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Long door TR2 Restoration


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Hi,

 

I'm new to the TR Register UK. I am a long term TR owner having owned a short door TR2 (TS5038O) for 42 years and been a member of the Australian TR Register since 1976. I now also have a 1970 TR6 PI and a long door TR2 (TS3732O) which I am rebuilding. The short door TR2 and the TR6 are everyday drivers. I have attached some photos.

 

The restoration long door TR2 has a BRG coat on it but I will be finishing it in its original scheme of signal red, brown leather and fawn weather gear. These rare cars are even rarer in Australia so advice on originality is hard to come by.

 

The car is undergoing a body off total rebuild with the objective of it being as original as possible and as close to concours standard as I can get it.The body shop has a Facebook page called the Classic Factory, located in Sydney, where details of the body work will be posted.

 

The body tub is currently being prepared for painting and I would like to find photos of long door cars with engine bay, interior and underbody details including original finishes.

 

In particular right now I need to know the finishes on the master cylinder tray, the through firewall connections for the heater hoses, brake pedals and front guard splash guards. I.e. body colour, chrome or black (gloss or matt)?

 

I'm looking forward to using the wealth of knowledge available from members of the TR Register UK to get another TR2 restored.

 

John

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post-9306-0-03553400-1516070377_thumb.jpg

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Hi John,

 

Great to have you on the Forum and even better news

thart you will be putting another long door TR2 on the road.

 

You realise, of course, that you don't OWN the TR2.

IT owns you - you are just the custodian for the time being

(and I hope a long time with much fun associated with it).

 

Bill Piggott has done a series of books on Original TRs so

try to get your hand on a copy. Get the latest version that

is related to TR2/3/3A only. Great book with lots of colour

photos of concours cars. Out of print - not all that cheap -

but essential for your reference.

 

As Stan says above, you are off to a great start and with

that garage, you have fabulous facilities.

 

Be warned that 'Original' TRs ex-factory were NOT to the

same standard as most restored cars - way WAY higher,

but that's a conundrum for you to solve!

 

AlanR

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Hi John --

 

You no doubt know Viv Paine, who posts infrequently here as vivdownunder and is a terrific resource about originality of early cars. Reach out to him if you haven't already.

 

The black paint is a finish John Warfield of the Triumph Register of America calls "CBP" -- for cheap black paint. Standard Triumph didn't spend any more than they had to on anything, including paint. CBP is a gloss black, but not a very good one. Higher gloss than satin finish, but not as high as modern gloss finishes.

 

Speaking of TRA, you can find online their concours guidelines for the sidescreen cars. This isn't the only word on the subject, but it's a good resource. Send me a private message if you can't find it.

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Hi John --

 

You no doubt know Viv Paine, who posts infrequently here as vivdownunder and is a terrific resource about originality of early cars. Reach out to him if you haven't already.

+++++

 

AlanR

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Hi John:

Go to www.vintagetriumphregister.org/tr2/

 

VTR is a US based club for all things Triumph. When you go to the above listed site the TR2 that pops up is (A-hem) my beloved TS981L. At the very bottom of that page is a very detailed guide to originality for the TR2.

 

Lou Metelko

Auburn, Indiana USA

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Thank you all.

Yes, Viv Paine is a good mate of mine and my principal source of advice here in Oz.

It was remiss of me not to mention I am a foundation member of the TR Register Australia (early 1976) and am the NSW State Coordinator and a Committee member. I have owned my short door TR2 for 42 years so have accumulated a fair bit of TR knowledge and have some of Bill Piggott's and others books.

However, I want this car to be extra special so I am after original photos and advice that will allow the accurate detail as per factory build to be reproduced. I will be using modern suspension bushes, better corrosion proofing and 2 pack paint rather than acrylic lacquer, but I would like to be 99% accurate where appropriate and practicable.

Being an early TR2 there may also be subtle differences from later cars I need to pick up on.

Details such as run of brake and clutch pipes and of the bonnet release cable, what was painted body colour, painted black and the bits that were chrome originally (the wiper motor mount appears to be body colour in some photos but black in others), battery box fit and finish, underbody finish (weld finish, seams etc).

This car will be restored to a much better standard than they were from the factory but with the right bits (where I can); if the item and the detail are right but I have just done it better than the factory did I am happy. For example, If the battery box was just put in and the join not shaped and filled to blend in with the firewall, I will do it that way, but very neatly.

I am really looking forward to this project. I am hopeful that people will have photos from their dad's car etc or know stuff that will be very useful.

Edited by John McCormack
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Hi John

Welcome to the TR Register International group, as you can see I am in Spain.

Looking at your photo with the two daily cars in, is that Lift The Dot on the side of the long door much lower down than the usual one? as on my TR3A I have such a hole for a LTD fastener, which I have blanked off with a stainless steel safety bolt which needs a special spanner to hold the head end when you tighten it.

I also have a pal here in Spain that is rebuilding a Short TR2 in England so his progress is a little slow only when he is on holiday in U.K.

 

Dave

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Hi,

 

I'm new to the TR Register UK. I am a long term TR owner having owned a short door TR2 (TS5038O) for 42 years and been a member of the Australian TR Register since 1976. I now also have a 1970 TR6 PI and a long door TR2 (TS3732O) which I am rebuilding. The short door TR2 and the TR6 are everyday drivers. I have attached some photos.

 

The restoration long door TR2 has a BRG coat on it but I will be finishing it in its original scheme of signal red, brown leather and fawn weather gear. These rare cars are even rarer in Australia so advice on originality is hard to come by.

 

The car is undergoing a body off total rebuild with the objective of it being as original as possible and as close to concours standard as I can get it.The body shop has a Facebook page called the Classic Factory, located in Sydney, where details of the body work will be posted.

 

The body tub is currently being prepared for painting and I would like to find photos of long door cars with engine bay, interior and underbody details including original finishes.

 

In particular right now I need to know the finishes on the master cylinder tray, the through firewall connections for the heater hoses, brake pedals and front guard splash guards. I.e. body colour, chrome or black (gloss or matt)?

 

I'm looking forward to using the wealth of knowledge available from members of the TR Register UK to get another TR2 restored.

 

John

A sailing buddy had a Sparksman&Stephens 30', been in his family since new, multiple race winner home & abroad, S&S are wonderful boats & still very competitive in class.

Good luck with your long-door's rebuild John, you're 'over the hump' with her now.

Happy TR-ing,

Pat.

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Hi John

Welcome to the TR Register International group, as you can see I am in Spain.

Looking at your photo with the two daily cars in, is that Lift The Dot on the side of the long door much lower down than the usual one? as on my TR3A I have such a hole for a LTD fastener, which I have blanked off with a stainless steel safety bolt which needs a special spanner to hold the head end when you tighten it.

I also have a pal here in Spain that is rebuilding a Short TR2 in England so his progress is a little slow only when he is on holiday in U.K.

 

Dave

Hi Dave. Yes, that lift the dot has been removed and the hole welded up. There is another hole in the right position. I don't know why that hole was there.

I bought the long door about a year ago from a fellow that owned it since 1965 but never got around to finishing the job. The body tub was largely done with new floors and very good panel alignment but some poor repairs, minor corrosion, and things like this fastener and other holes in wrong places. The chassis and body had already been blasted as in the photo and the engine has had a full rebuild.

I have painted and completed the chassis, suspension, brakes, steering, rear axle, gearbox, windscreen, chrome and instruments. When the body is professionally finished and painted I will reassemble it all.

I rebuilt my other TR2 body off between 1980 and 83 and have maintained it for 42 years so have done it before and should recognise where everything goes.

I am keen that this long door be a special car. We see maybe 5-6 long doors in the TR Register Australia, out of 330 sidescreen TRs.

We have some real experts in 3As. When it comes to TR2s I am probably as knowledgable as anyone here, but not on long door ones and I need more detail for this car. Apart from Viv Paine, who has been a significant contributor to this project, very few people here know much about long door TR2 originality.

Edited by John McCormack
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Give Viv my regards, John. I owe him a note as the Australian Grand Prix gets closer.

 

Check your private messages (the red envelope at top right). I've sent you a link to a gallery of images from my "originality" files, this one for TS27XXLO, an unrestored (if a bit tatty) long-door TR2 owned by a friend of mine. Some of those images might be useful to you.

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Hi !

 

In my restoration project of my short door tr2 i did quite some research in specific details. if you look in my signature you will find a link to my photoalbum with detailed photos of restoration.

 

Please do ask questions if you want to know about specifiek details !

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Hi !

 

In my restoration project of my short door tr2 i did quite some research in specific details. if you look in my signature you will find a link to my photoalbum with detailed photos of restoration.

 

Please do ask questions if you want to know about specifiek details !

Thank you Edwin. One immediate question if you could help. My doors don't have holes for the clips for a bottom rubber seal. The short door TR2s do have a seal on the bottom of the door. Did the long door cars have a seal and, if so, where was it fitted?

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John,

 

Good question - although the answer may appear via

the Parts book, which will list the commission number

at which the seal was introduced.

Do you have one?

 

AlanR

 

Edit: Just checked TeriAnn's site - a new seal was fitted

from January 1955.

If you were not aware of this site - time to check it out.

 

http://www.tjwakeman.net/

 

http://www.tr3a.info/

 

So many links to useful info on those sites - work your

way through it and you will find a copy of the Service

Bulletin relating to the door seal change.

Edited by TR 2100
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John,

 

Good question - although the answer may appear via

the Parts book, which will list the commission number

at which the seal was introduced.

Do you have one?

 

AlanR

 

Edit: Just checked TeriAnn's site - a new seal was fitted

from January 1955.

If you were not aware of this site - time to check it out.

 

http://www.tjwakeman.net/

 

http://www.tr3a.info/

 

So many links to useful info on those sites - work your

way through it and you will find a copy of the Service

Bulletin relating to the door seal change.

Thanks Alan. The Jan 55 change was fitting seals to the top of the TR2 doors, above the top hinge against the scuttle. The earlier cars didn't have this seal and I know from experience rain is directed in with the air flow. I eventually put them on my short door 2 after 35 years of persisting with the original setup.

I believe the long door TR2s didn't have seals along the bottom of the door but need to confirm one way or the other.

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Hi John,

 

I believe there's no seal on the tr2 long doors like the later short door version.

I can remember from a tr2 long door from a friend that there was a seal glue to the vertical part.

 

i looked in my tr2 parts manual (online version here:http://www.trtriumph.com/images/TR3%20Parts%20Catalogue.pdf)

 

Which has it listed as AK16 (page 88 - 92)

 

I cant find any info if this is introduced or changed later during long door production.

Edited by EdwinTiben
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Thank you Edwin. One immediate question if you could help. My doors don't have holes for the clips for a bottom rubber seal. The short door TR2s do have a seal on the bottom of the door. Did the long door cars have a seal and, if so, where was it fitted?

 

John

 

The long doors do have a seal along the bottom. I have a photo somewhere of mine (Oct 1954 - just a little before yours) - I'll dig it out and upload it.

 

EDIT - found it. It looks like it may be glued (or something) on as the seal is very 'wavy' at one end.

 

Roger

 

 

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Edited by Pogo
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I dont think there was a seal originally fitted though some owners may have fitted ones subsequently.

Stuart.

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Just an aside ; WHEN DID THEY GO FROM LONG TO SHORT DOORS AS MY MAY 1955 2 HAS SHORT DOORS. Or should i have long doors ? i know that some got changed later in life due to kerbing.

 

Roy

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Just an aside ; WHEN DID THEY GO FROM LONG TO SHORT DOORS AS MY MAY 1955 2 HAS SHORT DOORS. Or should i have long doors ? i know that some got changed later in life due to kerbing.

 

Roy

 

Roy

 

I think it was at commission TS4005 - late 1954/early1955.

 

Roger

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