Last Day with the TR4a

Well, today is my last day with the 4a. Drove it to work this morning and it is running great. Going to make me sad to see it go but the TR6 should do a fine job of replacing it and give me something to work on during the next few months. I guess I will do a quick review of my experience with the 4a for anyone thinking of getting one of their own.

Looks:

Very distinctive. I like the bonnet bulge and the headlight "eyebrows" the most. I can just see the guys at Triumph designing the bonnet "power" bulge when they first tried to fit the hood on the TR4 and realized that it didn't clear the carburetors! Not a huge fan of the rear with the small tail fin treatment. Looks a little to forced and not all that elegant. The convertible top doesn't ruin the looks of the car when it is up like many modern convertibles do. All in all nice lines but not near as pretty as the TR3 or as tough looking as the TR6.

Interior:

Small but laid out well. Has some funny quirks that show it is a British car. Bonnet release on the right, hood vent control on the right, choke pull on the right ect. Perfect driving position. Steering wheel is a bit large but the extra diameter comes in handy when trying to throw the car into turns. Visibility is great even with the top up. The area behind the seats is a perfect place to store extra tools or install some speakers. All the gauges are well thought out and easy to read. Nothing that I would really change on the interior.

Driving:

It is a blast to drive (once warmed up!). Corners as good as anything that I have ever driven. Shifter is the smoothest and coolest that I have ever used, just clicks back and forth willingly between gears. Backend will hop a bit on exit of a corner but no big deal, very predictable. Steering is quick and spot on, it can be a bit heavy in fast corners but hey this thing was designed 45 years ago! Cruising with the top down at 50mph is the perfect setting for the TR4a. It can do 70 on the highway or scream through the curves but it really is most at home just cruising. Top down on a spring day driving through some gentle hills is just amazing. I never really understood the lure of a convertible until the first perfect fall day that I took the 4a out with the top down. Wow.

Maintenance:

If you can change the oil on any car then you have the skills to keep a TR running. Nothing fancy under the bonnet here. Just a big 4-pot engine and simple electrics. The car has 4 fuses I think? I've done everything short of rebuilding the engine with no problem. Parts are very easy to come by, tons of workshop manuals out there to guide you. Heck, I am pretty sure that you can take the whole car apart with a phillips head screwdriver and a good socket set (don't forget the 8 point sockets!).

Drawbacks:

It is an old car. It was finicky when the weather was cold. That is about it.

Conclusion:

All in all this was a great car to get me started into classic cars. I found one close that was in good shape to start and cut my teeth keeping it running and updating it a bit over the 15+ months that I owned it. Sure, one day I'll look back and wish I had not sold this one (probably when I see one go for 6 figures on Barret-Jackson) but the time is right for me to move on to a new project. The finances have worked out perfectly to sell this one and get the TR6. I just don't have the money to put into the TR4a that I would want to if I kept it. With the 6 I get a car in better cosmetic shape with enough money to get it in great mechanical shape. Anyway, I hope the new owner takes as good if no better care of the 4a than I did!