Please help me identify this chassis and cowl that I found not too far from my house yesterday.
I've driven down this road hundreds of times and I've never seen it before. The property is undergoing a substantial renovation / expansion project and I think that this was probably found somewhere else and recently moved out near the road. Nobody answered the door when I knocked, but I was able to snap a few quick photos. I wanted to get in and out quick, as I was effectively trespassing, so I missed a few details.
As I drove by, I first thought MG T Series, but now I know that's not the case. I'm pretty sure that it's either a Triumph TR2 or TR3, but I don't know those cars very well.
It has fairly small wire wheels, a fairly flat cowl with a vent, and the rear frame rails go under the axle, with leaf springs above. I can't tell from the photos (and didn't think to check at the time) whether or not it has front disc brakes.
Go!
If a Triumph - TR2. The curve of the door opening seems to be different between the 3 and 2
Where's the build thread?
Did the TR2 have a cowl vent?
Stampie (FS) said:
Where's the build thread?
I left my card at the door.
Woody said:
Did the TR2 have a cowl vent?
My search popped up the gasket for the cowl vent. It is the same for both cars.
Does anyone know if the TR2 and TR3 use the same chassis?
Woody said:
Does anyone know if the TR2 and TR3 use the same chassis?
Not a definitive answer but . . .
https://www.revingtontr.com/product/301217/ss/name/chassis-frame-complete-tr2-tr3
L5wolvesf said:
Woody said:
Does anyone know if the TR2 and TR3 use the same chassis?
Not a definitive answer but . . .
https://www.revingtontr.com/product/301217/ss/name/chassis-frame-complete-tr2-tr3
Very interesting. Thanks!
NOHOME
MegaDork
6/14/20 10:10 p.m.
I've built cars from less.
My guess was going to be TR2
The more I look at this thing, the more I think that this is is just a terrible rear suspension design.
I still want to buy it though.
I'm curious as to how/why the front third of the body was cut away like that. These aren't built like model a's where they are just a bunch of bits of metal and lumber bolted together. The cowl is part of the floors and rockers
Chassis looks like Tr2/3 to me
I would think you could find a complete basketcase car for far less than buying all the missing panels would set you back.
They are very crude and simple cars but getting the body panels lined up is quite tricky.
In reply to Trent (Generally supportive dude) :
Seems like it could be a fun(good?) start to a period-like special?
The only way to define it exactly is with the serial number. The brakes changed from drum to disc during the first year of TR3, still small mouth body. All TR2 were drum. The main chassis rails do rust out from inside, especially in the north east salt belt, that is why new chassis are available. If the rails are solid it is special material if cheap enough.
Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) said:
In reply to Trent (Generally supportive dude) :
Seems like it could be a fun(good?) start to a period-like special?
I was thinking pull molds off the correct body and building a carbon fiber body. Add a modern turbo 4 for a different restro rod.
NOHOME
MegaDork
6/15/20 11:22 a.m.
In reply to Stampie (FS) :
If I were to do all that I would not drop the results of all that work on a antiquated chassis like that one.
In reply to NOHOME :
I was assuming the chassis for it's VIN but I'm also known to do stupid stuff.
wspohn
Dork
6/15/20 11:30 a.m.
Woody said:
The more I look at this thing, the more I think that this is is just a terrible rear suspension design.
I still want to buy it though.
You are correct, it is a horrid design. I had a TR3 that I had done the handing on and it barely came up to the standard of a stock contemporary MG. The problem was that they had very limited rear suspension travel before the rear end bottomed on the frame and the rear wheel lifted and goodbye adhesion. They weren't alone in this - all but the last big Healey also ran the frame under the axle - I suppose ot was cheaper to manufacture frames that way.
A common way to postpone loss of adhesion at the rear was to increase spring rates, but that just led to other evils.
PS - the TR2 and TR3 frame were the same with the exception that it took them a little while to figure out what was going to break or fall off on the very early TR2s and revise the design to suit. Interestingly, the Swallow Doretti I owned showed all the durability mods done by Triumph plus a few others, all before Triumph had completed their development (The Doretti used Triumph driveline and chassis)
In reply to Trent (Generally supportive dude) :
Very informative. Thank you.
In reply to TurnerX19 :
Rails look pretty nice. My only interest in this would be as the basis for a Special.
In reply to wspohn :
More great info! Thank you.
I went back today for another look. Still nobody home, and my contact info was where I'd left it.
I think I'm ready to proclaim this to be a TR3 or early TR3A. It has front disc brakes (versus the drums of the TR2 and early TR3), but doesn't seem to have the raised stampings below the bonnet hinges (post-mid-1959 TR3A/TR3B), though I'm not sure exactly what those would look like.
Alas...no numbers.
