TR5, any owners on here?

[R TOY]

Would apreciate any info or owners experiences. I really like the look of the Tr4, and the 6cyl engine of the Tr6 so is a Tr5 the logical choice? Prices seem a bit crazy tho...
Dave

[Combover]

Not technically an owner, more of a maintainer and user.

What would you like to know?

[R TOY]

Combover said:

Not technically an owner, more of a maintainer and user.

What would you like to know?

Thanks Combover, i'm after as much info as poss with regard to the bad and good points to look out for when buying/looking at a car. It would seem that the uk cars had a better Pi engine than the US export carb models but can a US model be easily upgraded? (I seem to remember that the inj system was troublesome on the 2.5 engine tho?) Overdrive seems to be on some cars and a wide variety of wheel types. How drivable on distance runs, (ie/ LeMans or touring France) would a Tr5 be, can one cruise at a reasonable speed, say 80ish without problems or ear plugs?
The perfomance figures i've seen quoted for a UK car seem v good..125mph and 8secs to 60 but less for an import car.
I have to admit the prices are a lot more than i expected and the TR6 looks much better value for money but i do prefer the styling of the 5. Might have to let the Tuscan go to finance one But that would also save on building a bigger garage. .

I live near Lincoln, home of Rimmers which i assume would be handy for spares etc.
If i can find one reasonably near this weekend i'll have a look so i have a better idea what i may be letting myself in for.
Regards Dave.

[Combover]

R TOY said:

Combover said:

Not technically an owner, more of a maintainer and user.

What would you like to know?

Thanks Combover, i'm after as much info as poss with regard to the bad and good points to look out for when buying/looking at a car. It would seem that the uk cars had a better Pi engine than the US export carb models but can a US model be easily upgraded?

Sort of true. It was essentially the same unit, but was detuned and fed through pathetic carbs to meet stringent emissions regs. It turned out to be no quicker than the TR4 but at least it was heavier and used more fuel

R TOY said:

(I seem to remember that the inj system was troublesome on the 2.5 engine tho?)

It can be, but it's not as bad as people say. It's a rudimentary system but it does work and is frighteningly simple really - just simple mechnics.

The main problem is the fuel pump. It was a low-tech pump, which needs roughly 105psi to draw fuel through. When it gets hot it starts to slow and the pressure drops meaning that the engine is starved and will cut out.
Triumph originally put the pump in the engine bay, but heat soak caused it to fail badly. They tried it numerous places and it ended up in the boot, where there was no airflow...

The pump also suffers from cavitation - basically when the fuel vapourises and the pump fails = dead engine.

The metering units can go on them and they're not cheap.

R TOY said:

Overdrive seems to be on some cars and a wide variety of wheel types. How drivable on distance runs, (ie/ LeMans or touring France) would a Tr5 be, can one cruise at a reasonable speed, say 80ish without problems or ear plugs?

80 mph is the car's natural cruising speed with overdrive engaged. It seems to settle at that speed, but you have to bear in mind it's not very economical. You can get 25mpg if you're lucky and single figures if you try hard enough!

Overdrive is definitely worth having though.

R TOY said:

The perfomance figures i've seen quoted for a UK car seem v good..125mph and 8secs to 60 but less for an import car.
I have to admit the prices are a lot more than i expected and the TR6 looks much better value for money but i do prefer the styling of the 5. Might have to let the Tuscan go to finance one But that would also save on building a bigger garage. .

The prices won't go down from what they are now so its an investment really. The TR6 is broadly the same, with minor mechanical differences. Parts are therefore easy to come by, unless it's a TR5 specific item, in which case you'll pay handsomly for it.

Performance is ok, but it does feel faster than it is, cornering requires a different technique than more modern cars. The gearshift is mechanical and notchy but the clutch is very heavy for what it is.

R TOY said:

I live near Lincoln, home of Rimmers which i assume would be handy for spares etc.
If i can find one reasonably near this weekend i'll have a look so i have a better idea what i may be letting myself in for.
Regards Dave.

All in all, they're not too unreliable so long as you keep and eye on levels and make sure you do the rounds with a grease gun every 1500 miles without fail.

Edited by Combover on Friday 27th June 21:05

[Combover]

Oh and a few other things.

• The US car was the TR250, which can command almost as big a premium as the TR5! Put some webbers on it and a hotter camshaft, better breathing etc can see you up the power and torque by some margin.

• Remember when you look at one, that the crankshaft thrust washers can slip causing excessive movement in the cranckshaft and therefore high levels of wear on the engine in general. If it appears to move quite a bit, walk away as the damage is likely to have already been done.

• You can change the fuel pump if you want, with a Bosch one for around £250. Well worth it as you don't have to worry about the car cutting out when the temeperature is above average (e.g when you would want to use it!).

[R TOY]

many thanks, i'll post if any developments.

[//j17]

To follow up on what's already been posted...

With overdrive 80MPH should be around 3000RPM (depending on wheels/tyres fitted) and my 2.5PI saloon cruises at that every day (unless the M25 is averaging 5MPH like it was this morning ). Driving with a smooth right foot I get 23MPG sans-overdrive, 25 with. Drive with a heavy right foot and... I've never been brave enough to work it out

The only point that wasn't covered was noise. With a standard exhaust fitted it's not a problem but if you have a twin sports system... some are easier to live with than others but in my Spitfire I've just come to accept 30 minutes of ringing ears after a long drive with the roof down