TR2/3/3A Thoughts on This EBay TR3 Please

[KVH]

Is this a good car? This particular one? Would a new entry into the time warp of TR enjoy this more than either a TR4 or Healey 3000? Your most biased visceral opinions are welcome.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Triumph-Ot...tr=true&hash=item2805e54f49&item=171897605961

 

[Jerry]

There are not enough pictures to say everything is perfect. I would ask for more pictures and closeups of the interior. I like the paint and it looks like the car was painted everywhere. The paint color looks good but some might say not original. Engine and tranny is from a later car, but it has OD so I like that.

I have owned Austin Healey, and worked on TR4, and the TR3 are more affordable, or have a better look in my opinion. I think a good TR3 sells for more than a TR4 . If you are really interested, find someone to look at the car for you or go yourself. Don't buy off Ebay without a direct look at the car.

Jerry

 

[Vila]

Looks like a solid TR and I agree with Jerry's comments. Even with a direct look paint can hide a lot so I would also ask for photos of the body with the paint striped of the see what condition it was in prior to painting.

When I was restoring my TR4, I took photos of everything, before, during and after the restoration.

One other thing to remember is a car will never be worth as much with a replacement engine and transmission, so take that into account if you bid on it. The good thing is it has a later TR engine, not some Japanese car engine or transmission, which would kill the price from what I have seen.

 

[Brinkerhoff]

A lot of "ten footers " look horrid up close. Like what has been said, there is absolutely no way to tell if this car is a value or not from pictures. I think the TR4 engine with OD is much more desirable so may trump originality as time goes by.

 

[sp53]

Really no close ups and 30K! When I have to give an opinion on pictures, I look and the engine compartment to see what is wrong! Just because it is a tr4 87mm motor the pictures should be perfect tr3

 

[Marvin Gruber]

Body lines look pretty sharp, underneath looks good. Biggest thing that jumps at me it the TR2 convertible top, which is no big deal to change out. $29k is high for that level restoration

 

[Andrew Mace]

There seem to be too many digits in " ts 437780 LO"; I've no idea what that number might really be -- or SHOULD be, since it's obviously a post TS60000 body....

 

[TR3TR6]

Since it was a body off restoration, I would also like to see pictures of the body before the paint job. Would also like more info on any engine work, brakes, steering and rear end work that was done, if any. I also did a body off on my TR3A and know what I invested in it doing most of the work myself. For any of you guys that think that price is high, maybe you should take another look at what other cars are selling for. Parts are a lot higher then they were 20 years ago and the quality isn't as good on a lot of them.

 

[mrv8q]

Hard to tell from the pics. The firewall, engine side, looks holey to me; the hydraulic lines aren't nice and straight, the VR looks to be misplaced.

PPI time, if you are interested.

 

[TomMull]

At 30K it would be the most expensive TR3 sold on eBay in the past few months. In my opinion, it's not that good a car. Not a show winner for sure and although it may be a very nice driver, it will depreciate with every mile driven. At 20k though, you'd have a bit of room for that depreciation but I'd still want to see it up close.
Tom

 

[Geo Hahn]

That is a good looking car - in photos. On eBay listings I play a game where I try to find something wrong in every photo - can't quite get there with this one (but I came close).

If the TR4 engine bugs you it would be easy to swap the valve cover and heater valve at which point it would take a careful observer to spot it. Lots of things incorrect in the engine bay but I see nothing that would be difficult to put right.

BTW - has the fittings for a hardtop bit no hardtop mentioned.

KVH -- If you are serious (and not just mentally shopping - my specialty) I think we have a local club member (and TR owner) who lives in Boise this time of year.

 

[KVH]

I have a friend who started looking at Healey 3000 models but is open to TR3s and maybe 4s. He has relatives with summer homes in Boise so that may work but he'd be a novice in the area. I'd like to send him some listings or web links. He'd be OK paying a little more if the care were a good one. He'd need some advice from folks here, and I'd be out of my league on anything but TR4s. Sounds like this car isn't the right one, at least without more pics and comfort.

 

[TR3driver]

Would a well-restored car really be missing the vacuum advance line and front suspension rebound stops??? As Andy noted, the commission number cannot be correct, which seems odd (and why aren't there any photos of the plate?).
The speedo cable is not correctly routed for car with OD (it should cross over the car on the ledge in front of the battery). Distributor is installed wrong, and the ignition wires tied in knots to compensate. The heater return hard line has apparently been cut off and an incorrect soft line added to compensate. Windshield has hard top mounting brackets, but no hard top; and the trim pieces for the rear hard top mounting points are apparently not installed. (Although there is a funny bulge in one place that might be one of the trim pieces underneath the new vinyl.) Cross over pipes on calipers appear to be routed wrong. Rubber boot on upper ball joint appears to be wrong (cheap aftermarket boot that doesn't fit into the factory groove). Can't quite make out what the problem is, but something seems to be wrong with the handbrake cable from the compensator to the LR wheel. It should be nearly straight with only a mild droop (with the handbrake released), but it appears to be snaking all over the place.

These are all certainly very minor points; easily corrected. But to me, they suggest a lack of attention to detail that might also show up in other, less obvious areas. And just not what I would expect of a $30K car. Would it really have been so hard to find a TR3 shift lever, rocker cover & heater valve? Easy changes that would do much to hide the non-original engine and transmission to the casual observer.

Besides, I think that paint is way ugly

 

[Lukens]

KVH, from your previous posts, I gather your not a newbie to British cars. My advice would be to fly up and take a look. Meet the guy that did the work. You should know in short order if he's honest. You'll be able to see the craftsmanship and outward condition. Then check the compression and "Bob's your uncle".
I don't think $30K is out of line, he's surely got that in it. I'd rather spend that much on a trouble free ride, than $20 to $25K for problems.
Life's short, go for it.

 

[Lukens]

Besides, I think that paint is way ugly

Randall, with all due respect, the seller is not representing a Concours d'Elegance candidate. I don't believe you'll find a "flawless" TR3 for under $30K.

 

[Andrew Mace]

I don't think $30K is out of line, he's surely got that in it.

No offense, but that virtually never is the case with restorations (regardless of "quality" of same).

 

[GTP1960]

as Jerry said:

If you are really interested, find someone to look at the car for you or go yourself. Don't buy off Ebay without a direct look at the car.

KVH,
I'll admit :
I bought my '60 TR3A sight unseen, across the country, and paid to much......
(a plethora of photos didn't tell the whole story)
Mine was an emotional buy, based on my youthful first car experience, and I could have done better.
( but don't get me wrong, I am very happy with my 3A, faults and all, because the faults were mine)
YOU should take a look at it, up close and personal & know the flaws. ( they are there)
the trip to see it will hardly cost more than your first Big moss or TRF bill.
& it sounds like you already know the score of what to look for.
besides, face- to- face you will undoubtedly get a better price.

that's my two cents.

 

[TR3driver]

Randall, with all due respect, the seller is not representing a Concours d'Elegance candidate. I don't believe you'll find a "flawless" TR3 for under $30K.

Well, there are flaws and then there are flaws. I'm not talking about a rust bubble or scuffed paint here. If he left out an obvious, and somewhat important piece of the front suspension, what other things got left out? I would be very surprised if this is a "trouble free ride" since it has such obvious mistakes showing. And after living through a total hydraulic failure on a Triumph not once but twice (on different cars); there is no way I'd drive a TR without a functioning handbrake! For that matter, those brake rotors are clearly not new and he makes no mention of the brakes working at all. Maybe they don't?

Anyway, the OP asked for opinions, and that is mine.

One other point, just because someone has put "that much" into a car, doesn't mean the car is worth that much. It has been the case for many decades that TR3s are not worth what it costs to restore them; as many people consider restoration as a hobby. Once they get their concours trophy, they sell the car for whatever it will bring and start on another one.

And I don't see anywhere near $30K if done on the cheap. That could just as easily be an Earl Scheib $99.99 paint job and swap meet vinyl over cardboard for the interior.

 

[TRopic6]

Does anyone think the studs that attach the wire wheel adapter are sticking out too far? If they weren't cut back I hope they don't scrape the wire wheel. And I don't see a clutch slave cylinder return spring.

Jeff

 

[Brinkerhoff]

I'd let this one go. All the little things that are unfinished or not right mean hours of sorting out and hundreds of dollars of parts. 90 thousand miles ? That's a lot of miles on a TR3 chassis that looks to have been just stripped of old grease and resprayed. Sold mine last year for $29,000 and it had just won Best of Show at a regional Sports Car show. I don't see the TR3 market up a lot from last year to justify this kind on money but just my opinion . Besides its the wrong shade of red !