mfidler
-
Posts
26 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Blogs
Gallery
Downloads
Store
Events
Posts posted by mfidler
-
-
2 hours ago, Mathew said:
Not many people want to get there hands dirty these days. So they factor the price of repairs by a tradesmen before purchase . This means a drivable car has alot more value than book price. So if you don't mind getting your own hands dirty there could still be some bargains out there.
True - although some barely drivable ones have been selling for rather too much.
I've messaged the seller of the very original and tidy looking 1963 TR4 on carandclassic just now, apparently had it for the past 48 years so should know everything about it. If I could get one like it I'd keep it as-is and wouldn't bother with any mods.
-
48 minutes ago, AndyTV8 said:
Super..... glad you are having more success, enjoy the search
Thanks, I keep meaning to ring people up, but just as I'm about to I always see something a little more enticing. I wonder what's going to happen to the market over the next few months now that no-one's been really selling over winter due to the usual reasons.
-
8 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:
Yikes! There's a Herald convertible going on that site for £13,000 and the paint looks to have been applied with a roller...
That bulkhead looks decidedly more uneven than the paintwork - someone will still have it now the sun's come out! Insane that someone's asking that money for any Herald convertible, especially one with a tired looking interior and surface rust alluding to a lack of diligence in ownership.
Either that or they've decided to spray it on as thick as they can to avoid the time it takes to put a second coat on. I lamentably did something similar earlier this year spraying a coffee table which I now regret every time I look at it.
-
Thanks for the heads up Andy, I might be going that way in a couple of weeks so might postpone until then, looks like it needs a few little bits done, but no obvious clangers in the pictures.
I saw this very tidy example
On the carandclassic site today - probably well worth a trip up to Warwickshire, looking very original with all the desirables and the same owner since 1972, which hopefully means there'll be a good deal of information about the quality of restoration it's seen in the last 20 years or so.
Another interesting one across the Thames from me
A little bit too modified for my liking, and the price is a little high, panel gaps may be off judging from photos (although polybushed)
I'm quite tempted to sit on my hands for another week, see how much this one sells for at auction and then take it from there, as a few much more promising looking cars have come onto my radar after a few months of pretty much nothing at all.
-
2 hours ago, AndyTV8 said:
I did read some info on it a while ago - but don’t remember the detail. I believe the owner is from the United States and probably a link to pool - doesn’t take much to change the gear knob, not sure if the roof is paint or decal - I’d speak to the owner if i were you.
Thanks Andy, I'll get in touch later - do you have a link to what you saw beforehand? Checking the MOT history reveals nothing since 2018 which is an awfully long time for a car in regular use.
-
3 minutes ago, AndyTV8 said:
I thought you may find it of interest
Any ideas on the '3' theme?
-
What a beauty! I need a nights sleep, but this looks a good deal more promising.
-
44 minutes ago, AndyTV8 said:
If you are still interested in a 4, one has appeared today on the Triumph TR4 Group on Facebook - it looks quite interesting at a price that is probably achievable for you - located in Portsmouth (no personal interest)
Link please? I can't seem to find it...
To be honest, I'm taking a brief hiatus from my search for the next few days to deal with a crisis of conscience regarding Austin Healey Sprites 🙃 .
-
It looks quite tidy in the photos (although there are a few little aesthetic infelicities that won't be hard to fix - I can respray the dash myself), the panel gaps look good, it has some modifications that appeal to me (although the proof will be in the viewing of course), I'm going to give the seller a call tonight and run through the usual points. Ideally I would want to get some high resolution photos of the cars underneath before travelling some 60 miles or so to view.
-
Good morning everyone,
After a couple of threads asking for second pairs of eyes on cars I've been viewing, I thought I might start a rolling thread to share my thoughts and some of the photos that I take viewing TR4s and possibly GT6s (although these aren't representing good value for money at the moment from my perspective).
I'm on the lookout for a TR4/A first and foremostly preferably original looking but with a few little modifications out of immediate sight to bring the 0-60 time under the 10 second mark or so and give a little enhancement to the driving experience while still retaining an authentic feel. I've viewed a couple of TR4s already and they all spoke to me, but unfortunately had issues that would have made them uneconomical for me to bring them up to a standard I would be happy with (very good - not concours).
I've had my eye on this one for a while
-
On 02/05/2021 at 09:33, thescrapman said:
Nice looking CP car, strong money, but well worth a look I reckon.
I'll give them a call today. It's a G reg and I think these command a bit of a premium. The chrome looks like it might want re-doing but the panel gaps look good.
I'll start a new thread 'cars I'm viewing'.
-
3 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:
I'm idly waiting for the right Herald convertible to appear but in the past month I've debated over two Herald saloons, two camper vans, a Saab convertible and a Vitesse convertible, in fact it's gone as far as visualising them in the garage, or me in them, then happily I've decided: 'No'. I have a habit of feeling sorry for cars, especially Heralds, and you do want to rescue them to a good home - I turned down the Vitesse before but it's sprung up again. I know if I go to see it I'll end up with it. I just need to stop idly surfing the Net for cars I don't need to know exist. The right car will come along.
I hope so, it's just a case of time and diligence... I'm quite enjoyed improving my knowledge looking at these cars over the last 6 months. If I can just find an excellent TR4/TR6/GT6 I swear I'll never look at those ads again!
This 1969 TR6 less than half an hours drive away from me seems like a good one to look at next.
-
6 hours ago, Bfg said:
Expectations ; As a sports-car in 2021, the TR4 is an old-timer from a bygone age when saloon cars mostly pottered around at 45mph and more powerful cars like Jaguars were so incredibly heavy they rolled around corners. Today a £600 cheapo 3-door eurobox made in Asia will give your TR a run for its money.
I'm quite happy with this - I like the character of these old cars.
6 hours ago, Bfg said:What you get for your money is more than an old car with style - it is a lifestyle ..that takes dedication and commitment to make as good as you are happy to live with. Different people have different standards. If you love the car then that's not an issue, but if you're buying on a whim then you'll most likely be disappointed and part company after a short while and more money spent. I'd suggest you go back to have a drive of the car. Feel it, listen to it when you are driving her and see if you fall in love. If you do then bollocks to the quirks and wrinkles, the knobbly knees and whatever else. And if you're unsure.. then walk away. Another time in life you may be ready for such a relationship.
Too many nagging doubts on this one, I've let the seller know that I'm no longer interested and thanked him for his time and honesty.
6 hours ago, Bfg said:The car you are looking at has a good spec., and is tidy, all together and road legal (if the MOT station is not a back street operation). It also appears to be honest, insomuch as you can see what needs to be done. Whether that's a pin-hole of rust, or something else. Surely that is better than buying a car that has even worse issues hidden under bondo.? A barely driveable TR4 of that spec will cost £14k nowadays, and a concourse example is double that, and those with history or truly exceptional are more still., so its price seems sensible and your own +25% budget leaves you a good reserve to bringing things up to your own standards.
My budget is around the 25k mark - I keep a 'disaster fund' of about 5k to hand at all times so would be happy to get a car in better condition and then spend a bit on it as and when. I've found that expecting things to go wrong and making provision in advance has always been beneficial to me and is now very much a life habit.
6 hours ago, Bfg said:Whether £18k+ for a TR4 is good value is another matter altogether. That my friend is something only you can decided. But any classic car is expensive to people like me who ran them as old bangers.
I think 18k is probably about right for the car I saw - but I feel it's not the right car for me. I'm looking for something with a really solid body and chassis so I can do all the little things myself.
5 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:Trim is tired, as are many of the rubber seals but underside front looks quite sound. That shot of the electrics is worrying. You could buy it as a project and be prepared to spend money but I'd like to make sure the structure is sound, particularly the floor under the driver's door.
Too much of a project for me I think - I'm willing to spend a good deal of time and money (as you have to) but it's just a little too much for me here after reviewing everything after a nights sleep.
6 hours ago, AndyTV8 said:Only you can answer that really - if I were looking for a car and this one was ‘talking to me’ I’d probably try and pay £16-17k and accept there was more to be spent.
The problem is that they all 'talk to me' when I view them. I just have too many nagging doubts about this one today. I'm more looking for a 'pride-and-joy maintainer' than a 'project'. This is the first TR4 that I've seen in a long time.
-
1 hour ago, AndyTV8 said:
I think you may be referring to the handbrake cable.
....... Andy
Oops....
1 hour ago, AndyTV8 said:lets be honest, pretty-much any car (except something rebuilt by a perfectionist regardless of cost) will need work done - the only question is how much effort/cost and over what timeframe.
How do we rank this one though?
-
Just noticed a what seems to be a fuel line hanging down underneath the car in the background of the sill pictures.
-
1 hour ago, thescrapman said:
At least one of the sills needs major surgery or replacement.
Which sill, and what are we looking for? Cosmetic?
1 hour ago, AndyTV8 said:I think this comes down to what kind of car you want and, if this is the sort you are after, how much is it worth.
A 'sports tractor', but one with good chrome, a solid body, good panel gaps, strong mechanics, not concours (as I'd be constantly worrying about it) but very good. I'm 26 now and having owned a rather dodgy Spitfire 1500 and now got myself a garage with my foot on a solid rung of the property ladder I'm now looking for a very good car that I can fastidiously maintain, hold onto, and still be driving when I'm 76! Being in this car today was a wonderful experience and puts the TR4 now firmly ahead of the TR6 in my estimation.
-
It's looking like a no then, by the sound of things...
My summary from memory for after a 90 minute viewing:
Mechanically the car is very good, OD works as expected, the engine started nicely, no thick smoke from the exhaust, no 'mayonnaise' in the engine oil, I didn't drive myself and instructed the seller to drive enthusiastically while I kept my senses focussed on how the car was driving and on the gauges, aside from a little window pane rattle, it behaved very well. A little quirk was that the thermostat for the Kenlowe fan wasn't working, so had to be switched on manually. The drive route had lots of up and down through hilly country roads which didn't reveal anything untoward. Peeping into the radiator shows a good deal of movement - the water is a bit murky though.
All the gauges worked as expected, oil pressure was good, the car had passed an MOT earlier in the morning with no advisories so I didn't bother to check the electrical functions that are tested as part of the MOT.
I had a little look at the garage floor where the car had been stored for the past five years and there was a bit of an oil patch, but nothing greater than what's to be expected with these cars (seen worse!).
The paperwork checks out, with the original green log book, the all-important receipt for the unleaded head, the seller has kept the car dry and not done much with it other than do about 500 miles a year on dry days.
I didn't have time to get under the chassis, but the photos show some surface rust, running a finger underneath the bottoms of the sills, wheel arches, front and rear of the car returns only a waxy dust and no rust - feels solid. The magnet holds onto the body in all the important places (and everywhere I slid it along). Although I didn't photograph it, the boot floor appeared quite solid, the paint cracking up a bit where it had been put on thick and pooled a bit. Around the bottom inside of the boot lid there was a bit of corrosion damage that had been repaired, although quite minor, similar to the sills, brushed away in an earlier restoration, treated and painted and certainly not active. The seller has only used the car on dry days and has not applied any waxoyl or other corrosion inhibitors during 5 years of ownership (although I couldn't find any active corrosion). The two ends of the chassis are in good alignment looking at the back of the car.
The sills do have some corrosion damage around the lips that has been brushed away and repainted in an earlier restoration as per the photos - they do seem solid though. The bonnet seems to rest on a pair of wooden chocks in the front wing drains.
The chrome is pitted on the rear bumper, front and rear over-riders, door handles and rear lights. The interior is mostly original, but the drivers seat has tears in two places.
The paintwork seemed generally OK for an older restoration, with a few blisters and chips in a several spots.
After the usual happy delirium of being around a Triumph sports car has worn off, I think based upon the tallying of what I'd need to do, coupled with the sage advice from members of this forum, this car is probably not for me. My budget is in the region of 25% higher than the asking price and I don't have quite as much time as I would like to have to bring this car up to the level that I'd want it to be. Getting the best car I can afford and waiting for the right one seems to be the name of the game here. I felt the seller was very honest with me and I owe it to him to get back with a speedy reply...
What do we think it's worth?
-
Some more photos - I'm knackered right now but the rust pinhole in the drivers side door is disturbing me (first picture).
-
Just come back from the viewing - caught in traffic on the way back so I need to go out and do some exercise before I write a full summary of the viewing, but in the meantime enjoy some photos.
Reading back through I forgot to check under the carpets. It's been a bit of an information overload so far - at least Mr Magnet found no sins in the bodywork which is attractive (thank you!).
-
Thanks Roger,
I've printed out your checklist and put it on my clipboard with the rest of my check points.
I'll let you know how I get on with them this evening.
Michael
-
Just now, Pete Lewis said:
cant say about the body but as its on strombergs they dont have a breather inlet like the SUs would have used
pete
Thanks Pete - My ability to tell the difference between Strombergs and SUs has never been very good!
-
Hello chaps,
I'm going to view this car today:
I called the seller yesterday to arrange to view as it's only half an hour away from me at most. I've been hunting for a TR4 or GT6 Mk2 for about 5 months or so (TR4s are looking more promising as the GT6s are rarer than that which rocking horses expel from themselves!), with a preference for an early TR4 with a Surrey top.
Everything checked out during the initial call which I kept a little on the brief side due to poor GSM reception, but I managed to confirm the car had OD, and was solid enough (although personal inspection will confirm). The seller seemed to readily admit the poorer points of the car (rear chrome), and even alluded to some issues with the interior not visible in the photos. Additionally he was willing and confident to have the car MOTd and let me have a look at the underneath of the car on ramps at a local garage should I be happy to progress from the first viewing.
Some points that I'll be looking into today:
- OS front wheel arch seems to have a slight crease in it inside the engine bay (will photograph).
- Panel gaps on the boot seem to be off (will photograph chassis alignment at rear, door on each side)
- Slight orange peel on paintwork (see rear wing)
- The carbs are missing the little hoses that go into the air filter from the rocker cover (usually the hose is connected to a run-off tank but I can't see it in the photos?)
- Seems to be a bit of rust on the bottom of the sills, I'm hoping this is just on the surface where the paint has chipped due to little stones flying up off the road and is just a Hammerite-and-masking-tape job (I'll be giving them a good poke with a nylon prodder)
Any further advice or points that I haven't detected would be much appreciated - especially before midday when I go and view.
I'll upload all my photos for the experienced eyes here to peruse over.
Michael
-
The boot gap is a little suspect - I can see something funny going on on the bottom of the sills but the seller alluded that they were solid.
I'm going to see the car tomorrow and will take detailed photos to start a new thread to solicit as many extra pairs of eyes as possible.
-
Hi Upriis,
That's the way it goes, I'm afraid - all the best to you going forward to look for the Spitfire / GT6.
I'm going to see this one tomorrow so will probably upload a few shots to the forum for a second pair of eyes.
Good luck with the hunt!
Cars I'm viewing - advice appreciated
in General
Posted
I've asked in my message to the seller whether we could take the car to a local garage, have it MOTd and then do a quick inspection afterwards - I'll look in the usual places and upload some pics here for more experienced eyes.