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[vila]

First, please don't turn this posting into a discussion on why I should use 60 spoke wire wheels vs 48 spokes. 

I am currently restoring a 1962 TR4 (CT 7771 L) built in April 62 that came from the factory with steel wheels.  I want to restore the car to what it would have looked like when it came off the assemble line, with 1 or 2 exceptions. 

I am even sticking with the original BRG exterior and Red interior.  As a side note, has anyone ever seen this color combination on a TR4 before?

I plan on using it for shows only.  All my other cars are drivers, I what a show car, and my TR4 is it.

One change is to add 48 spoke wire wheels.  From my research, Triumph changed from 48 to 60 spokes in mid to late 1962; but I have seen postings on the internet of British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificates listing 48 spoke wires used as late as 1963 on TR4s (CT 24685L).

Who out there has a 62 or 63 TR4 and knows what wire wheels were original to their car?  Who has the latest 48 spoke car, and who has the earliest 60 spoke car.

It is my understanding that for a period of time both 48s and 60s were supplied by Triumph

Bob Beers
Visit my website at:  http://mysite.verizon.net/vze114b79/

[charley fitch]

My first caution is to try to use what people have on their cars as a guide as to what originally came on the car.  I have a TR4 with Stromberg carbs on it.  And sure enough there were a few mid production cars with those carbs mounted from the factory before they switched late in the model production.  But my commission numbers didn't match what I found to be on that limited change.  I was eventually able to contact the previous owner and sure enough he had switched the SU's for Strombergs.

Now back to the spoke wheels.  One sure way to find out what came on the vehicle is the Heritage Certificate.  This document for a TR3B built in late September or early October of 1962 ( 130 from the last TR3B built)and shipped on November 6, 1962 (this is the only date this car had documented as Standard Triumph did not build these cars but a contractor built them).  According to the Heritage Certificate this car originally came with 60 spoke wire wheels.  However when I got the car in 1987 it had steel wheels on it. I converted the car to spoke wheels prior to the time I got the Heritage Certificate and found out the original equipment was 60 spoke wheels. 
I would GUESS that this TR3B was built about the same time as a CT14000, using the Moss Motors catalog reference guide for production dates.  I might add that this TR3B has been in VTR Concourse competition three times with the 60 spoke wire wheels and nobody has ever mentioned the 60 spoke wheels.  All three times it has taken first place. I do have the Heritage Certificate if anybody was to question them.

Regarding the color combination that sounds odd.  Have you obtained the Heritage Certificate?  It does state the original car and interior colors as well as the accessories to the car.

Good luck,
Charley Fitch 

[herald948]

I am currently restoring a 1962 TR4 (CT 7771 L) built in April 62....I am even sticking with the original BRG exterior and Red interior.  As a side note, has anyone ever seen this color combination on a TR4 before?

I parted a TR4 out back in the mid-1970s: OD gearbox, Michelin X tires on 60-spoke rims, and Conifer with red interior -- oh, and even a "Factory Rebuilt Exchange" engine. It was horribly rusty, but hindsight makes me wish I'd kept it around!

[vila]

Hi Charley.

Yes, my British Motor Industry Heritage Certificate shows my car was originally BRG with a red interior and all the options that came with the car when I bought it in March of 2008 are original per the certificate.

I'm not interested in knowing the info to make a decision on my car, I have already made that decision based on my research on TR4s built during the April 62 time frame when my car was made.

I just thought it would make an interesting discussion topic to find out how late the 48 spoke wheels were used and how early 60 spokes appeared.  Also, how long the period of time was that a car may have had either 48s or 60s.

I was surprised to see a BMIH certificate showing a TR4 built as late a CT 24685L that said 48 were original to that car. 

Bob Beers

[charley fitch]

So based on the TR3B having 60 spoke wheels, it may well be a case of the factory using what they had on the shelf in front of them as opposed to making a decision to change specs from 48 to 60 spoke wheels. 

Charley Fitch 

[vila]

I'm not sure what Triumphs overall plan was for implimenting the switch from 48 to 60 spokes.  Somewhere I read that the TR4 switch was not a swift change over one day or even a week from 48 to 60 spokes, and as you said it could have been based on what was available over a several month time period.

And since Triumph produced both the TR3B and TR4 in 1962 and the 48 to 60 spoke change occurred during 1962 it makes sense that both would have been produced with 48 spokes early in the year, switching to either 48 or 60 spokes mid year and ending the year with 60 spokes, but that is speculation.

Back to my original unscientific pole on this topic purely to stimulate conversation on the forum, if anyone would like to provide info on which wires were on their TR4 when it left the factory that would be great. And I guess we could add TR3Bs since their may be correlation with them also, so specifiy TR3B or TR4

Verification from British Motor Heritage Industry Trust certificate would be nice and identify if that is where your info came from.  If on the other hand you speculate that the car came from the factory with 48s or 60s without a BMHIT cert based on other info, then identify it as such.  If you don't want to provide the Commission number, but know the month in 62 that would help.

Vila