[Fot] Beautiful TR4 roller project for sale

[Scott Janzen]

I realized after almost ten years that I don’t have plans or time to get to this project.  I bought it from Dave Talbott - Dave’s write-up on the car is posted below, along with a few photos he had.  Though the body photo shows it off the frame, it is currently mounted to the finished chassis.  The car has a beautiful paint job - too good for a race car - and the frame and suspension bits are powder coated.  It’s super clean - you could eat off the underside.
I had planned to put it back in race car form given the history Dave describes, but it could easily be a street car or a V8 conversion, for you non-purists.  The body and frame show no signs of rust or accidents ever - right now they look as good or better than when they came out of the factory - certainly the frame does. If someone has a car with major terminal rust, this is a great fit.
In addition to what’s in Dave’s description, I have several heads, several cranks, an un-rebuilt (i.e., old) engine, transmission, seats, spare body panels for everything but the hood, much other stuff - the result of owning two other TR4s, one racing, one street, that  I sold without all their spares.  Gauges, door hardware, lights, trim, etc all come with the car.  The engine is from a TR4A-IRS car.  Door jambs, trunk, floors, etc all have a beautiful glossy paint finish with no signs of work or damage anywhere.  It’s really just a big assembly job, along with rebuilding the engine and transmission.  For street car use, there is no windshield or frame.  I think i have a top frame in my parts collection.

The car is rolling on old, crusty stock steel wheels and ancient mismatched bias plies.

I’m looking for $9,300 for the lot.  Located just north of Philadelphia PA.  I could deliver within a modest distance-say 200 miles. Right now the car is sitting in a storage unit under a car cover, as I ran out of garage space. It has been indoors and covered since I bought it, and was when Dave had it, so it looks terrific.  If someone has serious interest, I can haul it out and take photos, but it really it is as described.  

Scott Janzen
215-817-9315

Dave’s description:
TR4 Rolling Chassis for Sale

This 1963 solid axle car originally started out life as a D Production club racer that was built and driven by Bob Maloney here in the Pacific NW, and I became its second owner in 1968. I raced the car for three years before catching the “real” race car bug (Formula Fords), and it was stored until 1978 when I sold it to an aspiring local racer and lost track of it. About 10 years ago I was contacted by the then owner who, with the help of a partner, was restoring the car as a vintage racer. They had found my name listed as the last person to have titled the car, and they wondered if I was that same person, and if so if I might fill them in on its early history. Long story short, the partnership later got a bit stale and I ended up buying back the unfinished project several years ago, but given the current business climate, I have a greater need for the money, so I’d like to find it a new home.

The car had never sustained any significant crash damage, and even prior to restoration it was in a very straight, rust free condition. I have corrected the one very obvious non-standard modification (the front mounting points of the rear springs), and I have developed templates and fabricated components for both the roll cage and a fuel cell; however I had not yet commenced the frame and body modifications that the installation of those would involve. I’m hopeful that someone from the FoT may be interested in this as a racer, but if I don’t see a response soon, it’s headed for eBay as I think it could easily be turned back into a very nice street car. 

The car is being sold without an engine or transmission. The frame and all the body components were chemically stripped and the frame and many of the suspension items have been powder coated. The body has been finished with a catalyzed Sikkens Acryl system. A body man who has previously done some very nice restoration work for me looked the body over and was quite pleased with the level of the work, although he pointed out that a few of the body parts still require block sanding and final buffing. The only non-original body part is the front valance with an oval duct that was a new TR 250 part that I had put on the car in the late 60’s to take advantage of the opening for air flow to an oil cooler.

The relocation of the front mounting points for the rear springs was apparently intended to change the roll center; however that resulted in vertical steel tubes protruding through the floors, and on the driver’s side this happened to be right where my big ass needed to fit. I cut the tubes from the frame and made templates from the holes in the tub and cut the sheet metal bits out of a donor car and then welded them into place. You will see from the photos that one side has been completed and primed and the other has just been welded into place. The frame-reinforcement work consists of the addition of a 1/8” steel plates welded to the tops of the center cruciform, the boxing in of the cross channels and gusseting of the front suspension connection points and several areas of the front towers that are evident in the photos.  Scott- these two patches in the body would be in the area behind the seats, and covered by carpet, though they are very nicely executed.  If you were to look at the frame, you will see no evidence of the tubes he references being cut away.

The front suspension has been rebuilt with new bushings and many new parts including trunions, ball joints and tie rod ends. The upper control arms have been modified for camber adjustment and fasteners have been upgraded throughout. I have not measured the front spring rates or lengths, but I do not think they are stock. A pair of new Koni shocks (still in their original box) is included

The front brakes are apparently Jaguar calipers with slotted rotors and a second set of new rotors is included. The rear brakes have been rebuilt including new cylinders and new Datsun finned aluminum drums. As with the front springs, I’m not certain about the spec’s on the rear leaf springs.

 Scott - the front brakes were bolt-on alterations and can easily be reversed. Rotors and calipers are easily available.

The rear axle has been rebuilt with new inner and outer bearings; however it has stock axle shafts and has not received the Southwick modifications. The rear shocks are rebuilt lever arm shocks that I assume have stock valving.

There are a variety of TR4-specific items that will go with the car including an assortment of sway bars, a new Plexiglas windscreen (that was based on the original), a new tunnel cover, roto-molded fuel cell, aluminum interior panels, extra fenders for all four corners, and various bits and pieces that are shown in the photos.

 The car has been fitted with an adjustable bias dual master cylinder brake/clutch cylinder system 

The steering shaft is fitted with a hex male coupling end to accept a Wilwood-style quick disconnect hub.


Photo of Dave with the car in 1969
 

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