Thomas_Neuneck@pall.com wrote:
>
> I would love to hear some comments on the idea of driving a Tr3 everyday.
Hi Thomas :
Where I live now, we don't really have 'winter', but I used to drive a
TR3A every day in a colder climate.
IMO the stock generator is woefully inadequate for winter conditions.
On my car, I measured the total electrical load with the engine,
headlights, heater and wipers on at 21-22 amps. The original TR3
generator was only rated at 19 amps, which means the battery would
actually slowly run down while driving down the road ! Although your
car most likely has the later 22 amp generator, it's still not enough to
recharge the battery after supplying the extra power needed to start the
engine in the wintertime. Any attempt to increase generator output (by
adjusting the control box) will likely result in generator overheating,
thrown solder, etc. Thus the popularity of alternator conversions (and
the comment in the factory manual about recharging the battery after a
winter run).
Once I converted to an alternator (I chose a 60 amp Ford unit, but I
wouldn't recommend the same thing today), and the biggest car battery I
could find, I had no trouble with winter starting everyday, even though
the car was stored outdoors. The alternator also opens the door to
other improvements, like H4 headlamps.
The heater of course is quite anemic, even if it's in good condition. I
put a fair amount of work into improving the original unit, but was
never happy with the results. Today, I would probably convert to an
aftermarket heater. One thing I didn't know at the time, be sure the
body seals under the front fenders (P/N 602069 and 602079) are in good
shape. If they aren't, you will have cold air blowing a gale into your
lap.
Road salt (if they use such in Germany) will of course accelerate
corrosion, so having the undercarriage thoroughly cleaned every month or
two and especially at the end of the season is a good idea. This is one
area where having a "self-oiling" system helps <g>
Otherwise, my car did quite well in the snow and winter. With the
alternator and big battery, it would start when other cars wouldn't; and
using skinny snow tires (155mm still available from Vredestein, I
believe) gave it good traction in the snow. I particularly remember one
night after work, my boss (who had been bragging that anything my TR3
could do, his Opel GT could do better) tried to follow me home. I of
course deliberately took a route up a fairly steep hill, which his Opel
(rather light in the rear end) could not climb <g>
The skinny tires also left plenty of room for snow chains, which I used
only when the roads were covered with ice.
Randall
58 TR3A daily driver
Lakewood, CA, USA
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