TR2/3/3A Engine's out of the TR3A

[Number_6]

It was sunny and warm with temps in the 70's today so I took the day off from work and stopped by Erik's shop today before going to see the Pawtucket Red Sox game. I dropped off the parts for the steering I bought and some other parts, gasket sets and engine mounts.

While I was there I looked in on how the work is going. He’s progressing pretty good. He has the front apron off and has the engine out and started tearing it down. The head's been pulled and it's getting ready to be sent out to be cleaned, machined and have new hardened valve seats put in.

Looks like it has some cooked valves and scored cylinders. It seems like at some point in the past the car might have sat for some time and the engine froze up, and when it was started up the engine was damaged.

Here’s a few shots I took while I was there of the car and engine. Eriks going to clean up the engine bay and detail it for me while the engines out. It'll look a lot differnt when it's all finished!

 

[mrv8q]

Well, 6, between you and Paul, you have my cars covered. I think Erik should put in a webcam, to cover the action. Or even better, a reality series, minus the hystrionics, with the play by play of the rebuilds. I'm watching both your posts with interest...

 

[Silverghost]

I had not seen a TR3 with the front disassembled before. Interesting to see how the designers/engineers created an "easy" route for taking the engine in and out.

 

[sp53]

Hi Number six that is a nice virginie looking tr3. I was wondering if that is an original color? I am curious because the way the engine bay is painted down by the end of the fenders. I read once that the original paint jobs just kinda faded off at the bottom.
Steve

 

[Don Elliott]

It's only my opinion, but looking at the photo, I can see black paint below where the flat pan between the grille and the rad normally goes. If it was re-sprayed red, the painter sprayed the inner fenders through the grille opening but he didn't spray below this pan. That's why it's still black down at the bottom of the inner fenders.

Removing the rear quarter panels or the interior door trim might reveal what the original colour would have been. The build record or Heritage Certificate would also reveal the original colour.

My 1958 TR3A has been black all its life and I seem to remember that these lower areas were sprayed black when I dismantled it all in 1987 to start my restoration. But back in the late 50s, if a painter was running low on paint in his gun and it was near the end of his shift on a Friday afternoon, I can visualize that he might easily leave these areas bare metal or primer colour without being sprayed the final colour.

 

[Number_6]

I got the Heritage Certificate for it and that's the original colors, red with a black leather interior. Also, turns out, it stil has the original engine.

Although, it was resprayed at some point, because I've found a lot of overspray on some areas. I think Don's correct, the painter probably just resprayed it thru the grill opening. Can't tell for sure but I don't think the apron's ever been off before.

I can't recall now if the bottom of the panels are black or if it just really grimy and dirty. Next time I stop at the shop I'm going to check it out. I did notice that there isn't any rust on the inner panels. It wouldn't surprise me if that paint on those panels is original and the the paint's just fades out though.

The steering gear ceratinly looks untouched. I doubt anyone has ever done any service on it from the looks of it.

 

[Number_6]

Yay! Good news! The Engine for my TR3 is getting put back together! The steering has been rebuilt, the engine bay has been repainted and the engine may be getting back into the car this week. Here are some pictures of the progress that Erik sent me of the car.

 

[Brosky]

The engine looks much better than that in person with the Jet Hot manifold and all of the other hardware in place. The frame is also nice and shiny black, now that the stripping and degreasing is completed, and any red overspray was removed. which is not shown above.

I know because I was down there yesterday checking it out because I don't have a car to drive and I needed a TR fix...........

 

[tdskip]

Thanks for the pictures and update Rich.

Do you know what your guy used to degrease the engine bay and frame prior to painting?

 

[Number_6]

Hi Paul, I'm looking forward to seeing it but I'm buried at work, I don't think I'm going to get a chance to get over there to check it out any time soon. At least a lot of the big stuff will be all done when I get the car back.

I don't know what Erik used to degrease with, I know he power washed it to get all the dirt off though.

Funny thing, I noticed in the pic that it looks like the frame has green paint showing through after he power washed it. The car has always been red, that's it's original color and I thought the frames on these cars were always just painted blck. Where would the green paint come from?

 

[rlandrum]

Our frame was yellow, but the car was originally Silverstone Grey, according to the Heritage Certificate. It had seen Grey, Red, and Black (and white on the inside) before we recieved it.

I suspect it was used as an undercoating and top coated with black.

 

[Twosheds]

Frames could be painted any color, regardless of the car's body color. I think they just used whatever they had in the gun at the time.

 

[WA1KWA]

I see the green. Interesting.

Did they ever stamp the serial number on the frame on these?

The reason I ask is that Studebaker, for example, had a "secret" location (rear crossmember)on the frame where the serial number was stamped.

Colin