TR2/3/3A 1960 TR3A Small Mouth [Huh?] on eBay

[vivdownunder]

Hmmm, the commission number shown is for a 1959 built car.

And I wonder how he's attached the front bumper bar ?.

On a correct wide mouthed car it bolts on through the lower front apron. Perhaps he's adapted small mouth bumper irons to the wide mouth bumper bar.

Odd too why it's fitted with small mouth TR3 pattern seats and occasional rear seat. In fairness that probably should be disclosed in the advert. A correct late TR3A rear seat has no seperate backrest and the cushion is squared at the front corners.

Each to his own I guess - his hard earned. Main thing is that someone doesn't snap it up for big money and then be hugely disappointed when they discover the extent of the incorrectness.

Viv.

 

[toysrrus]

Am I being too much of a purist because I think this car is hideous and way overpriced? If the restorer had put as much energy and expense into restoring the car instead of creating a "resto-mod", it might be worth his $27K asking price. I wouldn't own it if it were free.

Hi There "61TR3A";

Don`t you think perhaps your being a bit too critical here? "This car is hideous and way overpriced"!!

We / I have to presume you drive a "61TR3A" that must be a "Trailer Queen" or a "Perfect" Un-Restored Original.

The seller states in his desc. that he had changed the Front Apron etc etc. Yes; There are many things "In-Correct" about the car but "Hideous Resto-Mod"? I don`t think so.

I hope & feel he`ll probably get the $27K cause that only makes my `57Small Mouth worth that much more!

My $.02.

Russ

 

[Deleted member 8987]

I have a question.
What if the guy had a decent, solid TR3 wide-mouth.....but he always wanted a small-mouth.
All the small-mouth ones he was able to locate were crumbling into the ground?
What if he decided to "back-date" his wide-mouth, with interior to match.....sure, side mirrors and union jacks notwithstanding.....is anything there irreversible?
Maybe he has some issues that now force the sale....

Let's look at it another way.

Ignoring build date, VIN code, and such....how bad a job did he do on a small-mouth TR3?

Seen it done in other marques......chrome, grille, maybe a dash, and it changes year!

I hate to see things changed, but it was his car, his money, his vision.

 

[TomMull]

Not the first time this was done. I know of one racer who put a small mouth nose on his 3A to improve cooling. Said it worked. Before the small mouths became desirable, there were a few "upgraded" older cars sporting wide mouth aprons. Less visible upgrades (downgrades?) seem widely accepted, starters, all synchro transmissions, rack and pinions, etc. All these have a purpose and a place but all add to the value, monetary and aesthetic, of the rare original pristine survivor. My .02.
Tom

 

[Marvin Gruber]

Looks like a pretty solid car, most of the work nicely done. It would be better if he stated not restored to original spec. I'm sure he has a princely sum put into it, for $25K I would want it to be more original.

Marv

 

[rikiwho123]

hey i like it but to me a resto-mod should have a V8 with corvette frame that would make it a resto-mod to me.

 

[HerronScott]

Am I being too much of a purist because I think this car is hideous and way overpriced? If the restorer had put as much energy and expense into restoring the car instead of creating a "resto-mod", it might be worth his $27K asking price. I wouldn't own it if it were free.

I'm as much a purist as the next guy with my own cars but I don't think this car is hideous. I certainly would own it if it were free or cheap although the lack of soft top sticks reduces it's value to me. :wink:

As for the price, there was a 1957 TR3 (older driver quality restore) that sold for $20,100 on eBay recently so he's probably not far off what people are willing to pay for them now. Also, I don't see how replacing rockers, fenders, etc. would reduce the price of the car even if that had been done (and he does state the rest of the panels are original)

I wonder what a VTR-judged event would deduct for the wrong apron, wrong seat pattern and carpeted trunk? I'm with Viv that I hope someone doesn't buy it expecting it to be a show winner which it might not be depending on the deductions for the wrong year components.

The only thing that I wonder about given how the rest of the car looks, is the valve cover and oil filler cap. Looks like the valve cover chrome isn't the greatest and the oil filler cap could use a little paint.

Scott

 

[60TR3A]

It's a free country and he can mess up his car any way he sees fit. I just think it's a crying shame he put so much time and effort to try to make the car into something it isn't. He might as well have flared the fenders and shod it with oversize wheels that protrude beyond the fenders, dropped in a V8, etc. A true resto-mod is one which retains the originality of the look of the car but makes it more drivable and safe & reliable by adding disc brakes all around, adding a modern ignition & modern fuel intake, up-rating the cooling system, adding a reliable, all-synchromesh transmission, etc. But what he did was in questionable taste and not worth the price. Had he retained the car's originality while updating it mechanically and restoring it as beautifully as he did, then the car would be worth the money he's asking, IMO. Otherwise, the purist in me disdains his customization, but like they say, there's an ass to fit every saddle, just this one won't fit mine! Chacun à son goût.

 

[60TR3A]

Not the first time this was done. Less visible upgrades (downgrades?) seem widely accepted, starters, all synchro transmissions, rack and pinions, etc. All these have a purpose and a place but all add to the value, monetary and aesthetic, of the rare original pristine survivor. My .02.
Tom

My thoughts, exactly!

 

[TR3driver]

Before the small mouths became desirable, there were a few "upgraded" older cars sporting wide mouth aprons.

Which at least in some cases, was only because the small mouth aprons were no longer available new. That's why my 56 is wearing a wide-mouth; the original was badly damaged and the former owner bought a factory replacement.

My opinion: It's your car, it should please you. If you don't like the one on eBay, <span style="font-weight: bold">DON'T BUY IT.</span> Someone else will.

For me, part of the pleasure of owning a TR is driving something that I had a hand in building. Buying a car that someone else restored is a non-starter.

And entering a "show" competition with a car that someone else restored is just comparing the size of your wallet. I'll leave that to the "red Corvette" crowd, it's not for me.

 

[60TR3A]

Hi There "61TR3A";

Don`t you think perhaps your being a bit too critical here? "This car is hideous and way overpriced"!!

Perhaps. Maybe not "hideous" because the original small mouth cars are beautiful, & I don't think he captured the small mouth & grill very well, but that's just personal preference.

We / I have to presume you drive a "61TR3A" that must be a "Trailer Queen" or a "Perfect" Un-Restored Original.

Your presumption would be incorrect. First of all, I just got my car this morning and have driven it all of 2 miles so far! It was restored about 12 years ago from a rust-free, original car that had been in storage for decades (at least that's what the restorer told me. He's supposed to send me pictures of the restoration). I didn't buy the car from him, but bought it from the guy who has owned it for the last five years who did buy it from the restorer. He put 5000 miles on it. It is supposed to be all original mechanicals and body, etc., but was painted and had a new interior, wiring, etc. installed as part of the restoration. So it is neither a trailer queen nor a true, unmolested survivor, but what was done to the car was true to the original.

Cheers,

Jeff

 

[60TR3A]

Each to his own I guess - his hard earned. Main thing is that someone doesn't snap it up for big money and then be hugely disappointed when they discover the extent of the incorrectness.

Viv.

Caveat emptor.

 

[60TR3A]

Maybe I should have introduced myself before I ranted about my opinions of the questionably restored TR3A, so allow me to do so now.

My first car which I bought in 1964 was a 1960 TR3A which I paid $1,000 for. I was 16 at the time and being a car-loving teenager, I practically ran that car into the ground. Sold it for $600 after a few years of hard driving and abuse (for which I am still embarrassed and ashamed). I shall make up for my mistreatment of that car by improving and preserving my recent acquisition which arrived only this morning, an older restoration (circa 1998 - 2000) of a supposedly rust-free, original survivor.

The car has been owned by an officer of the Chesapeake area Triumph Club (TRAC) and has been driven 5,000 miles by him. I'll probably put on <500 miles per year on her since I have 2 daily drivers that are exceptional cars, plus my wife's SUV.

Still unfamiliar with this forum's format so here goes with a picture:

You can view the car on eBay here:
https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/...0931&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT#v4-36

Jeff

 

[DNK]

I remember when that was on the market

 

[Deleted member 8987]

Terrible what some folks do to originality by putting on different wheels......

 

[60TR3A]

Terrible what some folks do to originality by putting on different wheels......

LOL! I bought the car that way. However, according to Piggott's TR2/3/4 Originality Guide, period-correct aftermarket wheels (such as Minilite alloys & 60-spoke chrome wire wheels) are considered "correct" and points aren't deducted at shows for such upgrades. So there, smartypants! :-D

 

[60TR3A]

Back in the day, Triumph sold part no. 801255 which is a TR3-type cellular grille, available to TR2 owners to 'update' their cars, apparently with official sanction. (ref. "Collector's Originality Guide TRIUMPH TR2/3/4/5/6/7/8" by Bill Piggott, page 134).

Notice they didn't offer a "small mouth" conversion to go backwards.

But if you're not a purist and just a Triumph enthusiast, whatever floats your boat is fine with me! Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Andrew Mace]

Question: how "period correct" are Minilite alloy wheels to a TR2 or 3? or any other alloy wheels, for that matter? Anyone know? (For my money, current Panasport, Minator, etc. wheels that emulate the original Minilite style don't count!)

As for how the eBay car would do in VTR judging? Simple: it would do rather poorly in a stock class, but it might do extremely well in a modified class!

 

[TR6BobNF]

IMHO this thread has about run its course. As Don (DNK) would say "prolly" time to wrap it up and move on, before the mud slinging gets serious.
Cheers,
Bob

 

[DNK]

Hi Bob!