PXC Posted February 26 Report Share Posted February 26 Hi I am considering buying a LHD TR3B. Can anyone put a ballpark price on conversion from left to RHD? thanks Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Charlie D Posted February 26 Report Share Posted February 26 Is it DIY or paying to get it done? I did mine myself and the only expensive bits are the dash and the steering column/box. The pedals can be easily modified to fit (Apart from the throttle, which takes a bit more work.) Headlights will also need to be changed to dip the right way. It’s not a difficult job. DIY bits would probably cost less than £500. But what have I missed out… Charlie Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PXC Posted February 26 Author Report Share Posted February 26 Thanks Charlie. Sounds like a good winter project. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ian Vincent Posted February 26 Report Share Posted February 26 If it’s aTR3b, I don’t think it will have a cut out on the RHS for the pedals so you will have to make one and you will also need the blanking plate which goes over the redundant hole on the LHS. Plus you need to do a bit of re-shaping on the brackets that support the steering column I converted my TR3a as part of a body off rebuild and changed to a steering rack at the same time. I fitted the Bastuck slip ring so that I could retain the control head but Bob Lebroq has found a much cheaper way of doing the slip ring and wrote it up in the TRAction a couple of years back. Rgds Ian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted February 26 Report Share Posted February 26 Also - different throttle linkage, dashboard, glove box, dipswitch support bracket, steering box, pedals are different, but can be adjusted to be near enough, & some of the pipework for brakes, & clutch need to re-routed (or replaced) As for cost, no idea really. Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PXC Posted February 27 Author Report Share Posted February 27 Thanks all. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
david ferry Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 Paul, The only difficult bits are the steering box and dashboard, possibly the throttle pedal too. They can all be found. I have a steering box sat on the shelf, or you may wish to go down the route of a steering rack conversion. I've recently seen a dashboard for sale, and I think someone is converting LHD to RHD dash panels anyway. In my opinion, it will be more than Charlie's £500, unless the steering box you use is totally scrap! I'd suggest the bits, all in good condition will cost you something more like £1,500 to £2,000. A dash panel is likely to cost something like £300. My sidescreen racecar is a TR3b that I converted to RHD. Ian is correct, it won't have the cut outs for the master cylinder pocket and all of the other stuff that goes through the bulkhead to convert to RHD. I may still have my drawing/template somewhere for locations of the holes to be cut. Once you have something like that, it's not a difficult job. David Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Charlie D Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 (edited) Quick !!! Before someone else grabs it!!!!! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145603130383? Charlie. Just noticed this is the second one he has sold, so maybe he makes these and you could part exchange your LHD dash. Edited February 27 by Charlie D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Charlie D Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 Also... If you don't mind a plastic one: https://www.racetorations.co.uk/product/fibreglass-dashboard-tr2-3a/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 FWIW as its a 3B one thing to bear in mind is as they were a US market LHD car only the value of it would be reduced by converting it. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
david ferry Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 Good point Stuart. With mine, this is what I was starting with. I suspect it's worth more now, certainly more use to me as my race car. Interestingly, it had been a race car since about 500 miles or so from new. David Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Morrison Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 Thought a TR3B was on a steering rack? John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 No, that was the Beta. 3B is not much different to a 3A, TR4 engine, & gearbox only I think. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 3 hours ago, david ferry said: Good point Stuart. With mine, this is what I was starting with. I suspect it's worth more now, certainly more use to me as my race car. Interestingly, it had been a race car since about 500 miles or so from new. David Absolutely, long standing race cars are always evolving. After all the factory used to change cars left to right depending on where they were competing. Stuart. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PXC Posted February 27 Author Report Share Posted February 27 Thanks to all. Very pertinent points, specifically the one about reducing its value. And it is definitely a 3B, according to the heritage certificate. £1500-2000 was more the ballpark I was thinking for parts, doubled easily if you have it done. Rather than incur the cost and reduce its value, I’d be happy driving it LHD. Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 (edited) Bravo, keep it LHD. Is your car TSF or TCF prefix comm no? It denoted the engine size originally fitted. S is 1991cc. C is 2138 cc Edited February 27 by BlueTR3A-5EKT Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PXC Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 It’s TCF - 2138, factory fitted overdrive too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PXC Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 FYI- The car is an unfinished restoration in the USA, but what they’ve done looks good, professional, a lot spent and documented. Just a small amount of work to finish off, and “almost all” parts are there. The price is currently uk£14950 including the shipping to Southampton. I’ve worked out there’d be about £2000 further expenses at this end, import terminal handling, government fees, vat @ 5%, etc to release the car to me. Then transport from Southampton to my home - near Stockport. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PXC Posted February 29 Author Report Share Posted February 29 And the dealer has just added this info when I queried a dark patch on the driver’s door - “Correct , the car was dry stored many years as the previous owner would work on it as time and funds allowed .Since it came out of storage , i don't believe it has ever been run . If you look in the photo file , you will see that the engine was on a test stand . This is during the rebuild at Macys' Garage (they test run all of their engines i was told ) . So , as far as i know , that was the only time the engine was run was prior to installation in the car , but not since . As mentioned , the car does need sorting and although it does have a brand new wiring harness , all of the dashboard electrics were never connected , so all of that (at least) would need to be sorted before starting . All of the hydraulics are up in the car. , so it does have a brake and clutch pedal , and obviously , everything looks new . I would think what you are seeing on the door is a shadow in the paint . Probably , the paint , bodywork and panel fit is the one area on the car i would concentrate my effort on if i were to consider to finish it myself . The quality of the work there does not match what was done on the rest of the car . It appears the paint was probably never cut or buffed after spraying , but it does look to have clear coat on it , so may be able to be improved . I hope i have answered all of your questions ,” Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ralph Whitaker Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 Sounds to me that if your final price in the UK is going to be around £17,000 you would be better off looking for a finished car here in the UK which is already RHD, especially after reading the list of items to be rectified/finished on the car, Ralph Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PXC Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 And the dealer has just added this info when I queried a dark patch on the driver’s door - “Correct , the car was dry stored many years as the previous owner would work on it as time and funds allowed .Since it came out of storage , i don't believe it has ever been run . If you look in the photo file , you will see that the engine was on a test stand . This is during the rebuild at Macys' Garage (they test run all of their engines i was told ) . So , as far as i know , that was the only time the engine was run was prior to installation in the car , but not since . As mentioned , the car does need sorting and although it does have a brand new wiring harness , all of the dashboard electrics were never connected , so all of that (at least) would need to be sorted before starting . All of the hydraulics are up in the car. , so it does have a brake and clutch pedal , and obviously , everything looks new . I would think what you are seeing on the door is a shadow in the paint . Probably , the paint , bodywork and panel fit is the one area on the car i would concentrate my effort on if i were to consider to finish it myself . The quality of the work there does not match what was done on the rest of the car . It appears the paint was probably never cut or buffed after spraying , but it does look to have clear coat on it , so may be able to be improved . I hope i have answered all of your questions ,” Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PXC Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 Apologies - somehow my post above repeated itself. I was about to reply to Ralph that I am coming to a similar conclusion, definitely a full respray needed at least. I have subsequently discovered that it had a replacement engine, albeit a Tr3B engine TCF1904E replacing the original TR3B engine TCF1527E, and a significant amount of repair/refurb/improve done on the replacement. I reckon it’s not worth paying over $US 17500 including the shipping. Which is about £13850 today. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PXC Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 Sorry again, I meant $US15000, about £11,880 today. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PXC Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 Also, can someone cast light on what a “rationalised gearbox” is? This is on the heritage certificate under the Equipment heading. Does it mean all synchromesh? Thanks Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ian Vincent Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 16 minutes ago, PXC said: Also, can someone cast light on what a “rationalised gearbox” is? This is on the heritage certificate under the Equipment heading. Does it mean all synchromesh? Thanks Paul Usually when something is rationalised it means that some level of standardisation has been applied, so I would expect it to be a reference to perhaps the fitting of a TR4 gearbox. Just a thought. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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