Description

1965 Triumph TR4a

Recent body-off restoration with many new parts; engine rebuilt with new pistons etc; unleaded head; overdrive; driven 50 miles to the sale

A wonderful mix of British brawn and Italian looks, the Michelotti-styled TR4 was powered by a torquey 2,138cc four-cylinder twin-carb engine mated to an all-synchro four-speed box that could launch the car to 60mph in 10.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 105mph.
In 1965 the car gained a new chassis with more sophisticated independent rear suspension (in place of the old live axle) for more predictable handling and an improved ride, these models being known as the TR4a. By the time production ceased in 1967, some 28,450 TR4as had been sold, the vast majority to the American market.
First registered in Reading in May 1965, this TR4a was acquired by our vendor about 10 years ago as a project to keep himself busy in his retirement. A former electrical engineer who already had a 1920s Rolls-Royce 20hp restoration under his belt, he has been working on the TR4a on and off ever since.
The full extent of the work carried out is too detailed to list in full here but a good file of parts invoices (totalling just under £2,000) give a flavour of the extent of the job although it is clear that these are by no means comprehensive and the car has received a lot more attention than the bills indicate.
To give a quick summary, the car was completely stripped to a bare shell (with photos to prove), the chassis cleaned, painted and waxoiled and the bodywork fully restored with various new panels and repainted in Spruce Green – the TR4 was red when acquired but an old logbook from 1976 shows that it was originally green so that was the colour chosen.
All the running gear was restored as necessary (brakes; steering; suspension) and the engine was fully rebuilt with a reground crank and a new set of pistons, bearings, core plugs, timing chain etc, the cylinder head also being rebuilt and converted to run on unleaded fuel (all detailed in parts invoices).
The interior has also been retrimmed or refurbished as required and features a walnut dash and a sporty wood-rim steering wheel. The hood and the tonneau cover are new, as are the tyres. The history file also includes some historic invoices from the 1970s, an old MOT from 1977, an owner’s handbook and a good deal of technical information about the model.
Flying through its MOT in 2017 and 2018 with no advisories recorded, the car has still only covered around 800 miles since the engine rebuild so it is barely run-in yet. Driven some 50 miles to the sale, it has been starting promptly and running nicely as we have moved it around on site, with good 60psi oil pressure.
For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com