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Hi all, which sound proofing should I use ? I used the black ones last time but I have heard about dodo mat, is this any good ? any thoughts would be appreciated. Regards Ron

Hello All, A couple of specific questions about the available Hi Torque starter motors that I've not seen answered already, please... I am looking to purchase a Hi Torque starter motor pending sorting out the rebuild of my original starter motor. All of the suitable Hi Torque starter motors seem to come with a built in threaded stud (fixed in bolt) that is no doubt meant to assist getting the motor mounted onto the car. My car had a "long nose" M418G, L3, possibly part number 25521B (it's very hard to read), a "bolt on" ring gear, and a 10 tooth pinion. I would prefer to buy one without this stud (i.e. just with two holes, like the original starters) - does one exist please? Failing that, is there one where the built in threaded stud is at least on the bottom - as as far I can see if it's on the top it must make it even harder to fit due to the minimal access to the immediate other side of the bell-housing unless you have an access hole in the gearbox tunnel. Many thanks Tony

Hi Guys. I'm new here living in Arizona USA. I just recently purchased an original all aluminum hardtop (surrey type). It came with everything but the actual surrey top, listing rails and headliner. Have the aluminum hardtop and backlight frame w/glass. Doing a restoration on it currently. I purchased GT6 listing rails, as they appear similar and they should work but may need some minor trimming. If someone has their listing rails out for headliner replacement I'd sure appreciate if they could measure the outside curve(side that goes against the hardtop) end to end excluding the little clips on the ends. I would need them for the front, middle, and rear rails. I know not many (if any) will have these available for measuring but thought I'd ask. I have been lurking on the forum for a while and enjoy the knowledgeable responses and friendliness of everyone on the forum. By the way I currently own a 66 TR4A and a TR250. Thanks Dave

. That was a year that was.. This was the year in which Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral took place in London. The same year, Lyndon Baines Johnson had been sworn in as President of the United States following the assassination of John F. Kennedy (an event which had occurred some 14 months earlier). Stanley Mathews played in his last 1st division game, and the unmanned lunar space probe Ranger-8 crashed onto the moon. The USA sent their first 3,500 combat troops to Vietnam and instigates Rolling Thunder (almost 3-years of sustained aerial bombing). While back home in Alabama - State troops lay mercilessly into a peaceful protest march (known as Bloody Sunday). Ironically this happened on the Edmund Pettus Bridge which was named after a former Confederate Brigadier General, and also Grand Wizard of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan. Following graphic television coverage of that event, Lyndon Johnson implemented a Bill of Rights for American Negroes. Russian Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov leaves his spacecraft for 12 minutes to becomes the first man to walk in space. ‘My Fair Lady’ wins 8 Academy Awards, and ‘Mary Poppins’ takes five Oscars. Intelsat-1 communications satellite is deployed - marking a turning point in television, telephone, radio, internet, and military technology. While down on earth - the Pennine Way is officially opened. Racing driver Jim Clark wins the Indianapolis 500, and then goes on to win the Formula one championships. Muhammad Ali knocks out Sonny Liston in a world heavyweight championship rematch, while the Rolling Stones “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" is released. The Beatles second movie Help! premieres and they perform the very first ‘stadium concert’ playing before a 55,600 audience at Shea Stadium in New York City. Cigarette advertising is banned on British television, and Singapore is expelled from the Federation of Malaysia. And then recognised as a sovereign nation. After almost two years the Auschwitz War Crimes trials in Frankfurt are concluded. 66 former SS personnel receive life sentences and 15 others receive lesser sentences for their doings. Bob Dylan releases his influential album ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ Incredibly all of the above happened in the first 8 months of that year ..even before Tom & Jerry or the Thunder-Birds were first aired.! But then.., around about this same time a small sports car was sold ..to an American working in England. His name was E. Crawford Morton. And he came from New York State. At that time, he was assigned to work in Britain & Europe for the International Paper Co. of Ticonderoga, NewYork. The year was 1965, and so this particular story starts some 54 years ago. The car he chose was British Racing Green with a light tan coloured hood and leather seats. It was the new independent rear suspension Triumph TR4A. And aside from its Laycock type-A overdrive, and it being a Left hand drive car delivered to a customer in England - it was unexceptional. Well that is as ‘unexceptional’ as any gleamingly brand new TR4 sports car might be ..when owned by a wealthy American living in Britain during the swinging sixties. So, Crawford (as his family liked to call him) took the car to Standard-Triumph’s authorised specialist tuners ; SAH of Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire ..for a few ‘enhancements’. Sid A. Hurrell (SAH) had made a name for himself preparing and successfully racing a TR2, indeed his performance tuning parts were used in Triumph’s work’s cars, with aspects of those carried into subsequent production. The Triumph TR2 soon made a name for itself in both club and International racing events, in sprints, hill climbs, and in rallying. SAH had a catalogue of special parts for the Triumph Herald (which made also quite an impact within international rally circles) and Vittesse (competitive in saloon car racing). Parts were developed for the 1300 and 1500cc Triumphs, the Bond, and for the Triumph 2000 and 2500 models. Naturally each model from TR2 onwards were tuned, tweaked and lightened.. If you're not aware of SAH - they later became Triumph-Tune. E. Crawford Morton was a great enthusiast of motor racing and whenever an opportunity arose he would take off to a Grand Prix event ..anywhere across Europe. Apparently he was not only a spectator but according to his nephew Fletch “Crawford never raced that TR, but he was a very fast and skilled driver who used all of the cars capabilities on those lovely New York Adirondack roads” Clearly a man of discernment who also appreciated the advantages of lightweight components in racing &/or in a true seat-of-the-pants sport-cars, because one of the things Crawford really wanted of SAH was a set of their knock-on JA Pearce magnesium-alloy wheels (Magna alloys). A set of these make wire wheels, alloys and even the works perforated-steel wheels appear heavyweight and/or fragile. This is a TR4, so not the same car but coincidentally is in the same colours and with magna wheels. Of course, as the car was to be left with SAH anyway - then the engine might also be tuned, an oil temperature gauge, cooler, and filter fitted. A Girling ‘brake booster’ and addition driving lamps were also fitted. It is believed the engine received a Stage-1 tune : for fast road use. In petrol-head terms that’s raising the TR4A's standard 104bhp to a modest 135bhp - without loosing around town low rev’s driveability. What’s that 30% more power ? This was achieved mainly through camshaft and cylinder-head re-work, carb jetting and filters, ignition electrics, and the standard exhaust manifold being swapped out for SAH’s four branch extractor pipes. It is probable that the engine was also balanced for endurance ..to survive his high-speed jaunts to GP events across Europe. What's certain is that the wheels and tyres selected to transmit this performance potential to the tarmac were of wide profile. And, for road use throughout Europe, that meant the wheel-arches needed extending. Remember we’re talking about a brand new car here. Incredible as it might seem nowadays - Crawford had SAH replace the TR4’s four wings with fibreglass ones. These not only had extended wheel arch brows but I understand saved about 15lb in weight ..off each panel. That weight saving may not seem very much, but from a standing start in a quarter-mile acceleration run ; a 30lb weight saving would equate to 0.1 seconds difference. Again seemingly not worth the effort, but.. with two otherwise identical cars side by side - the lighter one would be 12-foot in front.! And aside from aiding acceleration - such weight saving at the extremities also help to centralise the car’s mass for crisper handling. These Triumphs aren’t a heavy car anyway, the weight distribution is also pretty good on the 4-cyclinder model, and then of course the C of G is very low too. With IRS and a 30% increase in power, and also factoring considerable weight saving in having magnesium-alloy wheels, and a little tweaking of the suspension parts, then we’re beginning to talk about a road car that not only performed exceptionally well but also handled better than most any other on the road at that time. Jaguars and Astons would have had much more power but a lightweight TR might well take the inside track ..and be whole lot more fun as well. Anyway, I’m rambling.. not least because much of this SAH special equipment has been lost to the financial needs of the car’s more recent owner. Unfortunately this car’s history, subsequent to Crawford, is at present a little vague - except that there were three further owners, and what we might gather from a bumper sticker, believed to be a pass to a military installation - dated 1982. So let's fast forward to June 1998 when the present owner - a Mr. Raymond Lucas Hatfield of Little Rock, Arkansas bought this very same TR4A. " I rescued the car from what was basically a junkyard - a garage that had many old cars abandoned behind it. My wife said the I was giving it a 'second chance' at being used, and the name stuck ". Apparently it had been there as junk for years. “ Mr. Crawford passed away before I bought the car, but apparently he told the second owner that he had rallied the car in England for several years before returning to the United States, bringing the car with him. There is evidence on the car that it had been driven hard at some point and suffered some damage ; dents to the frame, some holes and dents in the body. I spoke to the second owner, who states he only drove it on the road until about 1980 when he started tearing it apart to rebuild it. The rebuild stalled and he finally sold it to the individual I bought it from in 1991. There it sat until 1998 when I bought it " The car was bought and so collected from Birmingham, Alabama (some 375 miles away from Little Rock, Arkansas). Unfortunately on the way home, with the car on a tow dolly - it dropped off its rear right wheel. “While loading the TR on the dolly, I noticed that the 'spinner' was missing off the right rear wheel, but thought it of no consequence since I (and the seller) were under the impression that these were bolt-on wheels. In all fairness, I do not recall seeing any part of the spindle showing on that rim to clue any of us to the fact that it was a knock off wheel. … I'm quite sure that all of you know what happened now. I made it from Birmingham, AL to about 50 miles from my home in Arkansas before that wheel came off. As it came off, it tore the fiberglass rear fender off. Fortunately, that was the extent of the damage to the TR, but now I am stuck with the car on the side of the freeway in the middle of the night! " Raymond in his forum posts and in correspondence with myself tells us that the "engine was seized up from being parked in a junkyard for 10 years". In due course the motor was removed from the car and stripped down, with the offending piston released from its bore ..courtesy of a big hammer smashing the cylinder liner. On the four banger TR’s these are wet sleeve (dry on the six cylinder), and rather than simply replace the liners, the owner acquired another short-block TR4 motor. But in his heart of hearts - he hankered for a Triumph TR5 with its smoother and more powerful six cylinder sea anchor. And so is found investigating, on American brit-car forums, the options of a more powerful engine to drop into Chance. V8’s as well as straight-six Toyota and the 2.8 ltr BMW motors were each considered for “a sleeper Vette killer”. At the same time he was also considering selling the overdrive transmission in favour of a modern five-speed box., but after much deliberation he opted to buy a six-cylinder TR6’s engine. In the same transaction came a TR6 chassis - which still appears to be in good shape. The replacement 4-cylinder short-block was sold on, and the original engine remained in bits. Over the past, almost 21 years of present ownership, the car’s Second Chance hasn’t yet come to realisation. The front brake callipers have I’m told been swapped out for Toyota four-pot items, and the rear suspension has modern shock absorbers in place of the original Armstrong lever arm types. Raymond has his own TR enthusiast website which recall some of this car's history (last updated c.2005 ). Unfortunately there is not one photo of the car nor any part of it. Below is a recent photo from the for sale advert to which I replied. The exceptionally lightweight and strong knock-off Magna wheels were sold for $800, to an English guy in 2003. And bolt-on Mustang Bullitt (c.2001 model) aluminium alloys fitted instead. The Englishman who bought the wheels was a Mr. Roger Butt “who then restarted the company and made new wheels on the same pattern. The company he worked for (Rotex Developments) had a factory/warehouse here in Arkansas” Tidbit : Roger Butt was Company Secretary to Osprey Marine Ltd between February ‘94 and March 1998. He was appointed Director of Rotex Developments Ltd (Present Company status : Dissolved) in August ‘05, and again appointed Director of J.A. Pearce Engineering Ltd (Present Company status : Dissolved ) in 2012. The latter is of course the same name as having originally made racing and sports wheels. The car has been stripped out of its interior. I’m told the original leather seats didn’t withstand being out in the elements ..so they have gone in favour of a pair of high-back Mazda Maida seats, not yet fitted. The dashboard timber, light-tan door cards and carpet set have been replaced, but again not refitted. The black steering wheel looks like an SAH one (it’s leather rimmed with slotted aluminium spokes). And little niceties like the SAH embossed ashtray and the engine’s SAH cast-alloy rocker-cover have also gone, as has the car’s oil cooler, temp gauge setup, and quick change filter. Non have been replaced. The fuel tank and under-bonnet space are also stripped out, but most of those parts are with the car, albeit in unknown condition after having been stored for the past 21 years, plus another 10 years " parked in a junkyard". From what I can see in photos and has been discussed in email correspondence with Raymond, around the bulkhead’s battery tray is rusted, as is the lower forward edge of the boot floor and spare wheel well. These have in part been patched by one of the interim owners, as has one sill. Both sills have holes to their inside rear corners, and the floors show sign of nature’s aeration. The paintwork is scruffy, apparently looking better in the photos than in life. And the bumpers, like pretty much everything else, are off the car and have seen brighter days. Most probably there are numerous minor bits missing or beyond repair, but as an optimist - I’ll presume 90% of the car is there and might be reusable, if enough time and money is spent in their recondition. Oh btw., the car is still in Arkansas, which in case you are unaware is 450 miles sorta north of Huston, Texas and similarly from New Orleans. This being west across state from Memphis Tennessee ..so not exactly close to any coastline or shipping port. So, as a largely dismantled non-runner, the overland transport and shipping freight is going to cost £-thousands. However, even factoring in the transport cost - this TR4A is as cheap as I could find (..cheap is a relative term !). And unlike most cars from the States ; it does has an interesting history. Although not at this time paper-documented ; the (three remaining) flared grp wings and other remaining SAH parts, as well as email correspondence from the nephew do confirm the story. Accordingly, a week last Friday I put a bid on it. And then I had a counter offer, which I accepted on condition that he’ll prepare and pack the car (together with the 'spare' chassis) for transport (my proposal below) . Last Monday evening I received an affirmative response. No, I promise to NOT paint this TR4 red.! So there we are, I have to sell a motorcycle or two and my Ami-super but., despite it being ridiculously too small a car for someone as old, or tall and broad as myself (6’-5” with the accumulative effects of gravity for 60++ years) - it is what I hanker for. And if I don’t do it now then I don’t suppose I’ll ever have the 'chance' again. I hope my reckless abandonment of any last remnant of common-sense ..and the consequential issues I’ll have to deal with over the next couple of years will of some passing amusement to you all. Bfg p.s. As a pushed-into-early-retirement individual (former design engineer) ..this restoration / recommissioning will be on a very tight budget. As mentioned - I'm also very tall, so concessions to those factors override any idea of originality. This will not be a car for the purist as I have no qualms at all in using seats out of a Triumph Herald or else an MG or Austin 7 if they are suitably period styled, available cheaply, and better accommodate my freak-sized frame. If anyone chooses to help me out anywhere along the line - then I'd be incredibly grateful - I'm in Suffolk. Cheers to all !

Since fitting the vinyl hood a number of years ago it appears to have shrunk although it was tight from the beginning. It is very difficult to get the hood catches to engage and lock, very difficult in the cold weather, In the hot weather it is easier. I have left the hood up for a while now in the hope it will stretch. Can anyone recommend a way of making it stretch permanently. Thanks Alan.

What kind of noise or symptoms would I expect to get if a big end or little end has worn? My 4A engine has developed a noise despite no change in any performance, tickover, running etc or drop in oil pressure or oil usage.

If replacing the long bolt on the water pump assembly with a 3” stud to ease future removal is there a recommended method to fit it? I assume it can be screwed into the block through the pump body with the body not removed from the block? Is the stud loctited into the block?

My previous TR3a and my newly bought TR4a have overdrive on 2/3/4. Can anyone refer me to an idiots guide on how to make proper use of it. On my TR3 I only used it in overdrive top, as a fifth gear, and so far the same with the 4a. Quite honestly I cant see much point in overdrive 2 and 3 due to the constant in and out of overdrive and normal gears. As it is I sometimes forget that the car is in overdrive top when changing down to third. Please be gentle with your replies! Richard

Good gathering this Sunday (9th June) @ Hook Norton brewery from 1000hrs until around lunchtime. Good selection of cars but not usually many TR,s, nice food in the cafe & a great selection of beers etc to take home! Brewery Lane, Hook Norton, Oxfordshire.

Hi I know this may not be for this forum but it is a TR4A?? I met the original owner of NJH 777D (Picture attached) Does anyone know where it is? Who owns it? Is it for sale? I met the original owner today and at 77 years old he is quite keen to be reunited with his car. He is still fixing cars and makes an amazing job of them. Would be great to get them reunited. Best Paul.

Hi all, I have started to dismantle my TR4A and I have noticed that the wheel studs are short 17mm as against 25mm , I want to eventually use Minilites and wondered if they are long enough, Thoughts would be welcome. Regards Ron

Can anybody advice best place to buy an angled speedo drive? I understand that quality on these can be an issue. Alan.

Just had my starter solenoid fail. With the subject of poor quality parts often arising is the standard item from Moss or Rimmers ok or are there better quality options around? Much of a muchness?

Hello guys and gales, I've got a rather good TR4 IRS body lying in my barns, and think about using it to built a TR4 "A", ie an IRS converted to rigid axle. Do you know if there is any differences between a TR4"A" and a "real" TR4A IRS chassis, and between a TR4A and a TR4 A IRS body ? I strictly don't know the extend of modifications who was bring to these cars, to convert IRS to rigid axle for the US market. Thanks !

Hi to all, haven’t posted for awhile, not since the bonnet saga just painted engine bay, triumph, Royal blue, quite pleased with the result use a two pack couple of questions, the primer I used was a filler primer two coats, should I put two coats of blue on and how long in between coats also seem to be having trouble getting right into the corners. Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated the nozzle on the spray gun is a 1.4 mm

Browns Classics monthly breakfast gathering this Saturday 7/10/23 @ Firs farm, Leckhampstead, near Newbury RG20 8RD from 1000 to 1200 hours. Might be nice run out if weather as predicted. Free entry with bacon & sausage butties available.

Gentlemen, Can someone please advise me if the thread type on the three mounting studs is either 3/16” UNF or 2 BA. Part number 17H5431. Thanks Graham

High torque starter motor has recently started to sound a bit odd & rather noisy on using. Today after a run it finally failed to start. I have just noticed that both retaining bolts are very loose & the unit can be rocked by hand. Is it hopeful that just the 2 bolts need retightening or could something have been damaged when starting the engine as the bolts were getting looser? Now need a tow to my local garage as the bolts, especially the top one, look very inaccessible without a hoist.

Driving yesterday the horn suddenly only worked intermittently & now today it does not work at all. I have taken the horn push out from the Motalita wheel along with the ‘pencil’ which is a little worn on the soldered end but not excessively. With the steering wheel off the copper ring appears pretty clean. There is a plastic disc with a cutout (presumably for the ‘pencil’) but it just appears to ‘float’ on top of the copper ring so not sure what that does. The ‘pencil’ is the 2.6 length but it has worked fine for years with the Motalita wheel. A bit baffled so any suggestions gratefully received.

Gentlemen, Just trying to get a heads up before I start removing the door panel. Tha window will wind about half way down and then will not go any further. It will wind back up without a problem and will then wind down again to half way. Can anyone give me suggestions of what the problem may be please? Thanks Graham

Has anyone have any experience of professional paint treatment to remove any swirl marks/defects etc. followed by ceramic coating to further protect? I have been offered a trial treatment on a small area of the TR to see the difference. Not a cheap procedure but some results I have seen are quite impressive.

Hi, guys. Here I'm going again. So, after successfully changing the lower inner suspension bushings, with the pride of an accomplished job, I hop on the car for a test drive. As it had been some weeks since I last started the car, I primed the fuel pump by pressing upwards on the small lever it has. I am surprised, as the lever goes up but, rather than feeling some resistance as the fuel is pumped, it goes up. And I don't see any fuel coming into the inline fuel filter. I then try to start the car and it doesn't (my TR4A has always started on the first attempt). I checked there was spark, just in case, and everything seemed fine on the ignition department. I then checked the carburettor fuel bowls and the second one was empty, with the first one half full. Pipes to.the fuel bowls unobstructed. I poured fuel in the bowls and car starts immediately, dying after less than a minute. Fuel bowl empty again. I think the issue can be traced to the fuel pump or the fuel hoses from the tank. Now, the front of the car has been for almost a week on axle stands, for the suspension job. Can this be related?. Maybe sludge from.the tank has obstructed the pipes due to the car being with the front up?.the transparent fuel bowl in the pump is full of fuel, with a sediment of sludge, but when I try to open it I get fuel dripping, suggesting that the fuel is getting there from the tank. Can the pump have been damaged fro being dry?. How can I check the pump without filling my garage floor with fuel?

Has anyone ever fitted a Go Pro camera to their car to look back at the driver and/or facing forward? My 4a is to be used by my son at his wedding for his transport from the church to the reception and he wants to capture the ride so I would like to know the best position for the camera and type of mount. Many thanks Andy C

Hi everyone The recent post about K&N oil filters in the 4/4A section has got me thinking about oil filters generally - K&N have a good reputation and the filter is clearly quite large- all of which points to a top class product capable of doing a top job, I presume. How varied are oil filters generally? I have in my stock of parts 3 different spin on oil filters from different manufacturers - they are quite different in size (length) and weight, but all the same diameter with a coarse thread so appear to be OK to fit a spin on converter They are: 1. GKN Masterparts Part no MOF 1X Length 96mm Weight 230 gms 2. Comline Filtro Part no EOF041 Length 80mm Weight 286 gms 3. QH TJ Part no RR1243 QFL0099 Length 80mm Weight 308 gms Does the fact that 2 are much shorter mean they are inferior, albeit they are quite a lot heavier - I'm fairly sure the last two have come from TR suppliers in the not too distant past , but clearly the GKN one is a lot older . Would it be worth using these filters up on a new engine build which would have an oil and filter change at 500 - 1000 miles or is it even more important to have the best filter at the start - my thoughts were to use them up like this and then to revert to the K&N one for longer service. Ready to be shot down! Cheers Rich

Just changed the oil in my gearbox/J type overdrive. How long does the oil take to circulate & refill fully the o/d. I was wondering how long to leave before I recheck the oil level in the gearbox. I fully drained the o/d by removing the small sump cover. Does the oil flow into the o/d immediately or does it require a few miles running is the question I guess.