Classic recollections: 1963 Triumph TR4
When restoring an old car, it's vital to know what you're getting into. Seasoned wrenchers will usually advise beginners to start with the best quality car one can find and to avoid anything with serious, visible problems.
Local Triumph fanatic Bob Streepy didn't bother to heed this counsel when he embarked on the restoration of his 1963 Triumph TR4. Whereas most restorations involve the challenge of simply bringing a rusty, stagnant machine back to life, the Bartlett resident's project began with a forgotten vehicle with the added burden of having been involved in a serious collision.
The '63 Triumph was bought new in the Chicago area by two proud parents who presented the tiny sportster to their son upon his college graduation. The youngster happily motored about the Hyde Park area until a collision in '67 banished the British convertible to a life spent squirreled away behind the family home.
The odometer read a barely broken in 12,444 miles when it was pushed into the carriage house. Before long, forty-two years had passed, as did the parents. With the son overseas, it was his sister who had the responsibility to settle the family estate, which included disposing of the dejected TR4.
In the spring of 2008, she wisely contacted the Chicago-area Triumph club and asked if there was any interest in the bruised and battered convertible.
After hearing of its less-than-ideal condition, the club's president agreed to the purchase, assuming it would provide salvageable components for other work-in-progress projects. Then, assisted by Streepy and other club members, they headed down to unearth the four-wheeled wreck.
“When we arrived, we had no idea of what to expect. At first glance, the vehicle's condition looked dire and grim,” said Streepy. “The driver's door panel was caved in from the impact, as well as the hood and right front fender. We weren't quite sure what could be saved.”
The mood changed when it was discovered the frame was left intact and usable. The battered drop-top was hauled to Wisconsin, where it sat for a year while the club's president completed yet another Triumph restoration. It was during that time that Streepy began to get his own restoration itch.
“I had already completed a TR3 and TR6 but wanted the TR4 as it truly offers the best of both worlds from the TR series. Each of my previous restorations had some issues that prevented them from being ‘just right.' I wanted to try my hand one more time to get it right.”
A deal was struck and the car swapped hands again and work promptly commenced. A Missouri shop removed the warped body and grafted in a door, fender and B-pillar to rectify the impact's damage. Streepy, assisted by fellow club members, rebuilt the 2,138-cubic-centimeter powerplant and handled the rest of the reassembly.
“Everything down to the last nut and bolt was replaced, bead blasted and coated. We took extra care to put it back together as per the build sheet from when it rolled out of the Coventry, England, factory.”
No detail was overlooked as Streepy ensured this cruiser is showroom spec. “It was restored to concours condition using the judging manual from the Triumph Register of America. All numbers match and nothing has been modified in any way from new,” he said. “At present, it is virtually a new '63 TR4.”
After seeing the spectacular final product of this radical transformation, and the immense satisfaction in this labor of love, its quite clear Streepy knew exactly what he was getting into.