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TR2/3/3A Help needed with info on vintage TR2 race car

Summers

Freshman Member
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Hello there, i am 20 years old and im new to british cars so bear with me.
I just purchased a vintage TR2 race car. It was called the gibbons or gibson special (unsure of the spelling). I found it in a storage building in northern cali. Im still waiting delivery so i dont have all the info on it. It is supercharged, all aluminium body and use to race competively, all though i am unsure how long ago. It needs a few things but i am going to try to put it back on the track with in a few months.

Any information on its history or anything like that would be greatly appreciated.

figured it out... here pics...
Summerslee

https://s832.photobucket.com/albums/zz243...pg&newest=1
 
Andy, he was trying to link to Photobucket. The link works, but it is to a web page, so the image doesn't show up here. To get the image to show up, you need to get an 'IMG' link code, eg
{IMG]https://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz243/Summerslee/triumphengine.jpg[/IMG]

triumphtr2.jpg

triumphengine.jpg


Sorry I can't help much with the car. ISTR Gibbons used to offer "kit car" bodies, and appears to still be in business, you might try contacting them to see if they know anything : https://www.gibbonfiberglass.com/

From the pics, it looks to be a fairly stock TR chassis & motor (except for the motor mounts being moved back and the R&P steering), with a Judson supercharger on it. Starter & gearbox appear to be early TR3, while that's a TR4 (or very late TR3) rocker cover.

It also looks rather unfinished to my eye, which leads me to doubt it's racing history somewhat. For example, I see no brake lines at all, except for one front brake hose that seems to be hanging in space. The red overspray on the motor mount seems suspicious to me as well. No throttle linkage, no exhaust, no power to the starter ... and what's with that pile of anodized fittings on the heater port? There's obviously no heater. Where does the radiator go? The hood sitting on the air cleaner seems like something that wouldn't survive a race, either.
 
From wat ive got. the guy was in the middle of restoring the car after somethings happened to it. The owner died and car was put in storage. The radiator was robed off and put on a hot rod, already having a new one made, the engine is suppossed to run really strong. The airfilter was just slapped on it to prevent anything falling in carb/intake. It is suppossed to be mostly stock chassis. Radiator sits just infront of steering rack... Think it was worth a few grand for a track car?
 
Summers said:
Think it was worth a few grand for a track car?
Sure, if that's what you want. Should be a lot of fun, once it's back together.
 
Hmm, I thought there were some 'before' pictures of Peyote on the net, but I can't seem to find them now. But if you want, try poking around here and see what you can find. Peyote started out much like what you have; in fact it's possible that Bill or one of those guys will recognize the car.
 
I've a pic of the car that you bought on here before. It seems like it was on BaT or Craigslist.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Probably makes them 14"[/QUOTE]

fwiw- The 1981/82? 280ZX turbo came with 15" wheels that will bolt up to a TR
 
TR3driver said:
Hmm, I thought there were some 'before' pictures of Peyote on the net, but I can't seem to find them now. But if you want, try poking around here and see what you can find. Peyote started out much like what you have; in fact it's possible that Bill or one of those guys will recognize the car.

Yeah, I can't find any "before" pictures either.
There are actually a number of TR2 and TR3 "specials" out there.
If I had to guess, I'd say this Gibbons Special is a newer-built replica of one of those old specials.
Anyway, here are pictures of Bill and Peyote that I took at the Pittsburgh Vintage a few years ago (yes, that's a TR3).
Technically, Bill is a member here.

vrg-bvrun-07-44.jpg


vrg-bvrun-07-70.jpg



By the way, here is my favourite TR3 Special. The Ambro Special (he ran with us at The NJ Historics at NJMP last year). Hard to believe this is a TR3.

vrg-njmp-08-walbro-tr-frnt.jpg


vrg-njmp-08-albro-tr3.jpg
 
IIRC, there use to be a Peyote that ran at Summit Point
 
aeronca65t said:
By the way, here is my favourite TR3 Special.
Me too !
:iagree:
 
cheseroo said:
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Probably makes them 14"

fwiw- The 1981/82? 280ZX turbo came with 15" wheels that will bolt up to a TR [/QUOTE]

Those are ZX wheels on the car.
 
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