Standard-Triumph Motor Company and its Cars
Isildir - 1957 Triumph TR3, Commission #TS16434L
Isildir is celt for "brat." When I first got this car, I was delighted by the fact that I could set off the alarms of other cars just by starting her up. I was less than delighted by her unreliability. Within 3 weeks I burned out two coils. I changed to a Petronics ignition system and the problem went away.
Not long after that I started having transmission problems. Spent alot of money rebuilding the transmission, replacing the 1st gear thrust bearing, and everything was fine. For a while. The second gear thrust bearing went out. Decided to upgrade to a Toyota transmission. HVDA provides everything you need to adapt a TR2 through TR6 to a 5 speed toyota transmission.
She had had some damage done to her front end in the distant past, and came to me with the later TR3a wide mouth grill. I found the appropriate grill on eBay. I had some work done on the front end to correct a very nasty pull to the left. It was so bad that I could not release the steering wheel. In January of 2006, after having the front end corrected, she went in for a 7 month cosmetic restoration at British Steel.
In the begining, she was Signal Red, with a Black interior. After the restoration, she is Honda's 1999 San Marino Red, with a tan or "Biscuit" interior, with a Biscuit canvas top.
She has won Best of Class at the 2006 Clovis Roundup and Best of Class at the 2007 Dixon Car show.
I have been very pleased with the restoration and love driving this car.
Katrina - 1953 Standard Vanguard Phase 2 and Tacoma
Alas, poor Katrina. Katrina was the first right hand drive car I ever drove. Lots of fun, got plenty of looks. The ride was weird. Ask my son who sat in the back seat, right over the top of the rear wheels.
Katrina was in St Louis, I had to wait until the trucks taking trailers to New Orleans were finished before she could be shipped to California. I drove her for about a year, but the whole bottom of the car was covered with a patina of iron oxide, aka rust. The seals on the bottom of the windows were gone and water would leak right into the door frame. There was considerable blistering at the bottom of the left rear door.
She would do 55 easy on the freeway, with the same engine as the TR3. Actually, it's vice versa. This is the vehicle that supplied the parts from which the TR2/TR3 was built.
I hated to do it, but I put her on eBay and sold her in the fall of 2006 to a hot rodder in Auburn California.
As yet unnamed 1960 Triumph Estate Wagon, Commission #TBE55513LSC
Bought it from eBay 11/5/07. The Triumph 10 is a Standard 10 badged for the American market. Seems they wanted to ride the popularity of the TR2 and TR3. No one in the US had heard of the Standard Motor Company.
4 doors sedans and 5 door wagons, powered by a 948cc engine. 4 speed transmission on the floor. 145 inches long, 58 inches wide and 60 tall, wheelbase of 84 inches. Compared the my TR3 dimentions of 151 inches long, 55.5 inches wide and 50 tall, wheelbase of 88 inches.
The Triumph Spitfire was designed from parts available from the Standard 10. The Spitfire 4 used the same engine and transmission, and many of the same parts. In some circles, the Spitfire was known as a sawed off Ten. Lots of the parts used on the Spitfire can be used on the Estate Wagon, including front disc brakes.
Here is a restored Triumph 10 belonging to another LBC enthusiast.
Other British cars:
1949 Austin Devon
I like obscure, or uncommon British cars. I seriously considered buying this car, it resides in Holister CA. The first gear was good enough to get it rolling, but you can't go faster than 5 MPH in first. There was a bounce in the front end as we drove down the street. The car was beautifully restored.
Somewhere in Fresno, is a collection of old Austin sedans, trucks and commercials. How do I know? I've spoken to the owner, Rob Stuart, who lives in Manhatten Beach.
Some of my favorite websites: Motorbase
North American Triumph Sports 6 and Triumph Herald Database
Clubs I belong to: Valley British Car Club