[Which tank, please?]

Brill

thanks everyone

Ordered one from Alicool and hope to get it fitted in time for Stratford.

Here's hoping

Ian

[Which tank, please?]

Thanks everyone

i think it will be an aluminium tank.

Would you fit a fuel-spill screen, or firewall?

I shan't be racing......

Now to check exactly which one

My TS number is 59432L, so I am assuming it is a pre-60k, but as we all know there are vagaries in there.

Is the position of the drain the key criteria?

Thanks a lot

I was not expecting to do this, but know I have got to do it,  I want to get on with it before Stratford.

Best wishes

Ian

[Which tank, please?]

(I've looked for a thread.....)_

My 1959 TR3A is leaking round the drain plug. (59k commission number).   It is a 'reconditioned tank in steel fitted by the PO.  It's only done 3000 miles in the several years since the re-build was done by a PO.  I'm thinking about changing the tank rather than throwing good money after bad.... (and sorting out the dodgy fuel gauge at the same time.

What are people's views please on which replacement to choose.  RImmers offer steel, stainless and aluminum, topping at £330 for the aluminium one.  Remington offer an ally one for £440, which they recommend and say that the steel one rots from the inside.

I'm 72 and expect/hope for 20 years for my own use... but would prefer to do an OK job that will last.  Is it really better to go for the aluminium one, please?

Many thanks in hope of some light on the subject.

Ian

[37 years of ownership as of this week]

Congratulations Don.

Looks beautiful

Thanks again for your advice earlier in year

Ian

[Brake Switch fail]

Its been a while, but thank you for the comments.  I have now got the vehicle out of storage (been away and working) and have now fitted a replacement brake switch.

I did all the test your guys suggested, and felt it had to be the switch.

And it was.

Red hot lights.

The previous switch had only been in 8 months.

But when doing it found lots of sludge in the mastr sylinder from when I bought it.  So sucked it all out and replaced with clean.  Feels better.

Did buy a BMW physical switch you suggested and have put that into store so that if it goes again soon I will try that instead.

Thanks to everyone.

Best wishes

Ian

[Brake Switch fail]

Thanks all for replies.

Bridge the cables and lights come on fine.

Seems like mechanical is the answer

Ive gone online and bought one

Many thanks for confirming what I feared!

 

Best wishes

Ian

[Brake Switch fail]

Forgive me, but I have tried the threads in the forum, and can't quite understand why my new brake light switch has failed.

Fitted 2500 miles and 10 months ago.

Dot 4 in the system.

Power to switch fine.

Continuity to lights fine

Earths fine.

Have got a another spare one from Rimmer and will fit it, but WHY?

What should I do?

Tempted by the mechanical option....

Thank you to everyone for all the interesting threads which help me get to griops with the car....

 

[Rear end losing traction]

I bought my first TR3 50 years ago when I was 21..... worked on the building sites to raise the money.... and first weekend, raining, going to a friend's 21st, young, naive, trying it on, thought I could beat an on-coming Green Line coach with my right hand turn at the lights in front of it.

 

360 degrees later, a foul-mouthed coach driver and a weeping boy pulled in to the kerb and thought, "What the hell have I bought? Will I be able to drive it?" Respect for the car was earned that night. Sadly the car had to go a couple of years later; i was broke. But 50 years later I bought my second, and hell am I enjoying it........ though I declined to do a donut at the request of the oik on a pedal bike last week....

 

Best wishes to you all

 

Ian

[Always on voltmeter]

Thanks for the responses

I will look through the wiring.... it is a real heap of spaghetti under the dash, while the engine compartment and the rest shows that the home made loom was done reasonably before others got to it.

 

I do leave it in storage because I haven't got a garage, but from Feb to Nov I get it out every week, (weather permitting), so a week or so is OK

Three or four months less so. The storage could add a battery charge to cost, but might be worth it for the winter.

 

I have been thinking about an isolater, and will do that for the longer storage intervals. Thanks

 

Otherwise I agree that it should be on the downside of the ignition so will go back in and have a look next week.

 

Best wishes

Ian

[Always on voltmeter]

Hi, some advice please....

 

I moved my voltmeter this week, to accommodate my new temperature gauge. (Switched holes)

Everything works fine, which for a newbie is a real sense of achievement!

(Even getting the sender to fit given the PO in the US had fitted non-standard union bolts to the thermostat cover.)

 

BUT

 

It is now always on, and I am 99% sure that it only came on with the ignition before I moved it.

I tagged the two wires to it as I took them off, and marked the handing of the sides.

 

Both are bolted to the mounting posts, one to each post, but the fixing bracket has small clear plastic grommets which I presume are to isolate the posts from the common earth of the dashboard.

 

Is it OK for it to be on all the time?

 

I left it on overnight and it started OK this morning of course, but that's only one night and the voltmeter will only be taking a minute current. The car is kept in storage and only comes out once a week or so. Will I be OK?

 

If not, suggestions, please.

 

(BTW it is an alternator conversion and with a -ve earth etc...)

 

Many thanks

Ian

 

[Indicator buzzer]

Thanks for these helpful responses

Had another look yesterday (car is kept in lock-up away from home so not there every day, sadly!)

 

The buzzer works fine across the battery.

The light from the solenoid is going from the middle terminal, which is marked "P" which I take to be the pilot light, and goes from there to the light on the dash which has an earth.

The indicators work fine. The dash light always gives a decent glow on first pulse, but then weak pulses....

On reflection that was what the buzzer might have been doing too.

In desparation have lashed out £4 for a new solenoid in case that is "weak", could it be? The flashers are working fine.

Could the earth from the indicator light create that weakness if it is not good? Surely then it would not flash OK on first pulse.

Don;t you just love wiring when several POs have had a go at it!

 

Many thanks

Ian

[Indicator buzzer]

Thanks guys

Tried it across battery and bleeps and flashes fine

I looked at back of indicator light

Looks original

Has one bullet connector that is earthed and 12 v is soldered to centre

Was it originally a fitting and a PO has done a solder because +tive tab was gone?

So I wired from a common earth and from the solenoid

Ideas please?

[Indicator buzzer]

 

Help please!

Just taken this pneumatic indicator switch off and replaced with an ON-OFF-ON switch so that it doesn;t go off after three flashes.

then tried to put this buzzer/light on after reading this and another discussion.

Bought it on eBay

Tested it across a 9v battery and worked fine.

then did

 

Two connections on buzzer.

1 to centre terminal on solenoid (light lead)

2 to earth.

 

(The earth was to an earth block a PO has fitted behind the bulkhead, so assume it is OK. Is for everything else on it.

Earth had to share a terminal with another earth, but that should not be a problem?

Couldn't find what the other earth does (Its spaghetti under there.)

 

Not a lot happened. One thin bleep and one flash then zilch.

Indicators still worked.

Reversed the wires to the buzzer; nothing.

 

Any ideas, please?

 

Many thanks Ian

 

PS, if anyone wants the pneumatic switch its availabel cheap!

[Drive It Day]

Took it to Derwent after a polish.

First good run after new carpets and seat covers.

Bliss

[Should LTD fasteners have words on them?]

Thank you Alec for a very tolerant and understanding response. I am most grateful.

You were most helpful to me in the thread, as I said, and I am grateful to you for your robust and magnanimous response.

I don't want to fall out with people.... in fact I very much want to enjoy the cameraderie of the cars...

If you are at Lincoln, I hope I could buy you a drink?

Best wishes

 

Ian

 

(PS SC PARTS have agreed to take pack the tonneau)

[Should LTD fasteners have words on them?]

I'm new to this forum, as you can see. Bought a TR3 when I was 21 for a couple of years, and now 50 years later have bought a second for the duration. I don't have any bodywork skills, though I did rebuild the crank, diff and loom on the first one 50 years ago.

 

So I wanted a nice rust-free reasonably priced TR3 that I could enjoy, look at, lovingly care for, but most of all DRIVE. And drive in all weathers, not left locked in a garage. I'm definitely not into concours, though I respect those who keep the faith, both for their diligence and for their contribution to the TR community as they act as a fount of knowledge for us. What I got was a re-import from the US, converted to RHD, upgraded in the engine department with all the sensible things you'd want, and with a degree of that "nothing is ever as it should be" feeling. (eg post 60k floor at back on pre 60k car.)

 

I'm retired on a small fragmented pension, so as I try to make small improvements to the car I want to spend my money carefully. SC parts have a picture in their catalogue which shows a tonneau with cuts at the elbows, but that is not what they sent. They have sent an earlier version, as is clear in the above thread. So I am grateful for everyone's help in tying things down before I pick up the phone to them. (I do usually use Rimmers, TR Shop and MOSS, but on this occasion wanted the Everflex tonneau.)

 

At the same time I want to be able to ask about the LTDs. I shan't weep if I don't fit ones with the writing, but given that I am going to fit new ones to the new tonneau anyway, they might as well be "right" whatever that means. And this is an object lesson in the fact that "Right" is not always clear. This was a US export car, so Alec's very helpful observation about how Triumph treated US exports means that it could be "as original" to have the writing, while for a UK car it could be "as original" to have them plain. What else is a forum for? Why do we love these cars?

 

But putting all that aside, I realize that we don't always know the details of each other's cars, nor our attitude to concours or not, nor the options available to us. In that context having a forum that is open and supportive and helpful is a fantastic benefit and one of the 'triumphs' of the TR Register offer. So it is with some sadness that we see some of the negative comments, which verge on hostile, and in particular to find homophobic comments in the forum. I shall not make a formal complaint, but I may decide reluctantly to withdraw if I find it is a place where the anonymity of social media encourages such comments.

 

I really am grateful for the positive help and advice and referrals. But guys, lets be nice to each other, and not demonise others. Thanks

[Should LTD fasteners have words on them?]

Thanks Don and Alec,

 

Do you have an idea which supplier will have the ones with the words on please Alec?

Thanks

Ian

[Should LTD fasteners have words on them?]

Thanks everyone.

Now this car was built for US export and came back with this existing tonneau, which was modified in the UK on its return in 2003.

 

Another point, please guys....

 

Don;s photos show two tonneau both with cut outs at the shoulders on each side. The green car photo is exactly like my existing tonneau.

 

The one supplied to me now from SC Parts does not have these cut outs and is like the two photos on page 64 of Bill Piggott's book.

Comments and advice please?

 

By the way, this car had a replacement age correct restored short block fitted in 2003 which was apparently purchased from Bill Pigott by the English man who re-imported it .

It runs like a dream.

Forum says it won't allow my .jpg format to upload a shot of the existing tonneau, but I have taken the clip from the same photo I use here my my signature photo.

 

Thanks everyone for your help.

 

Ian

[Should LTD fasteners have words on them?]

I've bought a new tonneau from SC Parts to replace the existing LHD converted one!

 

The existing one has LTD clips which have the words Lift the Dot stamped in them.

The pack that has come with the tonneau has no writing on.

I see on the web that ones with writing on are available

What were the originals like, please. With words or plain?

Thanks

Ian

[What are the best carpets]

Hi

 

Just about to shop for a set of carpets for my recently acquired TR3A.

The commission number is TS59432L

 

But the rear seat looks like the later post 60,000 straight metalwork, so I am thinking I will have to order the post 60k version of the carpet set. I know that changes were variable around the 60k number.

 

Is there anything else I should think about, please, before deciding on which set.

 

I would like wool, and happy to pay a bit more, but slightly worried by some suggestions that 'wool' does not always mean 'wool'

 

Looking at TR shop, Moss, Rimmer, Classic car carpets, Prestige, Car Capets, SC parts, can't cope with all the choice!!

 

I'm expecting to fit black, as that was its original. It's by no means an original car being a converted US import, but its in nice condition and well sorted. I'm not overly fussed about concours as it is a car to drive and enjoy, (and I am!) and it has lost any chance to be that anyway. (I love some of the red interior pictures, but not sure they would suit a Signal Red body. Any thoughts?)

 

Thanks for reading. Hope to get some replies