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TR2/3/3A Frame color for TR-3

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jkent59

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My '61 TR-3 is in the body shop and well on it's way to being healed. I have a rather stupid question but since so much time and effort ( not to mention money ) is going into this project I want to get it as correct as possible. It appears the frame was cleaned and repainted/undercoatd sometime in it's past and it's your basic Black. However, when I redid the front suspension I remember the shock towers and such being same color red as the body. Which is correct? Shold it be all red, all black or some combination in between?

Thanks!

Kent
 
Hi Kent,

I have heard from various sources that early TRs' frames were sometimes painted odd colors. Basically, this happened because the workers would sometimes use whatever paint was in the spray gun at the time. So, it wasn't uncommon for a frame to end up a body color, although not necessarily the same color as a particular car's exterior!

This was substantiated on another discussion group by a Standard Triumph employee of the time.

However, this was true of the earlier cars, when most of the work was being done under one roof. So, I've heard about and I'd expect to see an odd color on TR2, maybe some early small-mouth TR3, but not likely on later TR3 and TR3A.

At some point the work was split up: assembly of the chassis and running gear were performed in one plant, while the bodies were assembled in another. The two major sub-assemblies were shipped to a final assembly area where they were eventually married. I don't know when this change occured, but have to assume that frames would then be consistently painted black.

If your car is a true 1961 (build/ship date, not date of first registration), that would mean it is either a very late TR3A or an early TR3"B". I'd expect either of these to have the frame/chassis painted semi-gloss black.

Hope this helps and some other people have information to add.

Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif.
'62 TR4 CT17602L
 
There has been a lot of talk about colours of late on this forum. I recal finding a chart with all the parts of the TR3 and what colour they were painted. If only I could remember where I saw that or where I put it. If anyone remembers seeing it, please let us know where. All I remember is that it was on the internet some place. If I find it I will post a link.
 
Your right. when I stripped down my 57 TR3 my frame was red, under the packings/shims.Coudda been left over knuckle blood from when they built it.
 
When I bought my black TR3A brand new in 1958 the frame was yellow. I bought it with undercoating and it was only in 1987 when I was doing my body-off restoration that I found out the frame had been yellow. So I sprayed it black Dupont IMRON not to lose points at TRA. A few years after that, others mentions similar stories and the latest vogue is to have a frame which is not black. A red frame and a red TR is by all means possible. I've seen red on red, red body and powder blue frame, red frame on a white TR.

But the frame colour has to be a TR colour of that era. Or black !

My yellow was the primrose yellow for TR's but it was not a TR body colour till 1959 models came out. Go figure !

Don Elliott, Original Owner, TS 27489 LO with 85,000 miles since my restoration.
https://www.britishcarforum.com/ubbthread...e=&sortdir=
 
Hi, Kent, and a belated welcome to the Forum.

Guess you've seen by now the variance of opinion here on the boards. According to Piggot's book, Original TR3, which most consider the "bible" for restoration info, frames were indeed painted different colors. And since, to my knowledge, the "final" authority on such, the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, doesn't specify frame color when you write to get the particulars on your car, you can probably paint it whatever color you want!

However, you won't get slammed for painting it black, which I would imagine most of the TR3's are now painted. And black certainly complements any color you want to paint the body. If you're going to show it, you probably won't get penalized if it's black.

By the way, where in KY are you. I'm near Ft. Campbell, in Clarksville TN.

Mickey
 
In 1988 when it was time for me to paint my formerly yellow frame, I wrote to Bill Piggott asking him about coloured frames and he responded that he had never heard of a sidescreen TR frame in anything but black. He strongly suggested that I paint my frame black because no-one could say it was the wrong colour. He later changed his mind about coloured frames. In fact the red TR3A winner of the concours at TRA in Williamsburg VA in 1996 or so had a powder blue frame. Bill was present at that event. In fact, Bill was my navigator when we won the fun rally.
 
Mickey,

I'm from Ashland, KY, at the other end of the state from you I think. I've enjoyed ready all the comments here but not sure which direction I'll be going. Think I might visit the body shop and do a little more investigating. The front cross brace for the shock towers was originally red, no doubt about that, so right now I'm leaning towards a red frame. Thanks for all your help!

Kent
 
Thanks for the info Alan and I did mis-speak about the year of my TR. It is actually a 1960 according to the VIN & motor number but it was registered as a '61.
 
Brian Thomas of Kingston Ontario had a red frame under his red 1957 TR3. As he was doing a body-off restoration in 1988, he painted the frame black because he thought some previous owner had done it red. I bet it came from the factory with the red frame.

I think red on red would look super. Is your interior also going to be red ?

Don Elliott
 
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