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UPDATE: Jasmine Yellow 1968 Triumph TR250

UPDATE – We featured this Jasmine TR250 back in January of 2018, well we just heard from its new owner Richard B with an update!

From Richard – Just a quick update on the Triumph Tr250 that was featured on your site. The car Is now back in the UK, the frame was straight and the body was so sound that it was an easy job to straighten the inner body that had only been lightly damaged, the outer panels absorbing the main impact. The vehicle only required front and rear right-hand wings and a door with glass all of which luckily I managed to find original rust free parts. Just awaiting the rear bumper to come back from being refurbished, then ready for the road.

FROM 1/18/2018 – One of our greatest fears as enthusiasts is getting hit in traffic or coming out to find damage to your parked pride and joy.  This is particularly sobering when the car in question is largely restored and/or original, as is the case with this 1968 Triumph TR250. The seller claims most of the original mechanical components have been rebuilt and that the car is worthy of a rebuild. The Triumph is located in Maryland and you’ll find it here on eBay where bidding is over $9K.

There are better pictures available if you email the seller, but here’s one angle of the passenger-side accident damage. It looks like the Triumph was sideswiped, but I suppose this could have been a direct hit as well. Surprisingly, the seller didn’t have this car registered on a collector’s policy, which seems insane given the high level of preservation present in this example. The seller cites the USAA policy it was covered by automatically totals cars with obsolete parts, as opposed to an underwriter like Hagerty or J.C. Taylor that would foot the bill for finding original parts to replace the damaged areas. The good news: the frame wasn’t damaged.

The top of the passenger door panel was also wrinkled, as seen here. As you can also see, this TR250 has a beautifully restored interior, and the tan upholstery is believed to be quite rare when combined with the Jasmine Yellow exterior; most of these cars had black interiors. The seller notes that this is one of the final 50 TR250s made and also comes with rare factory American Racing magnesium wheels and spinners – thankfully, not damaged in the accident. The TR250 also features correct replacement Wilton wool carpets and a new upper dash pad.

Documentation is also a selling point, as the original brochure, service manual, and British Heritage Certificate are all included. This TR250 was a pristine example before the accident, and it’s a shame the seller isn’t considering rebuilding this one, which also features a high-performance Richard Good camshaft and manifold. There’s a treasure trove of parts here, but given the production number significance and overall state of preservation, we hope to see this TR250 back on the roads again soon.

Our thanks to Richard for the update! It looks like the car has turned out beautifully and we are glad to see that it ended up at a good home. If you’ve ever purchased a car we’ve featured, we would love to see it!

Comments

  1. Avatar Cadmanls Member

    Sad to say it looks like that car is bent more than bolting on some new parts and a pull here and there. My guess is the frame may also have damage, looks as though someone has spent some time and money to get the car where it was.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Steve R

      It looks like it took a big hit. That might be the reason for no clear pictures of the damage. Buyer beware, it could be very easy to be upside down after it’s repaired and painted.

      Steve R

      Like 0
      • Avatar Jack

        Lots more damage photos on the eBay post. This is a really rare car and I hope someone saves it.

        Like 1
      • Avatar Alan (Michigan)

        A BIG hit is right!

        For the driver’s door to be jacked that much after a right-side impact pretty much tells the story. Bent Frame.

        Like 0
  2. Avatar glen

    Doesn’t the insurance company own the car once it’s written-off?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Steve R

      You often have an option to buy the car back back, but the title will reflect how the insurance company resolved the claim.

      Steve R

      Like 0
    • Avatar bobk

      I would add that insurance companies sell any totals after they’ve paid off the claim. When I worked (back office IT) for Farm Bureau in the 80’s, I bought three totals that were restorable. At the time, Farm Bureau employees could buy any “total” for $10 over the high bid at the time of the listing being closed. DEAL!

      Like 0
  3. Avatar John >

    I cringed after looking at the damage as shown by the E-Bay photos. It’ll cost plenty of money and time in the shop to put the little guy back on the road.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Mountainwoodie

    Man thats a pretty wrinkled body all around. Boss… the trunk….the trunk…….I wonder what USAA valued it at. Since I assume the owner is in possession he must have bought it back in return for a reduced payout. I’m facing a similar situation on a more modern car with USAA.

    If I was the seller I’d be more upfront on whether you’re looking at only new sheet metal or whether the frame is crunched where the door sits…..but apparently that doesnt bother the bidders. They must know something.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Steve R

      Last time it was listed on eBay it didn’t receive any bids.

      Steve R

      Like 0
    • Avatar grant

      He may have bought it back, or he may have decided not to file a claim on it, depending on what they valued it at.

      Like 0
  5. Avatar Dolphin Member

    Too bad about the big sideswipe, but way better than a head-on.

    Seller claims the frame is straight and all damage is ‘cosmetic’. With damage like this I would not use that word, but if the frame really is straight that’s a big plus.

    The big problem will be getting the panels to line up and the gaps right. Best to not even try to pound out the bent panels. Just get good ones and it will make lining them up easier in the end and the car will look better. But I think you are still rolling the dice because the trunk gaps look uneven to me, Either that’s caused by the camera angle, or there is a twist somewhere.

    SGM Guide says these have sold at auction recently for a median price of about $32K, which is more than I would have guessed, so maybe it is worth fixing if someone can do some of the work himself and if the bid doesn’t go too much above $10K. But someone with real good metal body skills will need to be involved here.

    Triple Strombergs is a new one on me….but I’m not sure I can buy the claim that they make more power than triple Webers (one ‘b’, not two).

    Like 2
    • Avatar Bruce

      The strombergs were a pollution control device. In England they had a Lucas Mechanical Fuel Injection system that was one of the very few Lucas devices I have never had a problem with. I had a similar system on my Maserati Sebring and it never failed me. Big thing with that fuel injection system is to LEAVE IT ALONE and make certain you have the right fuel pump. Puts out better power than even webber. On my Maserati Sebring you put on Webers you lose 20HP and some toque.

      Like 0
  6. Avatar Mark S.

    Looks like it’s time to find another unrestored 250 and make on good car out of the two. You’ll want to use the vin off of the potential second car if one can be found anyway as this car will always have the salvage title following it. Sad to see just hope no one was seriously injured in this crash.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar JimmyJ

    Its a shame but looks done to me
    Probably a reason seller is not getting it fixed….

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Bruce

    Having worked on a number of these, this car is far more restorable than most would think. The frames are very easy to cut or straighten if you have to and almost all the parts are easily available. I have fixed far worse in the past. This especially true with the 250 series. They had the engine of a TR-6 but the looks of the TR-4 which I tend to prefer.

    Triumph of this era are some of the most basic cars you can find and all the body parts are available and most of them are bolt on. If you need to see what is involved check out the catalogs of Moss Motors or Victoria British Car parts. This is far to good a car to become a parts car.

    I would do it myself but I am fixing a 928 and Lotus Europa and I have neither the time or funds.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar sluggo

    Its repairable, but I agree,, find a shell/donor car and make one good one and sell off the left over bits. Its likely it does NOT have frame damage, but its easy to check. There is a manual and how to check the frame. (Say hello to Mr Tapemeasure)
    It is not uncommon for the body shell/tub to tweak and bend and leave the frame undamaged. The bodys are like an egg and stress can tweak the panels and body all over. It IS reversible with some skills but I would think buy a good shell with no accident history and better off.
    Trhe TR250 was an entry model and the TR4 and TR6 were up the ladder, but I have followed TR prices and they are significant so, worth rebuilding. The issue is can you come in well under TR250 market value?

    I think its commendable and should be encouraged to save significant vintage cars and Motorcycles, and certainly an option to buy back a totalled vehicle and I often recommend it. The buy back is often low and you can realize a profit selling it as a project often times and plus you get karma points to see another classic saved even if you dont do the project, there are plenty of people who can/will

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jack

      The TR250 was not an entry level model at all, it was the top of the Triumph sports car line when new and came between the TR4 and TR6 as a one-year-only model (known as the TR5 in England). IMHO it combines the best of both, the very pretty and classical TR4 body with the big in line 6 from the TR6. Like so many classics today, it was never originally intended to be, but Karmann was late completing the TR6 body so Triumph had to produce an old/new model for a single year to fill the gap. The rarity alone makes it valuable.

      Like 6
      • Avatar Garry Ford

        You have it right, Jack.

        Like 1
  10. Avatar sluggo

    I stand corrected on the TR250. I based my statement on apparently erroneous info.

    I got that impression in the 1980s-90s from a rep at Moss Motors at the All British field meet, as well as their catalog, and one can also get that impression in the older copies of “Classic car price guide” and then theres the numerical thing, and TR6s typically are considered more valuable than the TR4 so based on all that… (Just like the spitfire IS considered an entry level car).
    This article (Among many others) seems to set the record straight.

    See: https://classicmotorsports.com/articles/triumph-tr250-vs-triumph-tr6/

    Fair disclosure: I own a 1966 TR4A and will be discussing featuring it here on BF soon for sale.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Rusty Boot

    Oh wow! I’ve owned of these but how can one buy this without examining the frame and undercarriage? $9k for a parts car?

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Steve Park

    The title may not reflect it was totaled. It depends on the state. I own 2 cars that were totaled by insurance companies (one twice) The title on each is clear. The car with 2 total losses has a clean Carfax as well.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar sluggo

    Steve Park, that is true about the titles. Depends on the companies and the states. Some people WASH the titles be retitling it several times or in other states. Sometimes its an error on the DMV employee and sometimes recordkeeping.
    Allegedly that is coming to an end is what I have been told, and in some states they re-issue the titles with a different color paper and style so no mistake is made. I have a ducati title from another state that way.
    Also depends on the car too… some older cars it was easy to remove the vin tags and swap them out. Just depends on what kind of car if its stamped in multiple places or not. My Datsun pickup has 4 cheese head screws holding on the VIN plate.

    Like 1

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