1961 TRIUMPH TR3A RESTORATION

Part 1: A Nice Place to Start!

This 1961 Triumph TR3 was found in a Southern California warehouse where it had been sitting since about 1982. This is a car that we bought over the phone, not knowing what was going to arrive. To our surprise, when it arrived out our shop it was a perfect rust-free, accident-free California Black and Gold plate car.

Part 2: Getting the Car On the Road

The first step for us was to get the car back up and running after all those years in storage. Our client had asked that we make the car mechanically sound so that he could drive and enjoy it for a while before doing the restoration. The first step for us was to get the car running to make sure we had a motor we could work with. The car started up right away and sat and idled as if it had been driven on a regular basis. We now needed to go through all the hydraulic systems and basically replace everything rubber in order to make it a driver.

We got the car up running and driving just like it should and gave it back to our client to drive and enjoy. He absolutely loved the car and decided to go through with the complete restoration. At that point, the car was running excellent so our next step is to get the paint and body done.

Part 3: Going the Distance

We were very lucky to find such a straight California car because it made the paint and body process that much easier. It’s not always possible to start with such a solid vehicle but it’s crucial to find the best possible car. In this case, the paint and body came out excellent and the turnaround time was very quick. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the way it all turned out. The next step was to reassemble the car, finalize the interior, and get the car back in the hands of the owner to enjoy.

This was a very enjoyable restoration project because we started with such a clean car. Everything went together just like it should with no hidden problems, and it shows in the finished product. Our client came by to see the car and was over the moon with the way it came out. So, needless to say, we were pleased with the outcome. The color combination he chose looks great and we love the look of the car with the hardtop installed. There’s nothing like the feeling you get when you restore a classic to its former glory.