In a message dated 00-11-01 15:16:04 EST, drew@pixar.com writes:
<<
One interesting thing I noticed when cleaning up the block is that it
has the letters:
T R
3
painted on the side in orange paint. I had read in Piggot's book that
at least some of the engines were marked this way. Anyone else have this
on their engine? >>
Drew,
I have seen engine blocks with the "TR3" hand painted with orange as you
describe. It was done at the factory. I recently dismantled a TR3,
commission # 45,229L, and the block had the paint. A buddy of mine restores
Triumphs for a living and adds this "detail" for customers who insist on
originality. I'm not sure if this was something that was done only in
certain years or for a particular period of time. I'll have to ask him
about that!
On a related note........I used to work for a company that manufactured
chassis frames and components for among other vehicles, Ford pickups. For
certain models, we made the main frame rails in Pennsylvania and shipped them
to another plant for final assembly. When the "siderails" came out of the
final forming press they were stacked in a "carrier" and banded together to
prevent the load from shifting during transport. The stacking and banding
was done by two men. As the siderails were being stacked these guys were
supposed to be giving them a quick check, looking for defects. Finding no
defects, each siderail was supposed to be painted with a short brush stroke
on one end. The color of the paint was specific to the model of the
siderail. Because this responsibility was not always taken seriously by
workers or supervisors, anything was possible. No paint, wrong color paint,
"artistic expression", etc.
Wouldn't it be great to find a TR3 block with "artistic
expression"............
Rich Rock
Pottstown, PA
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