1960 TRIUMPH TR3 RESTORATION

Part 1: A Tough Road Ahead

This Triumph TR3A was been brought to us to finish off a restoration that was started many years ago, but unfortunately stalled out. The car was in rough shape, but had a lot of sentimental value to the family—specifically the father and his sons. This would become a very nice surprise for their dad once the restoration was completed. They restored most of the mechanicals years ago, so we started by going over their work to make sure it was correct.

The car has suffered from significant rust and accident damage that was previously been poorly repaired; we would be correcting a lot of previous damage. As you can see in the photos, we had our work cut out for us, but the project came off pretty smoothly.

Part 2: Down to Business

When we got it back from the body shop, it really looked fantastic. The guys over at Acme Autobody here in San Luis Obispo went all out and made a car that came to us as quite a heap actually resemble a car once again! This TR3A has had significant rust and accident damage and repair, which you would never imagine from seeing the car now. The British Racing Green paint job came out great.

We got started on the upholstery. Our client chose to go with tan, and it ended up looking great in contrast to the green. Growing up, he always remembered the car with a wooden dashboard, so we repaired the old dash and reinstalled it for him. When restoring these cars, it’s almost always because the client has an attachment to the car and they want it just as they remember—which in this case really made for quite a challenge!

About halfway through the restoration process, things really starting to take shape and look great, and we were getting excited to see it all finished up. It’s so often these projects are just as rewarding for us as they are for our clients—this definitely falls into that category. We thoroughly enjoy what we do— even when we face the most challenging of projects.

Part 3: A Sentimental Surprise and a Job Well Done

When we delivered the car to the family, they were over the moon with the car they now have. It was a great birthday surprise for the father, and he was absolutely blown away with what his family had done for him. We hope they enjoy the car for many years and keep it in the family.

It’s extremely rewarding to take something so neglected and in such disrepair, and transform it back to its former glory. To look back and see what we started out with as compared to the final product is quite astonishing. Fortunately, we have a great team of guys that dug in and got it done.

Check out the photo gallery for a complete review of each stage of the project.