TR2/3/3A TR3 Buyers Guide

[tdskip]

And corrected DPO items, you bet!

 

[Member 10617]

I'll bet that if one of these cars, in great condition, were put on the market in China, the market value would be very high. (After all, many of the replacement parts are "made in China"). Same goes for the Russian market.

Most of us would be dealing in US market value, of course, but "market value" is a relative concept.

It's not inconceivable that more and more of these cars will go to China and Russia as their economies grow.

 

[angelfj1]

I'll bet that if one of these cars, in great condition, were put on the market in China, the market value would be very high. /quote]

yes, I agree

 

[Member 10617]

Beautiful car!

Even the Brits, despite their poor economy, are trying to buy back early roadsters that they couldn't afford in the 50s.

 

[TR3driver]

So, I estimate that a TR3A in "worry-free driving condition" (ha! ha!)

Thing is, "worry-free driving" has little or nothing to do with how recently the car was restored. TS39781LO was, in some ways, a piece of junk. Engine was patched together from various sources (including used pistons & liners), and shims stuffed in the rod bearings to make up for the undersized crank journals. Floorboards were rusted out, patched with various bits of roofing tin and construction adhesive. No inside door panels, and the back seat was just a painted piece of plywood.

But I had no compunction about driving the car anywhere, including through the desert or mountains far from home (or even cell phone coverage). In 20 years and nearly 200,000 miles, it only came home on a flat bed once (after the oil pump drive sheared off). Just for example, I drove 1000 miles one way to VTR 2000, took first in class in the autocross, and drove another 1000 home. The car had more endurance than I did!

I'm looking forward to getting TS13571L back to that state of reliability (without the rusty floorboards

) but it sure isn't there yet. It's already been flat bedded home once for a failed generator bearing, and I'm having persistent "dead battery" problems; so I think I'm going to have to go ahead with the alternator conversion.

 

[Brinkerhoff]

I think you'll find few nicely restored TR3s in authentic colors ( shades of red etc.) for under $20,000 even now. We are living in an era where the average guy can't paint his own car and its $5,000 for a thorough paint job. Following ebay and craigslist and its hard to find an original , restorable , straight TR3 anymore much less for under $7500. The ones needing $30,000 in rust repair not withstanding. Kevin

 

[Don Elliott]

Randall - I drove a total of 7250 miles round trip to VTR in Portland Oregon in 2000. Like you, I try to make sure the car is "safe" before leaving home - or as Steve Hedke puts it, "The best place and time to fix or repair your TR is in your own garage before you leave home".

For those who know Jeff Snook, here ie is in 2002.

 

[Lou Metelko]

I have always liked the photo of TS1 on page 20 of that British Motoring issue. I like it because I was standing next to the photographer when photo was taken in 2003. In the background is the Dekalb County (Auburn) Indiana court house. That almost 100 year old court house is on the tour schedule when TRA visits this coming June. You are coming aren't you?

I harumpt those market prices by a staff member of Classic Motorsports. I lost interest in Classic Motorsports when it swallowed up Gary Anderson's beloved British Cars magazine and disappeared in a cloud of tire smoke.

Lou Metelko
Auburn, Indiana
54 TR2LD

 

[Member 10617]

What I read confirms what I think about these tough little cars. In 1962, I had a 1958 TR3A, which I purchased used and much abused -- in pretty bad shape -- and yet I drove it from Tucson, AZ, to upstate NY -- by way of Chicago -- and back -- by way of Virginia. Total mileage was in excess of 7,000 miles. And all this with a broken ring gear. I had to use the crank to turn the gear to an unbroken series of teeth, etc., etc. Made it to NY and home without a breakdown. Outran a tornado in Oklahoma doing in excess of 100 mph. Fifty years later, I wouldn't hesitate to take my 1958 TR3A from Virginia to Arizona except (a) it has "Antique Plates" with a limit of 200 miles from home, and (b) I'm an antique.