Members

WELCOME: The club web site started out in 1999 as a means of gathering information together and so that what is often stated as fact by enthusiastic experts, can either be proved or disproved – many books quote the famed 18 RHD TR8’s as being built in two batch’s one in 1980 and the other in 1981 in fact they were all built in 1981 which could have easily been proved if those authors had gone to Gaydon to check the dates recorded on the build cards, instead of taking as gospel what had been written incorrectly before. The real total is actually 22 RHD TR8 UK spec cars. We also now have a sister site specialising in the genuine factory Triumph TR8 here Triumph TR8

UPDATE 13th January 2024 – Recently done more work UPDATING on the rare RHD TR8’s see Link HERE

Search system for the parts section is now you just type dash for instance, and it will bring up all microfiche pictures that have anything to do with the dashboard. Most people don’t know the part number and that’s what they want to know, so this way round should make it a lot easier to find the part number. 

Article Lost TR8 found and being recommissioned TR8 BACK ON THE MAINLAND

Article – Upgrading to LED HEADLIGHTS! TR7 TR8 LED Head light conversion

It’s never going to be possible to check everything on these cars as so much has been lost to time. This is further confused by some owners tweaking/reinventing history/s to suit them selves, and in some cases even swapping identity’s  as well. Golden rule always check the engine number on the block as this is the harder to hide and or fake. A chassis plate is very easy to replace.

For example you see a late 81 car large headrests square door locks, late dash etc but it has a 1980 chassis plate. Warning sign 1. So you check the engine number and it has a high engine number which common sense will tell you must be 81. Warning sign 2. If you had access to a database of 81 cars (as we have here) you can search on the engine number (you need to go to RECORDS/MODEL/YEAR VIN/ then use the search box at the top of the page – result appears as you type) and quickly discover the cars real 1981 chassis number. Why was that done? Well that’s a very good question for the current owner!

For this reason and others I am an advocate of always keeping information out in the open where it can be easily seen and quickly checked, the idea that not disclosing information/records keeps rare cars from being cloned is flawed for three main reasons.

  1. To clone for example a RHD TR8 or any other, would currently cost more than its worth. (highly unlikely and to the best of my knowledge has never happened successfully. Even so to have the correct engine number as well is almost impossible to match to the original stamp – differences in size, font, alignment, and height of digits would not be too difficult to spot)
  2.  Keeping details secret allows the unscrupulous to fabricate history’s that can’t be checked easily if at all. (If a car in a private collection is only known about by its owner what is to stop another car being put in its place?)
  3.  Anyone can freely walk into Gaydon and research any car they wish. All the information they have is freely available in the reading room to view with no restrictions!

However with checking and re-checking on the cars themselves, previous owners, dealer documents, as well as remaining supporting documentation at Gaydon and other similar establishments it should be possible to make things a lot more accurate. For this reason alone this web site will always remain a constant work in progress. At least a web site can be updated as new information comes to light or old information thought correct, is disproved, unfortunately a book can all too often, set those errors in stone! As always grateful for scans of and or emails with information I’m missing.

Many Thanks