The owner of this 1963 Triumph TR3B purchased the car approximately 10-years-ago. He chose not to restore the vehicle, but to retain it as an original survivor. It runs and drives and is ready to be enjoyed immediately. Alternatively, the buyer might choose to treat the vehicle to a bit of a birthday. From that perspective, it has the potential to make a rewarding and enjoyable family restoration project. The Triumph is located in Saratoga Springs, New York, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. The bidding currently sits at $16,700, but the reserve isn’t met.

The owner believes that the Old English White TR3 has received at least one repaint during its lifetime. It now shows plenty of minor scratches and chips, and would definitely benefit from a cosmetic refresh. There are also a few spots of minor surface corrosion beginning to show, and these should probably be treated before they have a chance to deteriorate further. All of the lights and lenses are present, and these appear to be in good condition. Some of the external chrome is showing some marked deterioration. This will still be okay if the car is to be presented as an original survivor. However, if a restoration is planned, then these items will require attention. One aspect of the exterior which won’t need to be touched is the wheels. Those wire wheels look nice and shiny for an excellent reason; They are brand new. They are wrapped in new tires and look a treat on this old Triumph.

The interior of the TR3 looks tired, but it is serviceable. It is trimmed in red leather, and one major positive attribute is that it appears to be free from tears or seam separations. This is another area of the car that the owner has chosen not to touch. If the buyer wanted to make the interior really pop, then this would be an easy task. Replacement interior trim is readily available, and a trim kit would have it presenting at its best. That is a tempting proposition, but if I were to buy this classic, I would be inclined to talk to a leather specialist to see if they could revive the existing trim. The idea of spotless perfection is an attractive one, but I can’t help but think that restoring the existing trim would retain a fair amount of the interior’s character and charm.

The TR3B was built at the same time as the newly-introduced TR4 and appeared because many dealers didn’t have complete faith in Triumph’s latest offering. However, potential buyers were able to reap the benefits, because the TR3B received the same engine and transmission as fitted to the TR4. This is a 2,138cc 4-cylinder engine, which is backed by a 4-speed manual transmission. The engine is fed by a pair of H6 SU carburetors and produces 105hp. This represented a 5hp increase over its predecessor and also meant that the TR3B could hit 110mph. Possibly the most significant step forward for drivers was the fact that the transmission featured synchromesh on all forward gears. The previous model didn’t have this feature on 1st gear, which made it slightly uncomfortable for some people to drive in stop/start city traffic. There is a knack to being able to grab a non-synchronized gear in those situations, and some people simply can’t master it. The Triumph received a full front-end rebuild approximately 5-years-ago, and the owner states that it runs, drives, and steers exceptionally well.

The Triumph TR3B is a model that never “officially” existed. It was sold as an update of the TR3A and was produced to ease the concerns of some on the company’s dealers. With a “TCF” VIN, this TR3B is part of a short production run that the company produced while dealers “found their feet” with the TR4. There were 2,804 examples of the “TCF” Triumph TR3B produced, but it isn’t clear how many have survived today. That low production total makes this a car that is worthy of preservation. The big question revolves around whether it should be treated to some restoration work, or whether it should be preserved as an original survivor. That’s a tough call to make.