Ed, TR3s did come in a very nice red colour. Mine came from the factory
that colour. It was white when I got it and drove it. Now, the only
white with red underneath is the front valence which I have not yet
started working on yet. In a perfect example of advanced ship fitters
desiese, the rest of the car is in primer/sealer grey. Before it got there
it was taken down to bare metal and all the badly rusted areas like the
floors, inner and outer sills, rear valence,boot lid, bottom back 12"
of both front wings, bottom 12" between the back door post and front of the
rear wing have been replaced with new metal. She has had dents I did not
know was there fixed, and supports new hi-tech undercoating underneath,
on the inside wing surfaces, and in that area behind the splash shield
(front wing behind the wheel well). After looking at a freshly red painted
TR2 Wednsday evening, and noticing how the slightest imperfection stands
out on the long flat surface, I took my bonnet to the body shop to be with
the rest of the car.
Sitting next to my TR3A is a newly cleaned up and freshly black painted
Bug Eye sprite. Looking into the light reflection off the black paint,
I could not wind any imperfection. I'm confident that these guys know what
they are doing.
When my 3 gets back on the road, she will be a very different car than I
knew and loved. She will be Apple green (rare factory colour) unstead of
white. The seats will be boulted down because there is now enough metal
to bolt them to. The steering should be tight and the sterring
wheel should be without that 2" play.
But since, I am going to be reassembling her myself, we will be reintroduced,
part by lovingly attached part. Before she is on the road again, I will
intimently know every part on her.
I'm not afraid of losing the 3 I have come to love, I am looking forward to
getting to know her new aspects. I was getting tired of sloppy steering,
people not wanting to ride with me because the seats were not bolted down
and having to stop every 50 miles of a Triumph club tour so I could swap
out the oild fouled number 3 plug (have i got a collection of oil fouled
plugs with less than 100 mi on them).
I'm dreaming of Triumph club outings, British car meets, and going after
them pesky Miatas on Old San Jose road. I'm dreaming of tours through the
redwood forrested mountains with quickly snached views of the Pacific. Of
the rich perfume of the redwood forrest on a warm summer day.
I'm looking forward to the bumps from sliding the 3 arround a courner on a
lonely mountain road, getting to know the new stiffer springs, front and
rear, the new antisway bar, the nylon bushings and rebuild steering box.
I'm looking forward to learning the feel of of a freshly built engine with
87mm pistons, 10:1 compression, 280 deg cam, polished ports, oversize valves,
header, twin DCOEs, oil cooler, deep sump finned oil pan, polished finned
valve cover, harmonic dampener.
I learned to love her in her old quirks aspects, and now I am eager to get
to lean her new quirky aspects. I'm not afraid of losing the old 3. She
still runs in my memories. I am so excited about being able to fix
so many of the evil things done to he by past owners.
Lifes too short not to drive a roadster
TeriAnn
But honest, All I was going to do is rebuild the engine, replace the interior
and wiring harness and repaint the engine compartment and boot.
But when I went to replace the light bulb ....
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