If you like “Sidescreen” Triumphs, you’ve immediately noticed something wrong with this picture: “Wait a minute! The TR3A had the wide-mouth grille!” Of course, you also know that converting the nose of an early TR is common enough that it’s not surprising; therefore, to the average car person, this ’61 model looks like an earlier TR3 and nobody’s the wiser. Being that this is certainly a restoration project, however, you can rebuild it however you’d like. The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust has verified that the car was a pretty Powder Blue with a blue leather interior and white “hood” when new, and I think that would be a good direction to take if you’re giving this classic British sports car a ground-up restoration. If a TR3A project is right for you at the moment, this one is on eBay in Bell, Florida, with an asking price of $3,950 or best offer.

You can see the remnants of the TR’s original color under the hood, where everything mechanical appears to still be in place. The engine does not currently run, but the previous owner told the selling dealer that it “ran when parked.” OK, it ran before the owner disassembled it with the intention of restoring it; unfortunately, his health got in the way and the car sat. The engine still turns, however, and if there’s a chance of getting something to run, it might be one of these tough 1991cc four cylinders. Triumphs were well-known for being powerful (for a small British sports car) and efficient; they were rated at 100 horsepower and could easily achieve fuel mileage nearing 30 miles per gallon. The twin SU carburetors are still fascinating in their simplicity, and parts are readily available. The seller says that the 82,695 miles on the odometer are accurate, according to the title.

Based on the pictures, the interior is complete (the seats have been removed for this shot), and the car will come with new carpet and lower seat upholstery. It’s too bad that the new parts are not the original blue, but at least the sidescreens and top are all there. There’s no doubt that this will be an ambitious project, but at least it’s small.

It does have some of the standard Triumph rust (pun intended). The floors have been replaced by some flat galvanized steel, which you might as well do right if you’re restoring the car. The rockers also don’t look great, but once again, those parts are readily available, and you don’t take on a project like this if you don’t know how to weld.

Early TRs have held their value pretty well over the years, but I don’t think they’re on the rise, so if you’re in the market for one, you’ll have to decide if you want a hobby or a driver. With this car, you can have both, but the hobby will come before the driving. And please, paint it powder blue.