One of the more iconic British sports cars is the Triumph TR3. Remembered for its cut-down doors and jaunty good looks, the TR3 has but one enemy: rust. If you are looking for a handsome, easy-to-work-on British sports car, our friend T.J. has located the ride for you. This 1960 Triumph TR3 for sale on Craigslist in the tranquil city of Chicago, Illinois is complete but needs a lot of work to be made new again. Of course, there is rust to deal with. Does the asking price of $7,350 leave you room in your budget for patch panels, or will the seller have to make concessions for this charmer to find a new home?
The details on this TR3 are sparse, to say the least. All we are told is that the body and frame are solid and sound and that there is “little rust easy fix.” The engine is said to crank on a good battery, and it has a clear title. We are assured that it is a “good project all together.”
A quick perusal of the pictures may indicate that the seller is a tad optimistic in their appraisal of this Triumph. The second picture shows corrosion damage in the driver’s side sill. In the third picture, it is hard to discern if the silver paint is lifting from age and poor preparation of the metal and finish below, or if rust is pushing the paint up. There is a suspiciously bubbly area under where the tag mounts as well. The trunk hinge has also come up and the trunk lid is sitting proud on the passenger side.
Besides the usual dents and dings, we see that the passenger side sill may be corroded as well. When you stop to think about it, the weakest link from front to back on the car is the area under the doors. Cutting the sills out and replacing them will first require trussing up the body and squaring everything up. Slapping some Bondo on and spraying over the damage will not work in this case.
In the picture above, we see that the interior is complete but heavily weathered. The dash and instruments look good, but the upholstery is long gone. We have no idea the condition of the floors. The top bows are intact but will need the proper top and replacement of the straps that hold the bows in place. One interesting aspect of the TR3’s weather protection is that the top snaps to the top of the windshield. There is no conventional header to sit atop the windshield. The car also lacks conventional roll-up windows. Weather protection is by side curtains.
Under the hood is the inline four-cylinder engine that does crank according to the seller. Crank probably does not equal run in this case, and we hope that the cylinders were lubricated before the cranking commenced. These engines have around 2.0 liters of displacement and have a reputation for being reliable runners. Looks can be deceiving and this car may not need a rebuild with a little luck and a lot of refurbishments of ancillary parts.
In all, this is a car that one needs to see in person before making an offer. It may be a great car with easy-to-handle corrosion issues, or it may be an unmitigated mess. TR3s are awesome cars that have ample horsepower, forgiving handling, and an unmistakable look all their own. Hopefully, it will be back on the road soon.
Interesting choice of photo venue what with all the roll-off rubbish bins laying around…
The TR3 was a cool car, in true “elbow scraper” form, yet never quite had the zing of the MGA. Seems Britain had the “Ford-Chevy” thing going on in the states with MG-Triumph. If on a budget and wanted a 2 seat sports car, the MGA or the TR3 were the logical choices. Most went with the MG. Both great cars, about the same price, around $2100 new, but it wasn’t until the TR4 that really got things humming for Triumph.
I’ve said many times, after a couple of years, these became just someones beater, as it shows, and a parts car, at best here. You’d be a fool to restore this.
I have owned both an MG A and a Triumph TR 3a within a few months of each other when they were only a couple of years old, and my memory of them is that the MG was a fairly fast “open top cruiser” and the TR was a fast “Sports Car” that could out perform the MG all day, every day!
Howard said it. Not worth the effort and really not worth what they are asking for it.
All the experienced British guys on this site see basically the same thing. This car clearly has been very weathered which means it was basically abandoned for many years. Now the owner thinks it is gold. I think the underneath is really bad considering what is seen on top. Also the corroded condition of the carbs says a lot. Knock the last zero off the asking price and I would have my parts car for the TR-3 project that I don’t have yet!!
Why rain on something over your head? If you’re going to take it to XK’s Unlimited and tell them to call when it’s ready yes you better plan to enjoying a perfect 64 year old Roadster BUT if you can regularly recognise which of a screwdriver to hold on to, you CAN have a sweet roadster for autocrosses etc. with a lot of evenings and weekends. Brit cars of that era were intended to be maintained by the owners!
I’d say it needs a lot more than patch panels.
In my youth, I would buy TR-3s like popcorn at the movies, usually for around $100. And most of them looked much like this…
Chicagoland area highway departments are liberal in their use of salt for deicing and snow melt. Salt is also great for promoting rust. Based on what you can see in these photos, I’m pretty sure that what you can’t see is worse. Might be good for parts…
Of it were closer to Denver I would make an offer. But it would not be neer $7500.
I’m in the middle of restoring one of these. Rebuilding the engine is about double what it costs to rebuild a small block Chevy. Other than that this looks like a basic restoration, mine was much worse and is coming along just fine. The key as someone mentioned is you have to do the work yourself, can’t be paying a shop $100/hr.
TR3 doesn’t have a traditional bow at the windshield. The top snaps to the top of the windshield.
go buy a nice one needing no work for $15k, or buy a good driver for under $10k. Maybe it’s a parts car – a shame to see them parted out, but . . . . For $1,500 it would be worth just cleaning up and pushing into a corner of a (large) garage to look at. A labor of love to restore this one.
If you spend any time on Triumph.net or find the local club, better deals will certainly be available.
I had a TR2 that had leather bonnet straps, no need to use the door, you just stepped right in. Would go cruising around campus to bird dog the chicks; brings back fond memories. I was a poor college student and could not afford to keep it; that TR2 was my first love affair.