Brad, your car sounds like MY deal - except I got TWO of 'em in that condition!
And I
only paid for the flatbed to go get them! Are we good, or what??!
Michael Ferguson
Vernon CT
Brad Kahler wrote:
> Listers,
>
> I managed to pick up the $300 TR3 yesterday afternoon. For those of you
> that were disappointed in not getting there first, consider yourselve's
> lucky!! There isn't a single inch of this car that isn't rusty or rusted
>through
> with few exceptions. Rather than describe what is BAD about the car I'll
> describe whats good about the car. ................. That is. Actually
>there are a
> few salvageable items. They are as follows, grille, windscreen frame, front
> apron, rear turn signal lights, front bumper (I think), intake & exhaust
> manifolds, radiator (mostly), spare left rear fender, right rear fender (I
>think),
> steering wheel(s), gauges, right front fender (I think), gas tank (I think),
>side
> curtains (maybe), wiring harness and the horns (I think). There might be
> other misc items but I won't know until I can dismantle the car farther. I
>will
> be pulling whats left of the engine and tranny along with some of the
> suspension parts as I dismantle it.
>
> This car sat in a tree covered area for 24 years. The front apron had been
> removed at that time along with the head. After all those years the engine
> may or may not be salvageable. The frame looks like swiss cheese. There
> are NO floorboards. Left front fender is toast along with the left rear
>fender.
> The bonnet and boot lids are wasted. The seats and anything under them
> are toast. When I got there, there was a small three foot pine tree growing
> behind the drivers seat. The bottoms of the doors are rotted away and I
> can't even get them open at the moment.
>
> The DPO had bought a new clutch, pressure plate, TO bearing, tie rod
> ends, ball joints radiator hoses and left them in a bucket in the passenger
> seat. He also had a new exhaust system sitting there. When a big storm hit
> about two years after parking the car it ripped the aftermarket fiberglass
> hardtop off and the car was then left like that. Needless to say all of these
> NEW parts I just tossed in the junk trailer to haul off they were to rusty to
> almost recognize. Even the steel parts on the bottom of the carbs has
> rotted away. From what he described compared to what I actually found
> was quite literally two different things. He supposedly has in a box
> somewhere new pistons and liners that he said he would send me when he
> finds them. We'll see....
>
> The car was TS41311L and titled as a 1959. Needless to say all I'm going to
> do is salvage what I can and haul the rest off to the dump. I could tell by
> looking at the front apron which was stored in a somewhat protected
> manner that the car was probably in pretty good shape when he parked it.
>
> It took me 3 1/2 hours to get the car up on my replacement wheels and tires
> and to fix the sticking right rear brake drum. I suppose for $300 if I look
>at it
> as buying parts I did ok but if I look at it as a car purchase its just REAL
> sad. Now all I have to do is figure out whether I want to try and sell the
> stuff or wait around and see if I can find a project TR3 to finish up. That
> will have to take some soul searching.
>
> So ends the saga of the bargan basement $300 TR3. Wait.... Or is it just
> beginning? <G>
>
> Brad (Lincoln Nebraska 402-464-1502)
>
> 1964 Spitfire4 BFC25720L
> 1966 TR4A CT72398L (Now a parts car)
> 1961 TR4 CT288L (Now with OD!!)
> 1959 TR3 TS41311L
> 1951 Dodge Truck 82217766 B-3-B-108
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