Black Forest TR3A Posted May 5, 2020 Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 "Please allow me to introduce myself" - sorry, couldn't resist this citation. My name is Christian, I'm from a village near Freiburg im Breisgau, South Western Germany. From 1986 to 1992 I owned a '59 TR3A, which I had to sell to buy a daily driver ('86 Alfa Spider, still going strong for holiday drives to France and Italy). Over the years I was still interested in British cars, especially sidescreen TRs, collecting books and automobilia of these cars. In 2011 a '76 MGB GT (LHD swiss car) came along "par hazard", sold in our village, and my wife and me began to do our spring holidays in Britain with the GT, mainly in the Cotswolds / Stratford-on-Avon area, which is full of history of the British Automobile Industry (Abingdon, Oxford, Coventry, Gaydon etc.). Meanwhile, I met my old TR3A, which runs still in Freiburg with the owner who bought the car in 1992. I tried to buy it back, but it wasn't for sale after 25 years (I understand that - wouldn't sell my Spider). So, I began to look for another white 3A with red interior (not so rare, this combination, but as allways the cars I checked were too expensive, too much non-original, too bad for the price etc.). And - as my cars for me are time machines and "rejuvenation tonics" (as Bill Piggott wrote) - I didn't want a car which was a mix up from several cars. After a long search I bought a project car: '58 TR3A, white with red interior, matching numbers, mostly untouched and original, imported from the States in 1999; it remained mostly untouched in the Netherlands, because for the owner it was too bad for a restoration and too good for selling as a parts car. Meanwhile I got contact to the last owner in the States and learned, that it belonged to his father from 1960 to 1989, was driven in Kansas, Washington State and California, and then went to him, that he parked the car in 1991 with oil in the radiator, and that he sold it for parts in 1999. So I got what I wanted: an authentic, original car with known history. At the moment the car is in pieces and waits for welding. A big Thank You to the Register for opening the forums to non-members! The first VERY usefull tip I got last week from Peter W in the TR3 Hinge Pins thread (@ Peter: Thank you very much for the aeroscreen mounting brackets!). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted May 5, 2020 Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 Hi Christian, welcome to the forum, You should have many happy hours putting it together. And then the first drive Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
brian -r Posted May 5, 2020 Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 Welcome to the forum Christian. Enjoy your restoration project and driving the finished car. Keep us up to date with your progress with pic's if possible . Good luck and have fun Brian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted May 5, 2020 Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 Keep us updated of your progress and do not to forget to ask if you are in doubt over something, as there will usually be someone here to give their advice or experience. Cheers Peter W Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SuzanneH Posted May 5, 2020 Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 (edited) CHRISTIAN, do you know Mischa Studinger in Freiburg? He drives a conifer green TR4A. A whole group of TR owners and friends were in Freiburg for his wedding 10=15 years ago with our TRs. He lived and worked in Edinburgh for many years and still visits and joins in tours here and in France when he can. Edited May 5, 2020 by SuzanneH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted May 5, 2020 Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 From those pictures it looks to me like a relatively easy restoration, a lot easier than one that had lived in the UK! Good luck. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 5, 2020 Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 (edited) . Edited May 7, 2020 by Guest Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Graham Harris Posted May 5, 2020 Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 I agree with Stuart you have a good one there, have fun Graham Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Morrison Posted May 5, 2020 Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 23 minutes ago, Graham Harris said: I agree with Stuart you have a good one there, have fun Graham I Agree, looks a nice starting point, and welcome to our forum, any questions, any advice - just ask. Cheers, John. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
foster461 Posted May 5, 2020 Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 Welcome Christian, your TR3a looks pretty good to me and we will look forward to watching it's progress. Stan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Forest TR3A Posted May 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 Thank you all for your warm welcome! The car looks better than it actually is. The body is quite bad and will require a lot of welding. The doors and the bonnet are good, the front wings, too. Rear wings have the usual damage under the stone guards. The frame/chassis is good except of a damage of the front suspension, right side. As I wrote: Too good to scrap for parts, too bad for a restoration. But a friend of mine is a professionell restorer, and he will do the welding (which I'm not able of). He gave me advice when buying the car, and we have seen every damage (except the damage of the front suspension and a slight damage of the left door) when we visited the car. As an example I did an upload of three pics of the left rear of the car - probably the worst zone. And I added a pic of the front suspension damage. By now, I've taken hundreds of photographs. So if someone does the same adventure and wants to know how this and that looks like, please ask and I will be glad to help! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted May 5, 2020 Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 eeek ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Forest TR3A Posted May 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 Yes, eeek! Will take some time (and work) until it looks like in 1967... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Forest TR3A Posted May 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 21 hours ago, SuzanneH said: CHRISTIAN, do you know Mischa Studinger in Freiburg? He drives a conifer green TR4A. A whole group of TR owners and friends were in Freiburg for his wedding 10=15 years ago with our TRs. He lived and worked in Edinburgh for many years and still visits and joins in tours here and in France when he can. Hello Suzanne, no, I don't know him . Locally, I'm active in our village classic car club, and one or two times I was at the monthly MG meeting (only one or two times because it's on Sunday morning, unfortunately). We have no Triumph group here in Freiburg (as far as I know). But I know of two other TR3/TR3A in restoration in town. Perhaps it's time to organise... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 (edited) Hi Christian, welcome! You could do what all Germans do in this case: found a Stammtisch! Your own one, or for the TR Register Germany ( next is Baden-Nord) or the TR IG Südwest (next is Neckar-Alb). Grüße aus Stuttgart Marco Edited May 7, 2020 by Z320 added my name Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ralph Whitaker Posted May 6, 2020 Report Share Posted May 6, 2020 14 hours ago, Black Forest TR3A said: I did not realise that the rear panel had tubes welded in where the bumper bolt goes through, mine had disappeared completely. I just drilled holes for the bolt and tube to go through and was going to try to seal them somehow and put lots of waxoyl in the panel. Ralph Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Forest TR3A Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 Hello Ralph, I will take a pic of these tubes on Friday ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 (edited) On 5/6/2020 at 6:21 AM, Black Forest TR3A said: Yes, eeek! Will take some time (and work) until it looks like in 1967... So you will be wanting a tow bar then? I think I have one in the panel store that is missing its attachment bolts. (came from Hogan's TR4) My intention was to weld brackets to the chassis frame instead so I could bolt it in when required. You also need a detachable towing ball or the spare wheel refuses to come out. Cheers Peter W Edited May 7, 2020 by BlueTR3A-5EKT Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Forest TR3A Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 2 hours ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said: So you will be wanting a tow bar then? Ah, no. Just the only pic I have from the rear of the car. I don't have a boat . The car had a tow bar and a roll bar (in 1978), but my intention is to rebuild it to the state when it was new... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 (edited) 31 minutes ago, Black Forest TR3A said: Ah, no. Just the only pic I have from the rear of the car. I don't have a boat . The car had a tow bar and a roll bar (in 1978), but my intention is to rebuild it to the state when it was new.. We all have that intention at first ! Bob. Edited May 7, 2020 by Lebro Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ian Vincent Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 (edited) The majority of cars that feature on here have been rebuilt to a standard better than when they came out of the factory. Certainly in respect of rustproofing. Rgds Ian PS My rear shroud looked like that on one side. I replaced the missing bits with strips of flat steel and then lead filled it to the correct profile. It took a while but saved me having to buy and fit a replacement. Rgds Ian Edited May 7, 2020 by Ian Vincent Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Forest TR3A Posted May 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2020 On 5/6/2020 at 9:23 AM, Ralph Whitaker said: I did not realise that the rear panel had tubes welded in where the bumper bolt goes through, mine had disappeared completely. Here is a pic of the right side tube.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Forest TR3A Posted April 11 Author Report Share Posted April 11 After three years of panel beating and welding the work on body and frame was finished in August 23. Body and frame went through another derusting bath and a "cathode paint bath" (Kathodentauchbadlackierung, sorry, don't know the correct term in English )... At the moment I'm looking for a paint shop. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Forest TR3A Posted April 11 Author Report Share Posted April 11 Beside that I've restored a lot of smaller parts... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Morrison Posted April 11 Report Share Posted April 11 Well done and a great colour John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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