S.A.H. Tuned - What's that?
When I went to look at the TR4A that I bought, one of the things I noticed was a little metal plaque attached to the ashtray, which read " S.A.H. Tuned". I asked the seller if he knew what it meant and he said that he didn't. On lifting the hood, I found similar plaques attached to the valve cover. I didn't attach any significance to it at the time and we concluded our deal quickly and I took it home. Once I had gotten the car home, I started noticing small things that weren't stock for the TR4A and I started making inquires into the history of my car.
I learned that S.A.H. stood for Sid A. Hurrell, who was a noted modifier of Triumphs who had opened his own company for carrying out this type of work. He had even worked with Standard-Triumph to set up some of their rally and race cars. The company he founded became very successful and eventually changed it's name to TriumphTune, which still exists today. In fact his son Terry Hurrell is president of the company even now, and very graciously responded to my inquires concerning the car but was unable to supply any information concerning it.
What I have been able to determine since then is that the original owner of the car was a Crawford Morton, who bought the car while in England (apparently a serviceman), who then took it to S.A.H. and had the following work done:
Fenders replaced with fiberglass ones (to
lighten weight)
Wheels replaced with J.A.Pearce magnesium knockoff wheels (to lighten even more)
driving lights added
motor built to the following specifications:
S.A.H. Modified Cylinder Head and matched Inlet Manifold
Competition Valve Springs
High Lift Camshaft � S.A.H. 26
New, latest type Crankshaft
New 2.2 litre pistons and liners
New �Special Glacier� recticular aluminum bearings
New Timing Chain and Tensioner
Lighten flywheel
Competition Clutch Centre Plate
New Clutch Pressure Plate,
Fully balanced Laystall engine assembly
4 branch Extractor Exhaust Manifold
Lucas Sports Coil
4 NGK B7HC Spark Plugs
Oil Cooler Installation kit
Oil Cooler Radiator
engine assembly painted in grey heat resistant finish.
I have been unable to confirm this (since Mr. Crawford passed away before I bought the car), but apparently he told the second owner that he rallyed the car in England for several years before returning to the United States and bringing the car with him. (If anyone in England could confirm this I would be very appreciative) There is evidence on the car that it had been driven hard at some point and suffered some damage (dents to the frame, some holes and dents in the body).
I spoke to the second owner, who states he only drove it on the road until about 1980 when he started tearing it apart to rebuild it. The rebuild stalled and he finally sold it to the individual I bought it from in 1991.
There it sat until 1998 when I bought it. The TR4A, named "Chance" by my wife (since it's getting a second chance at life instead of just rusting away) is currently in a full strip-down restoration that I hope to complete soon and finally be able to drive this rare vehicle.
UPDATE: I recently received correspondence from a Fletch Veitch with some very interesting information concerning my Triumph - I'll let him tell it in his own words:
I know your SAH tuned TR4A - In fact I drove it the day I was married. The car belonged to my uncle, E. Crawford Morton and he purchased it new in England tuned by SAH. The car was not raced in England. Crawford never raced it, but he was a very fast and skilled driver who used all of the cars capabilities on those lovely New York Adirondack roads. He was a fanatic about car care, so if it was damaged or not maintained it was by someone other than him. When I say fanatic, I mean just that - you had to see it to believe it. My TR3 which I got from him when it was 7 years of age looked and drove like a new car. It was a real screamer, I had a stock TR4A-IRS and his ran circles around it. The SAH was what the TR4A should have been - My 3 ran circles around my TR4A-IRS untill I ripped out the polution control crap and rejetted the carbs properly. Milage went back up to 27-28 MPG from about 23. Performance greatly enhanced. He always loved performance cars and the Triumph string began with a Peerless GT, TR-3, Herald (side car) TR4A (SAH) and then a string of Mercedes. He worked for International Paper Co in Ticonderoga NY. He followed racing avidly, used to go to Europe to watch the GPs, and on one of these trips he picked the TR up, having ordered it prior to leaving. Original color was BRG, and it had Laycock OD. I do have some original photos of the vehicle, both exterior and under the hood. If you finish the beast and wish to sell it to someone who will care for it as it deserves, please let me know before putting it on the market.
Additionally if you know the whereabouts of a TR3-A S/N TS53537-LO or know how to see if it still exists, I would love to know where it is. That was my first TR, also owned by Crawford. I did autocross that one, and it was a world beater! The fastest damned TR I ever drove, and I have had 5.
Crawford also had Peerless GT (TR engined) and Herald 1200 (POS). His daughter Christine Morton Smith also had a Spitfire. A real TR family!