1966 Triumph TR4A matching numbers, original surrey top, sympathetic restoration

Description

HISTORY
Back in 1984 this Triumph TR4A was driven into a garage by its second owner and disassembled. The motor and transmission were removed and completely taken apart. A few years later, my father purchased this car and stored it, and its original parts, in his climate controlled basement for 30 years. A little over a year ago, I brought the TR4A to my garage to begin the reassembly.
Despite some grime and dust, this car retained all its early production cues: long hood “bubble,” wire wheels, original dealer installed surrey top and luggage rack - everything was there and ready to be brought back to its former glory, but perhaps with a bit of a “massage” to make the car slightly faster and louder than stock. I wanted to give this Triumph a second chance.
THE CAR
After a year, my vision for the TR4A became a reality. The once dusty car still wears a 40+ year old paint job, but retains all its original body panels complemented by its original chrome that adds to its patina. My goal was never to create a better-than-new Triumph. Instead, I wanted the look of an original car that has been loved over the years. To that end, many of the trim and interior components are originals, with their intact patina lending some warmth and authenticity to the car. A perfect blend of reliability, heritage, and originality, this TR4A ended up becoming a unique and tasteful example of the breed.
EXTERIOR
Body – The car’s original panels were untouched besides a cleaning and polishing of the paint and chrome and they look excellent in their original form. Panel gaps are great with solid closing doors and bonnet. The front windscreen remains original with new weather-stripping. The rear surrey top glass was damaged when replacing the weather-stripping, so it is new. The original chrome polished up very nicely, including the factory wire wheels and original chrome knock-off hubs that come complete with a NOS Thor hammer. They are wearing new rubber with tubes.
The surrey top was installed at the dealer. The center section removes and I do have the surrey soft-top frame as well. All it needs is the white soft top.
INTERIOR
Steering Wheel – The correct “banjo”-style wheel is intact and in excellent condition.
Dashboard and Instrumentation – The beautiful gauges are original to the TR4A and I restored them on my workbench. I have had a little trouble getting the speedometer to continue to rest at 0, so that will be a small project for the new owner. The wood dash is new as well as the dash padding and plastic glovebox.
Seats, Trim, & Carpet – At some point in the cars past, the original Midnight Blue Hyde interior was painted black. The headliner was white and painted black as well. I decided to go back to this cars roots on every detail I could. The new vibrant midnight blue leather abounds inside the cabin. The seats were taken down to the frames, which I painted a nice blue color. New seat tracks and seatbelts as well. White piping and thick, new blue carpeting completes this comfortable and inviting cockpit.
ELECTRICAL
Gone are the troublesome Lucas components - they have been replaced with solid-state components. I also replaced the overdrive switch, light switch and turn signal switch. The old generator was replaced with a bolt-on alternator kit that retains the original pulley and belt. I also converted to a thermostatic driven electric fan for better temperature control.
MECHANICAL
Engine – The car’s original inline-four has been fully and professionally rebuilt and was given a mild street cam for extra shove and driving pleasure. The professionally rebuilt twin sidedraft SU carburetors are tuned well and provide lots of smooth, intoxicating power. Everything in the engine bay is restored and working properly, resulting in a reliable car with some serious abilities to boot. The motor is original to the car and has been verified by the Heritage Certificate. This is an eager engine with lots of low-end torque, this Triumph’s motor loves to power out of tight corners and scream its song through the original upgraded abarth performance exhaust. Here is an audio clip of the nice lope that the cam produces:
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Transmission – The original four-speed with a butter smooth overdrive is precise and a joy to operate through its delicate lever. A new, sturdy, perfectly-weighted clutch is a great companion when running through the gears.
Handling: While most of the TR4As received independent rear suspension, this is one of the rare ones with a live (solid) axle. It is a very capable backroad warrior thanks to a light curb weight and excellent weight distribution. The new brakes with steel braided lines are strong and progressive, with plenty of feel, while the steering is delightfully meaty and full of the kind of feedback you look for in an analog car.
ORIGINALITY
While this Triumph has received a sympathetic restoration, using the original drivetrain, body panels, and trim pieces (some of which are unrestored) strikes a balance between making the car new again, and guarding its past. It’s never a good idea to buy a car without a soul. Some shops take the restoration process too far, and in pursuit of perfection create a car that is not at all connected to its original ethos. Not so here. I ensured that this Triumph would feel like a preserved, original car.
DOCUMENTATION
The restoration of the car was fully documented, and includes over 100 photos along with the documentation (including all receipts) in a book that the new owner will receive.