Mr

[mark@mcbryant.co.uk]

Hi All,

I am a TR3 virgin looking to buy one to surprise my dad who had one back in the 60's. Can anyone tell me how detrimental to the value a non-overdrive model is? I am highly unlikely to do any distance or speed so see little need from a driving perspective but don't want to buy a car that is hard to sell or undesirable. Any opinions welcomed and valued.

Thanks 

Mark

[Mick Forey]

Mark,

Welcome to the forum. I suggest you change your forum name to something not your email address before a bot starts sending you spam. Real names are very welcome here.

Overdrives are seen by many as a very useful addition to a TR3. Personally I would not have one with out it. When very occasionally mine stops working (usually a simple electrical issue) it feels all wrong, a revving engine and I always want to change up to calm it all down again.

The best place to get good advise on what condition of car warrants what sort of price is your local group of the TR Register. I know a number of people who joined the club just to get advise on buying a TR and have become good friends and play an active role in the social side of the club with their partners. The club has a network of local groups all over the country and associated TR clubs around the world. Where about in the world are you?

To join the club look here: https://www.tr-registershop.co.uk/membership-11-c.asp

To find your local UK group look here: http://www.tr-register.co.uk/groups

I hope you find a great car to surprise your dad but go onto drive it and join this great family.

Mick

 

[ianc]

A TR3 on the usual 3.7 rear axle does get rather busy at 70mph, as it will be touching 3500 rpm, whereas, with the A-type overdrive engaged, this will drop to about 2850 rpm, making it less busy and quieter.  Some TRs were fitted with 4.1 rear axle, usually for people who wanted to go rallying in the 1950s and who would also specify overdrive - the 4.1 ratio makes things even busier!

Like Mick, I would not be without overdrive.  That said, one could acquire a gearbox fitted with overdrive, have it checked and then make the change over - not trivial, it's a job requiring two strong people as it has to come out through the passenger compartment.

Ian Cornish

[mark@mcbryant.co.uk]

Thanks for your advice chaps

[Ralph Whitaker]

Hi Mark, I wouldn`t walk away from a non overdrive car if it was OK in other respects. Truth is that back in the day more were made without overdrives than with. Standard gearing with a 3.7 axle (which nearly all were) is nearly 25mph per thousand revs in top gear, so at 50 to 60 mph you are only going to be doing just 2000 to 2500 revs, which is fine for touring, rising to 3000 at 75mph, still not bad for motorway jaunts. Look upon an overdrive as a bonus if fitted. As to value, I don`t know, but factor in that to retro fit an overdrive box is probably going to cost a couple of thousand pounds minimum, and use that as a basis of deciding whether to pay more for an o/d car as against a non o/d vehicle.

Ralph.

[RogerH]

Hi Mark,

 

if you have found a car that is in very good order but minus the OD then go for it.  Anything mechanical is easily sorted.

In fact without the OD there is one less area to go wrong. If you are not a purist then even consider a 5 gear GB upgrade.

I like my OD but if it wasn't there it would not be the end of the world.

 

Roger

 

[Guest]

On 4/20/2020 at 9:25 AM, RogerH said:

Hi Mark,

 

if you have found a car that is in very good order but minus the OD then go for it.  Anything mechanical is easily sorted.

In fact without the OD there is one less area to go wrong. If you are not a purist then even consider a 5 gear GB upgrade.

I like my OD but if it wasn't there it would not be the end of the world.

 

Roger

 

.

Edited May 7, 2020 by Guest

[JeffR]

Hi Mark,

I agree with the comments above. My 1964 TR4 originally came off the line without OD and was like that when I purchased it in 1974. At that time I used to commute regularly between London and the Wirral (approx 200 miles each way) via the M1 and M6, cruising for most of the time at around 75mph. The engine was certainly busy but handled the trips well. It also regularly participated in TR group trips and events proving to be highly reliable. It wasn't until the early 90s that I purchased and fitted a second hand OD gearbox - which I must say transformed the car making high speed and long distance cruising so much more pleasurable.

As others have said, it's the overall condition of the car that's most important when selecting and buying a TR. OD can be fitted whenever you feel it has become necessary. I still have the original non OD box for mine which I'm sometimes tempted to re install whenever the OD plays up - one less thing to worry about. They can be tempremental and need to be kept in adjustment.

All the best,

JeffR