TR5/TR250 I've just agreed to buy a TR250. Help ! [especially anyone in the Houston, TX area]

[TR in me]

Hi all,

The Triumph passion in me just got the better of me and I've reached an agreement with someone in the Houston, TX area to buy their TR250. Unfortunately I'm in Maryland. I was the first person to call them and I've agreed to buy it so I got lucky (hopefully).

The car is far from perfect (missing engine, gearbox, seats, etc.) but I still want it, especially since they claim that the body and frame have no rust.

My first question is this: Does anyone know of a trustworthy shop in the Santa Fe, TX area or the Houston area that I could pay to go over and verify that the body and frame are solid? Or should I use one of those generic "Used Car Inspection" companies? Has anyone had any good or bad experience with those kind of companies? They seem like a great idea to me but I've never used them. The most important thing is that they look closely at the body and jack up the car and look at the frame. Or are they more focused on more modern cars?

My thoughts are as follows: I'm not rich. Spending this kind of money is significant for me, but if the body and frame are rust free then I can do everything else for a reasonable amount of money.

What you do think?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Marvin Gruber]

Dave,
I can't help you with an inspector but you are right . You don't want a car with bad body and frame rust. Ask for more pictures and post some here. Us guys can pick one apart pretty quick if its bad. If you do get it, I have a correct 250 engine, trans and seats.

Marv

 

[TR in me]

These are the only two pictures I have. . .

 

[trglory]

Dave;

Don't know if you are a member of 6 Pack, but if you are, they have a surrogate buyers group for just such a purpose.

 

[Marvin Gruber]

Car looks decent in the pictures. Ask for picture of floors, inside trunk, rockers and engine bay. That would help tremendously. As Joe mentioned, contact the 6 pack group.

Marv

 

[Marvin Gruber]

On second thought, do a road trip. Drive down, pick up the car, swing by my place and I can fill in the void of all the missing parts. Save on shipping it all. You probably need about a week to do it all.

Marv

 

[TexasKnucklehead]

The local club (Texas Triumph Register) sent out a request today. Actually, Santa Fe, Tx is closer to Galveston than Houston. On the map it only looks like a few inches away, but compared to Maryland, Texas is big. From my house in Spring, on the north side of Houston, it's about 60 miles to where the car is (and thru the center of town). Rain is predicted for the next few days, and I'm swamped already, or I might use it as an excuse to drive the TR3 across town and have a peek.

 

[TR in me]

Thank you. Someone has offered to take a look at the car on Friday morning. It that falls through I'll let you know. And yes, Texas is big. I drove across the widest two points once. I thought I was going to die of old age.

 

[TR in me]

OK, it is rustier than the seller said. Actually, the seller said no rust. This has rust. Some deep surface rust where, decades ago, someone stripped the paint off the tops of the rear fenders and deck, but more importantly, rust through in many places: the rear deck and extensions around the cockpit would need to be replaced; both floor pans and probably some of the firewall and/or side walls; battery box has big holes; etc. The car doesn't sit right in a strange way, so the frame is questionable. On the positive side, not all the car needs replacement. But enough that it probably worth it to me. Thank you all. If anyone needs more info let me know.

 

[Geo Hahn]

Sorry to hear that. Sadly, a seller's 'no rust' sometimes means 'not much rust' which really translates to 'I can still see some paint'.

I was wary when the photos suggested that the car had been stripped of all the useful bits that could be removed and still have something that could be rolled around.

 

[Guest]

And yes, Texas is big. I drove across the widest two points once. I thought I was going to die of old age.

I considered suicide cause I couldn't wait that long.

 

[Kleykamp]

Kind of like a "one owner" car is a car that only one guy owns.