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Barn Find TR3

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HighAltitudeTR3

HighAltitudeTR3

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I was lucky enough to acquire a 1959 TR3A with factory overdrive from a person who was selling their estate. The car had been sitting for nearly 30 years. Almost completely rust free (there is a tiny spot on the floor where the brake fluid dripped on the drivers side). The car has 7200 original miles. My restoration has included new gas tank, new fuel lines, replace clutch and brake fluid systems, full tune, full electrical system (generator, starter, relays, etc wires were in good shape). I can go on and on, but I'm down to the last few items to get back up and running. The overdrive is intermittent, the heater does not spin up, my ammeter and temp gauges are not working (I will probably post about these later) and a few worn out seals to replace. I will post some photos of my project, feel free to add your two cents about the resto and my last ailing issues. Thanks!
 
Cool, that's quite a find. Congratulations!

When you say the OD is intermittent, do you mean it just doesn't engage sometimes, or it jumps out of OD once it is engaged? Either way, my first step would be to verify the power coming out of the relay (to the solenoid) when the problem is happening. Temporarily connect a test light or (better yet) a voltmeter/DMM to the output terminal of the relay (on the back of the battery box close to the heater) and to a good solid ground. If the light goes out or doesn't come on when you expect it to, then you've got a problem with the relay or control switches, etc. Kind of a "divide and conquer" approach to knowing where to look.

The heater motor is probably frozen from long storage, but again my first step would be to verify that it's getting power. You may find that the motor is bad and the dash rheostat is too.

The original temperature gauge is a stand-alone unit, it doesn't use electricity. If it doesn't work, about the only solutions are to replace it, or send the gauge out to be rebuilt. It works by ether stored in a bulb and that long thin tube from the gauge to the bulb, so the slightest crack will let the ether leak away and render the gauge useless. Some folks have managed to get it going again, by grafting on a bulb full of ether from another gauge, but it seems to me that such repairs rarely last for very long.

Anyway, as you said, it's best to start separate threads for each problem, over in the Triumph forum. You might consider adding your car's commission number to your signature as well, since they weren't all the same.

Good luck, and welcome to the asylum!
 
HighAltitudeTR3, welcome to the BCF! You've come to the right place.

That's quite a find you have there. Congratulations. I know that many of us will be interested to see some photos when you can manage it.

Good luck with the finishing touches (like they're ever finished), and once again, welcome!
 
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