Williams - How to Improve Triumph TR5, 250 & 6

First printed in paperback format in 2007.

First published in ebook format 2014 by Veloce Publishing Limited, Veloce House, Parkway Farm Business Park, Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 3AR, England Fax 01305 250479 e-mail info@veloce.co.uk web www.veloce.co.uk or digital.veloce.co.uk.

Ebook edition ISBN: 978-1-845846-67-1

Paperback edition ISBN: 978-1-903706-68-8

Roger Williams and Veloce Publishing 2014. All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief passages for the purpose of review, no part of this publication may be recorded, reproduced or transmitted by any means, including photocopying, without the written permission of Veloce Publishing Ltd. Throughout this book logos, model names and designations, etc, have been used for the purposes of identification, illustration and decoration. Such names are the property of the trademark holder as this is not an official publication.

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Contents

Acknowledgements & about the author

This book would never have been written without the help of a great number of people, both in terms of encouragement, and the provision of information, photographs and diagrams. While I appreciate every contribution, the full list is too extensive to mention everyone by name. I hope everyone who helped in the production of this book, to whatever extent, will accept my grateful thanks.

Having said that, I feel that I must single out a small number of absolutely crucial contributors for special thanks, without whom there really would have been no book. John Sykes of TR Bitz suggested this series of books, got me started with a huge initial contribution, and provided much by way of technical help and introductions along the way. Chris Conoley of Cambridge Motorsport, Daryl Uprichard of Racetorations, Neil Revington of Revington TR and Gary Bates of TRGB provided invaluable technical information, photographic opportunities, and were extremely generous with the time they set aside for me. Dan Masters provided much by way of photographs and information on the US scene, while Des Hammill and Geoff Bedding have been absolutely invaluable with tuning and brake detail respectively.

I owe Darryl Uprichard & Peter Cox a particular vote of thanks for reading some of the key chapters and the many helpful suggestions that followed. My thanks also go to Peter for writing the Foreword.

These books would remain stillborn without the collective help of these professionals, for which I am most grateful.

About the Author

Roger Williams was born in 1940 in Cardiff, brought up in Guildford, and attended Guildford Royal Grammar School. Aircraft became his first love and he joined the de Havilland Aircraft Company in 1957 as a production engineering apprentice and very quickly added motor cars to his list of prime interests. During the ensuing six years he not only completed his apprenticeship and studies, but built two Ford-based specials and started on a career in the manufacturing engineering industry as a production engineer. Works managerial and directorial posts followed and these responsibilities, together with his family commitments, reduced his time for motoring interests to exiting the company car park as fast as possible! Rogers business interest moved on to company doctoring, which he enjoyed for some ten years, specialising in turning round ailing engineering businesses.

In 1986 he started his own consultancy business and renewed his motoring interests. His company specialised in helping improve client profitability by interim management or consulting assignments, while his spare time was and continues to be devoted to motor cars or writing.

Roger has owned numerous MGBs, all of which he rebuilt over a period of some seven years, and he still retains two of his favourites the V8 powered variants. More recently he has become involved with the Triumph marque and has restored a TR6 and, currently, a Stag. Roger is married and lives in France in retirement. He has two married daughters and is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering & Technology.

Roger has two MGB books and now four Triumph TR books in print.

Foreword by Peter Cox

In 1981, production of the TR range of Triumph cars was coming to an end. In all the time these cars were being produced, I doubt a single person at Canley gave any thought to the longevity of the marque. Had the subject come up during a Spares-Provisioning meeting, for example, those present would certainly never have considered a 25 year life span, let alone the 50 years some models have achieved. The cars are still going strong, though, thanks to their robustness and the enthusiasm of their owners, but also because of the excellent aftermarket spares and component businesses.

Because TR owners still expect their 25 to 50 year old classic to demonstrate sports car performance, and because keeping a TR on the road is no mean feat, considering their age, Roger Williams has written three comprehensive How to Restore books covering TRs built from 1952 to 1976 and I recommend these to you. However, Roger would be the first to tell you that even a basic modern saloon/sedan has improved so much in the intervening years that the performance of most original TRs seems less than sporty by comparison. The good news is that with a little help from the TR aftermarket industry, and the guidance from Roger contained in these companion volumes, your TRs performance can be enhanced.

The TR aftermarket industry, like the performance of the TR, is ever-changing. The old Moss International has gone, but its legacy lives on in the form of a new and improved format TR5/250/6 catalogue. It contains not only exploded drawings and part numbers, but hints and information to help all owners maximise their cars performance and the enjoyment it gives. Nevertheless, more is required. The preparation of a new, improved and extended Performance catalogue is in the hands of Moss Europe, but an independent book analysing the whole improvement market and its offerings is of immense value to almost every TR owner. The book needs to relate what is available to what the TR owner is considering, enabling an evaluation before handing over hard-earned cash.

The book is here and I think you will agree that Roger Williams has done an excellent job with these Improving TR offerings. The differences between the four- and six-cylinder cars has made it essential for the earlier cars to be covered by a separate but companion volume that focuses upon the fours. Mosss Performance catalogue will incorporate new and exciting products, many reflecting Rogers opinions. It will certainly reflect what is available, what works, and will be kept up to date as products get developed and customers requirements change.

So who are the other contributors to the health and vigour of the TR aftermarket, and where does Roger come into it? In the UK, but in no deliberate order, we have Rimmer Bros, TR Bitz, Revington TR, Racetorations, TR Enterprises and Protek. These specialists contribute to the performance market and Rogers job has been to assess these suppliers and their parts. This is a daunting task considering there are numerous suppliers and models involved. How To Improve TR250, 5 and 6 is a book by an unbiased TR enthusiast dedicated to looking at the market place as it is today, and it will guide TR owners through the exciting range of products available at the time of writing. Follow its thoughts and guidance and you will have a good chance of ending up with the dream TR you always hoped for rather than a nightmare you dreaded.