Although at this writing I am 54 years old, I have owned a foreign-made sports car in each of the last 5 decades—1 per decade.
#1 was a red MG Midget, which I purchased with the help of my Dad in 1968 when I was a junior in college. #2 was a ’62 TR4, which I purchased in 1974 while living in Binghamton, NY. #3 was a Triumph Spitfire. #4 was a gorgeous Black Miata with tan leather seats and tan top in the 90’s. #5 is my "new" '62 TR4 (similar to #2).
This picture of my wife Annabelle and me with the car in front of our Cherry Hill home was taken the day after it was delivered.
1962 Triumph TR4
June, 2002 at the Jersey Shore
June, 2002 at the Jersey Shore From left to right - The first two pictures show the new interior - new seats, door panels, carpeting, etc. The next two pictures show the car in front of our home in Margate, NJ. The picture on the right was taken at Eddie's garage. Eddie installed a new heavy-duty radiator, fixed the temperature guage, replaced rod bearings and performed a minor tune up.
Delivery Day, Jan 12, 2002 That’s a 32’ flatbed trailer with nothing on it but my ’62 TR4. It was a strange site, believe me. More than a few neighbors came out to see what was happening. At first we couldn’t even figure out how to open the hood. In the picture on the far right is my friend Sid, an old college roommate who happens to live around the corner from me – we’ve known each other since the late ‘60’s. He stopped over to reminiscence at bit. What an exciting day!
The Car at Jafstram and United Glass & Top Works The first three pictures (left to right) show United Glass & Top Works, which is on Haddon Ave. in Camden. Here, Mike, the owner, put on the new convertible top as well as new door panels, seats, carpet, etc. The inside of the car looks brand new (except for the dashboard).
The second two pictures (on the right) show the car at Jafstram, which is on Haddon Ave. in Collingswood. Here John, the owner, has done most of the mechanical work on the car.
Here is a partial list of the new parts that have been put into the car: Battery Cables, Tail Lights, License Plate Lights, Fuse Box, Turn Signal Switch, Wiper Blades, Bushings (front, in), Bearings (front, out), Tie Rod, Ball Joints, Suspension Kit, Hubs, Flasher, Battery, Battery Tray, Parking Lamp, Windshield Washer Pump, Fuel Pump, Rubber Floor Mats, Seat Belts, Keys, Pedal Pads, Gear Shift Boot, Walnut Gear Shift Knob, Dashboard Knobs, Ashtray, Rear View Mirror, Glove Box, Gas Tank Casing Board, Trunk Floor & Spare Wheel Cover, Trunk Seal, Tool Strap Kit, Valve Stem Caps, Dynamat Hoodliner, Master Lock Set, Extension Tailpipe, Wheel Trim Rings, Wheel Medallions, Chrome Hub Caps, Tires (5, Brand New), Steel Wheels (4 Reconditioned), Seat Spring Units, Seat Padding, Seat Frame-Steel Fixed (Drivers), Seat Frame-Steel Tilting (Passengers), Rear Seat Kit (Vinyl), Rear Quarter Panels (Vinyl), Wheel Well Covers (Vinyl), Front Seat Kit (Vinyl), AM/FM/Cassette Radio, Speakers, Antenna, Tonneau Cover, Convertible Top, Hood Badge, Letter Set, Medallion w/TR4 (Trunk), Oil Pressure Guage, Clutch Kit, Fan Belt, Crank Pulley, heavy-duty Radiator, Points and Condenser, Distributor Vacuum Line, Radiator Hoses, Thermostat, Temperature Transmitter and Voltage Stabilizer, Rod Bearings, and Starter.
Also, I had the outside of the car painted (base coat clear coat - red) and under the hood and trunk lid (flat black).
April, 2002 at our home in Cherry Hill Here are a handful of pictures of the car that were taken after it came back from United Top and Glass Works - before it was painted. In the first 2 pictures you can see how nice the car looks wih the new convertible top. The first 2 photographs show the outside. The third picture shows the brand new trunk, and the fourth and fifth pictures show the new interior -- and of course Suzie.
October, 2002 - Coming Soon Right now the car is back at Jafstrams. The engine has been removed and is being completely rebuilt - I got tired of listening to the ping and worrying about "throwing a rod." In addition, a new heating system is being installed (since it had none when I bought it). Also, the front and rear bumpers and both door handles are being replaced. Stay tuned for more photos.
