Mike-
The '56 would be the cooler car to have, but rust repair is
definitely more challenging than straightening out bent metal. If you
decide to take the rusty route, take the car apart and have it dipped or
sandblasted before anything else.
You'll need to find out exactly how bad the rust is, its like an iceberg-
you only see about 10% of it from the surface.
Starting with blasted-clean car is the most efficient way to repair a
rustbucket. If you try to do it incrementally- ( ie start with one
fender, then a door, etc.) you may find out too late that you're trying
to bring a lost cause back to life.... and then you'll lose all the hard
work you've put in on the finished parts. When you talk to the
sandblaster, make sure he knows you are concerned about waviness in the
panels. He's going to be inclined to use really coarse grit, ( makes his
job go faster) but that stuff will texturize the metals surface-
particularly large flat panels- causing them to become wavy....
It's OK for the underside, but have him do the topside with walnut shells
or a less aggressive grit. Takes a little bit longer, but overall this
is a tremendous jump-start to any major rustoration.
Good luck,
Bob Westerdale
59 3A TS36967
I recently purchased two TR3's which are badly in need of restoration.
One is a 1956 TR3, and the other is a 1960 TR3A. I am now trying to
figure out which one to restore.
They are both fairly complete, but each has its own set of problems. The
TR3 is fairly straight, but very rusty. It will require a considerable
amount of reconstruction with new sheet metal. The TR3A has much less
rust, but has seen much more body damage. The condition of the running
gear is about equal. I think that it's a toss up regarding both expense
and labor to restore them. I plan to do all of the work myself, so the
cost of labor is not a consideration. In fact, I am looking forward to
the challenge.
Which will make the most desirable vehicle when completed? My goal is to
own a clean, drivable car when I am done. I am not particularly
interested in trying to create show car.
Thanks,
Mike Lang
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