TR2 / TR3 /TR3a Custom Suitcase - Information Wanted.

[clive]

Has anyone on here got access to one of the "original" Triumph TR2 / TR3 suitcases that was designed to fit into the boot?

I'm looking for dimensions and comprehensive photos of the case. I'm currently doing a level 2 creative craft course in leatherwork and possibly want to make a version of one of these as my final project. My idea is to follow the original design but possibly add some customization to suit a particular car / owner, in the first instance that would obviously be my own but who knows, it may be the start of an interesting side line!

The course is the first of it's kind in the country and already attracting a lot of interest especially as it is taking place in Hexham, Northumberland, a town once famous for it's leatherwork!

 

(I know there has been discussion about these in the past, but the posts I've come across seem to have lost their photos.)

[Don H.]

Send a note to John Warfield (Triumph Regiister of Americia president). He's had one made for one of his cars and I believe has all appropriate details. See pm for his email.

[Guest]

... Or member Raymond aka Sidescreen here on the forum...

[2long]

Check the website of Taris Charysyn & Co. They have recreated the suitcase. There are lots of small details like the metal corner pieces and the white handle, and so on. Theirs is pretty good but I don't know if it is perfect.

Dan

Edited February 10, 2014 by 2long

[Don H.]

Nice, Dan! I think that's the shop that made the one for John Warfield -- he's mentioned on the website in association with some of their specialty Jaguar stuff.

 

Near the bottom of this page:

http://www.tarischarysyn.com/mercedes.html

Edited February 10, 2014 by Don H.

[MilesA]

Hi Clive

 

I am very fortunate to own an original case.

 

I have lots of photos including close ups as well as detailed measurements of the case and location of components like hinges and handles etc., all of which I prepared for a member in Germany who is building a replica case.

 

If you pm me your email address, I will happily send you a selection of photos and dimensions to get things going and we can take it from there.

 

Miles

[vivdownunder]

Not sure if the factory made changes along the way, but early fitted suitcases had different handles to those shown in Don's link..

 

They were an arc shaped type of bracket in white plastic (probably Bakelite). The lift was made with 4 x fingers underneath the handle and the thumb on top.

 

Lost my original pics years ago when a hard drive spat the dummy.

 

Viv.

[EdwinTiben]

Very Nice details, although i doubt this is a practical case.

 

With flexibel bags you can fill every corner of the boot, even with sidescreens in it when touring the Alps.

[sidescreen]

Clive,

 

As Menno mentioned I made my own "replica Fitted Suitcase", if you would like some more details please let me know!

 

Raymond

[MilesA]

Not sure if the factory made changes along the way, but early fitted suitcases had different handles to those shown in Don's link..

 

They were an arc shaped type of bracket in white plastic (probably Bakelite). The lift was made with 4 x fingers underneath the handle and the thumb on top.

 

Lost my original pics years ago when a hard drive spat the dummy.

 

Viv.

Viv

 

Here are some pictures of mine which show the handles you refer to. Another couple of differences: webbing rather than metal lid restraint and raised internal pices to seat the lid securely.

 

Miles

 

 

 

 

[clive]

Send a note to John Warfield (Triumph Regiister of Americia president). He's had one made for one of his cars and I believe has all appropriate details. See pm for his email.

Cheers!

[clive]

Hi Clive

 

I am very fortunate to own an original case.

 

I have lots of photos including close ups as well as detailed measurements of the case and location of components like hinges and handles etc., all of which I prepared for a member in Germany who is building a replica case.

 

If you pm me your email address, I will happily send you a selection of photos and dimensions to get things going and we can take it from there.

 

Miles

Miles,

 

That would be great! Please would you send the details to design@cliveelsdon.co.uk ? It's my advertised work e-mail address so no need to PM it to you. Thank You!!!

[clive]

Clive,

 

As Menno mentioned I made my own "replica Fitted Suitcase", if you would like some more details please let me know!

 

Raymond

Raymond,

 

That would be great! Thank You! You can e-mail me on design@cliveelsdon.co.uk, it's my works e-mail so already out there in the public domain so no issues posting it here...

[clive]

Thank you everyone!

[jdwtrxk]

Hi. Got the email. My case in dimensionally correct but the handles are not the bakelite ones. Locks are Cheney and the metal endcaps pretty close.Our only other option was to salvage white plastic or bakelite handles from period luggage or picnic baskets but even then it might have ben difficult to get a good correct matched set. My case is finished in hide rather then rexine or vynide as the fabric I used in the interior is no longer available and I wanted to retain some in the event of damage etc. The lid restraints were deliberately chosen rather than the fabric ones for durability. Inner lining is wool broadcloth rather than cotton.

 

Do have raised lips for securing the lid, and he board used to make the shell is slightly heavier than the originals for durability and to prevent flexing.. Mine has small 'feet' on the bottom to avoid scuffing when lying flat.

 

In all an attempt to make something that actually will be used that would admittedly be a bit nicer than the originals. Wouldn't rule out making another.

Edited February 11, 2014 by jdwtrxk

[clive]

I'm taking the idea to my tutor tomorrow. It is a bit ahead of schedule, but as researching the history of the item we are going to make is an important part. Tutor used to be an archaeologist then a police detective before becoming one of the leading leather crafts people... so I think he's going to be hot on the research element.

 

http://www.andy-bates.co.uk/

 

http://www.northumberland.ac.uk/news/college-and-renowned-leatherworker-launch-new-course-in-hexham/

[Alec Pringle]

Other folks have pretty much covered the ground and done all the research in years gone by, surely unless your man has a passion for reinventing wheels it's just a matter of gracefully acknowledging the contributions of others . . . . and copying their efforts.

 

Cheers

 

Alec

[clive]

Other folks have pretty much covered the ground and done all the research in years gone by, surely unless your man has a passion for reinventing wheels it's just a matter of gracefully acknowledging the contributions of others . . . . and copying their efforts.

 

Cheers

 

Alec

 

Sometimes to gain qualifications one has to jump through hoops set by others and cover ground once covered by others. I may or may not come up with a solution that copies the original, copies a previously constructed version, or is very different.

[Alec Pringle]

By the cringe, Zen In The Art of TR Restoration.

 

That's the kind of philosophy we used to indulge in c1969, fuelled by a few spliffs and the odd bottle of Southern Comfort.

 

Good to know the old eccentricities haven't entirely disappeared . . . . .

 

If the obvious alternatives of a giant fitted suitcase too heavy to lift when full, and a fortune to replicate, or a selection of squashy bags from the charity shop for a fiver, don't appeal . . . . . there's always the option of one of the proprietary sports car suitcases of the 1950s.

 

Those are probably rarer now than the factory fitted originals. I had a nice one in red and grey Rexine, but I gave that to Alex in Switzerland a year or two back, it matched his 3A, so it seemed appropriate. One day I'll get to Switzerland and share the bottle of wine we agreed was a reasonable exchange !

 

The old proprietary cases were a rather more sensible size, sufficient for a weekend, and left room for a toolkit alongside.

 

Cheers

 

Alec

[jdwtrxk]

Having received te whole set of photos of the suitcase it's really rather interesting to se how it was made up close. Wonder if they were made in their entirety by Brexton or just some of the bits - if they were Brexton then the handles etc. could be sourced from salvaged picnic sets. Those show up on eBay and other places often enough. I spoke to Taris and he'd give it a go....might make another though I would rarely use the first.

 

This arcane stuff isn't everyone's cup of tea but tehre's a toilet set or every arse but i have to admit that I love it

[clive]

Pleased to say my tutor is quite excited by the project. I've talked him through it and on some quirky twists to the design etc. We even started looking at wet molding of leather today as some of the ideas involve that, and box stitching, which will form some of the corners. I'm not going to talk about other things he talked me through which may or may not be incorporated.

[Andrew Smith]

I considered having one of these made a few years back, but luckily I had the opportunity to get touchy feely with an original - bloody monstrous things, no thanks!

 

Ask a few basic exams questions, the first being: will it actually get used or is it for decoration?

 

Another being: if used regularly in anger, would a lightweight modern alternative be more practical? i.e. one of these - http://www.hillsalive.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=17&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=3

 

Cheers

Andrew

 

PS - the girls are still wearing their wet T-shirts..................

[vivdownunder]

Had a crack at making one for a mate a while back before we knew too much about the fine detail. Knocked it up from 12mm MDF, covered in red vynil and it served the purpose of showing in general how it looked. Also made the "hatbox" for consumable parts that sat inside the spare wheel. We rebuilt a Scintilla Magneto too, then found it was from a tractor running at 2000rpm.

 

Viv

[Guest]

off topic: I love the eared spinner gizmo on that pic! And the 'bracelet of nuts' is a great idea as well.

 

Menno

Edited February 15, 2014 by Menno van Rij 2

[clive]

Not saying much more about the final design until it's all sorted. You'll just have to wait and see which route I go down... Off to research traditional suitcase manufacturing methods...