Triumph TR3 show car restoration project, m calling it a "project" but thats only because it needs the finishing touches done to it. Look at the pics....all the major things are done. It's a running car that you can start and drive. Over 15 years of collecting parts and many many hours of work have been spent to make this one of the nicest TR3's you will find. Over $25K invested over the years...Im selling it for much less than I have in the car. Read on if this sounds like THE car for you. The only reason I am parting with it is I just have too many classic cars and have 2 more cars I need to find room for...I hate to let this car go but it's coming down to my Ferrari, y Benz or this TR3 will have to move outside... Im simply out of room and no time to spend on it, o it needs a new home. The buyer can have it sent out for paint, get a leather seat kit for $500 bucks, edo the seats while the car is getting painted...install a $300 carpet kit when the car comes back from the paint shop...install the seats and have a $35K car. I wish I had the time and space to finish it...but I simply dont. If you are the kind of person that can do all the work yourself...the cost to finish is car is very low. The paint and clear will run you 400, he seats 400-600 and a carper kit w/underlay is 300. Some people may think my price is too high but I know what it cost me to build this car...so if you think the price is too high...go buy a cheaper one...sink a number of years of your time into it, pend another 15K-20K on parts and materials...and you'll have what this one is. Im not trying to justify the price...just explaining why it is what it is.
Up for auction is my 1959 Triumph TR3. Commission number TS41861L. There is another brass plate with 10116748 on it. This car has had a frame off restoration. All the hard stuff is done car needs: paint, arpet and a seat kit. It has new floor pans, ew trunk pan, ew spare tire pan, ew rocker panels and a new passenger side inner sill. All body to frame mounting points are solid. The frame and suspension components have been painted with Centari Silver and the under body was painted with PPG Black Sapphire metalic base coat ( 1993 GM Truck DBU4003) then clear coated. It's a very dark blue metalic. Looks black until the light hits it. Very rich looking color. All the body panels from the doors back have been blocked sanded out and are VERY straight! From the doors forward, t needs very minor body work here are there to be perfect. It has not been block sanded yet from the doors forward. The deck lid, runk pan, heel wells, oors, ockers, loors, enders, ills and the hood are 100% rust free. It has new hood and trunk hinges and I have new stone guards that go on the front bottoms of the rear fenders. I also have the original stone guards and personally I think they fit better but are 56 years old. They have dents from stones but can be polished out...they look OK for being what they are and their age. The exterior body panels were all taken down to bare metal (as was the rest of car) and all the panels currently are shot in white expoy primer (both sides).
The engine was totally rebuilt and assenbled by MG Automotive in Kettering OH. The crank was turned 10-10 and fitted with new bearings and thrust washers. The head studs were replaced with new ones. New figure 8 gaskets. The rear oil seal was updated to get rid of the non working factory reverse scroll seal thing Triumph did back then. No real "seal" on the rear main which is why they all leaked even when new! This crank was turned to get rid of that scroll gear at the rear of the crank and the seal has been upgraded to the more modern lip type oil seal. The timing chain cover also got a new seal. The pistons and liners are the 86MM varity and new...and basically have zero miles on them. The old PITA messy oil filter canister was replaced with a spin on oil filter adapter. I still have the original one if you want it but why? I guess if you are going to show the car and want the original look I get that, but personally I wanted to have easier oil changes. I had no intention of ever selling this car and I was doing it up nice for ME! So I made some small originality changes here and there that make the car better IMO. I mean do you want an original rear oil seal that leaks by design or one that wont soil your driveway? Im a stickler for orignal as well and the next guy but sometimes better is just better and ya do it. Anything I "changed" I kept the original parts so if you want it that way...you can put those parts back on. The engine bay is text book clean...very impressive.
The car is fitted with a new stainless steel exhaust system and a new correct rear muffler hanger.
The head was rebuilt with new guides, alves and valve springs. The spring spacers on the rocker shaft were updated with solid spacers verses the original spring type spacers. It has new push rods and lifters. A new copper head gasket was installed. The carbs were rebuild and the linkages were replated. The intake manifold is the best one Triumph made for this engine. Long straight runners verses the original TR3 intake which has a big flat spot where the fueled air tuborlates. It's a little longer intake but the new air cleaners allow for fender clearance. I have the crap TR3 intake if you want it. The factory tired valve cover was replaced with a very nice billet aluminium valve cover and a new vented cap. You get the factory valve cover too....but it needs replated. The SU fuel pump was just rebuilt and works great. The distributor is good and has original style bumble bee wires . The screw in coil wire coil is a nice vintage touch and from the correct time period...but it is not the original coil. The starter and generator were rebuilt by The Electric Garage in Beaverckeek OH. The radiator was checked and pressure tested and a new cap installed. The water pump was replaced with a new water pump and it has the correct thermostat.
The gas tank is clean inside and has a new sending unit. It has been stored without any gas in the tank. The car has the original gas tank chrome latching cap. I just recently put gas in it so I could start it...and drive it up and down my country road to ensure everything was working. I have put no road miles on this car as until 2 months ago the body panels were not on it. I was going to just hang those and list it but went ahead and wired the car got all that working correctly then kept putting all the parts I could back on the car to make it easier for the next person. Plus it's just easier to load an assembeled car than to load a bunch of parts. Things get broken that way in transit...so I basically hung the panels back on brought everything online and made it driveable. All my new hydraulics had gone bad from time. It made me mad because there was no fluid in it and you wouldnt expect new parts to go bad...but they did. Luckily I inspected everything before I put any brake fluid in it or Id have had a mess on the new firewall paint. All that has just been gone over and it all works as it should...no leaks.
The transmission was inspected but nothing needed to be done inside the gear box...no wear showing to justify a rebuild. It has a new clutch disk, hrow out bearing, ressure plate and a used (but in perfect condition flywheel) from TSI Automotive, ed Shoemaker in Pandora OH. It shifts well, o grinding noise from it. I also got new front adjustable racing shocks from Ted. They didnt come cheap...but very nice adjustable racing shocks.
The rear lever shocks were rebuilt by Apple Hydraulics. Rear springs are good. The rear differential cover gasket was replaced. The front suspention is all new. New polyurethan A-arm bushings replaced the inferior OEM rubber bushings. New ball joints upper and lower, ew tie rods inner and outter, ew trunions and new front springs were installed.
The rear brakes got new wheel cylinders, prings and shoes. The front brakes got new rotors, ads and the calipers were rebuilt. The front lines to the calipers are stainless braided lines as is the rear line to the T fitting that feeds the rear brake lines.
The hydraulics were all just rebuilt or replaced...brake master (new), lutch master (new seals) and clutch slave (new). The clutch operates as it should and the brakes are like new...nice firm pedal. The brake and clutch pedals have new rubber pads on them.
It has a restored Smiths heater core and fan assembly...the fan is connected and working but I do not have the water hoses for it. I was looking for the orignal ribbed type hose and never got around to tracking it down. I pressure tested the heater core and it held pressure so pretty confident it wont leak.
The car comes with a white rag top and it also has the factory hardtop...the hardtop needs body worked and the rear window...but you get one, hey are ultra un-obtainium and very pricey if you do find one. I have the curtians for it but they need redone.
The car has been totally rewired and all the lights, urn signals and even the horn all work. The fuse box has 2 original Lucas fuses. Yes 2 fuses...1 relay (the flasher) and that's it LOL. The wiring to the fuse box and voltage regulator looks better than factory. Every wire is nicely dressed and all the ends are good where they connect. The wires running through the column to the turn signal control head were replaced. The car has tripod headlights and new rubber headlight seals to the apron. New seals on the tail lights too. The speedo and tach are in VGC but it's is missing the L adapter on the tranny so the speedometer is not currently hooked up the gauges in the center pod are mostly original except for the temp gauge. I replaced the problematic capilary tube setup with a sender and a Smiths temp gauge of the period. The oil pressure gauge is good but needs connected at the engine. I am missing the rubber hose to connect it. The amp gauge works, uel gauge works. The original Speedometer was missing when I got the car and had to buy a new one. Since the car has had basically every part replaced...the mileage shows 00000 on the new speedo. Yes it's pretty much a new 1959. Im telling you folks...you dont see them this nice...come see it! Paint it, o the seats and install carpet...it's a $35K car!
The cowl vent flap/door open and closes from the pull handle on the dash.
I bought a new interior panel kit: gas tank cover, heel well material, rear side panels and both front door panels. They are grey and look great. They are not secured but I have the screw kit. I have all the cockpit cappings and the grey leather to redo them but they need glued on. The dash panel needs the glove box door, he slide and hinge screwd in.
It has a new steering wheel and the steering box is tight. New silent block bushings. No play in the steering... but it's all new it should be tight! It has freshly painted factory steel wheels with chrome repo hubcaps and center globe emblems. I also have a set of wire wheels for it. They need tires...Ive never ran them so dont know how "true" they are. I dont have the hub adapters to mount the wire wheels on the car but they are readily available. The Michilin tires on the car have 0 miles on them and all match. Some very small age cracks but still very decent tires. All hold air and never go flat. Id drive anywhere on them. Personally I like the steel factory wheels...and these look very good on the car....but you do get a set of correct wire wheels for it.
I have a spread sheet that shows what Ive bought over the last 15 years for this project. If you want it, ust ask and Ill send it to you. I would love to finish this car as it wont take much to do it but I have way to many projects and realistically Im just not going to be able to get to it for another 2 years. Id rather sell it and use the money to fund finishing other projects.
Things I know it needs: seats covered, lock sanded from the doors forward and painted. I have a front bumper and the brackets for it but the bumper itself needs work. I do not have the rear bumperetts either but I have the mounts for them. I have misplaced the hood popper spring so unless I can find it you might need one of those. Im still looking for it...I know I have one. I have door handles for it but they are not show perfect and no key for them so you'll want to get new ones.
With paint seats and carpet, his car will be about as perfect as they come. At least a $25,000 car...likely much more! There is a reason these cars finished fetch high dollar values...the parts are getting very hard to find and good parts for it dont come cheap. As I said my spread sheet totals over 25K and that does not include ANY labor...there were countless hours put in on this car....it looks like a model...really really clean, ome see it for yourself. I have basically driven the car to test and tune it...maybe 5-10 miles of driving and it runs nice. Starts up easily engines has good power...gets down the road well. It runs good now but as with any sports car further adjustments will likely make it run even better. I ensured the plugs and points were gapped correctly, djusted the valves and played with the timing until it seemed to run decent.
It comes with a clear title ready to be signed by the new owner! I prefer you come get it or send a carrier for it but I do have a car trailer and can deliver it for a fee if need be...however, ont ask me to bring it to the west cost. You'll need to arrange a carrier if you are real far away. I will assist your carrier in loading the car and I will ship the car anywhere. The buyer is responsible for any and all shipping arrangements and costs. I will not release the car until full payment has been made.
I prefer payment in cash upon pick up of the car. I do not want a check or wire transfer as there can be problems. I dont want a mess after the sale. Simply put, ring the money...we load the car...I give you the title...you take it home....easy for both of us. If I have the cash in my hand I know it's safe to release the car. I am advertising the car locally also and reserve the right to cancel the auction early in the event of a local sale. This is a no reserve auction so once there is a bid, will consider the car "selling on Ebay" and will pull all other ads. The car goes to the highest bidder at that point.
Again I apologize for the long description and Im sure I forgot things Ive done....but this car has had so much done to it, t's hard to remember all the steps...just too many to recall. It's a show piece...it just needs a new owner to take it the rest of the way...all the hard expensive stuff is done.
Due to the nature of all old mechanical things, his car is being sold as is with no warranty expressed or implied. It starts runs well, tops, hifts and everything electronic works. The new owner will get all the receipts I managed to save. I do not have all 15+ years of receipts but you'll get what I have.
Good luck to everybody...the winner will not be disappointed. If you have any questions, lease ask...you want to come inspect the car, ll be happy to show it to you. You can reach me at 937-768-0588 if you have questions.