Dan Buettner/Nicole Cable wrote:
>
>
> 1) The car's interior is, for the most part, pretty nice. Not great,
> but I could re-install it and use it for a year or two after
> completing a mechanical and body restoration, while I save money for
> a good interior kit. To that end, I'd like to apply some
> vinyl/leather preservative or conditioner now. Is it just the seat
> faces that are leather? How do I tell if they are leather, since I
> think there are 100% vinyl kits available? And what product would
> you all recommend I use on the vinyl and on the leather?
Just the seat faces are leather. The easiest way to tell is to compare
them to the seat backs. Do they look and feel the same? If so, they're
vinyl, if not they're probably leather.
>
> 2) What have other people put the bodies on while they worked on the
> frame? From looking at it all, it seems I could just build a small
> wooden frame with 2x4 or 4x4 "rails" in roughly the same position as
> the frame rails and set the body down on it. Does this seem
> plausible? Or are there better ideas?
> And what kind of paint have people used to paint their frames? Black
> glossy enamel?
My body came off in a number of pieces, so I can't help there. I did my
frame with mostly black Rustoleum, with some POR 15 in spots that were
rusted.
>
> 3) My car is not an overdrive model. I have read that I can find
> virtually any TR2-6 overdrive transmission and stick it in with no
> modification. True? I have also read that the rear-end gear ratio
> is different on overdrive models (4.1:1 versus 3.7:1 for non-OD).
> True? Suggestions on how to make that switch?
> Or, do you non-OD TR2 & 3 owners find that the overdrive really adds
> much? It added a lot to my Spit, but then it's got those little 13"
> wheels... And what's a realistic price to pay for an overdrive and
> transmission?
I have no overdrive, but for highway use I can see that it would be nice.
Later cars have a different starter, and the transmission bell housing is
different because of it. You may have to change the starter and flywheel
along with the transmission if you get one from a later car. I'm not sure
of the changeover point.
>
> 4) What books, if any, would you recommend I purchase to guide me
> through this? I have the Haynes manual for my Spit, which proved
> invaluable. Is there one for the TR3? What else should I look to
> get?
>
There's a Haynes manual for the TR3, but it's not in print right now.
Check on Ebay. Of more use in comparing differences between model years
and seeing what your car should look like, check out "Original Triumph
TR2/3/3A" by Bill Piggot. You can get this from Amazon.com. You can also
get the factory parts manual and Service manual from The Roadster Factory
or Moss Motors.
>
> 5) Anyone have any contact information for a British car club in the
> Des Moines, Iowa area? I used to belong to a club in Iowa City, but
> that's a long ways to go now -- and I know there's a club here, just
> not sure how to find them.
>
Check the Vintage Triumph web site (http://www.vtr.org) to see if there's
an affiliate around you.
--
George Richardson
The Wyvern - '57 TR3, TS15559L - http://www.merlingroupinc.com/tr3.htm
The Hippogrif - '71 Stag MKI, LE8176E - soon to get a site of it's own
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