Odd Doors.

[Mychael]

A mate of mine has noticed that my 1958 3A has mismatched doors.

The difference is very subtle,doubt I'd have ever noticed.

 

Now I'm wondering which is the correct/original one.

 

As I've said very minor difference,what it appears to be is this:

The door handle on the drivers door sits flush against the door skin, the door handle on the passenger side door sits on a very slightly raised section (bit like bonnett hinges on later cars).

 

So can I conclude the passenger door is from a later car?? If so which year? Or is it the drivers door which is wrong?

Everything else seems identicle.

 

Mychael

[Tr4Tony]

Hi

 

The 3a door has the raised plynth on which the handle sits, the TR3 has the earlier non plynth type - this is the problem.

 

Im building a 3a and Ive spotted the same issue with the doors i have - I have 7 all up - let me know if you want a spare!

 

Regards

 

Tony

[Mychael]

Hi Tony,

That would be nice but I'm in Australia,shipping a door would be horribly expensive I expect.

So we therfore conclude my drivers door (non-plynth) is the incorrect one??

 

Mychael

[Don Elliott]

When Triumph decided to enter their early TR's in rallies, they found (or were told) that they had to have a hard top.  This was good for winter rallies as well as it added rigidity to the body structure.

 

But the  TR2 and TR3 had no door handles to open the doors with the hard top installed.  So the factory drilled holes in the flat surfaces of the doors and added the door handles.

 

I hope this explains why the earlier flat doors had holes for door handles.

 

Don Elliott, Original Owner, 1958 TR3A

[Tr4Tony]

Fraid the 'without plynth' door is the wring one - maybe the best way to fix it is to make up a tool (male and female metal sections with a bolt arrangement through the middle - works fine for me!) and press the plynth into the door you have. You will need to repaint it I expect but short of getting another door this is the way out ........... good luck. It is easy to do - making the tool is the worst bit.

 

Regards

 

Tony

[unclepete]

mycheal

do the doors open ok?

unless you are entering concours competions does it matter?

if you can find 2 TR3a's the same good luck.

its all part of the fun

pete

[Mychael]

Quite true Pete,

 

My car is not a concourse competitor in fact I'm doing other stuff which is quite unoriginal.

Still I'd like stuff to match and outwardly have the car appear correct. This is why I  am asking around about the doors, swapping the rear view mirror and getting together a full set of the correct gauges.

 

That's the stuff ppl see, what's not seen is the electronic ignition,alternator, high torque starter, alloy radiator etc etc.

 

Mychael