Some of you guessed it, I was off to Vincennes Indiana to pickup another
TR3. Drove 1400 miles round trip in 32 hours and that include loading up
the car which took almost 4 hours. Needless to say I'm pretty run down.
If ever there was a kit car this is it! This car had been totaly dismantled by
the PPO. The ONLY things not dismantled are the transmission, steering
gear box and the differential. Everything else has been taken apart and put
into cardboard boxes and/or rubber maid type boxes or else put into
wooden crates for shipping. The only thing about the car that wasn't really
accurately described to me over the phone was the condition of the body
tub. When he said rust in all the Usual places he was right, but he
neglected to mention that there was a lot of rust in all of the Unusual places
also. On top of that the tub is actually in two pieces. The rockers or whats
left them had been removed and since the floor boards were also gone in
that area it allowed for two seperate pieces.
Three of the four fenders are in pretty darn good shape. The bonnet and
boot lids are also in excellent shape. The passenger door has rust holes
along the very bottom but is otherwise very solid. The driver door is very
solid. The frame has been painted silver and looks like crap. However, it
does appear to be a very solid frame. I'm not certain that the frame is an
original match for the tub since it doesn't have the cross member on it that
protects the lower portion of the radiator. Also before we put the tub on
the frame I looked at the diff serial # and it was something like TS1240 or so.
The comm # plate and the body tag plates I found in one of the boxes.
Supposedly the car is TS53523L.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but according to Bill Piggotts latest book
the radiator protection on the front of the frame was added in august of 54
with TS3512. If so then wouldn't that make this frame a TR2. If this turns
out to be the case, can a TR2 frame be used to make a TR3?
A partial list of some of the good condition items includes :
Both seats, (Andy Mace would like these. They're leather with LOTS of
Patina)
Gauges, although the oil pressure gauge seems to be missing.
Transmission
Windscreen frame
Rright Rear, Left Rear and Left Front Fenders.
Doors
Dash
Frame
Tunnel housing cover
Boot lid
Bonnet lid
Spare tire cover
Gas tank
NOS rockers
Steering Wheel
4 new jack stands
2 fire starter logs
And a lot of other misc odds and ends. Basically it was a complete car that
was just torn down and boxed up. I think it was worth the $500 price tag
and the gas to go get it.
So it appears that I'm getting closer to having a complete TR3 to assemble
just not quite there yet however. If I could find a decent tub and get an
answer on the frame question I'd be in business!
Sorry if this turned out to be long and boring. Didn't intend it to be that
way.
Later
Brad (Lincoln Nebraska 402-464-1502)
1964 Spitfire4 BFC25720L
1961 TR4 CT288L (OD)
1966 TR4A (Parts Car)
1959 TR3A (2) (Two to make one?)
1951 Dodge Truck 82217766 B-3-B-108
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