The Car's History

I caught the bug again about 9 years ago and went searching for a decent TR4 that I could drive right away. In the end I flew to a Chicago suburb, drove, put on a lift and carefully inspected, bought, and somewhat eventfully drove this hard topped, back lighted beauty the 1000 miles from Chicago to New Hampshire. By the time I arrived, I had a long list of things to do.

I converted to a soft top, rebuilt the carburetors, worked on the rattling windows, rebuilt the front end and discovered a spot where the right front of the frame had hit a curb or something hard enough to make a dent that I had not noticed when the car was on the lift in Chicago. Careful measurements from front axle to rear on both sides of the vehicle indicated the the right side was 3/16' shorter the the left. Oh well, at least the frame and body had hardly a spot of rust.

I had always wanted to completely rebuild one of these cars but I also wanted to drive one. Why not rebuild this one and find another to drive. Back to the internet. While searching on ebay I saw a photo of a TR4 frame that seemed to be restored, and when I looked closer it turned out to be a teaser for a beautifully restored car. The auction was just about over and the amount bid was really low. In the end I bought this car less than I paid for the Chicago car. Off to Tennesee. This time we rented a truck and hauled it home. This TR4 only needed an overdrive, rebuilt carbs and has made a great driver and kept the barn floor well oiled. A job I'll address after I finish the Chicago car.

These pictures are from the ad for the Chicago car and the only ones I had showing the original condition

Here it is with the new soft top that I installed.

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