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TR2/3/3A My TR3 plot takes a twist

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GBRandy

GBRandy

Jedi Knight
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I found a 1959 TR3 here in the local area. It seems pretty solid. It has some very light surface rust on the underside but nothing that is close to sever. The body panels seem bondo free, the floor boards are excellent and the car runs.

It has a TR4 engine based on the S/N on the block, but you guys seem OK with that.

It seems this car has a history....first, it has no title. Just a bill of sale. It came out of California...if I could figure out how to look, I suspect it has a salvaged title in either LA or CA.

A gentleman I have known since I was 16 and trades in these cars looked at it a few years ago. He said "hey I know that car, it was a Katrina flood car".

I know the seller of this car quite well, his claim to fame is fixing and repairing auctioned cars. A nice guy for sure, but not sure I fully trust him.....he has not touched this car or the MGTD he bought (also a Katrina car I am told).

Th car looks and runs OK...but no title, TR4 engine, and now this little tad of history....

The car's condition puts it somewhere between $6,000 & $9,000...he wants $12,000

I would welcome any and all comments. Fun huh? :smile:
 
Offhand, $12K is high to me - regardless of the flood, just simply because it has no title and therefore is not driveable. That's be the first thing to sort out, just what kind of work you'll need to do to get it plated up in Wisconsin.

I just went through something similar on a TR3A project car - not a Katrina victim but a Hurricane Ike victim here in Houston. No title, I had to go through a few hoops and about $200-$300 to finally get a bonded title. If the car you are looking at was dunked like mine was, very carefully look over the electrical - gauges especially. The seating/interior will also look like it spent a day at the beach. Long term effects could be a problem too, if you had salt water trapped in the frame for example. Fixable, but I expect a deep discount.

Randy
 
I sure would look under all the rugs for any signs of rust. I guess I would be asking what he means when he says it's a Katrina car. To me that offers a whole range of possibilities from total emersion for days or it got rained on. You will have to do your due diligence as far as checking on it. If you have a mechanic you trust I would have him give it a through inspection. Magnets are good indicators of bondo or no bondo. I certainly would want to know a whole lot more about the lack of a title and what that means when you go to register it in Wisconsin.

My thoughts, good luck, Tinkerman
 
RUN AWAY!

Far!!!
 
There are lots of cars without sketchy history.
As Mickey says, "RUN"

If you really want a rust free car, go west young man.

Dave :savewave:
 
The TR3 I have in my garage, the attic and one bedroom was also a Katrina victum. Mine was supposedly under water for only one day near Bay St Louis Miss. It floated less than 100' from where the garage used to be. The carbs were full of sand and the salt water made a mess of them (non-repairable). The cylinders were full of some yellow partially dried debris (probably entering through the open valves/carbs) and were rusted solid to the sleeves. The salt water (probably entered through the fill hole in the steering tube) also ruined the steering box. Starter/generator and anything electric is not useable. I have an ammeter with 1/2 the inside filled with sand.

Finding replacement parts was much more expensive than I thought, but if your car is running, it can't be the same kind of Katrina 'survivor' as mine. The missing title might be your biggest problem, but I'd check it out close.

Jerry
 
12 grand is steep...Put your computer down and your track shoes on...Run Randy Run...

You potentially have a great car. You also potentially have a nighmare with electrical and rust.

Tread gently,

Good luck,
 
Seems high to me, too.

FWIW, when my 59 TR3A was totaled in 2005, my insurance company found 4 comparable cars that had sold recently here in the southern California area. These were "drivers", not show cars but licensed, operable cars. Average sales price was $8800; highest was under $10k.

TR bodies have lots of little pockets where water and rust can accumulate more or less invisibly. I thought my 'project' TR3 was almost totally rust-free; until I got the stone guards off the sills.

Plus of course there is wood in the body and fiberboard in lots of places ... if it got wet in Katrina I'm guessing you'll have rot in addition to rust. New interiors are available, but not cheap ... I guess you'll have to hope the wood is OK.
 
Buy the one Skip listed....that looks nice, no flood worries.....
 
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