> I recently stumbled across the dream car of my childhood: a Triumph
> TR3 series. It's a TR3B in excellent condition. The owner, a
> retired gentleman, took a liking to me and has offered to sell it for
> $12,000. I know the book value of the TR3B is high, but what is the
> car worth in the real world?
That's a tough one, Zach. That price seems reasonable to me, but if you are
looking to make a profit then Triumphs are the wrong area to be in. OTOH what
price dreams ?
> My father's TR3A has been sitting in a field for 30 years. The
> floor , interior, and a good bit of the body is ruined, but much of
> the rest is still salvageable. Would this be a worthwhile parts car
> for the TR3B? Would many of the parts under the hood interchange?
> Just how different are the engines and transmissions?
Depends a lot on what vintage of TR3A. Many things changed during production.
The engines are effectively identical but many of the ancillaries like carbs,
flywheel and starter changed. Most of them can be interchanged to some extent,
though. The transmissions are substantially different, although some parts
interchange. (For example the top cover casting and 3-4 shift rod & fork are the
same, but the 1-2 and reverse rods & forks are different.)
The other thing to consider is that you are staring with a car in "excellent
condition" ... if a part on it is worn out, what are the chances that the same
part will not be worn out on your Dad's car ?
Randall
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