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It Ain't No Cream Puff

To: triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: It Ain't No Cream Puff
From: "Brad Kahler" <Brad.Kahler@141.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1998 13:51:58 -0500
Listers,

I managed to pick up the $300 TR3 yesterday afternoon.  For those of you 
that were disappointed in not getting there first, consider yourselve's 
lucky!!  There isn't a single inch of this car that isn't rusty or rusted 
through 
with few exceptions.  Rather than describe what is BAD about the car I'll 
describe whats good about the car.  .................  That is.  Actually there 
are a 
few salvageable items.  They are as follows, grille, windscreen frame, front 
apron, rear turn signal lights, front bumper (I think), intake & exhaust 
manifolds, radiator (mostly), spare left rear fender, right rear fender (I 
think), 
steering wheel(s), gauges, right front fender (I think), gas tank (I think), 
side 
curtains (maybe), wiring harness and the horns (I think).  There might be 
other misc items but I won't know until I can dismantle the car farther.  I 
will 
be pulling whats left of the engine and tranny along with some of the 
suspension parts as I dismantle it.

This car sat in a tree covered area for 24 years.  The front apron had been 
removed at that time along with the head.  After all those years the engine 
may or may not be salvageable.  The frame looks like swiss cheese.  There 
are NO floorboards. Left front fender is toast along with the left rear fender. 
 
The bonnet and boot lids are wasted.  The seats and anything under them 
are toast.  When I got there, there was a small three foot pine tree growing 
behind the drivers seat.  The bottoms of the doors are rotted away and I 
can't even get them open at the moment.  

The DPO had bought a new clutch, pressure plate, TO bearing, tie rod 
ends, ball joints radiator hoses and left them in a bucket in the passenger 
seat.  He also had a new exhaust system sitting there. When a big storm hit 
about two years after parking the car it ripped the aftermarket fiberglass 
hardtop off and the car was then left like that.  Needless to say all of these 
NEW parts I just tossed in the junk trailer to haul off they were to rusty to 
almost recognize.  Even the steel parts on the bottom of the carbs has 
rotted away.  From what he described compared to what I actually found 
was quite literally two different things.  He supposedly has in a box 
somewhere new pistons and liners that he said he would send me when he 
finds them.  We'll see....

The car was TS41311L and titled as a 1959.  Needless to say all I'm going to 
do is salvage what I can and haul the rest off to the dump.  I could tell by 
looking at the front apron which was stored in a somewhat protected 
manner that the car was probably in pretty good shape when he parked it.  

It took me 3 1/2 hours to get the car up on my replacement wheels and tires 
and to fix the sticking right rear brake drum.  I suppose for $300 if I look at 
it 
as buying parts I did ok but if I look at it as a car purchase its just REAL 
sad.  Now all I have to do is figure out whether I want to try and sell the 
stuff or wait around and see if I can find a project TR3 to finish up.  That 
will have to take some soul searching.

So ends the saga of the bargan basement $300 TR3.  Wait.... Or is it just 
beginning? <G>


Brad  (Lincoln Nebraska 402-464-1502)

1964 Spitfire4           BFC25720L
1966 TR4A               CT72398L (Now a parts car)
1961 TR4                  CT288L (Now with OD!!)
1959 TR3                  TS41311L 
1951 Dodge Truck    82217766  B-3-B-108 

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