• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

TR2/3/3A TR3 vs TR3A vs TR3B

Share this page

GBRandy

GBRandy

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
There is a car on ebay that I am considering. It is listed as a 1963 TR3B. However, the Vin Number is pictured below

I thought the TR3B cars had the TSF or TCF Vins .... am I missing something?

numbers2.jpg


...and check out the electrical tube running through the firewall below the ID plate...is that normal?
 
It's not a TR3B as you have correctly determined. It is a very late TR3A. The electrical conduit is late style stuff available at your local FLAPS. It is not original. The original wrappings had a tendency to self destruct.

Edit: I see Andy was just a tad quicker to the draw.
 
In looking at the listing, it doesn't appear to me that the seller actually describes the car so much; rather, he took some pains to describe the history of the sidescreen TR series. The fact that this particular car is a "1963" does not surprise me, since sales tapered off rather severely towards the end of production (which often made me wonder why there supposedly was such a demand for a "TR3B" except to use up a whole lot of unused bits of bodies and chassis).

EDIT: Oh, NOW I see what you mean. If you click on a picture and go to the seller's web site, it does label the car as a 3B. Nice enough car, but the interior is pretty much of the "Tony Nancy" school. :wink:
 
Certainly has accetable feedback, thats always a plus.

Tinkerman
 
GBRandy said:
Were the cars registered THAT late as to have 1961 production actually become 1963's????
Click to expand...
Yes, it's possible.

GBRandy said:
EDIT: BTW...I just re-read the ad. If that description doesn't infer a TR3B then nothing does.
Click to expand...
Right. And, as I noted in my edited post above, he does bill the car as a TR3B on at least one page of his own web site. But it's not.

Of course, it's vaguely possible that the car does have a TSF engine (same as TR3A @ 1991cc), and it's also possible that such an engine could be original. Years ago, a local club member had a very late 3A; as far as he'd been able to determine, the very low number TSF engine in it was the original.
 
Andrew Mace said:
EDIT: Oh, NOW I see what you mean. If you click on a picture and go to the seller's web site, it does label the car as a 3B. Nice enough car, but the interior is pretty much of the "Tony Nancy" school. :wink:
Click to expand...

I knew the interior need a re-do...but what the heck is a "Tony Nancy"?

Electrically the car has been bodged...but that is one thing I can actually handle pretty easily....
 
I don't know how much you are in to originality, but this car has a lot of stuff that was changed. The interior is not an original style and looks to have TR2-early TR3 seats. The "EB" body number doesn't seem right. I always thought that they were higher then the commission number, similar to the engine numbers. This one is lower. Of course, the engine bay is not painted in body color as it was from the factory. There are a bunch of smaller items not original, but that stuff can be corrected if you want. The big item would be the interior if you want that original looking.

Basically, the body looks to be in decent shape, but that can only really be verified by an up close visual inspection. Then, of course, you have to like the color.

The fact that he's calling a TR3B is of little consequence...as long as <span style="font-weight: bold">you </span>know what it is.
 
I assume Andy is referring to the "tuck and roll job", plus the wood veneer cubby box cover.

Other minor quibbles include : has the wrong seats, and was originally fitted for a hardtop which is obviously missing now. Battery hold-down looks to be a bungee cord, not the best solution. For some odd reason, the vacuum advance is plumbed to a (non-original) fitting in the intake manifold ... what's up with that? Windshield washer knob is from a different car (later TR perhaps).

Photos were apparently taken with the engine running (oil gauge is not zero); but the trip meter shows 0.0 miles ... kind of implies the trip meter doesn't work (tho I suppose it could have been zeroed just for the photos).
 
In my reading over the years I have read that the dealership "assigned" a year to it when they sold it and registered the car. If they recieved the car in late '61 or late '62 and sold it the next year it was registered as that year. It wasn't until they became collector items that the build years and vin numbers came under the microscope. I'd call it a late 3A and not worry about it. I've heard that 3B's are more sought after but really they were a hodge podge of left over parts and not a planned marketing item, my apologies to the B owners out there, by the way. A or B no matter, I think they are a super car and well worth the time and money investment.

What I read anyhow, Tinkerman
 
Tinkerman said:
I've heard that 3B's are more sought after but really they were a hodge podge of left over parts and not a planned marketing item, my apologies to the B owners out there, by the way. A or B no matter, I think they are a super car and well worth the time and money investment.
Click to expand...

No, the TSF were just the last run of cars withe the small engine, but the TCF cars had the useful larger engine that was coming on line for the TR4. Not a hodge podge at all, just a regular model.

Similar to the later TR4A without IRS.....
 
I would not worry so much about originality, engines, wiring etc. as I would about the body. I recently passed on a bid TR3 locally. It looked great but my magnet wouldn't stick hardly anywhere on the lower body panels. When I really looked closely the bondo was starting to crack on the lower part of the front fender.
 
I can only get my screen to zoom in so much, but I have seen a lot worse for a lot more, and the guy’s feedback looks good. I feel the cars pain. Like me, it has had a few handlers, some good, some not so good, but it looks like it will start in the morning. It would be worth fixing if you get it cheap enough (projection again on my part). I would be careful of that red roll switch it might eject the passenger. There is a guy in Seattle that has a knob by the glove box, but if I remember right it is much bigger than that one. I cannot tell if the one in the picture is a lighter or a windscreen washer, and the car in Seattle is a very low mile tr3B 60,000. Anyways, I questioned the one in Seattle and was informed that tr3B’s came with this big knobbed washer thingy( and it had some writing on it) and this vinyl black and white floor matting also that he showed me. Heck I do not know for sure if those items are stock on a tr3B, but this guy and his car are well known in the Seattle area.
 
Andrew Mace said:
...and the TCF (2138cc engine) series, and possibly some or all of the TSF series, had the all-synchro gearbox...for those who never learned to double-clutch down to 1st. :wink:
Click to expand...

My TSF didn't have an all synch. It was just a regular 3A with a different serial number prefix. Possibly some of them did get the all synch.
 
I agree, Bill. Some, but not all.

What I would still like to know is : how did the factory accomodate the slightly longer 4-synchro box in a TR3 chassis ? Did they just drill the rear cross member differently ?
 
TR3driver said:
I agree, Bill. Some, but not all.

What I would still like to know is : how did the factory accomodate the slightly longer 4-synchro box in a TR3 chassis ? Did they just drill the rear cross member differently ?
Click to expand...

Probably the same way I did when I used the all synch in one of my 3As - just bolt it in. I don't recall having to do anything, the mount lined up and the driveshaft obviously had enough range.

What is the exact difference in length? (I probably used to know this, but it has long since gone into the dead storage area of my memory bank).
 
Back
Top