Restomod Life
My Garage
No builds yet+ Start a new buildSave progress / Sign in

← All builds

Build catalogue

Rodney Wells' 1980 Triumph TR7 with Toyota Soarer 1UZ-FE V8 Engine

Rodney Wells · 1980 Triumph TR7

Triumph TR7

britishv8.orgas published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XVIII Issue I, December 2010

Read the full write-up at britishv8.org ↗

Photo: britishv8.org

A 1980 Triumph TR7 rebuilt with a Toyota Soarer 1UZ-FE V8

Rodney Wells, a longtime builder of TR7 V8 conversions, moved away from the usual Rover and Leyland P76 engines and fitted a Toyota Soarer 1UZ-FE quad-cam V8 with its original fuel injection and ignition intact. The write-up covers how he adapted a TR8-style subframe, sourced a Supra gearbox and bellhousing, and mixed in parts from Ford, Holden, Pontiac and Subaru for brakes. He considers it the most successful and reliable of the many TR-V8s he has built.

Specs

As the owner states it.

Engine
Toyota Soarer 1UZ-FE 32-valve quad-cam 4.0L V8
Fuel & Ignition
Stock Toyota electronic fuel injection and computerized ignition
Cooling
Aluminum radiator, off-the-shelf item made for Nissan Skyline turbo/R33
Exhaust
Stock Toyota Soarer tubular manifolds into custom dual exhaust
Transmission
Toyota Supra W58 5-speed with 0.783:1 5th gear; bellhousing and flywheel by Castlemaine Rod Shop; Toyota Supra clutch; Triumph driveshaft
Rear End
TR8 rear end with 3.08:1 final drive ratio
Brakes
Australian Ford Falcon (1979-81) master cylinder, Holden Commodore power booster; front Pontiac GTS calipers with Subaru WRX rotors; rear stock
Front Suspension
Spax Sport Triumph TR7/8 adjustable gas shock absorbers from Robsport International, 200 lb/in springs, lowered 1 inch
Rear Suspension
Stock Triumph TR7
Wheels/Tires
Minilite Rally 10-spoke aluminum 15 inch wheels
Instruments
Stock Triumph TR7
Interior
Custom racing seats from Aero Tech
Completed
March 2010

Parts used

What the owner names in the write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.

Engine 1

  • Toyota Soarer 1UZ-FE 32-valve quad-cam 4.0L V8Toyota

    Replacement engine for the conversion, aluminum block and heads with steel rods and crank

    In the shops
    Road Angel Halo Drive Quad HD Dash Cam ↗MX5 City· $135.44 USD

Fuel & Ignition 2

  • Toyota electronic fuel injection systemToyota

    Used unmodified from the donor Soarer engine

  • Toyota computerized ignition systemToyota

    Used unmodified from the donor Soarer engine

Cooling 1

Gearbox & Drivetrain 5

Suspension & Steering 2

Brakes 4

Wheels & Tyres 1

  • Minilite Rally 10-spoke aluminum wheels, 15 inchMinilite

    Fitted as the exterior wheel choice

Interior 1

  • Custom racing seatsAero Tech

    Fitted in place of stock TR7 seats

Other 1

Photos

All 21 pictures in the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from britishv8.org. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.

Rodney Wells' 1980 Triumph TR7 with Toyota Soarer 1UZ-F V8 EnginePhoto: britishv8.org
Toyota 1UZ-F 32-valve quad-cam 4.0L V8 engine.Photo: britishv8.org
Toyota 1UZ engines: aluminum engine blocks and heads, steel rods and cranks, hypereutectic pistons, and six-bolt main bearing journals.Photo: britishv8.org
Rodney copied the TR8 subframe design, and added another bracket to support a Range Rover engine mount.Photo: britishv8.org
Bellhousing and flywheel by Castlemaine Rod Shop (of Australia).Photo: britishv8.org
First installation of the Toyota Soarer V8 engine in the Triumph TR7.Photo: britishv8.org
Toyota Supra W58 5-speed with 0.783:1 5th gear.Photo: britishv8.org
Stock Toyota electronic fuel injection.Photo: britishv8.org
Stock Toyota computerized ignition.Photo: britishv8.org
Stock Toyota Soarer tubular manifolds into custom dual exhaust.Photo: britishv8.org
Aluminum radiator is an off-the-shelf item, made to fit a Nissan Skyline (turbo/R33).Photo: britishv8.org
The master cylinder is from an Australian Ford Falcon (1979-81 model). It has an internal proportioning valve.Photo: britishv8.org
The power brake booster is from a Holden Commodore.Photo: britishv8.org
Pontiac GTS calipers. Subaru WRX rotors.Photo: britishv8.org
Spax Sport Triumph TR7/8 adjustable gas shock absorbers from Robsport International.Photo: britishv8.org
Stock Triumph instruments.Photo: britishv8.org
Custom racing seats from Aero Tech of Australia.Photo: britishv8.org
Minilite Rally 10-spoke aluminum 15 inch wheels.Photo: britishv8.org
TR7 convertiblePhoto: britishv8.org
TR8 rear end with 3.08:1 final drive ratio.Photo: britishv8.org
Donate Now!Photo: britishv8.org

How it was done

Why this engine

After twenty years of building TR7 V8 conversions with Rover 3.5 and Leyland P76 4.4L engines, Rodney switched to a Toyota Soarer 1UZ-FE quad-cam V8. He found it smoother and quieter, expects better reliability, and says it starts easily hot or cold with noticeably more power than his earlier builds. He plans to use this car as an everyday driver.

Mounting the engine

Rodney based the engine mounting on the TR8 subframe design, then added an extra bracket to carry a Range Rover engine mount. This was the first time a Toyota Soarer V8 had been installed in a TR7, and the induction plenum was reported to fit neatly under the standard bonnet.

Gearbox and driveline

A Toyota Supra W58 five-speed gearbox with a 0.783:1 fifth gear was fitted using a bellhousing and flywheel made by Castlemaine Rod Shop in Australia, paired with a Toyota Supra clutch and a Triumph driveshaft. The rear end is a TR8 unit running a 3.08:1 final drive.

Fuel, ignition, cooling and exhaust

The stock Toyota electronic fuel injection and computerized ignition were carried over unmodified. Cooling uses an off-the-shelf aluminum radiator originally made for the Nissan Skyline turbo/R33. The stock Soarer tubular exhaust manifolds fit without alteration and feed into a custom dual exhaust system.

Brakes

The master cylinder comes from an Australian Ford Falcon (1979-81) with its internal proportioning valve, boosted by a Holden Commodore power booster. Up front, Pontiac GTS calipers work with Subaru WRX rotors, while the rear brakes remain stock.

Suspension, wheels and interior

Up front, Spax Sport adjustable gas shocks from Robsport International were fitted with 200 lb/in springs, lowering the car by an inch, while the rear suspension stays stock Triumph TR7. Minilite Rally 10-spoke 15 inch wheels were fitted, the instruments remain stock, and custom racing seats came from Aero Tech.

A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is the owner's: read it at britishv8.org ↗

Worth knowing

  • A Toyota 1UZ-FE V8 with its stock injection and ignition can be swapped in without needing custom engine management.
  • Basing the engine mounting on the TR8 subframe design, with an added bracket, gives a practical mounting solution.
  • Sourcing a purpose-made bellhousing and flywheel is key to mating a Japanese gearbox to the Toyota V8.
  • Off-the-shelf radiators from other marques, like the Nissan Skyline unit here, can be adapted for cooling.
  • Mixing brake components from several manufacturers (Ford, Holden, Pontiac, Subaru) can be combined into a working system.

FIND YOUR NEXT IDEA

Explore

VideosSearch videos and spoken topicsPartsFind parts from specialist storesParts ExplorerExplore the TR6 and its fastener catalogueBuildsLearn from other people’s projectsSocialsIdeas from the communityTechnical & communitiesGuides, advice and owner clubsGalleryBrowse photos and inspiration