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TR2/3/3A TR3 in 2013

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Perrymip

Perrymip

Jedi Hopeful
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I'm thinking of when I got my TR3 in 1961. What if I had, rather, been struck by a fifty-something-year-old Lagonda? Or an early Spaulding? But, no, the TR3 seemed to me like modernity itself. And it still does. Would any teen-ager of 2013 find the TR worthy of devotion? I notice all the photos from various meets show plenty of grey-beards, probably not unlike myself.
 
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Perrymip said:
Would any tean-ager of 2013 find the TR worthy of devotion?
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I'm hoping so; someone will need to buy my TR3 in 2045. At least the TR3 will be able to be repaired with simple tools, for the most part. Unless that 13 year old has an OBD-II code reader, gonna be hard to fix anything "modern".

I think the major thing the TR2/3 has going for it, compared to most any other car, (even the TR4) is the side-screen nature of it. The 3 is so distinctive, so different from 99.5% of "olde cars", that the uniqueness of it will always be memorable to those 13 year olds out there.

So I hope... At car meets, I always try and show young kids with an interest in my car, how it feels to sit inside and wrestle the steering wheel.
 
Although my oldest daughter (age25) already has her hooks into my TR3, my wife and I are very keen on having people take pictures in our car at car shows. The last show we were at a couple of weeks ago, a guy who was a previous TR3 owner who has regretted selling his car when starting a family, sat in my car and talked my ear off.....I'm thinking we'll have a new member to this forum soon!
 
BillyB62 said:
a guy who was a previous TR3 owner who has regretted selling his car when starting a family, sat in my car and talked my ear off.....
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Billy, your story reminded me of an incident almost nine years ago, when I first got my TR3 running after a 20 year slumber.

I was on a beer run, when every drive in the newly running car was a new experience. I pulled into the parking lot, and an older gentleman made an immediate beeline for my car; it was an identical car to his father's back in the day. This man proceeded to call his brother back in Chicago, telling him he had found "Dad's car," and reminiscing about their summer vacation drive in the back of the TR3. The man choked up and started crying on the phone, sharing that long forgotten memory with his brother. He thanked me sincerely for letting him sit in the car, and go back in time.

I know I'll never forget that! That's how strong the experience of these cars can be. Hopefully, we can pass that forward, to the next generations.
 
A couple of years ago while driving my TR6, I pulled into a parking space in a small shopping center. As I was pulling in, a ten year old (I learned his age later) exclaimed out loud to his mother "that is a cool car mom!"
Of course I had to let him sit in it and grab the steering wheel like he was driving it. His mom said I made his day.
 
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Not all have grey...
 
Howdy Folks,

The other wk. I was getting a hair cut at a young ladies home (34yrs young & Gorgeous)!!

She has a son who is 2yrs old & said; "Mom, Look, What a cool car". I put him inside & he began playing with everything for over an hour. I told her to take some pics of him in the car; Which she did. I said to her; When your son gets of driving age or earlier; He`s going to ask you "Mom, Where`s that cool car"? He will have a memorable moment in the future.

Also; Down here in SC (Nascar Country); Boys & Girls of all ages will approach me in a Gas Station or Wherever & say; "What a cool Car"!

Morale to the story; Yes, There are plenty of "Non-Gray Haired" (Not Me), That really like the looks of a TR3.

"Whats not to like about a TR3"?!?!?!

Happy Motoring,

Russ
 
Just like with a beautiful woman, it's not hard to get seduced by it's looks, but as far as maintaining an affair, some people won't be prepared for it.
 
When I go to an open (public) car show, I always insert the hand crank into the grille. Then I get the 12 to 16 year olds to give it a try. First of all, they have probably never seen a sidescreen TR before, don't know what a crank does and then they give it a try. At the Toronto Triumph Club's British Car Day with 907 British Cars on display, about 35 young spectators (and some were fathers of these young ones) were really surprised when they could start the engine in my 1958 TR3A humming at 400 - 500 RPM with only half a turn on the crank. And they did it without and "whirr-whirr-whirr of a starter motor ! They felt proud that they could do this. But most who were older than 50 said it would break their hand or at least their thumb. I had to explain how this cannot happen with a Triumph designed hand crank. But they are still sceptical after all those stories they heard about starting a Ford Model T.
 
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