TRF Party or Bust!!

[Got_All_4]

After many a late night and unexpected parts we are ready for our 3 hour tour to the Roadster Factory Party. Note how every British car should travel long distances with a trailer full of tool and spares!!

 

[vivdownunder]

One of the 3A's I had came with a tow bar and a history of towing a trailer load of spare parts to car race meetings in the early sixties.
The first owner worked for the main dealer who supplied the parts as a business promotion to support the cars.

A friend, missing his right leg, has a custom trailer he tows behind his TR2 with his electric scooter and a wheel chair. He doesn't drive himself any longer, but used to tear around the neighbourhood in the TR with a false leg, which was basically just a stick with a wooden foot in a shoe at the end. Good, fast, but safe driver he was too.

Yet another friend carted his portable kidney dialysis machine on a trailer behind his TR3 on an 1800 mile round trip to last year's National Rally, stopping at motels along the way to plug in for a few hours of nightly blood cleaning.

And an original 1954 TR2 owner here, now almost 90 and still with the car, towed a caravan behind the TR on his annual holidays. Traffic behind probably couldn't work out what was actually towing the van, with the TR2 being so narrow. You couldn't miss its colour though - Geranium.

Who else has has towed a trailer, as distinct from the more common practice of being towed !.

Viv

 

[tomshobby]

Hi TR3ATR250,

Would it be possible to get some pics of the hitch and how it is fastened. I have a really nice trailer that would be prefect for behind a TR but am not sure what to do about a hitch.

Thanks

 

[poolboy]

You get a trailer to tow behind your TR6, Tom, and I bet they won't see you and Shirley around Madison for a while.

 

[Silverghost]

I plan on putting hitches on both my Mini and Jag. I have a 1966 9 foot fiberglass boat to pull with the Mini (think jetski size) and a 1957 14' Glasspar to pull with the Jag.

 

[donbmw]

I pull a motorcycle trail with my TR3 that I also pull behind my motorcycle. I made a hitch that I U-bolted to the 2 rear cross members of the frame. The hitch is a 1 inch receiver tube with some angles welded to it to bolt it to the cross members.

Don

 

[TR4]

I would love to attend TRF Summer Party but I live in NW Ohio and with the price of fuel today, I can't add this event to my schedule. I would tell you to have fun but that would be senseless. There is only fun to be had at this party, weather permitting.

 

[Twosheds]

From a Crestliner brochure:

 

[DougF]

I think I passed you in the other direction on Rt. 422 east of New Castle around 1 PM. The car looked very nice.

 

[Tinster]

a 1957 14' Glasspar to pull with the Jag.

<span style="color: #CC0000">Drooling badly now. Keyboard a mess.

How much have you restored the Glasspar ? Is the original Evinrude
the powerplant? It got any wood trim on it? Post some photos.

I can easily walk ya thru restoration of the boat trailer
suspension.</span>

d :lol:

 

[tomshobby]

You get a trailer to tow behind your TR6, Tom, and I bet they won't see you and Shirley around Madison for a while.

pb, you are right about that! I think I have worked out how to fit a hitch so I can easily remove it and there will be minimal visual changes to the car. Just looking at every possibility.

I have a nice little Coleman trailer that will look great after a little paint work and some led lights.

 

[Brosky]

I was afraid that Dale would see this.

Now he'll be towing a trailer and Wendy will be buying another boat that she won't use........

 

[PATR8]

Dang, I was so busy geting ready for vacation I plum forgot. I will be making the drive up tomorrow to see the main street car show. Does any one know what time the car show starts? What else is scheduled for tomorrow?

 

[PeterK]

30% discount on parts at the summer party (only).

 

[vivdownunder]

The towbar with that particular 3A I had was also attached with 2 x larger and 2 x smaller heavy duty U bolts over the round frame cross members. This part stayed on permanently, and was tapped for two goose neck bolts.

The cranked gooseneck with ball went on or off as required, and had to be removed to get the spare wheel out.

Any towbar shop should be able to fabricate one.

Viv

 

[Got_All_4]

Just got back today at 2:30 PM. Lots of fun. However I jinks myself. My son told me the 3 acting funny when he pulled it out of the garage and into line. This is after i took and listed the pics. I thought it fouled a plug which it will do when the choke is pulled out too far and for too long. I checked under the bonnet and started to pull # 4 plug and much to my chagrin was bright green coolant around the head. Thinking it could be from when we R&Red the steering box I wiped it off and went for a ride. The temp gauge was bouncing around like and oil pressure gauge. Another investigation confirmed my suspicions that the head gasket is blown. If I wasn't pushed for time I could have done it in a couple of hours. Unload the trailer and throw it in the Metro. We'll save some gas money too.

Disappointing turn out. About 70. Most of the die hards from past years. Some very nice cars too. No racing this year. Just a poker run and Mountain tour. I went to the tech session on Petronics by Dave Holenbaugh. The wife and daughter went on the poker run, mountain tour and of course shopping. My son and I started out on the tour but was cut short when we stopped to help a fellow 250er on the side of the road. Continued to the car show. A nice Morgan showed up and a 3 wheel Robin something too. That was interesting. For such a small show there were enough TR250's and 8s to have their own separate judging class. 7s and 8s were together as were the TR4s and 250s.

As far as the hitch is concerned all it is a piece of flat stalk that was bolted to the two cross member tubes with U bolts. Simple. I'm pulling a light utility trailer mainly to the TRF parties of over the years so no reason for a huge hitch. I saw a TR6 with a similar design. It too was a piece of flat stock bolted across the rear frames and a another attached like mine and welded to the cross piece forming a cross. I may do that on my TR250.

 

[tomshobby]

VIV and TR3ATR250, thanks for the info about your hitches.