The Triumph TR4A Spare Parts Fact Sheet
Availability of spares
Due to the continuing, even increasing, popularity of the wide chassis Triumphs (TR4A/250/5/6), availability of spares is quite good. In fact, the TR4A didn't have as many oddball items (green or green-striped hoses come to mind) so in some sense they have the best availability. Some body panels are hard to find, but the TR250 or TR6 part will often do.
Sometimes the original part as numbered in the TR4A parts manual is no longer available, but it will have been improved upon and superceded by a TR6 part. The lower inner front A-arm mounting bracket comes to mind; the TR6 part has two mounting studs instead of one. The TR6 radiator shroud will bolt on directly and provides pre-drilled holes to mount an oil cooler, but you'll have to make your own holes in the lower valence.
The chassis and suspension pieces are shared by all those cars, pretty much up to the end of TR6 production. As an example, the steering column switchgear is essentially identical from the TR4A through the first series of TR6, except that the later models have black trim instead of chrome. This transformation was originally made by covering the chrome with black plastic tubing, and is easily reversed! Gearboxes swap, as do differentials (though you may have to retain your original rear cover).
By all means, spend the money required to get a reprint of the factory parts book; unfortunately much of the documentation for the TR4A is produced as an addendum to its TR4 counterpart, but the parts book is dedicated to the TR4A and very clear. Supplement that with the free TR250 and TR6 catalogs from The Roadster Factory and compare part numbers.
Parts are available through a number of U.S. vendors: The Roadster Factory, Victoria British, Moss Motors, etc. TRF's TR250 catalog is a great thing to get - most of the suspension pieces and many of the accessories are correct, and it's more detailed than the factory manual in places.
TriumphTune and Racestorations are good sources of competition parts. Ken Gillanders' "British Frame & Engine" is a Stateside source for many of the best bits from Racestorations as well as a few things that he's developed on his own - he's been racing Triumphs since the 50s and is more than happy to talk about them. British Parts NW and FASPEC have uprated suspension bits. The Fat Chance Garage has experience with solid axle TR4As and lots of parts both used and new.
|