I'm about to pull the trigger on a 1957 TR3A. I had an Austin-Healy Bug-Eye Sprite back in college, but this will be my first British roadster in 35 years. Anyone around here had any experience with old Triumphs? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Looking around it seems parts are more available and cheaper for this 55 year old car than for my 968!
Bill
Back in my younger days I had a TR-3 and later a TR-4. I really enjoyed them both, easy to work on, and unlike some other British cars, I never had any issues with any of the electricals. Biggest design flaw that I recall was an exhaust junction right at the point that the pipe went through the middle of the x-frame. Difficult to get the joint tight enough to not leak. Still have an old TR-4 rear fender in my attic that guess I should get rid of some day.
No experience with older British sports cars, but they make me smile everytime I see them cruise by.
I raced a Triumph Spitfire for a number of years in SCCA. I'm pretty sure I could still rebuild an engine in my sleep. A LOT simpler to work on than the 968. In spite of MB968's comments, as I recall, the first thing we did when we raced these things was to replace all the electrics.
I'm sure your TR3A will be a blast. Have fun.
I have always lived by the wisdom that the British drink warm beer for one reason, Lucas Electronics. Have never owned a british car.
JMHO,
Jay
i just brought a tr4-a back to life after sitting underneath a pile of laundry for 10 years. fun car to drive. not fast, just fun
Had an Austin Healey 3000 for about 10 years- I think my lawnmower was harder to work on than the Healey. The only thing i would recommend is to swap out the distributor with an updated electronic version. All the parts are reproductions so prices are generally inexpensive.
I dont own the Healey anymore, but i still log on to Cape International website, which has the coolest Healey parts and accessories. Hmmmm, maybe i need a new project car........
[quote name='94SilverCab' timestamp='1342788338' post='129640']
I have always lived by the wisdom that the British drink warm beer for one reason, Lucas Electronics. Have never owned a british car.
JMHO,
Jay
[/quote]
I've always heard it was because of Lucas refrigerators! Lucas - Prince of Darkness.
When I got my Bug-Eye, one of the first things I did was to build a new wiring harness. It was fairly easy as the car only had around 11 wires, as I recall.
The TR3A I'm looking at even has the hand crank that slides through the front grill in case the battery dies.
<img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.png" class="smilie" alt="" />
Bill
Everybody in Britain has a starter handle, its called a cup of tea.
[quote name='anthonymaher' timestamp='1342790934' post='129645']
Had an Austin Healey 3000 for about 10 years- I think my lawnmower was harder to work on than the Healey. [/quote]
So did I! Gorgeous car, though an absolute dog to drive. Always drew a lot of attention, though, and it was a fun experience overall.
The funniest thing that ever happened with the car was once when I was moving. My Craftsman tool chest fit perfectly between the back for the passenger seat and the front edge of the top (with the top down), and it stuck up a couple of feet above the car's beltline, making it very visible. As I was driving along, a guy next to me yelled, "I didn't realize they were THAT unreliable!"
I borrowed a friends MGB on time when I was in collage. Typical N. California winter rainy day and the car was misfiring. So I raised the hood while the engine was running and it looked like a midwestern summer afternoon electrical storm under there. Had to wait for the rain to stop in order to return the car.
AJG - It is probably a good thing that Lucas didn't make the ignition harnesses for the RAF's Spitfires and Hurricanes or you lot would be starting your day with coffee and Schnapps rather than tea.
In my younger days I owned both a '69 Triumph TR6 and a '69 MGB roadster. Both cars were great fun, but as you would expect, not the most reliable. Niether had a radio (so I could hear the parts fall off). Seriously, the most challenging aspects were the fuel pump and the SU carbs as I recall. And rust.
I had a TR4a and it worked for a day or two then was in the shop. The most amazing thing about it was its space like technology. It was like a hovercraft floating on air instead of water. This car was so rusted out that there was nothing to it. Other than a blast and what a chick magnet!
I currently have a TR4-A, it is as crude as crude can be, but lots of fun!!! Had a TR-3 a long time ago, you'll have fun with it.
Richard
I had a brand new TR-7 once (God I'm getting old). Parking brakes would seize if you left them on too long, started to rust outside the boot after 10 months, weighed so much in the front that turning was an not an option at high speed, ground in 2nd gear and the Prince of Darkness hit me twice when I wasn't looking! Oh, did I mention the first iteration of the Ford Escort with a 1.6 wiped my @ss at a light, so much for having a 2L "sports car".
Sold it to a Brit after a year who understood all these problems and just kept saying "Yea, thay all do that" during the sales pitch!
Since this has morphed into an old British sports car story thread, I'll offer one of mine. I was attending Santa Monica Junior College and had proudly driven my '61 Bug-Eye to school having just got it running. When my friend and I went to the car after class, (car parked parallel on the street), I found that other cars had parked so close to my front & back that I couldn't drive out of the spot. Given that the car only weighed about 1100 lbs., and most of that was up front, my friend and I picked the car up at the rear wheel wells, swung the back out into the street, and then backed out. I don't think I could do that with my 968! lol
Bill
[quote name='Chris Vais' timestamp='1342810781' post='129655']
I borrowed a friends MGB on time when I was in collage. Typical N. California winter rainy day and the car was misfiring. So I raised the hood while the engine was running and it looked like a midwestern summer afternoon electrical storm under there. Had to wait for the rain to stop in order to return the car.
[/quote]
I remember those under the hood electrical storms. Had one a time or two, but after the first time I knew what is was; just carry a spare spark plug wire set in the trunk. A dry swap always fixed it.
Before my 968 fell from the sky into my lap I had fantasised about a number of British sports cars, and, in what seems like a previous life, I had an MGB.
These guys have just about everything you could possibly need, or want to keep one on the road.
http://www.mossmotors.com/. This US mob are anoofshooot of the parent UK company found here -
www.moss-europe.co.uk/, who have a bigger range of most things , but principally performance bits.
Have fun.
In my late teens, I used to go with my Dad to this British car junkyard:
http://www.tsimportedautomotive.com/index.html in Pandora, Ohio. We'd crawl around all over the rusted body shells and often I'd find the part I wanted lying on the ground. It was an absolute blast and one of my best memories of time spent with Dad. Sometimes these junk yards will be the only way to find that critical body part...for me, it was the steering wheel shaft shrouds.
On the way to golf yesterday my brother and I passed a beautiful looking green TR6. We shared a TR4A years ago. I thought cool we will check it out on the way home. Thought about it the entire round. Was gone when we drove home and boy was I disappointed.