latest photos from resto

[kiwi-jim]

Hi everyone here are the latest photos from my restoration, for those that are interested. As you can see I have now got a lot of the front on and the hardtop just sitting there.

Cheers

[vivdownunder]

Hi Jim,

 

It's looking absolutely fabulous.

 

Interesting with the front badge set higher and the Triumph letters across the nose - was it drilled for them ?.

 

Oh, and is that a bit of your partner's work with the sign at the back of the garage

 

Regards,

 

Viv

[Menno van Rij]

Thanks for the pics. Great looking! Although my car's restoration was performed only a few years ago, it brings back some great memories! And I have to say it again: I really like the colour of your car! Now with the hard top on, the colour even looks better!

 

From which car are the seats you've installed?

 

I can see the doors in front of the car. Great looking too, covered with wax. Just an idea: be sure to check the doorpockets before you install them. Some repros are a little deeper than the old ones, rubbing the back of the doorpocket to the inside of your door. Perhaps not really a problem, I think but it can rub off the wax and paint, causing a potential rust spot. That's why an other restorer and I made our own d/pockets. Just send me a PM if you want a pic of these pockets.

 

Menno

Edited July 6, 2010 by Menno van Rij

[Guest DeBartolomeis]

Nice, I've got the exact same car as you. I'm thinking of white too. If you could send me some hartop restoration photos at u2-declared@hotmail.com that would be great! Or even photos of your car. Its looking good, keep it up.

 

James

[Andrew Smith]

Jim,

 

That looks absolutely stunning!

 

Cheers

Andrew

[Menno van Rij]

Looking at the pics once more, I wondered how you're going to line up the s/screens with the hardtop. I would cover the frame with some pieces of bubbly plastic and install them on the doors. Then I would make sure that they line up with the hardtop properly. I wouldn't be surprised that you were to find out that the s/screen frame isn't making the correct angle with the front screen and hardtop!

 

Menno

 

BTW, I see that you haven't installed the g/box cover yet. Have you seen this Racetorations item:

 

Edited July 6, 2010 by Menno van Rij

[kiwi-jim]

Hi guys

Thanks for the responses, your right Viv I made a bit of extra space on the front apron under the TR emblem to take the triumph letters. as you have gathered the car is not strictly concourse but that's fine with me.

Menno the seats are ex mazda mx5, they fit in fine even though for some reason some people seem to think they wont fit a sidescreen. The jury is still out as to whether or not I will keep them in the car however, while I quite like them I am not 100% on them yet.

The reason the tunnel cover isn;t in yet is because I have only just made up the overdrive wiring loom and I still have to buy an overdrive switch to check whether all is operating properly before I install the cover.

The sidescreens etc /doors etc are on my list to pre-install soon before I take the seats, hardtop etc back off so that I can have all the interrior trimmed.

All in all I still have a bit to do but I am getting there.

 

As an aside I have been looking at a set of minilite replica wheels that the tr shop are selling on ebay, anyone know how good/ bad/ or ugly they are?

[stuart]

Looking good Jim. I always like white for a sidescreen car having had a 3 and a 3a in that colour. When they were new it was a very popular colour. The TR Shop Minilites are pretty good although not particularly all weather as the lacquer does suffer from salt attack after a few years of heavy use, but for the money they are OK.

Stuart

[Jersey Royal]

Very Nice Indeed Jim.

 

Beautiful Job, cars going to be stunning

 

Exactly the car i would love to see in my garage one day.

 

Cheers

Guy

Edited July 6, 2010 by Jersey Royal

[kiwi-jim]

Thanks guy and Stuart for the update, hopefully we won't have to much trouble with salt Stu, we tend to use Grit in Nz on icy winter roads not salt thank god.

Hope to get the headlights in this weekend and then check out whether all the wiring has been done right and the electrics are operating correctly.

Cheers

[Kiwifrog]

Spankingly good Jim

 

You shoul see the mess salt makes of cars in the UK. When I first arrived I could not believe the number of 5 year old cars with severe rust problems

 

Cheers

 

Alan

[vivdownunder]

Jim, it could be a bit of a punt if the Minilites have 6" rims, as the tyres can rub on the rear wheel arches when the car is laden, or when leaning into corners at a fair clip.

 

Unfortunately 5" or 5.5" rimmed Minilites which are ideal, don't seem to be made any more, as everything has gone wide wheel.

 

Also, they need to have no larger offset than the 3/4" for early TR's.

 

One of our members recently fitted 15 x 6 Dayton wire wheels and had to ease out his rear wheel arches.

 

Regards,

 

Viv.

[67_gt6]

Recently someone on eBay.co.uk has been advertising 5.5" Minilite replicas with a TR PCD in Anthracite. Could be a nice contrast with the white of your car http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TRIUMPH-TR4-5-6-5-5-x-15-ANTHRACITE-WHEELS-TYRES-/180527479192?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2a0846b998

 

Andy

[4Mal]

You can get 5.5 Minilites ( not replicas from this guy in NZ

 

NEIL ALLPORT MOTORSPORTS LTD

 

I'd rather have those than the reps.

 

Lovely looking car!! As Guy says. I'd like one of those in the garage.

[sidescreen]

Very, very nice so far Jim !

 

Keep up the very high standard .....................

 

Regards - Raymond

[Don Elliott]

Nice photos Jim. I too noticed the doors but did you know that while the TR2 and TR3 had no exterior door-handles, the factory would put them on if the TR was sold with the hard-top. I think it was called the GT Model or the Continental Touring Model. Do your doors have handles ? I saw such a door while visiting Jon Laver in Sutton Venny in Wiltshire and the door had no raised boss to suppost the handle. All the S-T factory did was cut a round hole for the hanlde and two small holes to secure it to the door.

 

I assume this was the prototype development stage for the TR3A and the TR3B.

[kiwi-jim]

Hi Don

Thats an interesting thought in relation to door handles, my understanding was that with the early cars having the hardtop/softtop fitted, their sidescreens had a covered zip pocket in them to allow access inside the car to open the doors. MY sidescreens from memory have these zips in them, certainly not the most secure method of preventing auto theft and that is the reason that door handles were fitted or so I thought.

I'll check it out but I'm sure someone else in the forum will know for sure. cheers

[Don Elliott]

If your TR left the factory with only the soft-top, then it would not have had the handles. I know that TR2s had the zipper slit, but I never heard that the TR3 was ever shipped from the factory with the side zipper. But I could be wrong ?

 

Below are my sidecurtains made in 1989 exactly like the original ones that came with my early TR3A brand new (TS 27489 LO) and which had the TR2 and TR3 style chromed supports on the doors for supporting the sidecurtains. I always thought the TR3 had them like this too.

 

Notice how nice they are after 21 years since I carry then in this padded /vinyl bag in the boot. I also show the Gatsonides Works TR2 which was restored and for sale a few years ago.

[kiwi-jim]

This could prove to be an interesting discussion then. Based on your info, I suspect my car didn't have a hardtop originally cause the sidescreens do have zip pockets. The hardtop I sourced locally from another party since buying the car, and so wasn't originally part of this car.

My commission number is very early TR3 at TS 8645, so regardless as to whether it came originally supplied with a Hardtop or not there is a chance it might have still had the zips at that point anyway, possibly.

Does anyone else have any info on this?

 

At the end of the day I am now well down the track and unlikely to be installing outside handles but the answer could be interesting.

Thanks Don

[vivdownunder]

Jim, your sidescreens originally would have each had one sliding perspex window with an external finger grip.

 

The zip was discontinued during TR2 production, as the sliding window was supposed to be used as access for door opening.

 

However, sliding open the window in heavy rain wasn't ideal, as the driver's seat usually got drowned. I eventually had a zip added to the driver's sidescreen on my TR2, as probably did many others.

 

All TR2/3 sidescreens were attached to the doors with wedges that fitted into tapered chromed sockets with a knurled locking nut.

 

For TR3A's now with door handles, the finger grip was put inside the sidescreen, and the lift up lower section changed to a fixed panel. Wedges changed to Dzuz fixings during TR3A production.

 

Regards,

 

Viv.