Flashback Racing worked long hours to complete an ambitious project in May!
Having already committed to attending the VTR (Vintage Triumph Register) South Central Regional Meet in St. Louis on May 31, I got the idea on May 8 that it would be a great thing to revive my 42-year-old Triumph TR3 Race Car and drive it onto the show field – and so the 22-day thrash began.
My old race car was basically intact, but it had been cannibalized through the years for parts. No battery, no coil, no battery box, and no fuel cell. Fortunately, the engine rotated freely and produced oil pressure when turned over with a battery and the starter. I changed oil and spark plugs, added a coil and a battery, and manually filled the SU float bowls with gas – and amazingly the old dog fired right up! WOW.
In total I spent 60 hours and $1,944.67 on the following: ignition coil, battery, battery box, Aeroquip hoses, Summit Electric fuel pump and canister filter, 2 brake master cylinders, 2 rear wheel cylinders, 3 brake hoses, clutch master cylinder, clutch slave cylinder, 5 quarts 20/50 racing oil, 4 spark plugs, 3 chipped alloy wheels (welded, repaired, and polished), 4 new tires, and fuel pressure regulator repaired. (Unfortunately, I was far too busy to snap photos while working fast and hard to complete this goal.)
The old racer came off the jack stands on the morning we planned to depart with a box full of neutrals… a collapsed clutch hose was only allowing fluid to flow one direction. With the help of ex-British car racer and good friend Tony Chiles we had a working clutch and left for the event 4 hours behind schedule (just like my old racing days – how authentic!).
The car was a big hit at the St. Louis show, and it did indeed drive onto the show field and back onto the trailer the next day.
We met several Triumph enthusiasts from Indiana who are hosting the VTR National Convention in September. They encouraged (challenged?) us to have the old race car ready for the autocross at the National Event.
Transforming this 42-year-old racing relic from a “Self-Propelled Display” to a legitimate “Autocross Car” is another ambitious project.
Challenge Accepted!
