Just a comment on California cars: ran across a TR3A body being worked
on, and found almost ZERO rust. Found clue - car had a tall stack of
annual gate passes stuck to the bumper from Edward Air Force Base - the
car had spent most of its life in the middle of the Mojave Desert!
(They don't even know what water is.)
Thought about buying the car, but didn't have time or $$$ to work on
replacing all the interior, etc. Instead I found a car from the San
Joaquin Valley which someone had already spent the time and bucks on
fixing all the big stuff, then parked it in his garage for eight years.
After reading all the comments about replacing rusted out sheetmetal,
etc., I am REALLY learning to appreciate the condition most of our true
California cars are in!
Frank Crowe, Carpinteria CA
'59 TR3A (my project)
'50's International Harvester Cub tractor (my wife's project)
'71 BMW 2002 (relegated to daily driver)
----Original Message Follows----
Date: Sat, 03 Oct 1998 22:54:46 -0700
From: jmwagner <jmwagner@greenheart.com>
To: kurt oblinger <koblinger@linkline.com>
CC: "'brgmgb@naplanet.net'" <brgmgb@naplanet.net>,
"'triumphs@autox.team.net'" <triumphs@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Value of a TR3
It's always wise to fully inspect ANY car you buy... but the odds of a
=
true California TR being "every bit a rust bucket as those from other
sta=
tes" are long. They generally don't lay down salt on the roads in
(mos=
t of) California.... and due to revenue from state income taxes... our
ro=
ads are well above average... (though I've seen better elsewhere)....
and=
we don't have the humidity/rains that other states see, need I talk
abou=
t the average temperatures in here? You have to worry more about a
car=
being presented as a "California Car"... when, actually, it's from
anoth=
er state.
I bought a car (as a parts car) that LOOKED like a great TR... I
bought=
in in San Francisco... BUT... the car was originally from back east....
=
fortunately... I knew what I was getting... and the deal was sweet...
=
but there wasn't a panel worth keeping... the frame and tub were
toast..=
=2E. I had never seen that amount of rot in any TR I'd ever seen in
Cali=
fornia... I bought it from an attorney... that, unfortunately, did not
=
know to look for these things... He had paid top dollar for it. When
he=
tried to unload it... he practically couldn't give it away.
I started to remember a friend I had in the early 80's... with a TR 6...
=
and his frame was terrible... you could put your hand inside it...
throug=
h the gaping holes... but.. it was originally from New Jersey.
--Justin
Los Angeles
kurt oblinger wrote:
> Don,
>
> Just because its a California car don't assume it has no rust.
Californ=
ia cars can be every bit a rust bucket as those from other states. Ask
me=
how I know. At some point in time, late 60s through the 70s, TR3s were
j=
ust cheap sports cars and many were run on the cheap with a variety of
bo=
dge repairs. Look for rust and bodged bodywork repairs in the front
fende=
rs at the bottom behind the front wheels. Check the rockers, rap on them
=
with your knuckle, do they sound like sheet metal or are they more
solid,=
like stuffed with newspaper and trash bags and then slathered with 20
lb=
s of bondo. Look at the trunk floor. Look at the floors, particularly
whe=
re they join the rockers. Look at the front of the frame. Are the frame
e=
nds bashed in. Look at the frame where the lower front A-arms mount for
b=
odged welding repairs. A small magnet can be useful in detecting bondo,
i=
t will stick to steel but not to bondo. Be skeptical and take along a
fri=
end to offer a second opinion.
>
> Having said all this, there are some real gems out there still. Good
so=
lid cars needing little work at reasonable money. And I just wish
someone=
would leave one for me!
>
> Please report back!
>
> Cheers,
>
> Kurt Oblinger
> Redondo Beach, ca.
>
> "I am my cars mechanic"
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