|
|
The article which follows appeared in the March 2007 Issue of Classic Motorsports. This is a great magazine for those who like classic and modern Sports Cars. The picture of the Ford V8 containing 1960 TR3A in the article is shown above. Picture of full car on left is distorted by seam in scanned page.
I was very interested in the story since I restored a 1957 TR3A and had two previous TR3's as a young man. The restoration of my car can be viewed on one of my other web pages: 1957 TR3A Restoration Project.
My present TR3 shown below has the standard in line cast iron 4 cylinder 1991cc (121.5 cu. in.) dual carb engine that produces 100 HP and develops
 |
 |
117 Ft. Lb of torque. The 0-60 time is rated at 11.4 seconds with a top speed of 106 mph.... Not bad for 52 year old automotive technology. The car weighs in at 2,135 lbs, is 12' 7" long and 4' 7 1/2" wide with a ground clearance of 6" under the axles. The transmission is a 4 speed with 1st gear nonsynchromesh. An electric overdrive was optional. My car did not come equipped with OD but I will install a rebuilt tranmission with OD this Spring (09). That will add an additional two higher gears.
While not nearly as fast as the bigger classic or modern day sports cars, my Triumph is fun to drive and is a head turner. Where ever I drive the car, people point, grin, and shout "Great Car"! The TR3 can hold its own with the older corvettes that were not known for their road handling.
Bill Lowery, who owns the modified 1960 TR3, stuffed a 347 cu. in. Ford V8 with Paxton supercharger and nitrous oxide kit into his car that produces over 500 HP and weighs 100 pounds less than the stock car! This is not Bill's first TR3 with a V8. In 1963, he dropped a 260 cu. in. Ford V8 and a top loader transmission into a TR3 and a few years later upgraded to a 289 HiPo Ford with a Paxton supercharger. In the past, the "purist" TR3 owner would shake his or her head at such heresy, but today modifications like this are becoming more accepted. Even more popular is to replace the six cylinder in the later model TR6 with a V8. I would like to have one of those, but the wife....you know the drill......
 |
 |
Bill's Car may go like hell, but of course, I think mine is prettier. The differences in color in red interior of my car is due to poor color management of the digital camera. The reds match in reality.
For the full article with how Bill accomplished his shoehorn project, specifications and driving impressions CLICK for page two.
Tim Yoho
WebMaster Central PA Street Machines