The Triumph TR7 was a pretty solid little British sports car, and the fourth generation Chevy Camaro was a pretty decent mid-90s American sports car. Albeit, not one without their fair share of faults in both cases. But as one Craigslist seller in South Carolina is proving right now, the two make a wonderful pairing.
For those not entirely up to speed on the history of British sports cars, the Triumph TR7 was somewhat of a swansong for the breed. Of course, other examples like the Lotus Elan continued into the late 1990s. But at least in regard to British Leyland, which spawned the TR7 in the first place, you can't help but feel like that car was a harbinger of doom in hindsight.
Not that the TR7 wasn't a competent and fun-to-drive gentleman's sports coupe, it certainly was and still is. But anyone who knows anything about British cars, especially from the late 70s and early 80s, is reliability wasn't exactly their strong suit. But if you can keep everything running smoothly for long enough, it's bound to be a wonderful experience. That's doubly true if it comes with the iconic 3.5-liter Rover V8.
In many ways, the fourth generation V6 Camaro is the antithesis of the TR7. A car that was more suited for the wide, open highways of California than it was the twisty backroads of the English countryside at the very least. Weighing in at just over 3,200 pounds (1451.5 kg), the Camaro was over 700 pounds (315.5 kg) heavier than the TR7. Sadly, this did not bode well for Camaro models with the 3.4-liter 160-horsepower V6.
But if we told you that swapping the engine out of a 1996 Camaro V6 and shoving it under the hood of this bright purple TR7 was a match made in heaven. Would you believe us? Well, you better start believing because the results are more than impressive. Despite how tiny this little T7 appears, the GM-derived V6 fits under its engine bay like your foot into a non-counterfeit Nike flipflop. So to say, snug and secure.
Photo: Craigslist Greenville, SC
The engine is paired to the same Tremec T5 five-speed manual transmission that would have come standard on a 1994 Camaro. The interior gauge cluster is also from the same Camaro. That's the kind of eco-friendly recycling-friendly we love to see here at autoevolution, especially when the end results are so spectacular. Speaking of recycled, the wheels come from a scrapped MG ZR.
The engine breathes in through the Camaro V6's stock electronic fuel injection system and breathes out through a custom dual Magnaflow muffler set up, sure to give that extra touch of throaty growl to that V6 engine. Side note, if you think talking about a Camaro V6 in anything other than a joking manner is weird, we do too. Moving onto the interior, it presents an overtly early 80s aesthetic. Meaning, in a sense, it's almost indiscernible from the late 1970s.
The car's period-correct-looking steering wheel is actually an aftermarket unit from Nardi. Its bucket seats appear to be cloth with leather inserts on the side bolsters from an undisclosed aftermarket manufacturer. The stereo is also an aftermarket Bluetooth, USB, and cell phone-capable unit from JVC paired with four aftermarket speakers. Though the Craigslist ad shows 80,000 miles (128,747.5 km), the description discloses that the Camaro dashboard doesn't match up with the rest of the car.
As a result, the fuel gauge is quite working right either, nor is the air conditioning. But hey, as far as project cars go, at least this one runs and drives. It shouldn't take too much trouble to get everything working. With an asking price of just $11,750, you better pick it up before one of us takes it first.
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