TR2/3/3A TR3 restoration resources?

GBRandy

Jedi Knight

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• Oct 11, 2008

• #1

I am new...but not new to MG's & Triumphs. I am on quest for a TR3. Buying a completed one is possible, but the idea of recovering one from the graveyard has me intrigued.

My first question.....what resources are required reading for the mentally disturbed people like me that want to restore a TR3?

I am looking for on-line links, magazines, repair manuals, etc....any help in compiling my list would be most appreciated.

Be well,

Randy

 

Mickey Richaud

Moderator

Staff member

Gold

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• Oct 11, 2008

• #2

Hey, Randy -

If you can get your hands on Bill Piggott's book, <span style="font-style: italic"> Original Triumph TR3 </span> , you'll find all you need to know about them. Not a restoration manual, but THE resource for originality, and the pictures are invaluable for putting back all the pieces that previous owners "improved" upon, as well as their proper placement.

It may be easier to find his earlier book, <span style="font-style: italic"> Original Triumph TR </span> , which covers the 2's through 6's, but not as complete.

Aside from that, the catalogs from Moss, VB and the older Roadster Factory books are helpful as well. I may have some stuff left over from my restoration - will look later today.

Best,
Mickey

 

OP

GBRandy

Jedi Knight

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• Oct 11, 2008

• #3

Excellent, thanks!

Anyone else know if a repair specific book exists? You know like a "Haynes" manual or "How To Rebuild a TR3 for Dummies?" Or something similar I guess :wink:

 

Mickey Richaud

Moderator

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Gold

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• Oct 11, 2008

• #4

Oh, yeah - you'll need this as well. The "official" one.

 

Don Elliott

Obi Wan

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• Oct 11, 2008

• #5

You need to buy "How to Restore Triumph TR2, TR3, TR3A" by Roger Williams. It costs about $50.00.

Bill Piggott's book "Original TR2, TR3, TR3A" is hard to find. It's excellent and if you're lucky you may find one on e-bay for $500.00.

Ask all you tech questions on this Forum.

 

Mickey Richaud

Moderator

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• Oct 11, 2008

• #6

Don Elliott said:

You need to buy "How to Restore Triumph TR2, TR3, TR3A" by Roger Williams. It costs about $50.00.

Bill Piggott's book "Original TR2, TR3, TR3A" is hard to find. It's excellent and if you're lucky you may find one on e-bay for $500.00.

Ask all you tech questions on this Forum.

Click to expand...

Several on Amazon now...

 

OP

GBRandy

Jedi Knight

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• Oct 11, 2008

• #7

Don Elliott said:

Bill Piggott's book "Original TR2, TR3, TR3A" is hard to find. It's excellent and if you're lucky you may find one on e-bay for $500.00.

Click to expand...

:eeek: :eeek:

 

Tinkerman

Darth Vader

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• Oct 11, 2008

• #8

Lots of stuff on the internet.

Tinkerman

 

martx-5

Yoda

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• Oct 11, 2008

• #9

Don Elliott said:

You need to buy "How to Restore Triumph TR2, TR3, TR3A" by Roger Williams. It costs about $50.00.

Click to expand...

This book is probably the most important resource you can get when restoring a TR3. It is incredibly detailed and covers every aspect of a restoration. I paid $30 at Barnes & Noble, but that was about three years ago. Whatever the cost, it's worth every penny.

 

Don Elliott

Obi Wan

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• Oct 11, 2008

• #10

The one I checked on Amazon is the first book on the "Original . . ." by Bill. This is the one that covers all TRs from TR2 to TR6. The book he wrote excusively for the sidescreen TRs is hard to find. At any price.

Bill told me that they printed just so many and no more. They underestimated the market. If everyone who has a sidescreen TR bought one, then they would have printed an adequate supply.

What they hadn't planned on, was that every guy who ever had a sidescreen TR in his youth and then sold it, also bought a copy of that book because he loved his TR so much, but then sold it - he now had the book to kindle his memories.

If you think that a sidescreen owner today wants a copy of this book and he is the 10th owner, then there may be 9 previous owners who have this momorable nostalgic volume on his bookshelf in his living room.

 

L

Lou Metelko

Jedi Trainee

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• Oct 11, 2008

• #11

Without doubt the best place for information on the side screen cars is at Triumph Register of America's web site - www.triumphregister.com Once there go to the "News & Events" tab - scroll to the bottom and down load the "Restoration & Concours Guidelines". I don't understand how a person can correctly restore a TR2 or 3 without a copy.

Careful of Roger Williams "How to Restore...". Many of his recommendations will ruin originality. But that "discussion" rages quite often here on the list!!

Lou Metelko
Auburn, Indiana

 

NickMorgan

Jedi Knight

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• Oct 11, 2008

• #12

GBRandy said:

Don Elliott said:

Bill Piggott's book "Original TR2, TR3, TR3A" is hard to find. It's excellent and if you're lucky you may find one on e-bay for $500.00.

Click to expand...

:eeek: :eeek:

Click to expand...

Don't worry about that. If you need a picture of the little nut that holds together the wee bracket that is located behind the glove box, or which order the washers and rubber seals go in just ask on here. You will soon see just the picture you need, with a description of how to best fit the parts.

 

mrv8q

Luke Skywalker

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• Oct 11, 2008

• #13

You're in luck.... some of them are on sale at the Roadster Factory;
https://www.zeni.net/trf/specials5.32/
(NFI) If you're going to do any restoration of a TR3, you'll be there often.....
Good luck w/ your quest!

 

apbos

Jedi Knight

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• Oct 11, 2008

• #14

You can read a bit of the Williams' book and look a the table of contents @ Google Books It can be found on evilbay with free shipping a good price.

Paul

 

D

DougF

Guest

Guest

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• Oct 12, 2008

• #15

I'm sure you have heard this advice before. Buy the best car you can afford. If you want to restore one, mechanicals are much cheaper and easier to buy. Solid bodies over bad drive trains.

 

OP

GBRandy

Jedi Knight

Offline

• Oct 13, 2008

• #16

OK....how is this for a list then? What do I need to add / delete?

======================================
Human Interaction:
You Local Club ( I belong here.... FoxCities BritishCC )


Reference:
Bill Piggott's - Original Triumph TR3
Bill Piggott's - Original Triumph TR

Roger Williams - How to Restore Triumph TR2, TR3, TR3A


Manuals
TR2 - TR3 Workshop Manual
Haynes TR2, 3 & 4 Manual

Parts
Victoria British (my least favorite of the bunch BTW)
Roadster Factory
Moss Motors
Rimmer Brothers

Online:
TRA: https://www.triumphregister.com/
VTR: https://www.vtr.org/

 

Andrew Mace

Moderator

Staff member

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• Oct 13, 2008

• #17

I would add on "indented bullet point" under your last category:

JOIN TRA and/or VTR, and JOIN a local chapter. Sure, online resources are great, books are great, parts catalogues are great. But despite the instant gratification of the Internet, there's still nothing that beats the collective experience of both national and local groups.

If nothing else, you might save the trouble of bashing your knuckles, then stumbling around to find your digital camera or camera phone to take a picture to post to this or some other Internet forum...with a simple phone call to a fellow club member who might just be able to drop by, pop up the hood and say "Oh, you've got the choke linkage on the wrong side of the carb jet...."

Meanwhile, you might add the TR Register (UK) to that "Online" list...and you might even consider joining. Expensive outside the UK, and not all membership benefits are available unless you're there in the UK, but the magazine is great, the expertise and dedication is equally great, and you might even be able to get one of their "Technicalities" CD compilations of tech. articles from past magazines.

 

OP

GBRandy

Jedi Knight

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• Oct 13, 2008

• #18

^^^^^^^ Good Points ^^^^^^^

It is after all, the comeratory that is the most fun with these cars.... no?

 

apbos

Jedi Knight

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• Oct 13, 2008

• #19

Do Not Forget. Support our BCF vendors! https://www.theautoist.com/ etc... You'll save on your Moss and VB items.

Paul

 

Andrew Mace

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Staff member

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• Oct 14, 2008

• #20

GBRandy said:

^^^^^^^ Good Points ^^^^^^^

It is after all, the comeratory that is the most fun with these cars.... no?

Click to expand...

I assume you meant "camaraderie" (don't feel badly; I had to look it up myself to make sure of the spelling). But yes, that <span style="font-style: italic">is</span> the most fun with these cars! Heck, even if you end up joining a local muscle car or hot rod club (should there be no Triumph or British car club in your area), it still pays off. In recent years, I've attended any number of "cruise-in" events with my Herald sedan, and I've found that the owners of the fat-fender rods, antique Studebaker pickup trucks and Hemi Cudas seem to appreciate all the other cars there as much as I do, and they're just as willing and able to offer help and advice.