TR2/3/3A Best place to buy TR3 parts?

[Dave_H]

Any thoughts on this? Not only price-wise but quality? I have a catalog here from Moss and one from Victoria British LTD and their prices/selections are about the same. I remember buying a lot of parts for my TR3 back in '76 from JC Whitney. Do they still sell them?

 

[Geo Hahn]

Ah yes... JCWhitney... the "New & Hot section... Winky the Cat, etc. JCW is still around but probably not your best source.

Moss, VB & The Roadster Factory are 'The Big 3'. British Parts Northwest and many others also have the good stuff.

Everyone has there favorites and also a horror story or two about a vendor that didn't work out well.

My first choice is Moss just because we have a local distributor here who is a major supporter of our local club and I want to see him stay in business. Also, if you use a distributor you avoid shipping charges and delay on that $3 part you need right now.

When I have occasion to spend 100's or 1000's I compare Moss and TRF. VB and BPNW I use only if they have a special deal on something -- though I have been satisfied with both.

TRF sometimes gets into long backorder situations so you might want to specify 'no backorders' if you order something from them that you need fairly soon. OTOH - the owner (Charles R) is a major TR enthusiast and active supporter of our hobby. The Moss guys are too, but with Charles I think it goes way beyond just business.

Main thing is to be glad we have choices -- that generally keeps the prices reasonable, the quality high and the customer service responsive. Much better than the situation back in the 70s when you had your first TR3 and your choices were just JCWhitney and a rather indifferent Triumph dealer organization.

 

[sammyb]

Get catalogs from the big three:
- www.mossmotors.com
- www.victoriabritish.com
- www.the-roadster-factory.com

and check www.ebaymotors.com , since you can oftentimes find new parts for less than the catalogs when people buy parts and don't use them on their restoration projects.

 

[Mickey Richaud]

I bought virtually everything for mine from The Roadster Factory. Since it was a long-term project, I wasn't too concerned with the back-orders (and there were several). But whenever they had a sale on items I needed, I usually bought them then, as they typically had the best pricing during the sales. And they occasionally had some fantastic clearance deals.

Also, besides Charles, the owner, Dave and John were extremely helpful with technical expertise. They walked me through lots of sticky situations, and always seemed to be available. But it has been a while since I've bought anything from them.

 

[BRIAN TOWNE]

Ditto on TRF and Moss I have only bought bits and pieces from VB. They are all very good with best help lines at TRF (I think John Sauger has a TR3A) and Moss. I think the best advise is to wait for sales if you can.