1959 Triumph TR3A 'Miracle' Car

1959 Triumph TR3 Description

HISTORY OF A BRITISH MOTORING MIRACLE

I have worked on British cars since 1969. From my first car, a Hillman, through Mini Cooper S to personally restoring award winning 1970's Aston Martins. I have won 3 National Concourses with Best Aston Martin V8. I have spilled blood and sweat and cursed every single one of them...except this sweetheart of a Triumph TR3.

Most of my working life has been as an Art Director and Chief Photographer at many motoring magazines. I have photographed over 300 magazine covers, mostly cars, many auto calendars and directed motoring television. 5 cars I have owned have been on magazine covers and a couple on TV. After driving many of the world's fastest cars I would come home, get into my garage and get dirty under the hood of a classic car stinking of oil and petrol. Swinging a wrench is my hobby and passion.

Enough of my background. I am only trying to explain why I feel experienced enough to judge the quality of any particular vehicle.

I could spend the next few hours telling you stories about the amount of times my British cars have broken down at the worst possible moments, including my Jensen Interceptor which caught fire with a major short circuit in the middle of the night in the middle of the Nullarbor Plain in outback Australia. Almost 400 miles to the nearest town with a tow truck. It was 8 hours before the next car came along. Luckily towing a trailer. I bought a 30 foot extension cord off the driver and I had a pair of pliers on hand. So my wife and I spent the rest of the day cutting out the burnt sections of wiring, all through under the dash and into the engine bay, then joining in good wire. By nightfall we were on our way again. So I have a long history suffering with LUCAS 'The Prince of Darkness' electrical systems.

That is just one of the hundred times that a British car has failed to start or put me in an embarrassing situation broken down on the side of the road.

But if you have ever driven a well tuned V12 E Type Jaguar roadster at speed on a winding road you would understand the thrill of steel and oil all working perfectly together and getting maximum performance...gearchange after gearchange. I have done this in old Ferraris and new, Lamborghinis and Mercedes Benzes. The feeling of bonding is the same, and a good British car is as good as Italian or German. I have felt this a dozen times over 50 years. I felt this buzz the first time I drove this very special TR3.

A wealthy middle aged friend bought this fully restored TR3 15 years ago. He had the idea to fit a Mazda Miata drivetrain with an automatic transmission so his beautiful new wife could drive the Triumph around Newport Beach. Around the time the car was pulled completely apart down to the chassis ready for the Japanese transplant, a few cracks started to appear in the marriage, so he never went ahead with the engine and trans change. It was going to cost him a lot of money to reassemble the car and the divorce was underway. I knew it was a very nice car so I bought the car with all pieces and boxes of nuts and bolts.

Did you know that some Triumph TR3 bodies were built by Mulliner, alongside the Rolls Royce production line. Each of these Triumphs has a brass EB tag and number on the firewall. This is where this very special car was born. Around 2001 the body and chassis was stripped down and sandblasted.

Then something unusual happened. The restorer decided to paint the car in Baked Enamel, the same finish as original. A very difficult and high cost job that only a master painter can get right. This is a totally lost art but the results are worth it. Perfect flow with no orange peel and will last forever if garaged, no cracking, no settling. This Triumph was painted 17 years ago and looks like it was painted in 2018.

This is the reason I bought this particular TR3. It had a very good professional restoration, with everything rebuilt or new, including roof, tonneau, trim, etc. My friend had paid top dollar for the car and then had the engine rebuilt twice with higher compression to get maximum performance before he got the crazy idea to make it an automatic. The receipts tell the story... full engine rebuild at 5000 miles after restoration and another at 6000 to make it even better.

In early 2018 I sold my LED lighting company and decided to get a nice house with a good garage and settle down. Now in my mid 60's I needed something to continue my hobby without going as far as another three year Aston Martin restoration. I paid a high price for the Triumph in bits but I expected to enjoy the reconstruction. The TR3 was the last of the old style low door roadster coming out of England and I didn't want to spend the many $100,000's that good classic English cars cost now. In fact, the last E Type Jaguar I bought out of Arizona cost $129,000 and I still had to do a heap of work to it to get it to a higher standard.

I spent 6 months working almost every day rebuilding this Triumph. Spent another $4000 in new parts from MOSS including wiring harness, switches, brakes and a burl walnut dash. The simplicity of the design, before any regulations spoiled the purity of a motorcar made the assembly a pleasure. All I had to worry about was how it would drive when it was all back together...would the SU's be a pain in the butt, would the optional overdrive actually work? After a lot of time, money and effort...what was I going to get when I pressed the start button? That is when the little miracle happened...!

As I said earlier, I have been around British cars for 50 years in the UK, Europe, Australia and the USA. I have never seen, or even heard of a 4 cylinder classic car that starts like this sweetheart of a TR3. Sometimes I don't even have to sit in the car. I turn the ignition key on and then press the start button. The engine doesn't even turn one rotation and the car goes 'WHOOMPH' and starts to run. I was astounded. I know that the carbs have to be set just right, the fuel bowl at the right level, the compression just right, the points set perfectly, timing tuned and correct fuel pressure all working together...as the English say...A BLOODY MIRACLE! You can see a short video on YouTube by typing in Triumph TR3 First Drive.

The first time I drive the Triumph I had a smile from ear to ear and then I switched on the electric overdrive...it worked perfectly. Another thing I had not seen before. This car is a joy to own and drive. The higher performance engine makes it faster than expected. You don't need to spend over $100,000 to have fun.

I don't drive fast anymore. I have trouble with focus on my eyes if I spin my head to the side, I get my enjoyment from the hands on building of something special. So I am selling this fabulous little classic.

There is a TR3 in New Zealand for $60,000 that may be as good as my Triumph. One in Australia for similar money. A couple of good cars in the UK and Europe for over 50,000 Euros about US$60,000. Values on fine TR3's are increasing. This car is a good investment.

I am not interested in any tire kickers or bargain hunters. I have met them all. If you are still reading this history, maybe I have the car you are looking for. I would like to meet you and pass on this miracle in British motoring.

Call me at Nine Four Nine - 272 - Six Four Zero Four.

Joe