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I saw this on the Hobart Welder forum. It does not sound like he has good intentions for this TR3. See link below:
Hobart forum TR3
Hobart forum TR3
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TR2/3/3A TR3 in the wrong hands?
- Thread starter boyeajd
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jsneddon
Jedi Knight
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God... could you imagine putting an engine in the rear of a TR3 ??? What with the less than precise front steering, buckboard spring rear-end, and nowhere to put axles but ABOVE the frame.... you might just be better off driving it everywhere in REVERSE /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
martx-5
Yoda
Offline
The post by JSNEDDON really says it all. He gave a bunch of links, including this forum, and said that anything to keep these cars running is better then letting them rot in the barn....I agree. I'm doing a resto on a TR3, and it certainly won't be stock. There will be quite a few upgrades. Rack and pinion steering, dual brake cylinders, electric fan, alternator, and upgraded wiring to name a few.
I don't think I'm "butchering" the vehicle, just improving it and making it easier to live with. Besides, it's mine.
There were over 85,000 TR2-TR3's made. This isn't a rare car. There will always be enough originals around. I'll let some of you other folks do the concours thing. I want to drive this sucker.
I don't think I'm "butchering" the vehicle, just improving it and making it easier to live with. Besides, it's mine.
There were over 85,000 TR2-TR3's made. This isn't a rare car. There will always be enough originals around. I'll let some of you other folks do the concours thing. I want to drive this sucker.
Alan_Myers
Luke Skywalker
Offline
Hi Jim,
I am no "purist" and agree an engine swap has it's time and place, plus can be a lot of fun. Even in the case of a restoration, there are many fine points where careful improvement can and even should be done, especially when it's a safety issue.
However, I'd personally draw the line at hacking up the rarer TRs and "shooting myself" in the wallet. If that's a TR2, a good way to reduce it to a fraction of its current and future value would be to stuff in a big ol' V8 up front or hang a Porsche motor out back (or whatever). It's probably worth more right now, unmolested, than it would be poorly "modified" but all shined up. Even if it's *just* a small mouth TR3, those are getting to be a rarity, too, and values of unmolested examples seem to be rising.
On the other hand, I'd have no compunctions about having some fun with a 3A (but not a 3"B", again due to rarity) or a 4 or a 4A. Might think twice about a solid axle TR4A, though. A Spit might be a candidate for fun, but a GT6 probably not.
For the same reasons, I'd probably try to keep TR250/5 and TR8 close to original and wouldn't even think about getting creative with an Italia or one of the historic race cars or prototypes.
If it's a small mouth TR, and especially if it's a TR2, someone should *trade* the guy a car he can hack away at to his heart's content! I know I would, if I were in his neck of the woods and had something to offer!
Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif.
'62 TR4 CT17602L
I am no "purist" and agree an engine swap has it's time and place, plus can be a lot of fun. Even in the case of a restoration, there are many fine points where careful improvement can and even should be done, especially when it's a safety issue.
However, I'd personally draw the line at hacking up the rarer TRs and "shooting myself" in the wallet. If that's a TR2, a good way to reduce it to a fraction of its current and future value would be to stuff in a big ol' V8 up front or hang a Porsche motor out back (or whatever). It's probably worth more right now, unmolested, than it would be poorly "modified" but all shined up. Even if it's *just* a small mouth TR3, those are getting to be a rarity, too, and values of unmolested examples seem to be rising.
On the other hand, I'd have no compunctions about having some fun with a 3A (but not a 3"B", again due to rarity) or a 4 or a 4A. Might think twice about a solid axle TR4A, though. A Spit might be a candidate for fun, but a GT6 probably not.
For the same reasons, I'd probably try to keep TR250/5 and TR8 close to original and wouldn't even think about getting creative with an Italia or one of the historic race cars or prototypes.
If it's a small mouth TR, and especially if it's a TR2, someone should *trade* the guy a car he can hack away at to his heart's content! I know I would, if I were in his neck of the woods and had something to offer!
Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif.
'62 TR4 CT17602L
Dugger
Senior Member
Offline
I agree with Alan, I really would hate to see an original TR2 be used as a Hobart/Lincoln practice field.
Here again, the way the fellow was talking, he is obviously not real sure what he has. I find the TR2-3 series cars to very similar in looks and if you don't know there was ever a difference and no other model along side to compare, you might be mistaken as to its age. Often, I have mistaken the age of a car because of ignorance about the make/model and most time I thought the car was older mainly because of its appearance. If this be the case and the car turns out to be a model that is more prevelant, would we still be up in protest for its modification?
I probably would.
One man's trash is another man's gold.
Here again, the way the fellow was talking, he is obviously not real sure what he has. I find the TR2-3 series cars to very similar in looks and if you don't know there was ever a difference and no other model along side to compare, you might be mistaken as to its age. Often, I have mistaken the age of a car because of ignorance about the make/model and most time I thought the car was older mainly because of its appearance. If this be the case and the car turns out to be a model that is more prevelant, would we still be up in protest for its modification?
I probably would.
One man's trash is another man's gold.
Alan_Myers
Luke Skywalker
Offline
[ QUOTE ]
If ... the car turns out to be a model that is more prevelant, would we still be up in protest for its modification?
I probably would.
[/ QUOTE ]
Hi Dugger,
Personally, I wouldn't.
Maybe I should qualify that a little...
I'd draw the line at a stupid modification that ruins the car, looks dumb and makes it undriveable... like creating a Porsche rear-engined TR3A... IMHO that would end up a giant paperweight, destined for the crusher at the local recycling plant after the few good remaining parts were stripped off and sold on eBay!
I appreciate interesting, well-modified cars every bit as much as careful and precise restorations. In some respects, a "good" resto-mod is harder than an exacting showroom restoration.
When modifying, you have to first figure out what will work well *and* look good, then find it, then make it fit. There's more than a little trial and error involved.
When strictly restoring, you know what part is required - as dictated by the factory - and "only" need to track down a good replacement, which *should* fit right up.
Yes, I think I'd enjoy dropping a V8 into a Triumph some day. In fact I was recently looking at TR4-6 body and frame configuration wondering if sidepipes couldn't be fitted in a way that they wouldn't toast my tootsies. Hmmmm, and then those pipes might hook up to an all-aluminum 351W with EFI, Richmond 6 speed and a host of other goodies. Maybe call it a "Mongoose", i.e., a Cobra/Viper/Snake "Killer". Wouldn't it be fun having to fit a 200 mph speedo in a TR?
Another approach is "period correct" modifications. That's cool, too, but can be pretty tough to accomplish. You can wait a long, long time for just the right NOS part.
I suppose a sub-heading here would be "replica" restorations, where a carefully researched special version of a car is closely copied.
Yet another type of resto-mod might stick within the "family", such as dropping a Rover or Stag engine in a TR. On the other hand, it's a helluva lot easier to find parts for Ford motors here in the U.S.
Lots of possibilities... just get that plasma cutter away from the TR2/3s, Italias, GT6s and TR8s, please!
Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif.
If ... the car turns out to be a model that is more prevelant, would we still be up in protest for its modification?
I probably would.
[/ QUOTE ]
Hi Dugger,
Personally, I wouldn't.
Maybe I should qualify that a little...
I'd draw the line at a stupid modification that ruins the car, looks dumb and makes it undriveable... like creating a Porsche rear-engined TR3A... IMHO that would end up a giant paperweight, destined for the crusher at the local recycling plant after the few good remaining parts were stripped off and sold on eBay!
I appreciate interesting, well-modified cars every bit as much as careful and precise restorations. In some respects, a "good" resto-mod is harder than an exacting showroom restoration.
When modifying, you have to first figure out what will work well *and* look good, then find it, then make it fit. There's more than a little trial and error involved.
When strictly restoring, you know what part is required - as dictated by the factory - and "only" need to track down a good replacement, which *should* fit right up.
Yes, I think I'd enjoy dropping a V8 into a Triumph some day. In fact I was recently looking at TR4-6 body and frame configuration wondering if sidepipes couldn't be fitted in a way that they wouldn't toast my tootsies. Hmmmm, and then those pipes might hook up to an all-aluminum 351W with EFI, Richmond 6 speed and a host of other goodies. Maybe call it a "Mongoose", i.e., a Cobra/Viper/Snake "Killer". Wouldn't it be fun having to fit a 200 mph speedo in a TR?
Another approach is "period correct" modifications. That's cool, too, but can be pretty tough to accomplish. You can wait a long, long time for just the right NOS part.
I suppose a sub-heading here would be "replica" restorations, where a carefully researched special version of a car is closely copied.
Yet another type of resto-mod might stick within the "family", such as dropping a Rover or Stag engine in a TR. On the other hand, it's a helluva lot easier to find parts for Ford motors here in the U.S.
Lots of possibilities... just get that plasma cutter away from the TR2/3s, Italias, GT6s and TR8s, please!
Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif.
swift6
Yoda
Offline
While I agree that any engine conversion should be done tastefully as well as safely. I think I should also point out to everybody that Porsche has made plenty of watercooled engines for front engine/ rear drive cars. Not just the aircooled flat fours and sixes found in the rear engined 356's and 911's. The 2.5l and 3.0l four cylinders from the 944-968 cars can produce in excess of four hundred horsepower with the right turbos and electronics. Porsche also made a jewel of an aluminum V-8 used in the 928's from 1978-1995, 4.5l-5.0l. BTW there are 928's out there with superchargers running 8psi of boost and mking 450-500 hp at the wheels which makes them scary fast.
Enough of this. Back to TR's!
Enough of this. Back to TR's!