1968 Triumph Other

U/K

2.5L 2498CC 152Cu. In. l6 GAS OHV Naturally Aspira

Manual

CD3025L

Clear

GAS

If you’re looking at this listing, you probably know what a TR250 is. But if not, it’s understandable, the footnote in automotive history that it was. Briefly, it was a one year only model that was never supposed to have happened. By 1968, Triumph was finished with the antiquated 2.2 liter four that powered the TR2-TR4A but wasn’t ready with the new Karmann-designed TR6 body. As a result, the classic Michellotti-designed TR soldiered on for one more model year but with the super-smooth 2.5 liter six that would power the TR6 from 1969-76. The TR250 wound up being viewed by collectors as the best of all worlds and one of the most desirable Triumph models ever. This one is hands-down, the best driving British sports car that I’ve ever owned due to the previous owner’s obsessive-compulsive work. It literally has the best of everything for safety, reliability and performance. Everything is documented in receipts that total close to the asking price and saved in a massive three-ring binder, complete with photos. In addition to the factory owner’s manual and shop manual, the car comes with a comprehensive library of Triumph reference books worth several hundred dollars. DRIVETRAINThe engine was comprehensively rebuilt about 9,000 miles ago in 2006 with uprated valves, bronze thrust washers and uprated main bearing caps and a performance cam from Good Parts. Headers and a free-flow exhaust were also added and carbs were rebuilt at that time. Warm oil pressure at 600 RPM idle is about 35 pounds and about 80 pounds at speed. It pulls like a beast to the redline and has an exhaust note that puts my E-type to shame. By far the best part of the drivetrain is the gearbox. At a cost of over $4,000, the previous owner did a Toyota 5-speed conversion. Ordinarily, I’m not a fan of any type of drivetrain swap, but this is so unobtrusive and such a wonderful upgrade over the TR box with its antiquated J-type Laycock de Normanville overdrive. The shift lever is dead stock and the only way you know it’s there is the superior shift action and when you grab fifth and watch the revs drop to a happy 3,000 RPMs at 70 mph. Upgraded brakes were added to deal with the additional performance. With four pot calipers, ventilated rotors and a rebuilt booster, it stops like a 911. An aluminum radiator and electric fan keeps things at 180 degrees reliably and a modern starter and single wire alternator, modern fuel pump, plus uprated fuse panel banish overheating and the Prince of Darkness. CHASSIS AND SUSPENSIONAs most TR buffs know, the TR2-4 chassis was a pretty robust X-type ladder frame. The bell shaped frame introduced to accommodate the optional IRS of the TR4A was a backward step. It was weak in all of the wrong places—the lower pivot point attachments in front and the trailing arm mounts in the rear have been known to fail from rust or fatigue with dire results. This car has had all of the recommended reinforcements performed in front and uprated trailing arm mounts in the rear (photo documented) with the best grade of fasteners used throughout (plus a rear tube shock conversion). The front suspension was completely rebuilt with new trunnions and poly bushings (again documented in receipts and photos). BTW, the welded flange in the rear or the frame isn’t a patch of any kind but just a flange added to secure a large fuel filter. BODYIn spite of the car’s history in Missouri (I drove it up to Michigan), it doesn’t seem to have suffered from serious rust issues. The inner rockers are dry and sound, floors look original and very good and the outer rockers have the nice hollow, metallic feel that suggests ferrous metal and little to no filler. All seams in the rockers and tops of the fenders are clean and present. The silver reflective stripe is correct and painted per factory. The top is a brand new correct reflector replacement. According to the previous owner, the car was painted in the early 1990s before he tackled the mechanicals. It’s a somewhat thick respray over the first paint. Prep work was slightly uneven and it’s showing some age with the usual touch up spots. While the car was certainly apart, (the windshield frame was off the car and new seals were used) it could have been roughed up better in spots. The character line in the rear fenders shows some cracking that isn’t really obtrusive because of the location. There’s also an “outie” of about three inches on the bonnet. Overall, it’s very straight, has normal gaps for a TR and shines quite nicely. I mention all of this to be as forthcoming as possible. In person, the car has tons of eyeball that is a combination of the colors, gloss, stance and wheel/tire combination as well as the Lucas fogs. You could spot in the tops of the fenders between the character line and the fender beading or just leave it alone or if you really felt compelled, take it to bare metal this winter. I’d pass on doing anything and leave it as a presentable worry-free driver. Chrome is nice but not concours by any means. The wheels are UK-made Panasport copies (there are FIVE of them) with newer performance Goodyears.INTERIORThe interior was re-done when the gearbox swap was done in 2006 with Dynamat insulation on the floors, composite gearbox cover, red wool carpeting, new seat covers (in the correct TR250 diamond insert embossed vinyl) new seat diaphragms, door panels and dash. Minor gauges were replaced with new VDOs that are a good match and actually work. I have the original Smiths if you want to go back to those. The speedo just crapped out (sadly not the cable) and I bought a freshly rebuilt correct Smiths unit. In keeping with the previous owner’s desire to make this a fully functional driver, it has an uprated blower fan and multi-position switch that blows heat like a blast furnace. And while I despise the look of the modern radio, I have to admit, you can actually hear it which is kind of nice. Everything works including the wipers, hazards and squirters.TR250s seem to fall into two categories, trailer queens priced in the high thirties and nasty money pits that will wind up costing you far more than buying a done car in the first place. This is a car that you can enjoy now without worry, a mechanically sorted classic TR with nice driver-quality cosmetics. It’s an ideal tour car or even fair weather daily driver. I think it's priced spot on in today's market, but I'm willing to listen. I will say though that the last car that I sold about a month ago was also priced similarly right and while one individual was trying to squeeze a few hundred dollars out of me, someone else hit the "Buy it Now." Kind of silly to lose a car over a few hundred if you ask me. I’ve tried to describe everything to the best of my ability. If you have any questions, just ask. Any inspections need to be performed during the pendency of the auction. You’re not buying an option to buy the car. Overseas bidders, unexplained bad feedback or feedback under ten, please e-mail before bidding. NOTE: I have no idea the true mileage of the car. The black California front plate is strictly decoration and doesn't go with the car. Happy bidding. On Sep-09-14 at 19:32:29 PDT, seller added the following information: I have been asked several questions about the drivetrain of the car: I do NOT have the original Triumph 4-speed gearbox. Since I didn't perform any of the work to the car, I do not know if the engine and differential are original to the car. It is certainly not being represented as some sort of "matching numbers" car (to the extent that is possible with a Triumph). Some watchers have opined that the differential might be from a TR6. With the geabox swap and brake, radiator, tube shock and alternator upgrades, it is obvious that this car has been significantly altered from stock. If absolute originality is of paramount importance to you, this is NOT the car for you. Again, you will note that in light of these deviations from stock and the age of the restoration, the reserve on the car was less than half the price of the red Surrey top car also currently on eBay. Forties is the price of perfection, twenties that of a good driver with flaws. Other questions have been asked about the frame. As I mentioned, it was also certainly worked on by the previous owner in the suspension mounting areas for safety. These are well-known weak spots. The car shows no signs of significant rust repair or collision damage that I can detect above or beneath the car. The condition of the floors, trunk, rockers, inner fenders, etc. makes it appear highly unlikely that the frame had been repaired for rust as these areas are sound and original-looking. Again, I am open to any inspection during the pendancy of the auction and I am happy to send hi-res photos of any part of the car to anyone seriously interested. This is of course and as-is sale of a nearly fifty year old car. On Sep-10-14 at 12:25:08 PDT, seller added the following information: In response to questions and comments on Bring-a-Trailer, it does NOT appear to be filler cracking. It's just a thick old respray. Paint collected on the top of the ridge of the character line and this is the result after twenty plus years. As for the suspension work, the car tracks very nicely. I drove it 600 miles up to Michigan after losing my storage in Missouri where I'm originally from. The receipts with the car reflect the work that was done to the suspension mounting points by the previous owner and he spoke about that with me. The previous owner certainly had the ability to do the work correctly and he specifically said that it was for safety, not rust repair reasons that he did the work. The condition of the rest of the car supports this and to me makes it unlikely that there was rust repair work done on the frame. Again, I am happy to send hi-res images of the underside of the car to anyone who wants them.