As someone who owns mostly projects at this point, I can understand how you can burn out on a car that still needs love after years of spending and laboring over it. Still, I tend to stick it out, because at a certain point I want to enjoy the fruits of the labor. The seller of this mostly-restored 1960 Triumph TR3-A is past that point, and has put his project up for sale with loads of heavy lifting already done; in fact, he cites about $22,000 invested, including the purchase price of the car. The Triumph sports new floors and rockers and numerous rebuilt components. Find it here on craigslist for $15,000 near Bend, Oregon. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Matt H. for the find.
The floor replacement phase included both the passenger compartment and the trunk area, along with the lower portion of the driver’s side fender and small areas behind the B pillars and battery box. As mentioned, the rockers were also replaced as part of this project, and given it wears old-school California blue plates, I can’t help but wonder if the seller was surprised by the extent of rust he found in a California car. The body is said to be in great shape with no evidence of prior accident damage, so it wasn’t a rust bucket when he got it – perhaps he’s just a perfectionist. Regardless, my 190E 2.3-16 will also need its rockers repaired, and you can bet I’m going to drive the doors off of that thing once it’s done.
The engine is said to be quite healthy, and the seller mentions that the engine and transmission worked perfectly before he began disassembly. The engine displays good oil pressure across the board, but it doesn’t sound like the restoration work performed thus far has touched the mechanical bits. In fact, that’s what’s so vexing about the listing: it really just needs paint and some re-assembly, along with perhaps some front suspension updates to be a driver. Hell, I wouldn’t even worry about the paint now that it’s rust-free. I dig the patina’d finish, and with a fresh interior and top, it’d look absolutely perfect. The seller cites recent auction sales as justification for his asking price, which seems to indicate he perhaps senses opportunity by selling the car now and not getting any deeper into it.
Still, with major parts like a brand new interior already secured, you can bet I’d either put it back together and drive it, or re-assemble it and sell it as a complete, running/driving car. The current state it’s presented in doesn’t make much sense to me for driving a top-dollar sale. And again, the auction prices that get tossed around really only exist in the vacuum of several wealthy individuals jonesing for the same car – it’s not reflective of an actual true market value. This TR3-A looks like an excellent project for someone to snatch up with a few weekends’ worth of time and the ability to live with a less-than-glossy paint job, but be prepared to pay $15,000 and not a penny less – the seller notes that this price is so firm, “…you’d swear it’s on Viagra.” Cute.
A fun car with the hard work done. About 5K too high for an incomplete car but at least it’s solid.
22 grand and they only got this far? Someone wasted a lot of money.
Wouldn’t be the first who thought he was getting a bargain on a classic car only to find out how much time, effort, and money it takes to restore one that has issues.
In the past 18 months I’ve passed on two TR3’s similar to this but with the paint completed and the mechanicals rebuilt. Pretty much restored but just not assembled.
Both were priced at under $12k and stood around for a month or so. Way better starting point than this at way better price.
This car….the work done is just the beginning.
$8’000 to $9’000, if it doesn’t drive $3’000 less. Paint would be $7000. Will never know if the metal was properly done. Gearbox, electrics, suspension, brakes – $10,000 more. Why not buy a finished and proven car?
Getting your investment back is like thinking your now ugly girlfriend was an investment at the time you were in love.
I bought a used 1960 TR3 in 1967 for $600. It was in perfect condition and I drove it from St.Pete, Fl to North Carolina. Kept it for a few years before buying a new TR6.
Boy! Ain’t that the truth???
I like these little cars,but the condition ,work involved ,price. I,ll pass for much less price one and one you can drive off in. Bet he,ll still have it next year. Where did he spend $22,000 on? Most of the RESTORED vehicles have made in China junk parts and can,nt see where the word RESTORED is. To me RESTORED HAS PARTS MADE BUY THE AUTO MAKER IN THAT COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. I saw a beautiful 70 Mustang fast back the other day at a gas station.With the hood up. Seems the man just bought it in Beckley ,W.Va and drove it about 40 miles to Craigsville,W.Va. The NEW fuel pump went out. So is these restored automobiles REALLY RESTORED ?
I love these cars. Dad started teaching me drive in a TR-3A so a persinal favorite. His looked pretty rough. Solid but rough. Missing some trim and 3 different shades of primer , but it ran like a scalded dog. If I’m not mistaken he paid and resold it for about $1500.00 in the mid 80s. A lot has changed.
I bought a solid BRG,Triumph TR-4a,California Black Plate, car for 1k. It took mechanical work just about every time it was driven. Put new carbs, some wiring, brakes, etc. Sold it to some lucky buyer for 4K. Wonder where it is today. BTW, put synthetic brake fluid in it. That was a mistake, as the rubber brake parts started leaking. It was sold in that condition.
Back in ´65 I had a ´59 TR3-A. Loved the car. Got married and it turns out the gal who had never spoken a word of complaint about it before hated the low seats, the noise, the ¨ rough¨ ride, the – everything about my beauty. Well, I sold it when the flywheel cracked for 200 bucks and bought a used Olds 88 instead. As it turned out, I should have kept my BrItish Bride and dumped my Southern Bell (boy, she was mindbogglingly beautiful, but what a nightmare) instead, something I did 6 months later anyway. Wish I had kept my little TR3. It´s one of the cars I miss, the others being my Glas 1700GT (my hands-down favorite), my DKW 3=6 and the ´67 Pontiac GP demo I had while working for Pontiac Plaza.
Nope. I agree with Rick , $1500.00 in the 80s was some how easier than 15,000.00 in 2021.
I always liked the early TR’s. Scary part is everybody you pull along side of at a traffic light looks down at you. Ralph Nader never got this one off the US roads like he did with the Corvair.