On Wed, 12 Aug 1998, Alexander Joseph H wrote:
> A recent thread on the "Triumph List" indicates a significant absence of
> TR4/TR4As.
Well, I'm a bit "behind" on that list... but this thread pops up from
time to time there.
> Jack Drews and I made this observation at the VTR Convention. We were very
> surprised that they were hard to find in the parking lot at the hotel.
I've noticed this at many events that I've been to, and that's "all
over", not just the midwest - Bowie, MD about 5 or 6 years ago; there
were probably 30 TR6's but only 5 or 6 TR4's and 4A's. Bowie is a "big
show" with something like 800 cars. 5 or 6 TR4's is a very small turnout
for a car that had production numbers like TR4s had.
> A bit mind boggling....why is this and why are they being hid out?
Good question. The production numbers indicate that there were a lot
manufactured - so they should be out there. However, I can offer some
thoughts. I'll bet that a lot of TR3 owners snarfed up those nifty "all
synchro" trannies. Maybe some other parts too. Maybe a lot of 4's were
used up as parts donors for the TR3's. Then there's the fact that 4A's
might donate body panels to TR250's/TR5's - cars that have a somewhat
interesting history of being "rare" from the get-go. Between the erosion
from the earlier and later cars - maybe a lot of the 4's got "eaten up".
This is just a guess. It would be interesting to know how many
TR4's/TR4a's are listed by owners in VTR. Just for yucks.
> Not as classic as a TR3 and not as "new" as a TR6, but quite civilized as
> drivers. Why are they staying away in droves?
Yes. And they are pretty nice drivers from the "tours" that I've been on.
There were a couple of folks in my "local" club that used to drive them
all over the place - I think Jack Emery (from Bangor, ME) put over 50k
miles on his car after the resoration and before he "jumped ship" to
drive those V8 powered MBG/GT's that he builds now... And that 50k was
accumulated over less than 4 years, if memory serves. Another guy (since
passed on) was on every NET "tour" that we did. He put a lot of miles on
that car....
Then there's the possibility that there are a bunch out there that are in
various stages of restoration etc. I know of several TR4's that are being
built up as road racers or AutoX cars... there's a guy in the New ENgland
Region (past national Solo II E stock champ in a TR3!!!) that has had a
TR4 "just about ready" for about three years. There are others.
I suppose the operative might be:
Where have all the TRs gone... long time passing
gone to graveyards/garages/racetracks/storage - every one
Oh when will they ever learn?
yadda yadda yadda.
rml
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