Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Engine color

Hello,

Does anyone know what color the Triumph TR3A engines supplied to Morgan Motors were originally? I ask because my car's (original) engine is now red, and I just saw a photo of another red engine in a car almost exactly contemporary with mine, but I understood TR3 engines to have been black, with TR3 painted freehand on one side in red. Just curious. Thanks.

Interesting - is yours a red Morgan ?

My friend has a late TR3 with a straight 4 Overhead Valve Engine and the cam cover has been polished from being black painted to a shiny silver metal finish

I don't recall any red on it

I remember reading somewhere that Triumph supplied engines to M.M.C. in maroon.

Sorry I can't remember whereabouts on the internet I found it.

Nev.

My TR-3 engine in my 1958 Morgan was black when I bought it in 1972 and was claimed to have never been out of the car or painted.

Have two additional blocks--one TR-3 and one TR-4 and both black.

TomS

The original engine color was black. I know Ron Garner always painted the engine red on any of his restorations. In which case, lucky you!

Yes confirm TR engines were black, I doubt if engines supplied to Morgan were a different colour (?) although IIRC the engine numbers had an M added in there somewhere. No doubt someone more knowledgable than me with an original plus 4 will be along in due course to confirm.

My +4 engine back in the late 60's was black. I don't know if it was tr3 or tr2 but it had twin SU's and a chromed rocker cover.

My 1954 +4 DHC TR2 motor is, and has always been, black.

Tony

Sounds like black is indeed the correct color. I am not familiar with Ron Garner or his restorations. My car was rebuilt by or pfor a "serious" car guy from Vermont in about 2006. The engine is original to the car but the block is now scarlet. Thanks for all the responses.

Intersting, my 1962 plus 4 was restored in the late '90s perhaps also in Vermont (it was around that area at least, it's now in Massachusetts via New Hampshire) and has a red-painted TR3 engine. It's pretty rough looking and I was thinking of going back to black as well.