It doesn’t look like Barn Finds readers were terribly enthusiastic about the 1958 Triumph TR3 posted recently — perhaps the $2,000 asking price threw you off? This car while being further disassembled is much less expensive, with the seller asking just $1,000 in this ad on Facebook Marketplace. The car is located in McLeansville, North Carolina. They also suggest that they are scrapping the car if no one is interested, so I suspect an offer far less may obtain this restorable Triumph.
It appears that the car has been disassembled, perhaps for some long-abandoned restoration. However, looking closely you can find that most of the parts are present, and the sheet metal, while bent, is actually pretty solid. This is one of those advertisements that a person could make an instant negative decision about without looking closely enough to see that this is really a diamond in the rough!
You’ll note the intact floors, spare tire well and trunk floor in this shot. All the gauges are present as well. Again, sad looking to begin with but with much promise. I hope someone decides to rescue this car.
I realize I’m an optimist, but I can see a bit of rakish magic here. Am I the only one? I hope not. Someone has to be!
The frame and drive train look intact as well. Unfortunately that’s a non-overdrive transmission — or perhaps that’s ultimate fortunate for this car as it would probably be parted out if it had one. An overdrive TR3 transmission can fetch more than the asking price for this car.
What I’d like to do if I had more time is get this car running and put it back together without improving the cosmetics at all (ok, maybe seats) and then show up at a Triumph Club of the Carolinas meeting. I’ll bet it would get more attention than all the rest of the cars there combined! My wife just looked up McLeansville and it’s 35 miles from my home. I might have to take a trip…
Are you sure this wasn’t a listing from BHCC or Gullwing Motors?
Can’t be Gullwing; they would be asking $30K, “as is”.
Looks like any car parked in Watts for 3 hours.
I dare ya. DO IT!!!
That’s how I ended up with the Lister XJS last year…one of the occupational hazards of writing for Barn Finds is constant exposure to cool project cars!
Scrap it and save someone years of hard work, his marriage and $28000
Simon, I have personally restored Triumphs that looked much worse than this. Sure, it has to be somewhat of a labor of love, but once you have the expertise to do so it can be fun and sometimes profitable as well.
i’v done a few TR3’s over the years but they were not that far gone, It will be a money pit if done correctly, but with the prices dropping and for us the low pound it’s not worth the trouble in that state unless you use it for a parts car and for $500.
Oh, and by the way, my wife is wonderful and owns her own Triumphs!
Why not buy this and ad it to her collection, if you fancy another easy project.
Good luck.
My wife has two Healey 3000’s and looks beautiful when out on the road.
All the best.
…”some assembly required” but ran when it was parked.
TR3s are simpler than a Ford 8N tractor, and every part is readily available new or used. Concours examples are quite valuable, but ratty, solid drivers are much more fun. This car isn’t worth a concourse resto, but it wouldn’t be that expensive for a good home mechanic to get it back together and running. Make all the mechanical systems safe and reliable, give it a cheap paint job, and blast around in it every summer weekend.
Is this one of the ones that they threw out of an airplane making a movie…..?
Is today April 1st?
You should take a look if crime scenes are of interest to you. It should have Police Tape wrapped around it.
“Ran when parked”
If you have the room & talent, this is a great project, maybe father & son or other, not an outrageous outlay of cash & definitely something to consider.
Does it run ?
Cause I am…..
Away…
I bought a used 1960 TR3 for $600. It was beautiful. I drove it for couple of years until going to Viet Nam. When I got back stateside I bought a new 1969 TR6. Seems like I paid $3100 out the door. It was the only one in Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater, Florida for a couple of years. The Jag dealer made me a great deal on a Jag trading for my TR, but I would not do the deal. The ’69 TR6 was the best TR made in my opinion. I have lots of good memories with both cars. Later year TR6’s has electrical problems.
No, I didn’t buy it…but someone else did!!! More to come, I hope!