Testing picture post - TR2
That was so much fun I decided to do it again. Painting is complete now (the second complete spray as the other was 15 years old and frankly unworthy). Some parts have dissappeared and a few things have surfaced that I'd forgotten I had. It seems almost weird to be finally back into it after so long but it's fun.
Looks great John. Is it going to mak National???
Tom
Thanks Tom! Not likely to make TRA this year as there is lots of remedial work tol be done on things that have been sitting for 15 years. One example is the great article on radios that surfaced here - mine was missing a bracket and now we need to fill holes and the bulkhead sprayed yet again...one step forward and two back. It should be ready in the fall.
At least the fitted suitcase is finished.
JW
John,
Thanks for posting the pix! I'm still in the disassembly phase and finding lots of questions about details so I appreciate all such photos.
My guess is that the round hole in the outboard foot well panel is for a speaker, but I didn't think radios were a factory option that early.
I'm also curious about the holes in the floor pan toward the back - aft of the diagonal braces. Look like about 1 1/2" dia. My floor pan is mostly gone, but I see no traces of these holes.
Please post lots more pix.
Earl Ferguson
TS 27 L
Earl:
The "How to Restore" books by Roger Williams states that those speaker holes have been put there by previous owners and will require a replacement panel, but every one I've seen from early TR2's up through mid-production TR3A's all have the EXACT same hole, so either Standard-Triumph supplied a template which every owner followed to the Nth degree, or those speaker holes are supposed to be there! I haven't been able to disprove this theory yet, but I think the speaker holes disappeared about the same time as the right side pedal holes and blanking plates on the bulkhead, somewhere in the high 47000 range.
Mark
The speaker holes were definately fitted to the earler cars and are set up for the typical Smiths speaker of the period - one that can be found on just about any contermporary British car. Radios were offered from the onset, although rarely fitted. The most difficult thing to find is the early Smiths' type antenna with its unique rubber grommet. I found one for my XK but not for this car. I'll have to use a period 'chrome cap' type for now. The hole for the antenna lead is also original.
My 1959 TR3A, TS50190L lacked the hole. TS30690L had one.
A surviving photograph of MWK 950 - a prototype car built from 20TS bits shows the antenna and grommet and through the sidescreen, the earliest type radio. This car was apparently a test bed for all sorts of gizmos. The photo dates from 1954 - well after the car was initially built.
It makes sense that these holes would be eliminated around the time that the scuttles were simplified. Also, that was about the time that Smiths' introduced the 40/400 and 50/500 Series radios and the appropriate mounting kit for TRs - the familiar ones mounted on the transmission tunnel.
The floors to TS227LO are original, just having required a little bit of patching at some seams in the front. The holes have been there, although I can't testify as to their provenance beyond having first seen them over 20 years ago. They are going to be fitted with rubber plugs and left alone. Carpet hides many things...
On the note of plugs - the steel access plates for the jacking holes on 227 were originally painted white - which makes sense given how many other things were body color that we would have painted black in this day and age. The photo in the TR2 owner's manual shows them black - but that was of a prototype car. These things were in a number of cars - XKs included - and were usually black in cars other than TRs. This also makes sense as while they were all likely made by the same company by spec., the manner in which the cars were assembled varied. XKs had these things going into black painted plywood floors.
All good fun!
Interesting bits of trivia. TS 27 does not have the speaker hole but didn't have a radio when I got it in the 60s. While my floor pans are mostly gone, I don't see any evidence of the smaller holes aft of the seats that show on John's car.
Boy, there are a lot of these minor details to ferret out when doing a restor.
Earl Ferguson
The details are what makes it all interesting, particularly on the early TR2s, which have so many different features than the latter cars. It could be argued that early TR2 restorers are the most obsessed of the sidecurtain crowd, as the material gains of an accurate TR2 restoration are often not worth the opposing costs and headaches from a strictly logical standpoint. A TR3B is a technically superior machine that is just as rare with the same basic appeal and a lot less potential for running into binds if a few bits are missing or unsalvageable. It's all in what you like!
Nice car! BRG and tan/brown is always a great combinaton that looks British - sorta like bright red and light tn speaks Italian. Looks like a nice neighborhood too!
JW
Very nice pictures! I've never seen mirrors located that way before - I like it. I may need to rethink where I'm putting mine on my 59 3A.
It is common practice here in OZ to fit mirrors to the screws holding screen on.
Adapt a motorcycle mirror and make up a replacement bolt with extended stud and a lock nut.
they sit at a better height and can be used with sidescreens on.
How well do they survive folks walking past the car a little too closely? I know my mirrors on the front wings are always getting bumped out of adjustment. I even witnessed one being completely broken off of someone else's car at the Columbus OH BCD a few years ago.
Mark
Mine used to get bumped by butts and hips in the garage also. It got to the point wehere I'd loosen the nut and pivot them inboard if the car was idle for any length of time. . Fine until you want to go on a quick run and have to adjust them. I had to keep spare 'teardrop' gaskets in the goodie box too as they seemed to suffer being moved even when the nut was loose.
