Small Mouth Sheesh!!

[KVH]

I don't understand this. This car looks absolutely awesome. A two-owner small mouth? No rust?

OK, the paint is bad (really?), but big deal. The car looks incredible in the camera lens, and if the underside is clean and everything truly is rust free, that car should be gone.

https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/RARE-SMAL...=item337300982f

Granted, we could take a closer look. And the pictures might lie a bit. And maybe too much red. And may not all leather. and maybe a tiny bit of dash work.

But, the asking price is only a little more than the current bid. Are people just playing? If someone is really serious they'd just pay the price, love that car and head on down the road.

Am I just a sucker for good marketing?

 

[NutmegCT]

It'll be interesting to see if the car sells but then comes back on the market fast.

The ebay pictures appear to show lots of orange-peel paint surface. Comparing that to the undercarriage, I'd think it was a quick repaint and "clean up" job, regardless of the mechanical condition. I think it was in the trunk area that you see corrosion at the joints, under the rubber mat.

Note the car was on ebay by the same seller just last week, but as a "1958":

https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Triumph-T...=item337263affc


Indeed, a personal inspection is warranted. Still can't figure out why so many people buy ebay cars sight unseen, relying just on seller's pictures and description.

Tom

 

[TomMull]

Apparently got a bid of 19000 something last time and was turned it down. Car appears to be a very nice original "survivor" that someone (car dealer?) tried to "improve" by putting in a new interior and that terrible paint job.

Seems to me that the last bid was generous but not too far from what it's worth. Lack of rust is a big plus but I'd be surprised it it went for more this time.

Common eBay tactic now, with parts and cars, is to keep listing until someone comes along and pays the absurd asking price, buy it now, or reserve price. In many cases someone often does.

Tom

 

[NutmegCT]

...

Common eBay tactic now, with parts and cars, is to keep listing until someone comes along and pays the absurd asking price, buy it now, or reserve price. In many cases someone often does.

Tom

Tom - if you keep listing with a high buy it now or reserve, don't you have to pay relatively high percentage fees to ebay, every time you list the item?

I'm always amazed at how many "classics" are listed every day, with very high starting prices, and they never sell. But they keep coming back by the same seller.

Thanks.
Tom

 

[TR3driver]

Too much money for a car with so many things visibly "wrong", IMO. The very first photo shows the incorrect turn signals, which just screams "I don't know what I'm doing" to anyone that knows the early TRs.

The entire engine appears to be from an early TR4, and the distributor is installed wrong to boot. Fuse box & control box are from a later TR3A (or TR4), which means the wiring harness has either been butchered or replaced with the wrong one.

The plastic battery tray has been cut away to show the carefully polished body number tag ... how cheesy is that?

How is it that the underhood shots show original heater plumbing, but there is no hole for the original heater control on the dash? Sloppy restoration.

4 wire wheels on the ground, but a disc spare wheel? No expense spared there!

And even Earl "I will paint any car for $79.95" Scheib painted under the edge of the rocker panels! Forgot to paint the steering wheel hub, too.

No overdrive, bad muffler, rear end leaks. Wrong transmission, with holes cut in the bellhousing to boot. Side curtains are some kind of aftermarket product, and don't fit the top or windshield even as well as the originals did (which wasn't very well). Wrong dash panel, wrong turn indicator, wrong door-top cushions (TR2/3 didn't have the metal button on the end). Got a modern radio antenna ... where's the radio?

Plus I feel that "show" bars (the kind that just bolt into the sheet metal) are plain silly.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Low Retail Value
This vehicle would be in mechanically functional condition, needing only minor reconditioning. The exterior paint, trim, and interior would show normal wear, needing only minor reconditioning. May also be a deteriorated restoration or a very poor amateur restoration. Most usable "as-is".

Some of the vehicles in this publication could be considered "Daily Drivers" and are not valued as a classic vehicle. When determining a value for a daily driver, it is recommended that the subscriber use the low retail value.

Note: This value does not represent a "parts car".[/QUOTE]
https://www.nadaguides.com/Classic-Cars/1957/Triumph/TR3/2-Door-Roadster/Values

 

[GBRandy]

^^^^ Sad but true. ^^^^^^

I love the car. Wish it was closer so I could inspect the paint. If I could buff it and clear coat it it might be worth the 22k. The rest is just easy fix it stuff.

 

[TomMull]

I've buffed, wet sanded, re-clear coated, and re- color coated lots of bad paint and nearly everything can be saved but it is a lot of work and consequently expensive. In general though, the poor paint does not lend much credibility to the restorer and one needs to suspect other mistakes and poor work.
Here in the north, we perhaps put a greater value on lack of rust than the California people so there is certainly some value in the car but Randall does point out some issues e.g. wrong motor, that very much detract from value and are not that easy to remedy.
Tom

 

[GilsTR]

You have to give them credit,,,,they didn't cut back when it came time to Armor All those tires! ! Gil NoCal

 

[TomMull]

...

Common eBay tactic now, with parts and cars, is to keep listing until someone comes along and pays the absurd asking price, buy it now, or reserve price. In many cases someone often does.

Tom

Tom - if you keep listing with a high buy it now or reserve, don't you have to pay relatively high percentage fees to ebay, every time you list the item?

I'm always amazed at how many "classics" are listed every day, with very high starting prices, and they never sell. But they keep coming back by the same seller.

Thanks.
Tom

Don't really know, have only sold a few parts. The listing fees for those were so cheap they were almost insignificant. I assume vehicles fees higher. Tom

 

[Simon TR4a]

I think it is difficult to be certain about paint from a photograph, but it certainly looks as if the exterior has been painted while the boot and under the hood have not- so it is not a "restored" car, just one that has been painted.

Having a later engine and a tranny with synchro on first would be more of a plus than a minus to me personally, not correct but usable- each to his own taste.

The price should reflect the need to change some incorrect items and the fact it must have been a disc wheel car originally, but for a nice shiny driver it looks attractive to me.

 

[TR3driver]

but for a nice shiny driver it looks attractive to me.

I agree with that; my point was that it is way overpriced for a "driver" even with a fresh coat of paint. And totally inadequate as a "show car".

 

[Marvin Gruber]

I was in Nashville last week, I could have looked at this one. It does look nice at first glance. I went to the Lane Motor Museum. Lots of odd cars there. I bought a 58 TR3 there. Didn't pay anywhere close to the asking price on this one. I have noticed that the Music City is proud of their cars.

Marv