Information about what was my long door 1954 TR2 TS554-O
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The first image is one of the front page of AUTOSPORT from 5th March 1954 and it shows my Geranium Red TR2 when it was being used as a publicity and demonstrator car in the London area. The lady in the car was Belinda Lee, who was an actress in several films. Unfortunately she was killed in a car accident in California whilst on holiday in 1961. (info from I. Stewart)
After being used as a demonstrator, the car found its way via Hertfordshire to Shepshed in Leicestershire, where the owner of a transport company named Bob Gent, bought the car. I believe he used it for a year or so, then put it into one of his open fronted garages wher it lay for ten years. Some of my friends knew about the car and introduced me to Bob and I bought the car from him for £50. This was in 1973, and after a years hard work, it passed its MOT test first time. I ran the car for a year or so, and I in turn garaged it when I bought a Mark 1 Lotus Elan (£290 in 1975).
In 1982 I bought a house and needed some money, so I sold the car to Roy Evans for £400. When I was a lot better off, whenever I met Roy I offered to buy the car back, but he wanted to keep it and restore it. He told me about the above picture.
In the meantime in 1991 I bought a TR4 which needed restoring and I spent the next two years working on it (see later pages) In 1997, I was told that Roy wanted to sell the TR2, so I went to see him and made him an offer- apparently Bill Piggott wanted to buy the car but I offered Roy enough, and duly bought the car home.
I dismantled it and found that the body tub, especially at the rear and front inner wings, was useless. It was going to cost me £1000 to buy the parts which would then be difficult to fit. After speaking to various traders, I eventually found a pre 60000 body tub (ex USA TR3A) at TRGB for £1000.
Whilst looking for the body tub, I had the chassis repaired - one new front tower, two new rear shock absorber mountings (TR4 type) and four new outriggers, plus some new metal at the rear, and a new rear cross tube.
I have started to take away the TR3A improvements and the body tub will soon be going in to be shotblasted. I will have it shotblasted before doing any repairs, and again afterwards. Not only does this highlight all the problem areas, but it gives clean metal for the MIG welder to work on.
The car does have the aluminium bonnet mentioned in Bill Piggott's book (I told him about it at an TR Register International meeting as he thought that Aluminium bonnets were last used a few cars before mine) but does not have the aluminium panel over the spare wheel. Its Chassis number is TS 554 - O and it has the top gear only type overdrive.
I will put more on this page as I get further into my restoration
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