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Vintage Cars

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18,209
Doesn't look to bad actually. As long as everything is there go for it. At least the misses will know where you are spending your money and where you will be;)

Mike
Actually some of the surface rust was pretty deep & would have required some surface putty after sanding it out. It had sat in that garage for so long the brakes were frozen & I couldn't get the car to budge in or out of gear. I couldn't get the engine to turn even by pulling the fan belt. I figured the rings were rusted to the cylinder walls, & maybe the crank too. Mice had been in the interior & I wondered about the wiring harness.

The daughters of the owner were asking $6,000 but taking bids. I know they had only 3 bids on Thurs & the highest was ~$3,000. I didn't bid nor do I know what the ended up doing with it on Sat.

They also had a 1965 Chevelle SS convertible that was in worse shape than the TR-3.
 

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,793
Location
New Forest
Actually some of the surface rust was pretty deep & would have required some surface putty after sanding it out. It had sat in that garage for so long the brakes were frozen & I couldn't get the car to budge in or out of gear. I couldn't get the engine to turn even by pulling the fan belt. I figured the rings were rusted to the cylinder walls, & maybe the crank too. Mice had been in the interior & I wondered about the wiring harness.

The daughters of the owner were asking $6,000 but taking bids. I know they had only 3 bids on Thurs & the highest was ~$3,000. I didn't bid nor do I know what the ended up doing with it on Sat.
We have an annual Classic Car Motor Show, it's actually on this weekend. A TR3 has been entered in The Pride of Ownership contest. You can read about it in Classic Car Weekly. https://www.classiccarweekly.co.uk/buy-the-paper/2018/11/7/classic-car-weekly-7-november-2018

As for the Triumph that you looked at, she certainly needs to be stripped down to her panties to see the hidden state. A formidable task, but if you do go in for a British sports car there's a great many parts available. If you find it difficult to source them in the US I can always point you in the right direction here in the UK.
Worth noting that a restored TR3 on your side of the pond, can realise about $35K. You might get a better deal in the UK but would it be worth it given the cost of shipping and insurance? Have a look at this write up by Hemmings: https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hsx/2015/08/Perfection-Achieved---1956-Triumph-TR3/3748808.html
Good luck if you do go for it.
 
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Messages
18,209
We have an annual Classic Car Motor Show, it's actually on this weekend. A TR3 has been entered in The Pride of Ownership contest. You can read about it in Classic Car Weekly. https://www.classiccarweekly.co.uk/buy-the-paper/2018/11/7/classic-car-weekly-7-november-2018

As for the Triumph that you looked at, she certainly needs to be stripped down to her panties to see the hidden state. A formidable task, but if you do go in for a British sports car there's a great many parts available. If you find it difficult to source them in the US I can always point you in the right direction here in the UK.
Worth noting that a restored TR3 on your side of the pond, can realise about $35K. You might get a better deal in the UK but would it be worth it given the cost of shipping and insurance? Have a look at this write up by Hemmings: https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hsx/2015/08/Perfection-Achieved---1956-Triumph-TR3/3748808.html
Good luck if you do go for it.
I'm familiar with British sports cars. My first exposure was with an Austin Healey 100-6, then an MGBGT coupe.

I didn't bid but know where the car went. I'm told there was only two bids. Just too much work unless you can afford to have it professionally restored.

Thanks for the link. I enjoyed reading that.
 

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,793
Location
New Forest
The 1964 Buick iron-block 4,920 cc (300 cu in) engine with it's aluminium cylinder heads and a longer stroke crankshaft, which with modification can be used to produce a high-output, very light weight V8 with displacement of up to about 300 cubic inches, in the hands of the Rover engineers, the cast iron gives way to aluminium, thus producing one of the most iconic and arguably one of the fastest V8 engines ever.

Put it in the small MGB GT and it will blow away the likes of, not only European so called super cars, but also hold it's on against some of America's muscle cars.
mgbgtv8.jpg
mgbgtv8-.jpg
mgbgtv8--.jpg

Now there are those who love their Dodge Chargers and I certainly wouldn't argue that an engine the size of The Charger's couldn't kick ass, so if you like your MGB GT and Buick's finest doesn't have enough grunt, how about shoe horning in one of Coventry's V12 beauties? Kick ass or what?
MGB-V12-1.jpg
 
Messages
18,209
The 1964 Buick iron-block 4,920 cc (300 cu in) engine with it's aluminium cylinder heads and a longer stroke crankshaft, which with modification can be used to produce a high-output, very light weight V8 with displacement of up to about 300 cubic inches, in the hands of the Rover engineers, the cast iron gives way to aluminium, thus producing one of the most iconic and arguably one of the fastest V8 engines ever.

Put it in the small MGB GT and it will blow away the likes of, not only European so called super cars, but also hold it's on against some of America's muscle cars.
View attachment 143960 View attachment 143961 View attachment 143962
Now there are those who love their Dodge Chargers and I certainly wouldn't argue that an engine the size of The Charger's couldn't kick ass, so if you like your MGB GT and Buick's finest doesn't have enough grunt, how about shoe horning in one of Coventry's V12 beauties? Kick ass or what?
View attachment 143963
My cousin had an old 100-4 that had an aluminum 265ci V8 from an early Buick Special. The only thing was due to space limitations the V8 could only be mated with the same 2sp Powerglide transmission from the Buick Special. A few yrs later when he parted the 100-4 out he sold the V8/transimssion combo to a guy who was ecstatic that it still had the powerglide. He was mounting it in backwords in a VW bug.

My MGBGT had the electric overdrive. The only drawback with it was it was still a 6-volt system (1970 I remember) & I installed 2 batteries in the well in parallel. Still 6-volts but a lot more cranking power when it was hard to start.
 

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,793
Location
New Forest
This morning it was bright, sunny but cold. A good chance to give the MG a spin. A quick hose over, a buff up with the leather and we were ready to rock & roll. No sooner had I put the wash materials away than the heavens opened up. Isn't it always the way? Later, taking my wife's VW, I went shopping for some groceries. It's this shirt's buttons that gets all the attention, my missus made them out of lapel pins.
mg hat.png

old photos 525.JPG
 
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GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,793
Location
New Forest

tmal

One of the Regulars
Messages
116
Location
NYS
I recently inherited some old(some are very old) shop manuals.I intend to sell them.Is there a site where I can look at some prices? Manuals go back to the early 20's, and most are in good condition. The sites I have found so far do not have publications that go back to the 20-30s like mine do.
 
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GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,793
Location
New Forest
I recently inherited some old(some are very old) shop manuals.I intend to sell them.Is there a site where I can look at some prices? Manuals go back to the early 20's, and most are in good condition. The sites I have found so far do not have publications that go back to the 20-30s like mine do.
Try putting the word Autojumble into your search box. We have an enormous event that encompasses all kinds of vintage and classic motoring ephemera,
https://www.beaulieu.co.uk/events/international-autojumble/
 

LizzieMaine

Bartender
Messages
33,752
Location
Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
We still have 'em here -- due to an unexpectedly early winter, I had to put the Plodge away for the season a few weeks ahead of schedule, right before Thanksgiving. Total mileage for the year, from March 30th to November 21st, comes to 1456, and this was the first year since I've owned it that it had no time logged in the shop. I still haven't gotten the heater fixed, but this year was warm enough that I didn't have any need for it anyway.

Major repair expenditure for the year was $120 for a new battery. Modern 6-volt batteries don't seem to last very long -- it's become an every-other-year routine to replace it.
 

LizzieMaine

Bartender
Messages
33,752
Location
Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
I've been using those off-the-shelf Exide batteries from Tractor Supply, which is the only place local I can get 6-volt without having to order out. Two years, and pffffffrt, they're done. But they do look vintage-ish, the standard Block 1 size and shape.

Those Optimas look like the "Hot Shot" batteries I used to get for my little two-tube radio when I was a kid, the kind that they sold at the hardware store for electric fences, and that were basically four No. 6 dry cells in series.
 

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