Newbie Yank TR-3A owner from the States

[Wheelman]

First, My name is Ray. As you can see I go by the name Wheelman but that is not auto related as you might think. I am a collector and restorer of classic and antique bicycles and Wheelmen is a term to describe riders and clubs just before the turn of the century, the one before last. My prize is an 1878 Rudge Penny Farthing 56 inch wheel that I ride around town. You can see a bit of me riding on a velodrome track on this You Tube video.

 

 

 

That's enough about bicycles. I just became the proud owner of a TR-3A that I have wanted for years. Sold a good number of my bicycle collection to fund this purchase but I am very happy about it.

 

I read the rules of this forum but I am sure if it is like the bicycle forums I am used to there are some things that I just have to pick up by getting involved. You should know that I sought and found a nice TR-3A so I did not have to do much restoration myself. I wanted something to enjoy, ride and take to shows and meets. I looked for two years before I found what I wanted. White with black interrior, wire wheels and all the fun I am just beginning to have. I do have a few newbie questions, if these answers are posted in some kind of forum history, then please point me to that area so I do not bore you folks with repeated questions that you all must have seen many times. I will try to be brief.

 

1. Good source for white wall tires.

2. Best grade of gas or petrol to use

3. What are the chances of finding an original jack and crank handle

4. The auto I purchased was sitting around for a while but was well kept. The owner to prevent the tires from going flat during long storage pumped that foam stuff into the tires and they are hard as can be, hence the reason for the first question. I noticed when driving it around a bit, when I go over bumps the tail end breaks loose a bit. I am thinking it is more the tires than anything else but though I would mention it here to see what kind of response I would get.

 

That's it for now. Thanks for putting up with my wordy first post. Hope to hear from you and share stories soon.

 

Cheers

Ray

[Tony Millward]

Hi Ray,

 

Welcome to the TR forums mate. I don't (unfortunately), have a TR3 but have a TR6 so I can't answer your questions. I'm sure someone will be along to give you some help very soon...just wanted to say Hi.

 

Cheers

 

Tony

[foster461]

1. Good source for white wall tires.

2. Best grade of gas or petrol to use

3. What are the chances of finding an original jack and crank handle

4. The auto I purchased was sitting around for a while but was well kept. The owner to prevent the tires from going flat during long storage pumped that foam stuff into the tires and they are hard as can be, hence the reason for the first question. I noticed when driving it around a bit, when I go over bumps the tail end breaks loose a bit. I am thinking it is more the tires than anything else but though I would mention it here to see what kind of response I would get.

 

Welcome Ray and congratulations on your acquisition of the TR3. Like Tony I have a TR6 but have lusted after a TR3 for years, just need more space to keep it..

 

Re tires, I have no idea where to get whitewalls (dont personally like the look) but these guys used to apply any color you want to a standard tires so might be worth a call http://www.britishwirewheel.com/index.htm

 

I think most TR's will run on standard grade gas and I dont recall the TR3 having a particularly high CR so I would start with the cheapest pump gas and if you dont experience any problems with pre-ignition or running on stick with that.

 

eBay, show stalls, fellow club members, craigs list and a small number of used spares vendors are all good sources for scarce parts but it often takes patience and persistence..

 

Dont know what the heck the PO was thinking re the tires but it sounds like they need to go asap. Really, any tire that is over 6 years old is iffy anyway. You could put something cheap on there for now if you want to drive it while you track down the white walls.

 

Stan

[angelfj]

First, My name is Ray. As you can see I go by the name Wheelman but that is not auto related as you might think. I am a collector and restorer of classic and antique bicycles and Wheelmen is a term to describe riders and clubs just before the turn of the century, the one before last. My prize is an 1878 Rudge Penny Farthing 56 inch wheel that I ride around town. You can see a bit of me riding on a velodrome track on this You Tube video.

 

 

 

That's enough about bicycles. I just became the proud owner of a TR-3A that I have wanted for years. Sold a good number of my bicycle collection to fund this purchase but I am very happy about it.

 

I read the rules of this forum but I am sure if it is like the bicycle forums I am used to there are some things that I just have to pick up by getting involved. You should know that I sought and found a nice TR-3A so I did not have to do much restoration myself. I wanted something to enjoy, ride and take to shows and meets. I looked for two years before I found what I wanted. White with black interrior, wire wheels and all the fun I am just beginning to have. I do have a few newbie questions, if these answers are posted in some kind of forum history, then please point me to that area so I do not bore you folks with repeated questions that you all must have seen many times. I will try to be brief.

 

1. Good source for white wall tires.

2. Best grade of gas or petrol to use

3. What are the chances of finding an original jack and crank handle

4. The auto I purchased was sitting around for a while but was well kept. The owner to prevent the tires from going flat during long storage pumped that foam stuff into the tires and they are hard as can be, hence the reason for the first question. I noticed when driving it around a bit, when I go over bumps the tail end breaks loose a bit. I am thinking it is more the tires than anything else but though I would mention it here to see what kind of response I would get.

 

That's it for now. Thanks for putting up with my wordy first post. Hope to hear from you and share stories soon.

 

Cheers

Ray

 

Ray, welcome to the forum. You will find lots of support here. Another very good source on our side of the pond is The British Car Forum, (go here and then discussions forums and select Triumph) with all sorts of British Cars, not only TR.

 

Personally, I own two TR's, a 68 TR250, which was restored in 1985, which I drive all the time and a 60 TR3A which I have been restoring since 2001 - which I hope to have on the road soon.

 

You can do a search on the BCF site regarding the tire question or anything else. For tires I have used these people and I am very pleased.

 

Universal Vintage Tire

 

I never heard of putting foam in the tires but perhaps someone on this forum or bcf will know.

 

It is best to use the highest octane pump gas. This has to do with the material used for valves and valve seats back when Triumph built these cars. Gas had plenty of lead in it back then, and it accomplished two things. It lubricated the valves AND boosted the octane. Now, we have no lead gas only. So, you need to use 93 or higher if you can find it. You can also use one of the octane boosters that are sold.

 

I have an extra jack and crank handle if you are interested. My email is trtags@verizon.net.

 

Good Luck,

 

Frank

[vivdownunder]

Hi Ray,

 

If you can get fuel without any ethanol, that's helpful, as E blends of even 10% can play havoc with older diaphragms in fuel pumps and rubber seals in carbies.

 

The higher octane fuels, such as the 95 and 98 that we get, run smoother with less pre-ignition than low octane 91 in TR engines that were originally designed for leaded fuel.

 

Many owners using our unleaded fuel find one grade hotter spark plugs seem to burn cleaner with much less sooting up.

 

For TR3A spares in the USA, a good source is The Roadster Factory in Armagh, PA.

 

Regards,

 

Viv.

[Herald948]

By all means, toss those tires ASAP. As others have noted, either the foam-fill or the likely age of the tires is working against your safety (and comfort, ride and handling). If your heart is set on wide whitewalls, try Coker Tire; they have some wide whitewall radials in a 165R15 size. While not cheap, they would be the best of both worlds ("look" and "performance").

 

And I'd start with 93 octane and then maybe try slightly lower grades to see if there is any deterioration in performance. Most Triumphs back then, even the small family cars such as the Herald, required "Premium" fuel and likely will "pink" and/or tend to "diesel" on shutoff when lower grades are used.

[John Soffe]

By all means, toss those tires ASAP. As others have noted, either the foam-fill or the likely age of the tires is working against your safety (and comfort, ride and handling). If your heart is set on wide whitewalls, try Coker Tire; they have some wide whitewall radials in a 165R15 size. While not cheap, they would be the best of both worlds ("look" and "performance").

 

And I'd start with 93 octane and then maybe try slightly lower grades to see if there is any deterioration in performance. Most Triumphs back then, even the small family cars such as the Herald, required "Premium" fuel and likely will "pink" and/or tend to "diesel" on shutoff when lower grades are used.

 

Hi Ray,

 

Welcome aboard.

 

As the tyes have tubes fitted surely you only need to have new tubes fitted - unless the tyres are well past their user date?

 

Best regards

 

John

[keith]

Welcome to TR ownership.May the Gods of providence smile upon you, and may you find those ever elusive bits you will inevitably be looking for.

 

The crank handle is the same as that fitted to the 4 cyl STANDARD VANGUARDS 1947-circa 1959. From recollection the Vanguard ones are an inch or 2 longer- very simple to fix.

 

The lug nut wrenches ( if you have steel wheels) are identical to the Vanguard ones. You will find lots of TR bits common to not only Vanguards, but also Standard 8's & 10's ( The Triumph TR10 in the States) .Most of the Vanguards went to Canada, but there are collectors there who could probably help you out far cheaper than buying dubious repros.

 

Unfortunately , the jacks TR specific and now are all reproduction and not inexpensive, but at least they are obtainable from most major suppliers e.g. Moss etc etc. I wouldnt be too worried about their quality: they were never very functional even when new, which is why so few survived.

 

As to your fuel, if you like us are stuck with unleaded fuel, dont forget a fuel additive to prevent valve seat regression.

Also, proprietory octane boosters work fine to reduce "pinking" if you cant get at least 95/98 RON fuel. Some people put in compression plates to reduce compression to allow running on modern gas, which lowers peformance but is a very easy solution.Remember, back in the good ol' days we used to run Sidescreen Trs on leaded "super" fuel that was probably 98- 100 octane or close to that. A lot of cars had shaved heads & high compression ratios , and they now wont work (for long) on this emasculated lolly water that's available now.

[TR3BGeorge]

First, Ray, welcome to the forum. I am a veteran here. I have been a member for about an hour and a half.

 

I am also looking for replacement tires stateside. The Internet is a waste of time. I finally contacted an old friend in vintage cars who put me onto Coker, as someone has already mentioned. Coker makes tires for EVERYTHING.

 

Like somebody indicated, white wall tires are a matter of taste. Of course, if one is into originality, and his original car came with them, then he is probably locked into them. In my day, the 1950's, the American opinion seemed to be that they (white walls) looked okay on the disc wheels, but not on the wire wheels. Again, to each his own.

 

Here is a quick summary of what I found in a near-fruitless hour on the Internet (these are black walls, BTW). I was looking for 155 or 165 15" wheels for my TR3B:

 

Tire Rack: 155/60R15 Continental ContiProContact (Grand Touring All-Season) - $65

Dunlop: nothing

Michelin: nothing

Yokohama: nothing

Toyo: nothing (195-15s, currently on my car)

Coker: 155R15 Firestone F560 - $97

155SR15 Vredstein Sprint - $105

165HR15 Vredstein Sprint - $105

550-15 BFGoodrich - $109

Vredstein: 155SF15 82S

165HR15 91H

 

As I have wire wheels, I will also have to purchase tubes at $20 each and rim bands at $10 each. So, hoping that I can find a place that will sell me the tires (I can get the tubes and bands at Moss), I am hoping to get the whole package of 5 tires, ready to go, for under One Million Dollars. It will be touch and go.

 

Best of luck, and, again, welcome.

 

George

[stuart]

First, Ray, welcome to the forum. I am a veteran here. I have been a member for about an hour and a half.

 

I am also looking for replacement tires stateside. The Internet is a waste of time. I finally contacted an old friend in vintage cars who put me onto Coker, as someone has already mentioned. Coker makes tires for EVERYTHING.

 

Like somebody indicated, white wall tires are a matter of taste. Of course, if one is into originality, and his original car came with them, then he is probably locked into them. In my day, the 1950's, the American opinion seemed to be that they (white walls) looked okay on the disc wheels, but not on the wire wheels. Again, to each his own.

 

Here is a quick summary of what I found in a near-fruitless hour on the Internet (these are black walls, BTW). I was looking for 155 or 165 15" wheels for my TR3B:

 

Tire Rack: 155/60R15 Continental ContiProContact (Grand Touring All-Season) - $65

Dunlop: nothing

Michelin: nothing

Yokohama: nothing

Toyo: nothing (195-15s, currently on my car)

Coker: 155R15 Firestone F560 - $97

155SR15 Vredstein Sprint - $105

165HR15 Vredstein Sprint - $105

550-15 BFGoodrich - $109

Vredstein: 155SF15 82S

165HR15 91H

 

As I have wire wheels, I will also have to purchase tubes at $20 each and rim bands at $10 each. So, hoping that I can find a place that will sell me the tires (I can get the tubes and bands at Moss), I am hoping to get the whole package of 5 tires, ready to go, for under One Million Dollars. It will be touch and go.

 

Best of luck, and, again, welcome.

 

George

George out of those listed I would go for the 165HR15 Vredsteins as thats what a lot of people run over here. Although they are slightly better price here as they havent had to travel so far

Stuart.