Build catalogue
Jason Norman's 1967 TR4 with 427 Chevy V8
britishv8.orgoriginally published in British V8 Newsletter, Volume 12 Issue 1; updated February 2007 and November 2007
Photo: britishv8.orgA 1967 Triumph TR4 rebuilt from scratch around a 427 Chevy V8
Jason Norman took a rusted-out, twisted-frame TR4 shell that came without a drivetrain and built it around a 427 Chevy V8 he was already assembling. The project went through more than one round of work, with the frame, suspension, and firewall reworked and the engine rebuilt with stronger internals and a dry sump system. It is worth reading for the scale of fabrication needed to rescue a car the owner says was essentially junk in every area.
Specs
As the owner states it.
- Engine
- 1968 427 Chevy, 0.100 inch over-bored (approximately 447 cid), roller cam
- Exhaust
- 4 inch collectors into 3.5 inch exhaust
- Transmission
- Super T-10 4 speed, aluminum flywheel
- Rear axle
- Ford 9 inch, 31 spline, 4.11 Detroit Locker, 4-link rear suspension
- Paint
- 3 stage homemade color: charcoal base coat, pure color dye coat, urethane clear coat
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 5
- 1968 427 Chevy V8, 0.100 inch over-bored
Main engine for the conversion, bored to approximately 447 cid with a roller cam
In the shops
D/W TRIPLE INLETS - Austin Healey 100-4/6 & 3000 1953-1968 ↗Angloparts· €705.95 EUR
AH TRIPLE WEBER KIT - Austin Healey 100-4/6 & 3000 1953-1968 ↗MANIFOLD, TRIPLE / AH BN4-BJ8 - Austin Healey 100-4/6 & 3000 1953-1968 ↗ - Chrome-moly H-beam connecting rods
Fitted during the engine rebuild for strength
In the shops
Connecting Rod Assembly (New) ↗
Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $221.00 USD
Chrome Moly Pushrod Set (TR2-4A, Morgan +4) ↗
Racetorations· £225.00 GBP
Connecting Rod Bearing, Tri-Metal HD, TR2-TR4A ↗
bpnorthwest.com· $99.95 USD - 4-bolt main stud kit
Installed to strengthen the bottom end during rebuild
- Cylinder head studs
Heads were studded during the rebuild
In the shops
TR2-4A Cylinder Head Stud Nut ↗
TRGB· £5.23 GBP
Cylinder Head Stud, 5 9/16 inch ↗Racetorations· £20.90 GBP
TR2-4A Cylinder Head Stud 5 Inch ↗TRGB· £12.05 GBP - 4-stage dry sump oiling system, 3.5 gallon
Installed for improved oil control
Fuel & Ignition 2
- Holley 750 carburetorHolley
Used temporarily during engine break-in and ring seating
- 1800 cfm mechanical fuel injection
Planned to be fitted after the break-in period
Cooling 1
- Twin electric fans
Fitted for engine cooling
In the shops
Cooling Fan Kit (Twin, V8) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $508.75 USD
Gearbox & Drivetrain 3
- Super T-10 4 speed transmission
Manual gearbox paired with the 427 V8
In the shops
Rear Transmission Seal, 4-Speed (Spitfire 1962-1980) ↗bpnorthwest.com· $2.36 USD - Aluminum flywheel
Fitted with the Super T-10 transmission
In the shops
Aluminum Flywheel (TR2 to TR4A) ↗bpnorthwest.com· $538.65 USD
Fidanza Lightweight Aluminum Flywheel ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $510.25 USD
Aluminum Flywheel (1275) ↗bpnorthwest.com· $419.99 USD - Ford 9 inch rear axle, 31 splineFord
Narrowed rearend fitted with a 4.11 Detroit Locker and 4-link suspension
Suspension & Steering 1
- 4-link rear suspension
Located the narrowed Ford 9 inch rear axle
Interior 2
- X3 steering wheel
Fitted in the cockpit rebuild
- Pyrotech racing harnessesPyrotech
Installed as part of the interior safety upgrade
Photos
All 30 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.
How it was done
Starting point
Jason acquired a 1967 TR4 that he describes as garbage: Bondo, chicken wire, and newspaper stuffed into rust holes, with a frame twisted two and a half inches front to back. It came with no drivetrain, though it did have a narrowed rearend already fitted. Wiring, sheetmetal, brakes, suspension, and interior were all in poor shape. He kept the car mainly because it was a genuine 67 TR4 and because he already had a 67 427 Chevy on an engine stand.
First engine build
The initial engine was a 1967-vintage 427 Chevy bored 0.100 inch over, close to 447 cid, fitted with a roller cam. Power went through a Super T-10 four speed with an aluminum flywheel to a Ford 9 inch rear axle, 31 spline, running a 4.11 Detroit Locker on a 4-link setup. At about 100 miles in, he was running a 750 Holley for break-in, planning an 1800 cfm mechanical fuel injection later.
Frame and suspension rebuild
Jason later tore the engine back down and undertook a full rework of the frame, suspension, and firewall, along with new fabrications throughout the car. This included custom chassis work and a fabricated front suspension, addressing the twisted frame and replacing the poor original suspension and brakes noted at the start.
Engine internals upgrade
During the rebuild, Jason upgraded the 427 with chrome-moly H-beam rods, a 4-bolt main stud kit, and studded heads for added strength. He also installed a 4-stage dry sump oiling system with a 3.5 gallon capacity, improving oil control for the highly modified V8.
Paint
The finished bodywork was covered in a homemade 3 stage color scheme built from a charcoal base coat, a pure color dye coat, and a urethane clear coat, completed as one of the final stages of the build.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is the owner's: read it at britishv8.org ↗