TR2/3/3A TR2.5 - Unusual wheels and mirror

[angelfj1]

Last Saturday we made our annual trek to Boyertown, PA for Duryea Day. We always seem to find unusual cars with unusual features. This year was no different. A car described by the owner as a TR2.5 pulled up along side our group and this turned out to be a very interesting car indeed!

The owner considers this car a TR2.5 because the body panels and a number of major components are a hodge-podge of TR2, TR3 and TR3A bits.:congratulatory:

Also, his off side mirror and rear wheels are something I have never seen before.
See below.

The wheels include what at first looks like a trim ring (painted black) but upon close inspection these "rings" are in fact an integral part of the wheel. Any thoughts.



This mirror, with engraved or stamped TR logo, must be an after-market product, but I've never seen one. Have you?

 

[Andrew Mace]

Never saw wheels like that; are you absolutely sure that "ring" is permanent?

As for the mirror, it was a 1960s "official" accessory mirror, part number V450 (with Triumph shield), and it was also available aftermarket from such places as Foreign Car Accessories, Inc. (Cold Spring, NY) as the model A503. At one time, they apparently were fairly common, but they now seem to be extremely hard to find. I know, as I've been looking for one or more off and on for years now! A bit more information here:

https://www.fairpoint.net/~herald948/database/mirror.htm

 

[angelfj1]

Never saw wheels like that; are you absolutely sure that "ring" is permanent?

As for the mirror, it was a 1960s "official" accessory mirror, part number V450 (with Triumph shield), and it was also available aftermarket from such places as Foreign Car Accessories, Inc. (Cold Spring, NY) as the model A503. At one time, they apparently were fairly common, but they now seem to be extremely hard to find. I know, as I've been looking for one or more off and on for years now! A bit more information here:

https://www.fairpoint.net/~herald948/database/mirror.htm

The owner insists that the ring is permanent. It has been suggested by others that this may be an attempt at reinforcing the wheels for competitive events.

Interesting that the mirror was a Triumph option. The link in your post is not working.

 

[Marvin Gruber]

I would like to see the wheels up close as well. Sure looks like a trim ring painted to match the rim. Inside of the rim looks std to me.

Marv

 

[Andrew Mace]

Interesting that the mirror was a Triumph option. The link in your post is not working.

Hmmm...it works for me!?

 

[sammyb]

Since it appears to be the same size as a standard trim ring, I'm suspicious that they aren't just painted and welded in. As for making them stronger for competition use, it wouldn't make sense. Triumph spec-ed the wire wheels for racing due to the weakness of the steel wheels, but the weak point was around the bolt holes. I've met many TR racers who found out the hard way that the wheels will break leaving just the part inside and between the bolts. The outer rims were fine for strength.

 

[angelfj1]

Since it appears to be the same size as a standard trim ring, I'm suspicious that they aren't just painted and welded in. As for making them stronger for competition use, it wouldn't make sense. Triumph spec-ed the wire wheels for racing due to the weakness of the steel wheels, but the weak point was around the bolt holes. I've met many TR racers who found out the hard way that the wheels will break leaving just the part inside and between the bolts. The outer rims were fine for strength.

Some mysteries never get solved! However, this is a local car and perhaps we can delve a little deeper and check it out.

 

[Don Elliott]

I understand that wire wheels on the TR2 and TR3s in race or rally completion in the 50s would flex and therefore you would get improved cornering. I can remember watching races in the late 50s and Graham Locke (from whom I had bought my 1958 TR3A brand new) was racing a TR2 with steel wheels. He had forgotten to tighten the nuts on one wheel, or they had worked themselves loose, and the steel wheel cracked all the way around - through the 4 holes in the wheel. Luckily he was not at top speed and other than part of the frame sliding on the track, there was little damage.

 

[TR4nut]

Hmmm...it works for me!?

Well at work here I was taking a break and the filter blocked me and said it was a malicious site. I'll have to let them know you aren't that malicious!

 

[Andrew Mace]

Well at work here I was taking a break and the filter blocked me and said it was a malicious site. I'll have to let them know you aren't that malicious!

Well, the site did get hacked earlier this year, but that's long since been cleaned up and fixed!

 

[TRTEL]

I have a set with my tired old racer. The wheels were manufactured using a center section from a 2/3/4 wheel (removed by machining off the rivets from the stock wheel and then arc welded from the back side). The outer rims came from a major rim producer, but can't remember who. They started showing up when SCCA began allowing the 1.5" increase over stock rim width. So I'd guess those pictured are 5.5". So for years they were a commonplace sight at the races in the mid 60's. When American Wheel came out with the Silverstones the steel wheels became rain tire rims, as was the case on mine. Curiously the rims are stepped like the stock rim on the other side, and had a knockout for the valve stem (which was always welded for safety). So its actually on backwards, but I've never seen one done in the reverse. I've seen a couple on ebay, but not in quite a while. As you can imagine very heavy, well its a TR6 equivalent, about 23 lbs. Almost double the weight of a mag.

 

[HerronScott]

If was a trim ring, the wheel weight wouldn't be able to mount on the outside of the ring (as in the picture)?

Scott