Richard
I'm the original owner of a 63 TR4. To answer your questions:
1) I was attracted by the styling and the beginnings of an impressive
competition career. (See Tullius, Kastner et al) The styling
has aged well, and the engine and suspension have been very
responsive to performance upgrades.
2) The biggest downer over the years was little, if any, rust
protection. Not a problem with race prepped cars, but if you use a
TR4 for your daily ride in the Northeast for 13 years, it'll rust
in places where other cars don't even have places. There have
also been persistant rainwater leaks at the front corners of both
the hard and soft tops.
3) A prospective buyer should watch out for anything that would be
expensive or disheartening to repair. Rust in the frame
or tub comes to mind. If I were in the market, I would pay for a fully
restored car to drive.
Cheers
Pete Fullam
Clifton Park, NY
CT19207L
40 years, 181000 miles and counting
Richard Feibusch wrote:
>Dear Triumph Folks,
>
>I am now writing the thumbnail British car buyers guides that I used to
>write in the, now de-funked British Car Magazine, for the new British
>Motoring publication (formerly Moss Motoring - gee, this is damn confusing)
>from Media 2000/Moss Motors, quarterly. My next guide will be for Triumph
>TR2, 3 and 4.
>
>I would like to invite all owners and former owners of these cars to answer
>three questions about them. Remember, the best way to get yours published
>is to keep the reply as short and concise as possible. I also ask that you
>include your name and the town where you reside.
>
>1) What attracted you to the Triumph TR2,3, or 4 and what are your
>favourite features and aspects of these cars?
>
>2) What are the less-than-brilliant aspects of the car? where did they fall
>short?
>
>3) What should a prospective buyer look for when considering buying one of
>these classic Triumph?
>
>It is not important that you answer all three and, yes, they do overlap a
>bit. We did this about general British car ownership in my opening feature
>in British Motoring and last year's Spitfire Buyers Guide in British Car
>before it raced off into another direction.
>
>Thanks in advance for any input that you send and will return a complete
>response from everyone to all who respond. We all love the stories. Again
>remember, the best way to get yours published is to keep the reply as short
>and concise as possible. I also ask that you include your name and the town
>where you reside.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Rick Feibusch
>Automotive Historian
>Journalist & Appraiser
>Venice Beach, CA
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