TR2-3B Radios

[WalterR]

Hello,

 

I recently posted the following in the US and am very interested in any information available within this forum; for non-North American experience as well. There is not that much on this and other accessory subjects in the available publications that I have seen:

 

When I bought my '59 TR3A in the early 90's it had (and still has) an old style telescopic antenna which could be period correct. It had been hooked up to a more modern Radio Shack type radio which the previous owner had bolted underneath the dash. Now that I am restoring the car, it is time to decide whether or not to patch up the antenna hole while the other body work is going on. OR, to keep the antenna for a possible original radio installation. Would probably only do that if I find sheet metal screw holes in the transmission tunnel where the original radio brackets would have been mounted. If there is no such evidence and the antenna is clearly an add-on, I may not pursue it. But the antenna is mounted just about dead-on in the fender location that is specified in Smith's installation instructions on sites like Terry Ann Wakeman's:

 

http://www.tr3a.info/radiomobile.htm

 

Would like to ask a few questions of those who have or had TR2/3/3A/3B's with original factory or dealer installed radios; also those who simply have good information in this regard (don't know if any TR2's had radios except those which were mounted in the glove box area):

 

- The standard factory radios were apparently Smith's Radiomobile in a number of models and configurations. Is that correct? Did those radios get installed in any cars bound for the North American market, or by US or Canadian dealers?

 

- Are there any UK, European or worldwide owners that have what they know or believe to be original factory or dealer radio installations? If so, can you provide information and photos of your radio setups? It would be interesting to know, for instance, what the UK home market installations were vs. Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand, and all of those other great and exotic places to which TRs were exported.

 

- Motorola radios, to my knowledge, were also installed in the US cars. Did they use the same installation kit as the Smith's radios? There is also the British PYE radio mentioned on the Terry Ann site, which apparently used a slightly different mounting kit. Were there other radios routinely installed by dealers?

 

- Would value any information out there, certainly from those with originally installed radios. Make, model number, push button or not, transistor or valve (tube)....any of this is good info. Most were probably AM (MW) band only, but I think some also had long wave capability. Although there were some transistor radios around for cars in the late 1950's, I believe all or most of the TR2-3A, if not also 3B, were still equipped with tube radios; but would be interested if you have other information.

 

- Speakers: I believe the standard configuration was one speaker mounted behind a chrome grill above the radio on the tunnel. However, have read that some cars have speaker holes in the foot well sides. If so, were these owner mods only?

 

There is at least one vendor out there selling a reproduction installation kit:

 

http://www.britishwiring.com/TR3-Rad...et-p/tr3rb.htm Do you know of others?

 

Any photos of your radio installation would also be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

Walter

 

 

 

[stuart]

After market on a TR2.

Stuart.

 

[billg]

My 1959 TR3A had a speaker hole in the RH wing / fender above which was the standard hole in the top of the wing for the aerial/antenna

 

Both of these are mud traps so I installed an aerial on the rear scuttle which retracts to a gap between the side of the petrol tank.

 

I put two flat electrostatic speakers in the built in bulges in both footwells and converted my rear pre60k floor with a plywood speaker box with two big speakers . Great sound any any speed!

 

As for the radio I fitted a period looking flip front radio which allows CDs to be loaded and memory cards or iPods to be plugged in.

 

The radio was installed in a new glovebox plywood lid covered in leather to match other trim. However have just installed a Halda Speedpilot and large time of trip aircraft clock so the radio will probably have to go either slung under the dash or mounted further back above the tunnel.

 

All very non standard but it works for me.

 

Regards

 

BillG@ NB

[vivdownunder]

Here in the antipodes, back when we were lads it was rare for a TR to be fitted with a radio. The exhaust note took precedence. When a radio was ordered it was dealer fitted with the aerial located on the front RH wing and one speaker mounted in the RH footwell. I understand that when a factory radio became available in early 1954, a few glovebox lids modified to accept a radio were sent to Australia for issue to dealers as required.

 

The aerial fitted here had a solid lower half and the upper half could be manually raised to improve out of town reception. Only AM radios were available and I am reliably informed they were HMV (Her Majesty's Voice) brand. The tuner was mounted seperately to the bulky valve unit. Later when AM/FM radios became available, cars thus fitted needed to be converted to negative earth.

 

Viv

[peejay4A]

HMV=His Master's Voice. Modelled by Nipper on the HMV logo.

[vivdownunder]

Of course - confusing HMV with HRH

 

Viv

[Graham Harris]

I used a Retro Sound radio with twin coil speaker from Moss . I made the frame and box from drawings on Terry Anns web site.

Graham

[WalterR]

Viv and Graham, Thanks for the "down under" experience! The period information is very useful; and nice job on the radio mount, Graham! And yes, even this American knows about HMV.

 

Regards,

 

Walter

[Don H.]

There's a photo out there someplace on the interwebs of a radio antenna mounted on the rear wing on the back end near the taillight. As I recall it's in the context of a discussion of how common (or uncommon) that was in the day, since it seemed to be old work. It looked good -- better than the front wing, IMO.

 

My car had a hole in the right-side front wing (in the usual spot) but no radio or obvious mounting bits when I got it in 1981.

[Lebro]

As far as I know all sidescreen cars had the large hole in the RH footwell. Never really knew what it was for, radio speaker seems unlikely due to likelyhood of it getting damp, & useless. Welded mine up last year during re-build. Not intending to fit radio, just listen to exhaust note !!

[stuart]

The hole was for a radio speaker hence why it has the slots on its edge for the spire clip fixings.

Stuart.

[BrianC]

I think the hole was discontinued sometime during the TR3A built programme. My 1958 car had it, but my 1960 one doesn't.

There was a period when CB radio was popular amongst TR owners for convoy runs and the ginormous mast was often mounted on a rear over-rider or bracket.

Quite impressive whiplash when the cars made a sprint start from the traffic lights.

[WalterR]

I posted a reply to Bob concerning his separate question about some mystery brackets and it is central to this discussion as well:

 

We are discussing the same topic on British Car Forum. A gentleman pulled the valve box with brackets out of his TR2 pictured below). This bracket provision apparently went hand-in-hand with the speaker hole in the foot well until deletion of both sometime during TR3A production. A Smith's installation note refers to deletion of the hole in April 59. See website for this document: http://www.tr3a.info/radiomobile.htm

 

Regards,

 

Walter

 

 

[Lebro]

Ah, that confirms it then.

If anybody wants said brackets for a period radio - just ask !, I wont be fitting them.

 

Bob.

Edited February 24, 2014 by Lebro

[Willie Felger]

A rear mounted antenna was essential for attaching one's tiger tail (the Tiger went in the tank).

 

A radio in an early Belgrove car was, of course, entirely superfuous.. It was only when Triumph started fitting a pansy second silencer to TR3As that a radio became "de rigeur".

 

Does anyone still have a "Marples Must Go!" sticker?

 

Happy days,

 

Keep TRucking.

 

Willie

[WalterR]

...and I like the door handles!

 

Regards,

 

Walter

[jdwtrxk]

Hi. Those are the right brackets for the Smiths' radios with the valve packs like the 200 series. I have an earlier set in my TR2; the mounting is the same although they might be a bit different for LHD vs. RHD. Teriann's drawing is for the 40/400 and 50/500 series as stated - from early 1959 on. Lots of these have been fitted to earlier cars - i traded a toolkit years ago for an NOS Model 52 mounting kit. Both were in crisp boxes. The mounting kit was still sealed. I had them in a car built in May 1958 which should have had the glovebox mounted 20/200 but couldn't find a mounting kit (had the radio boxed). Ended up putting the radio in an XK150 because I did have that kit. Smiths' made a quality unit back then but none are really useful when on the road except perhaps listening to a ball game. I doubt the one in the TR2 (with the noisy exhaust) will even be audible. No matter i had to have something unique...

[WalterR]

Thanks for this information. It certainly gives a much clearer picture of the radio options and installations. I think the only way to listen to a TR radio is in the parked mode.

 

Does anyone have literature on the radios apart from that on the Terry Ann website?

 

Regards,

 

Walter