No Title? No Problem! SLK 230 Body Swap with a 1958 Triumph TR3

Contact the best mobile fabricator in the southeast►steelingtimewelding.com/
get your own British sports car project►neilsrestorations.wordpress.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Today we begin work on the worlds first TR3 body swap onto an abandoned SLK left at my house for a year! This will be a ongoing series even well after the body swap is complete, in the words of Jeremy Clarkson... "how hard can it be"... now lets get out the saws and hammers!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe! ►bit.ly/3naAbPj
Instagram ►bit.ly/34y8DwN
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Questions? Comments? Business inquiries? Email me at [e-mail]
--------------------------------------------------------------------

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Hi everyone! Thanks for the views and likes! Let me know what you think about the 2nd video!

[@airmaildolphin7013]

This is exactly the kind of project I would love to be a part of. I love the idea of making a square peg fit in a round hole!

[@joekelley5332]

Hell yeah brother! Excited to see this build.

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Thanks Joe! I’m sure when it comes time to lift the body we can use your muscle if you’re around!

[@joekelley5332]

@@RedWhiteandBoosted you know I'll be there if I can be.

[@hanshoogendyk5783]

The tr3 being so simple in construction it would be much more time efficient body swap if you widened the tr3 shell as they were built for very skinny people

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

seen part 2?

[@jeep_freek1640]

Great vid guys! Game on!

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Appreciate it! We will be posting this coming week!

[@snoopu2601]

This is going to be an instrastine build👍🏽I've been watching a few of these body swaps. Almost all of them have to impevide have to add some new metal . Y'all will get it done nice car's to start with.

[@markbright2918]

This speaks to me, can't wait to see more.

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

have you seen part 2?

[@markbright2918]

@@RedWhiteandBoosted I haven't had net for a few days so I didn't know part 2 came. But I will watch it thanks.

[@whatsgoingon1011]

Might be easier to lengthen and widen the triumph to fit the mlk

[@kennethhudson5513]

Totally agree with you..

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

check out part 2 yet?

[@mikemakuh5319]

I would also put in my vote to widen the TR body.

[@rossconverse7038]

Looking forward to this project, subscribed. Ross

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Thanks for the sub!

[@joeedwards627]

Lots of advice in these comments, just a shame they don’t leave links to their own videos so we can all go watch how it’s done

[@andrewwilson8317]

Wow, that's an ambitious build, good luck. Here in U.K. I have a buddy doing same with a rusty tr3 but it's going onto miata running gear.

[@grantcahill8331]

Looking forward to this

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Thanks! Been a long time coming! Happy to have Corey on board!

[@viggendriver1975]

love it

[@joaorodolphoportodave5280]

gonna look good

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Thanks! We think so too!

[@terrallputnam7979]

I would stretch the TR3 body at the rear of the doors. There is room, you may just have to redesign the lines of the doors.

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

check out part 2!

[@franciscomontesdeoca5316]

Nice car.

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

I think so too!

[@fayazkakar4334]

Where is the next video

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

In edit right now! Stay tuned!

[@davidf680]

@@RedWhiteandBoosted Have I missed the next video?

[@scottwoodard1668]

Planning a similar project. Any chance you still know the slk dash width before you cut into it?

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

I don’t know the exact

[@robertordewald8678]

I would suggest widening the body and then stretching the triumphs body by adding the of 7 inches into it by adding four inches between the front tire wheel well and the front door and then add the last three into the door I don't think you would notice much if you do it right well that's my opinion thanks

[@mustangboss1246]

You need to measure in cm and mm. Inches and feet are no way to measure something hi tech as a car build lol. Cant wait to see it finished.. I have an idea you could stretch the triumph Abit to fit

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Thanks! check out the next video!

[@hanshoogendyk5783]

Add 4" to the length of the doors.

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Heckkkk no the tr3 is so gorgeous

[@davidf680]

How about lengthen and widen the triumph a little, plus shorten and narrow the merc a little?

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

We’ve thought about that, and we might add flares but cutting the SLK down was the best and easiest way AND we get to keep the timeless shape of the triumph

[@davidf680]

@@RedWhiteandBoosted I agree, keeping the original TR proportions would be much better. Keep going this is going to be epic.

[@johnmckenna8989]

You need to check out "Randy Schultz, TR3"....in B.C. Canada......If you've never seen a widened TR3 on a tr6 frame with Nissan power, it's worth a look....

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Oh yes seen that lol! Tremendous amount of work! Remarkable how he achieved such a refined look when adding the middle strip

[@hapwasner8021]

widening and stretching the tr3 may really be your easiest option.

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Watch the rest of the series :)

[@kylejohnson9082]

Why did you not stretch the doors for the TR3?

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Ruin the look and we don’t plan on doing much body work

[@petedude2lu3]

i got two checked-out s430's of you wamt to do another body swap. both run great but arent worth maintaining. new orleans

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Sounds awesome! Let’s link up on Instagram Redwhiteandboosted

[@danielsanzvoice]

hi,i agree with Michael why you don't make the body of the English car fit the Mercedes chassis? wouldn't be easier and you would save the drive engineering maby safer to drive?

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Not as sexy, and the way we have strengthened the subframes is far more rigid than Mercedes designed it new

[@noonehere1793]

Ok….this is the weirdest swap i have ever seen contemplated…..

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Hahaha thank you? HAHA

[@freisianpug]

TR3A, just quietly...

[@stevenbrown5695]

Roller tr3 chassis for sale

[@cars3939i]

Wich vin is car gone use

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

The Triumph Vin, Thanks for watching!

[@norrisabram9577]

It's becoming so hard to watch DIY videos, because of so much talking 😮

[@KeithJenkinsvideos]

Seats please

[@stevenbrown5695]

I need a roller tr3 chassis

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

We’ve got it

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Reach out to our Instagram

[@twn10]

This slk230 couldn’t be 2001 SLK. The driver handle is still the 1996-2000 style. I guess this slk is 1999 or up to 01/02/2000. I knew it because I owned five slk’s from 1996-2001.

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

As you can see from the rest of our channel we have had more than 60 r170-172s this is indeed a 2001. But as I’m curious, why do you believe it’s not

[@ycplum7062]

I think it would be quicker and cheaper to build a new custom frame.

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

How do you figure lol, free vs complete custom suspension/rear end/front end

[@ycplum7062]

@@RedWhiteandBoosted I am assuming a new frame a can be designed to take free suspension. And then just moved over. I can't really see the frame and how the drivetrain and exhaust snakes underder the car, but if you narrow the MB frame, won't you need to redo the crossbars, exhaust and transmission/engine mounts? I am assuming you may need to move the MB engine and drivetrain around so that the TR3 body can fit over it. It is dang tight. Basically, I think you will be so tight that it would be easeir to make a new frame to fit the MB components and body than than to cut, jury-rig and shoo horn the existing frame to fit the TR body. Granted, I am just eyeballing it and could therefore be wrong.

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

What we ended up doing was creating a “frame” from the front and rear subframes of the SLK the mounting points of the body on the tr3, where the fenders bolt on are nearly perfect to the SLK

[@ycplum7062]

@@RedWhiteandBoosted Trying to visualize and not doing a good job of it. Sorry. Are you narrowing the front and rear subframes of teh SLK so they do not stick out from the sides of the TR body? If so, don't you have to make new engine mounting points?

[@thomascox100]

cut the body down the middle and widen it and shorten the chassis

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

check out part 2!

[@mandymcgill9503]

Make trp bigger it would be easier

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

check out part2

[@patrickkavanagh5335]

Stretch the the other car

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Check out part 2!

[@frankc6644]

Don’t change the shape of the Triumph! I’ve seen too many guys doing chassis swaps and end up cutting up the body. What’s the point of it all if the body doesn’t look the way it was intended? Hack up that Mercedes!

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

EXACTLY!

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

100% will not cut up the triumph body. Might flare it or make some wider fenders but the car is gorgeous as is

[@67gmctruck]

Cool. I’m all in on this build! I’m a restoration carpenter. The best solutions are almost always the hardest ones to do while restraint rules the day. It’s never easy but always enjoyable.

[@benjaminbaird3798]

It would have been way easier to make the triump wider and longer then your not throwing a way comfort jus to make this car because if it’s not comfortable at all then your jus making a car that nobody is gonna wanna drive

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

Then we would have a wish.com version of a triumph body 🤣🤣 the SLK in its shortened wheel base rides fantastic

[@colinthompson2298]

Rather than shrink the Mercedes’ why not widen the triumph

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

check out our next video!

[@dntpearson1994]

You should have removed the roof first... before you took the doors off

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

oh?

[@alanm.4298]

Just found your channel. This project is rather blasphemous to an LBC lover (little British car). So call me "subscribed"! 😎 I'll be looking at your later vids, maybe you have already touched on this... But have you ever heard of the TR3 "Beta"? It's not the TR3 "B" that eventually ended up being produced alongside early TR4. The Beta was a prototype around 1960 with a wider track and body. Only two copies were built. It was considered a possible replacement for the TR3A, although eventually the Zoom or TR4 design was chosen instead. Essentially the Beta is a TR3A with all four fenders widened an inch, allowing for a wider stance front and rear. The steering gear was also upgraded to the rack & pinion like the TR4 used. There also were several TR3 "Le Mans" cars built and raced around 1958. Those were lengthened chassis and bodies. Trying to fit the SLK and TR3A together, you might want to look into those variations and how they were done. If you end up using the TR3A's frame, there are some known weak areas as well as some strengthening & stiffening tricks that racers used in them. You can find more info online, I'm sure. I've got a TR4 myself (and an extra TR4 frame squirrelled away for a possible "Beta" build, if I can find a body to use).

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

I have not heard of this! But of course we own a tr4 and a tr250 also! Thank you for sharing I’ll have a read on them!

[@alanm.4298]

@@RedWhiteandBoosted RevingtonTR in England has an information sheet on the TR3 Beta, as well as tooling to make the fender panels in aluminum or fiberglass. In fact, they'll build you an entire car if your wallet is fat enough! Neil races one of their Beta replicas himself, plus owns one of the the original cars and is restoring it. If I ever build a Beta, I'll just widen stock steel TR3/3B fenders, same as the factory did. I guess there are some mods to the doors and sills, too, though I don't know the details.

[@bryanayers6104]

Going from a car with reliability issues to a car with reliability issues...

[@RedWhiteandBoosted]

🥲 Mercedes are actually insanely dependable especially their cars without fancy chassis stuff like hydraulic shocks(ABC) or fancy braking systems like SBC, or fancy folding roofs like this car would have had till we rid it of that curse. The drivetrains are on the whole very very robust. Check out the video of our MINISLR or the 300k mile SLK daily driver on our channel