround and aluminum windshield cap are somewhat scratched up. The windshield has been replaced and the rubber surrounding it is in good condition. The soft top is about 10 years old and in very good condition. The wood dash and dash pad have been replaced and are in very good condition. The front and rear suspension have been completely rebuilt but the car has not had a professional alignment. It does wander a little but this has not bothered me since I only drive it locally. There are 3 new Dayton wire wheels and one wheel that came with the car when I bought it. The tires are Kumhos and have about 2500 miles on them so lots of life left. The interior is in pretty good condition but the carpet may be original. The seats appear to have replacement vinyl. The fuel tank cover board and spare tire cover are not original but are handmade and look nice. The spare tire is a 13” wire wheel from a Spitfire and only fits the rear wheels of the TR4. All gauges are original. The gas gauge works but is not completely accurate. The Amp gauge is wired backwards so the gauge shows dis-charging when the motor is charging the system. The radio is not original to the car but it is a Triumph radio and works well. The previous owner said the original radio was stolen. All other gauges work as they should. The door locks and trunk lock do not work and remain unlocked. The wiring harness appears to be original and currently has no issues. All lights, signals, horn and radio work as they should. Included with the car is the Workshop Manual which details how to fix most things on the car. The Owners Manual is also included. Both manuals are reproductions. I have tried to be as detailed as I can about this car. I am not a mechanic though so if you have specific questions, please ask. I will try to answer them the best I can. I am selling the car to start saving for my daughters college education. I have completely enjoyed taking it to car shows and going out for the occasional drive. I also have taken it to work once every year which is a 50 mile round trip. It always gets compliments wherever I go. I did have it appraised a few years back for insurance purposes and they estimated the value to be $21,000 but that estimate is high. I feel that if the car was repainted and all issues corrected, then it could be worth that much but not in its current state. On the www.NADAGUIDES.com site , they show the values to be as follows: Original MSRP $2849, Low Retail = $7850 Average Retail = $16,900 High Retail = $32,200 This car is over 48 years old and will require maintenance on the new owner’s part to keep it in good condition. The reserve price for this auction is far less than what is invested in the car and much lower than the Average Retail price noted above. I am not aware of any major issue with this car other than the noise from the rear end. It could use a tune up and the carbs would benefit from a professional tuning. I am selling this car with NO WARRANTY INCLUDED OR IMPLIED. Confirmed transfer of funds required prior to shipment of the vehicle or transfer of title. On Jan-27-13 at 02:48:38 PST, seller added the following information: Note, the drivers door was missing the check strap and the previous owner let the door open too far which causes a slight crease. Not very noticable but I wanted to let you all know about this. I have replaced the check strap. Also, The seats originally came in leather but now are vinyl.On Jan-28-13 at 13:56:23 PST, seller added the following information: Questions I have received so far: 1. Does the car leak oil? Yes like most Triumphs, this one leaks a little oil. I park it over a pan to catch the drippings. I have not had to add oil because of the leak. I have changed the oil every year. I did not drive the car a lot , only about 500 miles a year and even less the past few years. 2. Can you detail the chips in the paint? I can say that most of the chips have been touched up. The most annoying mark is on the hood and I took a close up photo to show it and can send you this picture if you care to see it. It looks to me like the previous owner applied a little too much bondo skin coat and the paint cracked at this spot. I also took a photo showing the thin paint on the rear quarter panel and can email that photo as well. I was not able to figure out how to add more photos to my listing. 3. What is the reserve price? I have set what I believe to be a low reserve price and will not share that. On Jan-29-13 at 04:47:57 PST, seller added the following information: More questions 4. Is there a car cover included? Yes, there is a cloth car cover included. The tool box seen in the trunk is also included. 5. Is there any other damage you can share with me that is not already reported on the Ebay listing? The passenger side window is heavily scratched but does roll up and down as it should. I can send a photo if you care to see that. 6. What do you think are the immediate repairs needed for next summers driving season? The carbs need to be tuned. Other than that, you might want to check the valves? I can check those prior to shipment of the car if you want me to. That only takes about 30 minutes following the workshop manual instructions. Of coarse, you would need to change the oil, check the antifreeze and tranny fluid levels and grease all of the fittings. One thing to be aware of on this car, there is no transmission dip stick so you have to try to add more fluid until it runs out of the filler hole on the side of the tranny. Triumph added the dip stick on the TR4A model I believe. On Jan-29-13 at 09:56:29 PST, seller added the following information: 7. Can you tell me what parts you have had to replace on this car? Here is a partial list of what I can remember has been replaced over the 10 years I have owned the car. Timing Chain and Tensioner, Fan Blade and Fan Belt, Distributor Cap, Ignition Wires, Spark Plugs, Coil, 3 Wire Wheels, Front and Rear Suspension, Fuel Tank Cover, Spare Tire Cover, Trunk and Door Handles, Bumpers and Overriders, Tail Lights, Emblems but not the TRIUMPH letters, Radio and Antenna, Dash Knobs, Voltage Stabalizer, Fuel Pump, Knock Offs for all 4 wheels, Battery, Tires, Pertronix Ignition, Choke Cable Assembly, Clutch Slave Cylinder, Starter Solenoid, Ignition Switch, Front and Rear Brake Shoes and Front Rotors, Thermostat, Door Check Strap, Gear Shift Boot, Heater Valve, Tail Pipe Extension, Convertible Soft Top, Convertible Frame Straps, Rear Seat Cushion, Clutch and Brake Pedal Pads and several Carb parts during the rebuild.