1980 Triumph Other

Convertible

3.5 liter V8

Manual

TCN 160080 UCF

Clear

Gasoline

I am selling my 1980 TR8 Convertible, it came from Arizona and I have owned it since 2004. A friend of mine owned it before that and prior to her it was always owned by the dealer in Phoenix. It was a pre-production convertible made to put on dealer showroom floors at the end of 1979 as the production of cars was so delayed due to labor problems in the UK. Here is a link to describe the problems and confusion of these cars: http://www.team.net/TR8/history/wedgehis2.html. It was repainted the original color appx. 6 years ago and then sat partially reassembled since until this fall. I just repaired the brakes and clutch this last week, the gas tank was replaced several months ago from a donor TR7 FI car. The interior and top were done 6 years ago but never installed. The graphics kit was reproduced to match the original, I realize the color and graphics are not production TR8, this is because they grabbed bodies from the 7 line to make the dealer cars. I have been told this was done with somewhere between 6 and 12 cars. This car has the proper suspension, front cross-member, rear axle, springs, A/C, power steering and brakes to verify it is not a converted 7. The radiator was re-cored about 8 years ago as it always ran hot. I found out that at some point in time a pack-rat had made a nest in the radiator so flow was only on the top 50%, runs nice an cool now. Steering wheel is not the original, it was burned up by AZ sun. This is one from the 7 donor car I had, it was an 81 anniversary edition and I liked it. The graphics kit was made 6 years ago and got old while in storage so it was not 100% when I installed this last week. I have the cutting file for it and will send a new kit to the buyer when they are ready for it. Car runs and drives. Put a new battery in it just several weeks ago. Will change oil before releasing to purchaser. Do not recommend driving this car a long distance as it is just back into shape and will need some watching and minor upkeep/maintenance prior to being a good traveling vehicle. Tires have very little wear but were put on in 1997 so are showing signs of age. Trim inside below the top, carpeted cardboard need to be recovered and installed, the carpet strips are there as are the old parts. This has the Holley / Edelbrock carb and intake installed, made it run much better. The carb may need rebuilt, seems like the floats stick sometimes. I am including the original intake and Zenith carbs, they are packed away in the trunk. I redid the trunk so it looks very nice, the cardboard taillight covers were falling apart so I made new ones from aluminum patterned from the old ones. The top to the OEM battery box is missing, I never have had it. The brake fluid reservoir cracked and since that is not an item you can purchase without the master cylinder, I mounted one on the fender wall, it works quite well. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me thru E-bay or call me @ 239-560-2685. This car is also advertised locally so I reserve the right to end the auction if it sells privately. On Dec-31-14 at 19:31:13 PST, seller added the following information: Please note new pictures: I have moved recently and was having the car shipped to my new residence in MI. The transporter informed me today he was unable to send it. I was told the clutch slave cylinder is now stuck in the depressed position and they could not load the car. It will have to be rebuilt or replaced. The person where the car is stored sent me the new pictures that show some new damage to the rear quarter, he says this was caused by the transporter. I will have this looked at by the body shop next to where the car is and have it repaired or deduct the amount from the final price. The car is still in Fort Myers, Florida and will ship from there. I was also told they left the ignition on after pushing it back into the shop and it continued to pump fuel into the intake. The oil will have to be changed prior to running. The battery has been recharged and disconnected now. On another note: I am aware of the apparent discrepancy in the VIN. I have tried to look into this at depth. I was told, many years prior to my purchase of the car, that the car was one that was delivered to the original dealer in CA. as a showroom only car. The story is he sold many BL cars and had been asking for quite some time for a sample TR8 convertible. He was told not to sell the car as Triumph would take it back when the production vehicles were delivered and so held onto it until 1991, when he sold his dealership. He used it over the years with dealer plates at his dealership in Phoenix, as a loner and allowed his son to take to college and then parked it in the back lot for several years. A salesman at the lot dated a friend of mine and he purchased it for her. He said he had been trying to purchase it for several years but the owner of the dealership would not sell it as he had agreed with the factory not to. When he sold the dealership the new owner sold it. My friend drove it for several years before parking it due to some heat issues. I know the VIN appears not to be correct but the car is not a converted TR7 as the VIN is for an 8, the color is one that production TR8s did not have but it is the color specified on the data plate. The front cross member with the power steering rack are correct for a TR8, not that of a converted 7 and the rear axel, shocks and suspension parts are those of an 8. Also the battery is located in the trunk with the original battery box and factory cables. The emissions label on the hood is for a V8 with EGR, not the 4 cyl.. It is a very nice if odd car. How it came to be I don't know. All I know, to the best of my knowledge, is that it is as it left the factory.