Airfix Triumph TR7

[PatW]

Produced in 1979 this kit I bought as an already started a few months ago. The instructions were yellowed instead of white, the decals had to have two coats of clear gloss enamel to save them and the kit had been started badly. It came in red plastic but the surface was bad so after research I painted it gloss white after three coats of white undercoat/matt, to stop the Red bleeding through. Although the white versions in the day had different markings I trimmed up the standard ones and kept my fingers crossed that they came out OK! You'll notice that I'm shaky round window rubbers and the front orange indicators (shaky hands).

The original box art, although mine was damaged.

 

 

 

 

The steering was broken so I used small alloy tube to correct it.

[johnlambert]

That's turned out really nicely.  I think the TR7 wedge shape has aged pretty well, especially when paired with a set of fat wheels and tyres.

 

Looks like you've got a good finish on the main paint and decals.

[Alpha Delta 210]

Very nice! Brought back good memories of the two TR7 drophead coupés that I owned in my youth!

[Coors54]

Friend of mine had one of the early cars, built in Speke in Primrose Yellow (I think that was the colour ref), it had , amongst many other faults, a constant knocking from the rear suspension. Numerous visits to the BL dealer found nothing amiss but it was driving him mad, so one Sunday morning up onto ramps it went and he was determined to find something.

After much crawling and peering about he put his torch into the open end of the rear suspension trailing arm and caught a glint of something, wedging his hand up as far as he could go he pulled out - a brake flexy pipe! There was another one inside the other arm too!

Down off the ramps and a quick drive showed that the knocking had gone, success.

He had two theories, either it was a tea break car and someone had put them up there, gone for a break and forgotten they were there when he came back to the line or it was one of the notoriously awkward BL union workers (remember the 70's?) being naughty and putting them there on purpose.

I always thought the TR7 looked great from the front but the rear was just awful, almost as though the designer had run out of money or inspiration, but probably both.

But stick a V8 in it and put Tony Pond behind the wheel - magic!

 

Dave

[PatW]

Thanks guys. Yes I was just saying on another site, that when I was a rally marshal in the day, I saw both the four cylinder version and the 3.5 litre V8 version mainly driver by Tony Pond sliding through corners, rear end hung out! Remember also that the RAC Rally GB was always in November, cold and wet!

[FunkyChiken]

It's a cool build Pat!

[PatW]

Cheers FunkyChiken.

[Coors54]

Pat, your RAC marshalling experiences sound like mine, why would you stand for hours in the middle of Clipstone forest or on some godforsaken Welsh hillside in November? 

As you're trying to find a dry spot in your anorak, stamping some life into your feet and asking yourself why for the twentieth time, you hear a whistle in the distance, a closing roar of engine and Michel Mouton slides her Audi Quattro turbo past you in a shower of gravel and a flash of overrun flame, brake discs glowing brightly in the falling light.

And as the adrenalin subsides you think - that's why I'm here.

Would I do it now? Mmmm.....I'd give it serious thought.

 

Dave

Edited August 25, 2020 by Coors54

[Hamden]

 

A very nice build bringing back many memories of standing in forests with camera in hand.

A timeless car now sought after and I believe @Martian still uses one as a daily driver.

Stunning build and finish Pat

 

           Roger

[Martian]

21 minutes ago, Hamden said:

 

A very nice build bringing back many memories of standing in forests with camera in hand.

A timeless car now sought after and I believe @Martian still uses one as a daily driver.

Stunning build and finish Pat

 

           Roger

This is indeed so Roger. In fact she is due to go into dock for a full body restoration in the not too distant future, the mechanics already having been fully renewed over recent years.

 

Nice build.

 

Martian 👽

[cherry268]

I remember waiting in Blenheim Palace to watch the RAC rally cars come through. Tony Pond was about number 7 but didn't appear. He decided he wanted a closer look at the lion enclosure at Longleat. Came through later with a hastily repaired TR7.  Talking of him if I remember correctly he was in a Rover SD1 and had one of the first in car cameras mounted in it. Hit a tree almost straight away. I think it was him but not sure. Perhaps someone else remembers it 

[MR2Don]

And made "famous" by Detectorists!

I've since lost the photo, but I had one taken on the Scottish Rally (1980 I think) and it might have been Roger Clark, not sure it was Tony Pond.

[JCH]

Nice build.  

 

Their advertising in the states included the phrase "The shape of things to come". 

 

I wanted one desperately.  A rich kid at my high school had one.  I secretly hated him.  

 

Very cool car and build.

[Windy37]

Looks good , Pat . Too young to watch rally TR7 s at the time, but seeing ex works cars on demo events lately, always makes me think what a handful they would have been . They sound great too . 
Gary . 

[PatW]

12 hours ago, Coors54 said:

Pat, your RAC marshalling experiences sound like mine, why would you stand for hours in the middle of Clipstone forest or on some godforsaken Welsh hillside in November? 

As you're trying to find a dry spot in your anorak, stamping some life into your feet and asking yourself why for the twentieth time, you hear a whistle in the distance, a closing roar of engine and Michel Mouton slides her Audi Quattro turbo past you in a shower of gravel and a flash of overrun flame, brake discs glowing brightly in the falling light.

And as the adrenalin subsides you think - that's why I'm here.

Would I do it now? Mmmm.....I'd give it serious thought.

 

Dave

Dead right! Yes getting to the stage and parking up in a field covered in a coating of frost at 7am knowing that the cars wouldn't be coming through until 1pm! On one stage one of our team (an old school friend) was standing beyond a corner when a Lancia Stratos came flying through same as yours belching flame on the over-run, slid off! After we had pushed him back onto the road we looked for Ian and there he was climbing over a barbed wire fence that he had jumped over to avoid the Stratos! Great fun!

[PatW]

Otherwise thanks guys.

[Mr Mansfield]

Great car, I’d like to build one at some point. Really impressed with the white. No sign of the red plastic at all!

[PatW]

50 minutes ago, Mr Mansfield said:

Great car, I’d like to build one at some point. Really impressed with the white. No sign of the red plastic at all!

That's right! Three coats of matt white on the outside plus one coat of gloss. Plus, I brush painted a heavy coat of matt white on the inside, without that you could still see the red through it!

[galaxyg]

Very nice. I keep seeing these going for quite high prices on Ebay, otherwise I'd be tempted to have a crack at one.

[PatW]

Thanks galaxyg. Yes it seems that in some cases ebay is not the bargain place to go too. There are some UK online stores that offer some real bargains, but again hard to find.