• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

General TR Timely memory of a time capsule left in my 3A

PeterK

Yoda
Offline
A few years ago while I was recovering my the interior panels of my TR3A, I found a hidden message to future owners written in pencil on the drivers rear dogleg panel. I've left as is and recovered over it.

But in recent weeks spurred on by all the fires, I remembered it. The message was left by Tom Tanner of Paradise, California.
time_capsule_text.jpg

Tom if you are reading this or hear about it, your old 58 3A is safe and doing very well. I hope that you and your family is safe.

(I called years back and talked with his mother about the car)
 

M_Pied_Lourd

Darth Vader
Country flag
Offline
That is very cool Peter! Thanks for sharing.

Cheers
Tush
 

CJD

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
Really neat! Your car has been from coast to coast and over the Pacific too. I don't think mine has ever left Texas since the initial sale.
 

M_Pied_Lourd

Darth Vader
Country flag
Offline
My 60 was shipped to Japan from the factory...then made its way to the US and then to Canada, so it’s seen a little bit of the world :cool:

Cheers
Tush
 

groupdeville

Jedi Hopeful
Country flag
Offline
My 1958 was also shipped new to Hawaii, and then returned stateside to Southern California (probably in the 1960s, by a member of the armed forces). Very tropical colour scheme, though: pale yellow with red interior and white top, tonneau cover, and side curtains.
 

charleyf

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
Interesting. I have purposely left a few part labels with my name on them on several parts as I have restored my cars. It was not so much to leave my mark but rather as a last ditch effort to prove ownership if the car were stolen.
 

2long

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
Amazingly enough, lots and lots of TR2s and TR3s were shipped new to Hawaii, including many of the earliest run of 53 cars. My TR2 was shipped new to Hawaii in 54 and has never left this small island. Built in May, it has never seen a winter either!!

Dan

PS Sorry for the thread drift, but its sorta related
 

2long

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
Here is a nice period shot of an early 53 TR2 in Hawaii, identified by the closeness of the wiper spindles:
 

Attachments

  • A14 Roy & Triumph.jpg
    A14 Roy & Triumph.jpg
    95.8 KB · Views: 168
OP
PeterK

PeterK

Yoda
Offline
My heart goes out to all the people of Paradise, CA (where my 3A went after leaving Hawaii for the mainland) who have lost everything, many of them entire families as well as their prized TRs
.
 
OP
PeterK

PeterK

Yoda
Offline
US had a large military presence in Hawaii before and after Hawaii became a state in 1959. I suspect many of the TR3s were purchased by military (officers?). Some like mine moved to California with their owners. But it is cool to think of the TR and other rental available at the time. Mine was dispatched on 9 April 1958 and delivered to a dealer in Hawaii. USA. according to my Heritage certificate. I also have a set of 1958 Hawaii license plates, before they added "Aloha State" because it wasn't one in 1958, as well as the original set of CA black plates and registrations from its time there.
 

pdplot

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
I remember reading in Road & Track years ago about a woman race driver from Hawaii - Loretta "Tetta" Turnbull. She raced TR2s or 3s. Only I would remember trivia like that....I can still remember names and incidents from 1949-50 editions of Hot Rod magazine. I sold them all years ago.
 

2long

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
Here is a picture of Tetta Richert's TR2 being offloaded in Hawaii, and her in a local race. I met her at her home, and sat with her and her pet pig for several hours listening to stories and looking at her photo collection. She was the first or one of the first women on a Wheaties box as a champion speed boat racer! A fine woman and a true competitor. She married Ray Turnbull and organized the 1957 Speed Week in Hawaii, with Carrol Shelby, Phil Hill and many other top drivers and machinery.

Dan
 

Attachments

  • A8 Hawaii SCCA Sports Car Racing 7.jpg
    A8 Hawaii SCCA Sports Car Racing 7.jpg
    59.3 KB · Views: 153
  • Tetta 1.jpg
    Tetta 1.jpg
    52.9 KB · Views: 150

martx-5

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
My TR3A hasn't gone very far at all in it's life. It was first sold by a dealer (Garsten Motors) not forty miles from me. The dealer is still there selling Hondas. I have the original practical hints manual, and info on it's first service.
 

tinman58

Jedi Knight
Silver
Country flag
Offline
Paradise was a beautiful town. We owned some beautiful forest land there. Lots of memories as a kid playing in the redwoods and exploring the gold mine that was on the property. Not much left now. So sad. I have also left my mark on some of the construction jobs a have done. Namely the Giants stadium at pac bell park (now AT&T) curious if someone finds my name and number when they tear it down someday.
 

Teterman2005

Freshman Member
Offline
Small world! I actually bought my first TR4 from Tom Tanner’s little brother back in the 80s when we were all in high school(!). Tom was busy restoring a red TR3 (could be this one, but he did several over the years), while his little brother had a TR250 he was working on. Sold me his BRG TR4a that I drove daily for several years, but he kept the original aluminum surrey top (****!), but it was all dented up anyway.... I recall little brother having issues with the painter for his 250...Anyway, Tom was freakin’ meticulous, he redid all the wiring/paint, etc to a pretty decent original standard for the 1980s. I recall they also had a worn XK120 that was still driveable and an XK150 coupe with worn out paint and a tatty interior.....not bad for a family in the backwoods of a small town!! I haven’t been home since the fire, but my friends tell me the whole town needs to be rebuilt, but they’re working on it

cheers!
Brian
1964 BRG TR4 (German market import)
 

charleyf

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
Two members from our Redding, CA British car club have salvaged two cars from a owner in Paradise. Both cars were burned sitting in the yard. Neither was running. One is a XK120 and the other a TR3. Same owner bought some TR4A doors from me many years ago. His last name was not Tanner.
 
OP
PeterK

PeterK

Yoda
Offline
Thank you, thank you Brian. Another page for my 3A history. Really cool!
 

Teterman2005

Freshman Member
Offline
Peter, it was pretty cool seeing your post, your car has traveled a long way! I’m getting more sure this was the car Tom was restoring at that time, same red w/wires, etc. I recall him having the entire harness laid out on the floor of the garage, all new wires and of course color matched, etc. I believe he used more modern wire wrap (black accordion style) because the cloth tape back then left a lot to be desired. I’m not sure if he actually pulled the body off the frame, but darn close because I just remember being astounded at the work he was doing....fresh painted frame and suspension, perfect red body lines, shiny wheels, new interior that as I recall he sewed himself from a moss kit....my scruffy TR4 was embarrassed to be near it! I’m still pretty amazed at the level of restoration he was doing in basically a two car garage with a bit of extra space for a bench. Even now I can’t come close to that until I retire!
 

Similar threads

Top