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John Walsh's 1981 Triumph TR7 with Buick V6 Conversion

John Walsh · 1981 Triumph TR7

Triumph TR7

britishv8.orgas published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XX Issue 2, December 2012 (updated 4/3/2015)

Read the full write-up at britishv8.org ↗

Photo: britishv8.org

A 1981 Triumph TR7 converted to Buick 3.8L V6 power

John Walsh swapped a stock Buick 231cid V6 into his TR7, paired with a Camaro T5 five-speed and a Mustang 8.8 rear end, and upgraded brakes, suspension and bodywork along the way. The result is a lightweight, road-going special with Huffaker Engineering fiberglass panels and a custom gauge cluster, still described by the owner as a work in progress.

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

  • Buick 231cid (3.8L) V6 engineBuick

    stock engine used as the base for the conversion

Fuel & Ignition 1

  • MSD ignition controllerMSD

    added to the otherwise stock V6

Cooling 2

  • Custom radiator

    fitted to cool the V6 swap

  • Oil cooler

    added for engine oil cooling

Gearbox & Drivetrain 2

Suspension & Steering 4

Brakes 3

Wheels & Tyres 2

  • Konig Lace aluminum wheels, 15x6.5Konig

    fitted to the car

  • Kuhmo Ecsta tyres, 205/60x15Kuhmo

    fitted to the wheels

    In the shops
    Inner Tube (16 x 205 Tyre) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $24.75 USD

Body & Trim 3

Interior 2

Electrical 3

  • Relocated battery

    moved to the trunk

  • Sony stereo and speakersSony

    installed in the car

  • LED brake lights and third brake light

    fitted to the rear of the car

Other 1

Photos

Shown from britishv8.org. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.

John Walsh's TR7 with Buick V6 conversionPhoto: britishv8.org
Stock 1981 Buick 231cid V6 with MSD ignitionPhoto: britishv8.org
Fabricated strut tower braces in the engine bayPhoto: britishv8.org
Wilwood 4-piston front calipers and 11 inch rotorsPhoto: britishv8.org
Stainless Steel Brake Co. rear calipers and rotorsPhoto: britishv8.org
Custom instrument cluster with VDO gaugesPhoto: britishv8.org
Earlier version of the custom instrument clusterPhoto: britishv8.org
Huffaker fiberglass body panels give a distinctive lookPhoto: britishv8.org
LED brake lights and third brake lightPhoto: britishv8.org
Konig Lace wheels with Kuhmo Ecsta tyresPhoto: britishv8.org
The TR7 as purchased, before the buildPhoto: britishv8.org
The TR7 a year before its repaintPhoto: britishv8.org

How it was done

The V6 swap

John fitted a 1981 Buick 231cid (3.8L) V6, keeping it essentially stock apart from adding an MSD ignition controller. He also fabricated his own strut tower braces to stiffen the front end for the new drivetrain and handling upgrades.

Drivetrain

Power runs through a Borg Warner T5 five-speed manual sourced from a Camaro. Out back sits a Ford 8.8 rear axle from a 1986 Mustang GT, fitted with 2.73:1 gears and a limited-slip differential.

Brakes and suspension

Stopping power comes from an SVO Mustang master cylinder, Wilwood 4-piston front calipers with 11 inch vented rotors, and Stainless Steel Brake Co. rear calipers with 10.25 inch vented rotors. Front and rear suspension were upgraded with competition springs, Koni adjustable shocks, and polyurethane bushings.

Cooling and exhaust

A custom radiator and an oil cooler keep the V6 in check, while a cat-back dual exhaust system was fitted to the car.

Interior and electrical

The dash was fitted with a custom instrument cluster using Smiths speedometer and tachometer along with VDO oil pressure, coolant temperature, voltmeter and fuel gauges. The battery was relocated to the trunk, and a Sony stereo with speakers was installed, along with LED brake lights and a third brake light.

Bodywork and wheels

The car wears authentic Huffaker Engineering fiberglass body panels and a Huffaker TR7/TR8 air dam for a distinctive look, plus a roll hoop that tucks under the convertible top. It rolls on Konig Lace aluminum 15x6.5 wheels wrapped in Kuhmo Ecsta 205/60x15 tires. John repainted the car after owning it for some time.

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 common, stock V6 like the Buick 3.8L can be kept simple while still giving a meaningful upgrade over the original engine.
  • Sourcing a T5 gearbox and 8.8 rear axle from common Ford/GM donor cars simplifies parts sourcing for the conversion.
  • Fabricating strut tower braces helps compensate for the extra stress a V6 swap puts on the chassis.
  • Fitting different-brand front and rear brake calipers can be matched to give balanced stopping power.
  • Relocating the battery to the trunk helps with weight distribution in a lightweight conversion.
  • Genuine period body kits, like the Huffaker panels, can give a distinctive look without inventing new bodywork.

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