WTB-TR7,TR8 suitable for race car construction willabowen@aol.com

Coupe or convertible?

Mike;

   I'm interested in both  prefer a TR8 but open to all options.  You also had a guy that had Huffaker fender kit i would like his contact info.

Also Ted Schumaker has this car for sale with slagle fenders.

I dont think that is a a Ken Slagle kit......more like Huffaker. Ken used the same with some refined shaping Group 44 Kits on his convertible and then the wide rounded flares for his coupe most likely from or modeled after Huffaker that he raced a few times and mothballed.
Slagle TR8s


Huffaker Stuff
TR7

TR8

Mike;

   I wish I had bought your Blue TR8.....do you have anything else in the garage??

Just my white coupe that is turning out to be a long drawn out project. I will keep my eyes open for a TR7. Which do you prefer coupe or convertible?

Mike;

Prefer a ragtop for sunny Florida days

I know of a few convertibles that may need some work but would be good building blocks for a race car.

Sure hope someone completes a TR8 for SCCA GT2 competition some day.

keep them on the track,

phillip g

Phillip....isnt the GT classes based on production figures in a given calender year of a model yeal? TR8 Coupes were 158 in two years for 1979 and 1980s. The 1978s were also about 116 with another 30 for 1977 model years. The convertibles were about 2,200 in 1980 and 400 in 1981......very small amounts!

TR8s are not classed in SCCA GT.  You can only run them in regional classes such as ITS, ITE, or possibly in a catch all regional production.  Here is the rule in the SCCA GT classification rules that keep the TR8 out.

Vehicle production quantities of no less than 3000 units of the
specified make/model within a twelve (12) month period, all such
units being approved by the EPA and DOT for sale in the United
States (Production Cars that have been reclassified into the GT
Category need not meet minimum production quantities).

Amen! So how does SCCA class a MGRV8 to GT2 or GT at all? Sounds like wedge-scrimination! None were sold in the US nor the MGB-GT V8s either.......sound fishy to me!

I contacted the SCCA and yes you can run the tr8 under the same engines rules as the MGB V8.  The weight would 2180# with a 50# penalty for running a G&G T5. Wheel size from 15x8 to 15x10.

you can also run in vintage with 15x8 wheels, and a drysump 3.5 V8  basic old C Production rules.

So here is what I have found for the possibility of the GT class allowing rare models:
GCR Updated through TB 10-08
C. Optional Regional Classes
1. Organizers may develop classes of cars to accommodate local
demand and interest, provided the preparation rules meet the
General Technical Specifications and are reviewed annually
and approved by the Club Racing Department before the first
event of the calendar year in which the local class(es) will
compete. It is the organizer's option to Include these classes in
events defined in 3.1.5, 3.1.6 and 3.1.7.
2. In addition, Organizers may include either or both of the
following Optional Regional Classes in their events defined in
3.1.5, 3.1.6 and 3.1.7.
a. Super Production Class (SP) (Optional Regional Class):
Cars which exceed the preparation limitations of the applicable
Production or GT Category Rules but which meet the
General Technical Specifications of Section 9 of the GCR
for GT category cars. This includes cars not listed in the
GT or Production specification pages, such as FIA homologated
production cars.

So was or is there FIA homologation papers for the MGB-GT V8 or MGR V8? I assume the cars are only eligible for regional classes only in SP? I am really confused.......so who has a copy of the amendment showing cars built less that 3000 units in a year are eligible for GT classes.....I dont see it in the updated GCR or GT rule books.

Will, I think I offered this up to you before, but here goes again.  I have the tags, logbook, and a bunch of body panels from a 1980 TR8 ITS coupe.  It took a hard hit at Road Atlanta under the PO back in the 90s.  I bought the car as a roller and had no idea that the car was put back together so poorly.  The entire nose was bolted together with well nuts.  The body flexed something awful, and it just wouldn't turn.  I built a whole new car using some of the pieces from that car, from a TR8 coupe I wrecked, and a nice clean TR7 body shell.  The rest of the useable pieces went into the basement and the shell was scraped.  Take a TR7 coupe, slap these tags on it, and build your race car.  There can't be more than a handful of TR8 logbooks out there.  My current ITS race car is on it's third body.  The first one was a rotted TR8 coupe street car donor for the race car.  The second was the rebodied race car that I wrecked, and the third itineration sits in the garage now.

Mike,

Production cars that have been listed officially in the 2010 SCCA GT2 GCR listings are eligible for competition in the GT2 class and may compete in SCCA regional and national races.  The SCCA competition board recently listed in the GCR and recognize the MGB GT V8 and the Rover RV8 as eligible for competition in the GT2 class.

With reasonable appeals and proper persuasion, the TR8 would be considered by the SCCA GCR (Competition Racing Board)  as eligible for competition in the GT2 class.  The SCCA is most interested in encouraging racers to join the competition and build new entries.  First, of course, join the SCCA and become a member.

keep them on the track

phillip g

Here lies the issue......after seeing the attempts made by individuals with ITS and SS TR8s and then all the rules about restrictions placed on the Rover 8 and especially the TR8 in general it is not reasonable to build a car unless it is "flash back" to 1981 and CP is still valid. I have some of Ken Slagle's parts, engine, intake and pictures showing how his car was built and well if it was still allowed to race I am sure the politicians in SCCA would as previously done to Bob Tullius order 9 yards of concrete placed inside the car to slow it down or reduce tire size or unplug 4 spark plug wires. Also having a 137hp rating with all the smog stuff gives a false baseline of where the engine would be capable of and other engines making a smaller percentage over stock in modified form set the bar for the Rover. At this point you are punishing the car that was created to be superior in production form. I'm sorry but the TR8 set a lot of standards that well were used to set standards which were penalizing in the process.

The best line I ever heard by Bob Tullius was "All these corvette guys are complaining about my car qualifying first. If it was me and I was not running up front I would shut my mouth and figure out how to get up front and stop wasting my time on whining!" This was the first SCCA Trans Am race in 1979 where Tullius swept IMSA (with smaller width tires!) and SCCA at that track in 1979. Then 400lbs of additional ballast was to slow the car down and still winning and more whining by corvette guys it was decided to add more to the car and well goodbye SCCA hello IMSA!

I have thought about prepping an open car body shell for road racing but feel it would futile considering the rules.

Mike;

   I do appreciate your opinion...i remember those days.  Maybe its time to go vintage racing with the old CP rules.

I pose another question that maybe someone can help with......what are the rules like for NASA? Do they recognize the TR8 or is it a build the car and see where they want to class it?

I have Bob Griffiitt / Bob Brown TR7 original white roadster then Brown raced it red with Union Jack hood.  Also have some 300 bhp rally 2L four bolt main engines ... trick headers ... 4 dual Webbers ....>>>   have  SCCA log book for the TR7  also have tons of cars and parts ... including 4 original TR8s  ... 2 roadsters, 2 coupes [1980 & April 1977: engine 00029 // body/VIN ...0026]  C, Bruce Strock 267 999 1179

300hp 2.0?

There is a cool DVD on the market: Bullet reloaded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npaBfBrVh0U

Tullius is captured in a great interview about TransAm and IMSA.

Worth watching