Tr7 V8 Fast Road/sprint/trackday Restoration Project.

[IL]

This is a project that i started with my Dad 14yrs ago, it was bought at a classic auction in mullusk just as the hammer dropped... complete notion by my dad, he has fancied one years ago after he wrote off his V8 MG BGT but ended up with an V8 SD1 because my sis had just arrived!

So here is the car, it was intended to be built as a sprint car for the road going class, but then we ended up in single seaters and we soon forgot about the tintops. So since the project was started in 1998 and here are some 35mm scans of the project when it was 'more' complete!

Awful scans and photos to Follow, sorry!

The Car was installed with a 3.5L Rover V8 and the intention was to build a 4L 250hp motor for it but since it was started we have moved house twice and the car was put into a loft in a farm barn with a telescopic forklift.

This Christmas i decided is was about time i got started on it, with my dad no longer with me its a project id like to see through and finish off.

The Plans have changed now significantly tho and it is intended to be a lightweight, 300hp, completely stripped, trackday machine.

When is arrived home it got a good steam clean to removed alot of the waxoil & sh*t.

So Easily Stored on the Spit.

After a weeks work ive managed to get the centre underside sandblasted, patched where it needs it, seam welded & primed.

Picked up another one last friday for bits and pieces -

Next stage really is to continue blasting the rest of the floor and engine bay, keep seam welding and get the weld in cage fired in, its going to be along process but its my 1st restoration project and im enjoying it so far

The Final plans with it really as to build it into a full works replica on the outside, arched on minilites and full livery with something lively under the bonnet, definitely a 300+ hp V8 & around 950kgs

Hopefully keep you all updated over the next few months, progress will be slow enough until june tho when i finish My masters.

After that full steam ahead

 

[KeithRobinson]

Awesome. Absolutely love it. Looking forward to seeing more progress and lending a hand where needs be!

 

[Mr Bunyip]

looks like your getting on rightly, be good to see this finished.

 

[IL]

Will get my SLR out for better photos in the future but withs so much sand about the iphone has been a safer option.

 

[LewB]

Yes No hanging about there, looks like your steaming through the first stages. Good Luck , look forward to see it progress

 

[IL]

I love work like this at home, pity im going to be back in belfast now for the next while

Looking forward to getting the cage in, and the shell prepped to get away for the engine install

 

[Jason]

Proper project there!

Would it be massive work to put an e39 m5 engine in it? Would be immense!

 

[IL]

Proper project there!

Would it be massive work to put an e39 m5 engine in it? Would be immense!

It was meant to be getting an LS1 5.7 yank V8 but engine & box was working out at 6k ish before fabrication.

E39 M5's are still to dear, i would really need a full car for engine, box, loom, prop etc.

So ive decided on E39 540i 4.4 V8, Full car around 2K.. With the right exhaust, no cats and a map they run 340hp so thats what it is looking like now, ive found a manual one, which are very hard come by so im just trying to gather the money now to buy the full car

 

[Jason]

True, plus a minefield of sensors on the e39 m5 engine, although it was used in a few other super cars if I can remember!

Quite a few full m5's for sale now around the 4k mark.

 

[IL]

True, plus a minefield of sensors on the e39 m5 engine, although it was used in a few other super cars if I can remember!

Quite a few full m5's for sale now around the 4k mark.

Really? i must have a look.

Im told they are heavy engines and still troubled with vanos issues, ive been told the 540i engine is a lighter engine, virtually weighs the same as a Rover V8 so the can balance wont be upset too much.

 

[Jason]

Yea they are a heavy engine alright but 400bhp remember! Vanos doesnt really give much issues on them, pre facelifts (the cheap 4k ones) have the older vanos design which drinks 1lt of oil every few k miles but are generally good.

Might be a wiser idea sacrificing a few bhp and going the 540 engine route, maybe bang some cams in?

 

[Woodcutter]

Great project, and I know it means a lot to you, looking forward to seeing this progress this year.

Morgan used the 4.4 V8 in the Aero 8, and it's a bloody rocket, so I think it's a good choice of engine. I'd worry about repair and maintenance costs on an E39 M5 engine and associated electrics etc.

 

[svensktoppen]

Fantastic Looks like a spit roast on that rig, lol Have seen a few of these on trackdays, and they went well. No idea what engine was in them though.

Hat off to anyone doing something like this, I would not even know where to start. Have fun

 

[IL]

Yea they are a heavy engine alright but 400bhp remember! Vanos doesnt really give much issues on them, pre facelifts (the cheap 4k ones) have the older vanos design which drinks 1lt of oil every few k miles but are generally good.

Might be a wiser idea sacrificing a few bhp and going the 540 engine route, maybe bang some cams in?

Its the replacement engine problems, Its working out dear to buy a full car at 2K because manual ones are like hens teeth, they are nearly all autos.. but if i was to go out and need a replacement engine, i could pick one up out of an automatic 740i for about £400 and transfer the flywheel over etc.

Where as a replacement //M engine is always going to be 1.5-2k.. The car is going to be used for motorsport and no garage or show queen so i want to be able to pick up engines at hand enough money...

Also yeah i could look at Cams, TB's and stand alone management, but in the mean time its going to be a massive task to get the BMW V8 in and running.

It will take alot of custom fabrication and Sump and oil pump modifications to get it back far enough into the bulk head and low enough to keep the centre of gravity low, the gearbox is pretty big also so im sure the transmission tunnel will have to be cut and reshaped to allow it all in, its going to be a massive undertaking, prepping the shell will be the easy bit.

Ive considered pretty much all options, lexus LS V8, GM LS1+, BMW M5/540i (M60 & M62), Jag AJ-V8 & TVR AJP V8.. but the BMW one seems to have the best value/output/reliability/ease of install Ratio.

PS Thanks Sven, its not that complicated at the moment, all im doing it cleaning it up! when it gets to wiring and mounting the engine im sure i will be tearing my hair out!

 

[bugga_gsinova]

my dad owned this one for 7 years sold it there a month ago

 

[Woodcutter]

my dad owned this one for 7 years sold it there a month ago

Looks familiar, doesn't it Iain?! Haha

 

[IL]

Looks familiar, doesn't it Iain?! Haha

Has to be it G, from randlestown too..!

Bugga was is white under the bonnet and Bootlid? if so its forsale again for 750ding.

 

[bugga_gsinova]

yea thats it it was my dads why lol

 

[IL]

yea thats it it was my dads why lol

I just saw went to buy the other british racing green one last week and the guy had this one lying in the shed too! he was trying to sell me it too but i didnt need 3 hen houses!

 

[Lyons]

Awesome project Iain. I'm sure you can't wait to get it finished and on the road for sentimental reasons.

Not quite on the same scale, but I'm battling to get an old reg of dad's back on the road too so I'll have the same feeling when I get it sorted!

 

[bugga_gsinova]

my dad sold it to a man from comber i think. i still wished he had it its a good old shell

 

[IL]

Awesome project Iain. I'm sure you can't wait to get it finished and on the road for sentimental reasons.

Not quite on the same scale, but I'm battling to get an old reg of dad's back on the road too so I'll have the same feeling when I get it sorted!

Yeah it will be great to have it back on the road again, pretty sure it will take me about 2-3yrs to have it done, but I want to have it done to a similar spec my dad would have done it! Actually this car has an alright original number on it too so it will be nice to save that! PIJ 448 original 1982 omagh plate!

my dad sold it to a man from comber i think. i still wished he had it its a good old shell

Well tell your dad it's forsale again and it's had a new gearbox and stuff, yeh it went to comber! I can pm you his number if you'd like?

 

[Graham]

I will be keeping a close eye on this one...

 

[Rfg]

awesome absolutly love the old TR7's good luck with the build.

 

[IL]

awesome absolutly love the old TR7's good luck with the build.

Aquired taste really arent they, i hate them standard, but arches and with the right wheels and suspension i think they look the ticket.

I would have loved an escort project, but they are just too dear and imo too common.. + i love the V8 sound track!

Before the car was pulled apart it had bilstein coilovers allround, Vitesse SD1 Front brakes, Sierra Cossie rear discs and Compomotive MO wheels and the Rover V8 fitted so it was already a fairly well sorted car in its day, just totally outdated now!

My inspiration pretty much all comes from this one..