TR2/3/3A TR3A Aluminum Handbrake Handle?

[karls59tr]

I saw one for sale on Ebay some time ago and was wondering if it was an aftermarket or dealer option seeing as it wasnt on any of the factory option lists I've seen? Karl

 

[prb51]

Don't think so, that vendor likes to make ally parts (valve cover securing bolts etc) as a hobby and sell them for a pretty steep price.

 

[karls59tr]

I think I know the vendor your referring to as I've seen his products on Ebay. Wasnt he selling steel or chromed handles? However the sale I saw on ebay was was prior to him posting his products! I'm thinking he saw the same sale , which went for something like $400 US with many bidders, so he decided to make the alloy handles to cash in on the demand. It was advertised as "very rare". The reason I'm enquiring is that I bought one at a yard sale for $0.50!!!! from a TR3 owner's mother who was selling off TR3 bits and pieces that her son had left in the garage years ago. This sale was years before the Ebay auction I mentioned . So the original owner got it from some unknown source?. A one off made by the owner? Who knows? If it is that rare and going for that kind of money I'd rather sell it and buy a couple of Brooklands racing screens instead of keeping it. I wonder if there are any TR3 owners around who bid on it who know about that auction from Ebay? Karl

 

[Twosheds]

My TR3 had a metal handbrake handle when I bought him in 1980. I forget if it was aluminum. I have seen one other since; this year on a car at British Car Day. I ran across mine it a while back, so I'll look for it again.

Can you post a photo of yours?

 

[roofman]

The guy you are talking about on ebay I believe makes these parts from billit aluminum. The ones I remember seeing were custom designs and would only be appropriate if you wsnted a fancy style handle, and not a stock reproduction.

 

[karls59tr]

I dont have a digital camera but I have a friend who does . I'll see if I can get her to snap a pic and email it to me and I'll forward it to you. Karl

 

[TRTEL]

All the originals were a type of bakelite type plastic that never seemed to last very long. I think I bought one factory part in '69 and then gave up in the mid 70's and bought a soft plastic aftermarket, which I still use. I think MG Mitten or Haan offered an aluminum one in the mid 70's, but never saw one in the garage I worked in.

Tom Lains
TS8651 & 58107

 

[Twosheds]

It was in the first tub I opened! It's aluminum, but it's not billet for sure. Finish appears to be anodized. See attachment. Also see the handle that I photographed at British Car Day.

 

[karls59tr]

The one I have is different in that the narrower or lower sections of the handle in your pic is where the wider or higher sections are in mine. The handle I have would be identical to the stock bakelite ones only billet aluminum. I'll try and post a pic so you can see what I mean. Karl

 

[Twosheds]

I shoulda known that mine wouldn't be the $400 kind.

Oh, well...

 

[Don Elliott]

The original lever arm was always made of a steel tube which was chromed. The original hand grip at the top was black bakelite, much like the black material used for the control head and the horn button. These can become oxidized with age and they turn a dirty brown. These can be sanded lighly and re-sprayed with clear-coat to look like new. The later TR3As )and maybe TR3Bs) had a softer push-on black rubbery-plastic hand-grip.

 

[AweMan]

Yep Yep Yep, O.E.M. steel chrome lever, bakelite handle on my 57 Tr-3 Smallmouth.