Pulled this from the TR2-TR4 web site... may be of interest. (My '60 TR3A post
TS60000 has the rounded nose - no evidence of bondo in that area!)
TR3 Front aprons
Around '93 or '94 this list had a long string on TR3A front aprons and holes for
lettering. During that time I ran a questionnaire through the list asking nose
shape, hole info and TS number.
Here are the conclusions from the poll: The first TR3A tools had the smoothly
rounded front above the mouth. This tool was replaced by a newer tool that had
the double curve, or lip around TS74??? & before TS75???. Evidently, a large
number of the early rounded front valances were stamped and stocked as repair
stock. These did not have holes punched for the lettering.
So cars that received factory replacement parts from an accident, got one of the
round nose valences. Some body shops drilled holes & replaced the lettering &
some didn't. This accounts for early 3As with no holes in the valance for
lettering. Also, it looks like this repair stock was used to
build the TR3Bs as the polled 3Bs all had the earlier round front valences.
Unfortunately, there do not seem to be any records left to prove this so it
remains only a theory based upon a poll of around 50 TR3A&Bs.
http://www.rucompatible.com/triumph/
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