TR2/3/3A What color is my car? TR3 1958

[geewiz]

Please help me identify the original color of my car. Currently it is green, before that yellow and below that red or maybe red primer. Any advice where to find the definitive original color?

 

[NutmegCT]

Most reliable source:

British Motor Museum | Heritage Certificates

A Heritage Certificate is a certified copy of your car's entry in the original factory ledger, showing the specification as it left the production line.

www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk

Original data from the original factory records.
Tom M.

 

[sp53]

I am going to guess Primrose Yellow. Yes get the certificate; easy to do if you send them a picture of the vin; they send you nice letter it tells body color interior color, and more plus options the owner might have had put on.

 

[mctriumph]

I once did an all out frame up on a 55 Tr2 with the goal of concourse perfection. Costs were of
only minor concern. It got sprayed signal red since it was the owners fondest dream. He had
been to Nam, and the original green was hated too much to consider.
Going down the rabbit hole of "original color" Is to me (having painted hundreds of cars) quite
mad. Paint it a color you will love to polish & drive often !!
Mad dog

 

[Sarastro]

That yellow color under the green might just be a primer. Best is to get a heritage certificate.

 

[CJD]

The British Heritage Certificate will be the definitive source for original color. To get a preview, look up, under the dash, as that is rarely re-painted...also behind the boot panels around the fuel tank.

From what I see, I'll put a couple bucks on yellow!

 

[Hamish Racing]

Looks like Dave Hogye car before he did a wonderful race restoration and reinstated the yellow.

 

[Joel Lester]

Everyone knows BLACK is the fastest color ! LOL!
- Mine is also a '58

 

[Hamish Racing]

Everyone knows BLACK is the fastest color ! LOL!
- Mine is also a '58

View attachment 95076

Black sure is the fastest colour

 

[mctriumph]

However , there are multiple shades of black.! 100% of all blacks have some blues , yellow and reds
thrown into the mix, which is often a mix of the TWO different mixing blacks (one is slightly browner).
The human eye does not see different blacks well, so they all look the same. White is the worst color
from the standpoint of the eye detecting various shades ,you can see hundreds of shades of white!!
Back to my original point , Love the color, drive the car, gets lots of smiles per gallon!
Mad dog

 

[JHaydon]

To continue that (slight) tangent... I always loved the name "Off-Black" (Honda-ese for their deep dark grey interior color) but a painter friend taught me about mixing yellow etc into black, and similar for white -- whatever shade of "white" you see will have at least a drop of another color mixed in. To illustrate his point, he painted a car pure white and (so I'm told) it was blinding and painful to look at. He had to wait for it to "fade" before hitting it with clearcoat.

 

[mctriumph]

I love black too, as long as I am NOT the PDB that has to do all the extra blocking and polishing.
Black is a witch to get "just right"
Mad dog

 

[mrv8q]

^^^^ PDB, I love it, Mad Dog!

 

[mctriumph]

Yes I have been the PDB on two black tr3's. Black is almost TWICE as much work as any other color.
Give me BRG or Sig Red any time. The 3B I am currently doing will go back Robins egg blue as it
is a barn find.
Mad dog

 

[Joel Lester]

Black sure is the fastest colour View attachment 95089View attachment 95090

Looks awesome Hamish!! Love watching your videos of you driving that thing HARD!

 

[Hamish Racing]

Looks awesome Hamish!! Love watching your videos of you driving that thing HARD!

Thank you. That’s very kind. I enjoy my little old 3a that’s for sure.

 

[lram59]

It doesn't appear to of ever had a detailed repaint so just look up under the dash and you will see the original color. Take off a bracket or two to confirm. The boot and bonnet areas may have been reshot but hardly anyone will do much if any of the under dash area.