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New kid on the block

powerwagontim

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Hi All,
I just signed up and wanted to introduce myself. My first car was a hand me down 67 Spitfire. It was a real heap. I needed it to get to school, 20 miles away. My parents agreed to provide the parts and it was up to me to figure out how they got installed. A local foreign car shop took me under their wing and gave me lots of free tech tips and how to do this stuff. I managed to keep it on the road. My next car was a TR-6. Quite the step up from a Spitfire, and the 6 had been set up to race. After that I bought a 62 TR-3a. I drove that for about a year and needed a puckup truck. I kept the TR-3a and my fatherdrove it for a couple of years. It then sat for a few years until I decided to get it back on the road. I decided to replace the exhaust and the brakes. Then while I was at it, maybe the front end. Then maybe the..... Before you knew it the body was off the frame and I was sandblasting the frame. I had a local body shop do all of the body work, new floors, new trunk floor, rear apron, inner and outer rocker panels, and cutting out of assorted rot. He got it all welded up, sprayed it and it was like new. Meanwhile I was hard at work building up the chassis. Finally the day came to re-install the body. It went fine, until I started hanging doors, hoods and trunk lids. It was then that I realised that the body should have been mounted to the frame when all of the parts got welded together. It was too discouraging to go on. So, this project was 80% done and I walked away from it. That was about 12 years ago. About 8 years ago I bought a 57 Dodge Power Wagon and started a mechanical restoration on it, using it as I worked on it. I have finally gotten the Power Wagon to about where I want it. This September I attended the British Invasion, a large car show in Stowe Vermont. There were about 20 TR-2s, 3s and 3as there. That was where I spent most of my time, trying to build up the enthusiasm to get back to work on mine. @ winters ago, a friend of mine who is into building hot rods came over and we spent a couple of days straightening out most of the alignment wrinkles. I had to get it into my head that the new british racing green paint was really just expensive primer. Then we were able to cut it apart and jack it around and re-weld it.
A couple of weeks ago my daughter, who is a senior in high school asked me if I could drive her to graduation in the TR-3a. The gauntlet was down! So, today I started back into it and made some progress. I will keep you guys posted as I go. It has been so long since I worked on it I am sure I will have lots of questions as to the correct placement of this or the run of that.
About 5 years ago, my father died. He had an 80 Spitfire that he drove around. I bought it from my mother and towed it up to Vrmont from Florida. So, I do have a driver but its no TR-3a! Truthfully, if it hadnt been my dads, I would not have been interested in it. A GT6 maybe, but thats a different story.
So, sorry for being so long winded here, This seems like a good forum and I look forward to getting to know you guys!
Thanks,
Tim
 
Hi, Tim, and welcome to the Forum. Great introduction - easy to see you're going to fit right in here!

Mickey
 
Hey Tim! a little long (like I've never been accused of that /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif) but It really helps to know where you come from.
Hope your rebuild goes well. I've done several TR3s, through 6s and the odd MG here and there for other people. Now, I'm just starting into a 54 TR2 for myself so I know where you're at.
Welcome aboard Guv'na
 
Welcome, Tim. You'll fit right in, and there are a few on-going TR2/3 restorations going on among members right now.
You can all cry on each others shoulders! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Jeff
 
Dodge Power Wagon? Wow, been a looooong time since I've seen one of those. My dads best friend had one when I was a kid back in the 70's. His was an earlier one I think, not sure of the year but it looked like one of those Korean war era ambulances, with a transplanted 440 in it. I remember we used to do a lot of off roading with him in my dad's Broncos.

Welcome aboard and have fun.
 
Nice to have you with us. Don't be a stranger after this post.
 
Welcome Tim,

I'm rebuilding a TR-2 as we speak. Banjo and I will have many war stories to tell, so feel free to join in! Good luck getting her back on the road!
 
Hello Tim, and welcome.
Some good friends are restoring a TR-3A, very pretty cars. I got my first ride in one in July, another friends. It had a lot of poke and really surprised me. Very nice cars.

RG /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif
 
Welcome aboard Tim...

I'm going through a TR3 resto myself. I'm in the middle of getting the body sorted out. All of the rusted panel work is done, and I'm just getting to the point of bolting on the exterior sheet metal to see how things line up.

Keep plugging away, and ask those questions. There are some really knowledgable guys here.
 
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