1981 Triumph TR8

Convertible

8 - Cyl.

Manual

satpz4585ba405304

Gasoline

Maybe once or twice a year does an original, low mileage, unmolested one-owner 1981 Triumph TR8 come up for sale. The 1981s, of which 405 were exported, are the rarest of the rare. And best of the breed. If you have always wanted a TR8, this is the one you want. The 1981 TR8 is the best of the series because: -- Triumph finally did away with the TR8‘s troublesome twin carburetors. All the 1981s were outfitted with Lucas/Bosch L-Jetronic electronic fuel injection. If you’ve never driven a fuel injected TR8, you’ll be surprised and amazed at the turbine like smoothness from the lightweight aluminum V-8 engine. Horsepower is 133 for 49-State cars and 148 for California cars. This car is the 148 cal emission high horsepower version. --The interior finally got upgraded with more luxurious crushed velor upholstery, an updated instrument cluster, easier to use interior door handles and locks and the push-button trunk release button. The 1981 TRs also got intermittent wipers and is wired for front and rear fog lights. --The exterior got the beautiful cloisonne nose badge and several new colors, including the very rare Calvary blue that you see here. Calvary Blue was only available from Sept. 1980 to July 1981, but very few cars came in this color. There have only been half a dozen for sale in the last five years. OK, now about my car. Here’s the story: My car was recently purchased in Feb 2010 from the original owner, a 64 yr old lady who never let anyone else drive it. The car was put in storage in 1995 because the original convertible top was wearing out and the owner did not want to risk getting caught in the rain and having water leak into the interior. Before storage the TR8 got a new water pump and had its radiator redone. The car still runs perfectly cool with the temperature gauge never getting past the half way mark. Since I bought the car and brought it out of storage, I have installed new: --Convertible top --Carpet --Tires --Driver’s door window regulator and weatherstripping --Brakes, including new rear hose, new rear wheel cylinders, resurfaced drums and rotors, repacked wheel bearings, new pads and shoes. --O2 Sensors Also: The car has been given a full and complete tuneup, which includes changing ALL the fluids, transmission, rear axle, brake and clutch. The fuel tank has been cleaned and sealed and will never need servicing again and a new fuel sending unit has been installed. This car is absolutely ready for the winner of this auction to fly in and drive home. The car runs and drives and shifts and stops as good as new. There are no leaks, squeaks, rattles or other untoward noises. The exhaust system has that lovely TR8 quiet roar. The suspension is tight and there are no shakes or shimmies. There are no electrical problems save for 1 speaker that does not work. This car would pass any state's safety inspection quickly and easily. So, just drive and have fun. I might mention that we did not use mix and match parts from here and there. Everything came from Rimmers Bros. in England and is the best you can buy right now. Let me say a word or two about the cosmetics. The car is completely original and has never been monkeyed with or modified in any way. It is not in showroom condition. The paint and body have about some wear and tear from age and use. The paint has some minor spider webbing here and there. There are a few parking lot dings. There is some minor sun damage (fading, mostly) on the tops of the door panels and head rests. But no rust. The car has never been wrecked. There is no bondo, no missing or broken parts. This is a car that is a blank canvas in a way. You can keep it as it is and drive it daily and have fantastically fun and respectable classic British sports car. Or, if you are looking to restore a 1981 to 100 point show condition, this is the one you’d want for that because all the original parts have never been messed with. And no one will have another in Calvary Blue. Nearly all the 1981 have lost there original interiors, and because production was so low, no replacements are available. That’s why many 1981s have unoriginal replacement interiors from 1980 and older TRs. Please look at the pictures and check out the car’s condition. Mileage currently reads 57,442 and those are original miles. My TR8 DOES NOT have air conditioning and never did. That means it isn’t weighed down by about 150 pounds of equipment that isn’t going to work anyway. It has the stock mechanical engine driven fan, which needs no maintenance and will not fail or drain the battery like other TR8s with the troublesome twin electric fans. If you have questions, please fire away. I am happy to make the car available for an independent inspection. I am happy to photograph any part of the car you wish to see. And yes, I will export the car back to Europe. However, if an overseas bidder wins the auction, the car won’t move an inch until the funds have cleared and all the arrangements are made with shipping and customs. I will work with the buyer on shipping by making it available for pickup. Finally, my TR8 is priced fairly based on current values and taking into account the current state of the economy and collector car market. Thanks for looking at my car. This car is listed @ other locations in print and on the web, Seller reserves the right to withdraw this ad at any time. On Jul-05-10 at 08:41:11 PDT, seller added the following information:This Item is being offered world wide