Owning eight Triumphs myself and having resurrected many of them, it is obvious that this 1961 TR3A found by Jim S would appeal to me. Somehow, the story along with it touched me to the extent that I checked my bank account…still empty, though! So it won’t be me winning the auction for this “beauty” found here on eBay…maybe it will be you?

As we covered recently in another post, the simplicity and honesty of the basic TR3 design has a lot going for it. With a strong wet-liner four cylinder engine, snickety four speed transmission and front disc brakes, other than its simple shape it had pretty good specs for the era. It’s hard to believe that Triumph was competing at LeMans with a developed version of this chassis and a twin cam engine based on this one at the same time. This car has a great story along with it.

It’s obvious this is a true barn find. Rodent nest material abounds throughout the pictures. According to the ad, the car was the seller’s father’s car, his second TR3 and that he’s owned it since 1966. The last time it was started was in the late 1970’s. The SU carbs are said to move freely and, as it’s been stored in a metal shed for the last 30 years, there’s hope that the sheet metal and floors are usable.

The one picture of the interior that shows the floors lends some credence to the idea that they may be solid. Another shot shows the 48,823 miles on the odometer; of course, we have no idea if that’s original or is 148k, or anywhere in between. It does, however, show that the interior is relatively complete, with all gauges in place. Seats have been upholstered at some point in the past, although it’s obvious that a complete refurbishment will be in order.

The seller also states that there are parts from a disassembled TR3 included, and many of the pictures are of the spare parts. The majority of an engine seems to be included, along with many other spares.

A second transmission currently resides in the trunk. While neither are the desirable overdrive, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have an extra transmission around! It’s nice to see the trunk edge intact as well.

Based on the dents in the front grille and some of the waviness of the front valence, there’s at least a minor accident in this car’s past. But there are good bones here if the price stays low. Have you got room for this Triumph in your garage?