1 post tagged “first car”

What was your first car?

Tr3a

My first car.  The first car I bought with my own money is a 1959 US Triumph TR3A that looks a lot like this.  Mine is a left hand drive of course.  I bought it in 1988 for $500.  Yes, you read it right.  It was in pretty bad cosmetic shape, but it  had been used in SCCA racing by the previous owner.  He had stripped every spare ounce off of the car.  Literally.  I restored it, from top to bottom, much to the chagrin of my young daughters.  I think they can appreciate it more now than they did back when they were very young.  I love this car.  It still has many of the racing components.  I don't have wire wheels on it, but the original aluminum wheels that were made for this car for racing.  It has a roll bar (not standard), an over bore on the cylinders (87mm), a street-comp cam (D cam), a Detroit Locker rear-end, recurved leaf springs so that it actually sits a bit lower than original (you can scrape knuckles on the pavement), oil cooler, and a solid walnut dash made by yours truly.  It is still red with black wool carpet and a white top.  It runs like a dream.  It is sooo much fun to drive.  I actually towed my dh's TR3A over Satus Pass (WA state) years ago when he lost a water pump on a Sunday afternoon drive.  I have driven it to shows all over the West Coast, mostly in Portland, but we did drive to Santa Barbara one year.  It was glorious.  Highway One down the California coast with our kids.  Great fun.  Anyway.  My first car.