TR2/3/3A Triumph tr3a occasional rear seat

[Got_All_4]

Just got my build certificate from British Heritage today. Couple of surprises. One is the occasional seat. Just saw a pic of one that said it was suitable for early TR3A before TS60000. I'm TS677---. What should my seat look like? Other surprises were the wire wheels. Mine have steel and also the leather interior. I bought the car from the original owner and hopefully he is still around to verify the wire wheels. That's going to heart the budget!

 

[rlwhitetr3b]

I think I have heard that many options got traded around while the cars were on at the dealer. If someone wanted one car with the wheels from another etc.

 

[TR3driver]

For the later cars, the "occasional seat" was just the bottom. Here's a drawing

 

[Geo Hahn]

The earlier cars (which may be what you saw) had more rounded corner on the seat bottle and an upholstered seat back. If the later ones are constructed like the early one, then about all there is to the insides is a piece of plywood, a couple of T-nuts and some foam padding -- IOW, the only bit you might need to source is the upholstery itself. There will also be some brackets -- on the early ones these were just formed from bar-stock.

 

[TR3driver]

There will also be some brackets -- on the early ones these were just formed from bar-stock.

I don't believe the brackets were needed with the post-60K version. The body has a flat shelf already, and the seat bottom sits on that.

IIRC, the TR3 had a separate upholstered back for the occasional seat, but the 3A had the upholstery built into the standard panel and no separate piece, giving just a smidgeon more room. The brackets were different too, as they had to support the separate seat back.

 

[Geo Hahn]

The one thing they never revealed -- just what occasion would be appropriate for using that seat?

 

[titanic]

The one thing they never revealed -- just what occasion would be appropriate for using that seat?

The occasion is wanting/needing to haul two passengers. Being about 5'9" (and the shortest of the group), I usually volunteered to ride in the back, even though it was my car. I was only about 20 at the time. If I tried the same stunt now, it would take at least 2 trips to the chiropractor before I could walk upright.
Berry

 

[TR3driver]

My dog loved to ride back there. So did my daughter, before she became a teenager. Also made a good place to set the ice chest on long trips.

There was that one time in college, when we made a beer run to the next state on Sunday and my roommate sat in back. But he only did it once!

 

[Got_All_4]

My dog Gunnar would like to ride back there too until I got a good back fire then he was as far up into the passenger foot well as he could go. Thanks for all the info guys and the sketch Randall. The neatest this on the certificate is the dispatch date is my birthday. I was 4 years old.

 

[mrv8q]

The neatest this on the certificate is the dispatch date is my birthday. I was 4 years old.

Jeez, I wish I was as young as my TR3!

 

[TomMull]

The one thing they never revealed -- just what occasion would be appropriate for using that seat?

In my experience, it was more comfortable, or perhaps better said, less uncomfortable, without the "seat". We occasionally stuffed a single moderately sized young adult in there, sans "seat". The dog preferred the lap of the passenger. Tom

 

[Got_All_4]

I wish I can order spare bits for my personal chassis like I do from my local LBC parts store. Could use 2 new knees and hips!!!

 

[Tr3aguy]

The one I am working on was dated a few years before me!!!

 

[CJD]

I wish I can order spare bits for my personal chassis like I do from my local LBC parts store. Could use 2 new knees and hips!!!

Just do like I do...take them out, bead blast, paint, lube and put them back in service. It's the missing parts that are the problem!

 

[vivdownunder]

Rear seats are identified thus -

TR2 - no factory rear seat offered, although there was a prototype that didn't reach production. Homemade/aftermarket versions were seen that utilized the space behind the seats.
TR3 - Optional rear seat comprising a cushion and padded back fixed to a bracket either side. Brackets bolted to the floor and adjacent sloping panel. Leading edge of the cushion was curved. Passenger seat now tilted forward for access.
TR3A - Pre 60K. Optional rear seat was just a cushion. Re-designed brackets as padded back now deleted. The leading edge of the cushion remained curved.
TR3A - Post 60K. As per Randall's image, now a rectangular shaped cushion that sat on a new squared off rear shelf.

Viv