05/29/06

 

Here's the latest status on John's effort to restore his '58 Triumph TR3A.

The TR3A was purchased in August, 2002.

The previous owner had started the restoration, but had not finished.  It has sat, waiting for a sucker, er, new owner for the last 6 years.

Some facts about a Triumph TR3:

Fuel Consumption

* Gas 26 -32 Miles per gallon

* Oil 3,000 miles per gallon

(It's nice to know that Triumph considered oil a fuel. )

Triumph produced 58,309 TR3As between 1957 and 1962, but it is believed that only about 9,500 survive today.

Here's how the car looks now:

The car in its original, pristine condition

 

 

There is no rust on the floor panels,

not bad for a 45 year old British car.

 

 

3 days of hard work to rebuild the carburetors

 

No rust in the doors and yes, that is wood along

the top of the door

 

 

Panel is painted and all new knobs, the instrument  gauges were clean and the chromed bezels polished

 

A photo towards the back and the gas tank

 

 

Body is now off the frame.  This allows me to work on the suspension

Another photo of the frame and body

 

 

I had to made a park switch and brushes for the wiper motor.  Heaters were options on the TR3

Sand blasting the frame

 

After 250 pounds of sand and a zinc

 phosphate coating

Half of the frame painted with

POR-15 coating

Frame completely sandblasting.  Another 350 pounds of  sand

 

 

Dolly for moving the body to media blasting and painting

 

On the trailer ready for the body shop

 

Check out the door gap some new cars are not this good!

 

Body after media blasting.  Bondo will be removed and all panels will be straighten.

 

 
The tide has turned.  Parts are now going on instead of off.  Suspension has been rebuilt with new bushings, ball joints and trunnions.

 

Brakes lines, fuel line and exhaust has been added.

 

 

About all I can do to the frame until I get the body back.  I have been waiting six months for a new battery box to give the body shop.  Should be shipping from the UK this week.

Starting to reassemble the engine.  I was told that the body will not be completed for another 4 months, that will make over six months in the body shop!  I will run out of things to do shortly.

 

Engine is in the frame.  Starter and generator were rebuilt.  Note: still waiting for the head.  I left the green paint on the rear end that indicates the ratio.

The engine started as if it was running yesterday.  Adjusted timing and carbs.  What a difference 50 years makes.  On the other car I can not change spark plugs without moving the induction system.  Body should be done in two weeks, but I have heard that story before.  Will have to remove the carbs, radiator, generator, etc to drop the body on.

Two week became 3 months, but I finally got the car back.  New photos after a month of work.

 

Incar.jpg (217405 bytes)Most of the interior is in, along with the windshield.

 

Final Chapter:

Best in Class

This site was last updated 09/10/05