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Mike Donovan's TR3 with Ford V8

Mike Donovan · 1957 Triumph TR3

Triumph TR3 and TR3A

britishv8.orgoriginally published in British V8 Newsletter, Volume 11 Issue 1

Read the full write-up at britishv8.org ↗

Photo: britishv8.org

A 1957 Triumph TR3 rebuilt with a Ford 302 V8

Mike Donovan turned a knocking, long-parked TR3 into a V8 hot rod by fitting a Ford 302 and C4 automatic from a donated Granada. The build mixes salvaged Ford drivetrain parts with custom fabrication, including a modified intake, custom exhaust, wider rear fenders, and a rack and pinion steering swap. It is a good read for anyone considering an affordable, friend-assisted V8 swap using common junkyard parts.

Specs

As the owner states it.

Engine
Ford 302 from a 1978 Ford Granada, with 1969 351 Windsor heads ported and shaved
Carburetor
Holley 600cfm on an Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake manifold, modified with a 255ci V8 valley pan
Ignition
Dual-point Accel distributor
Oil filtration
Dual remote oil filters
Cooling
Custom 4-row brass radiator with aftermarket electric puller fan
Exhaust
Custom 1-5/8 inch headers, glass pack mufflers, 4 inch side pipes
Transmission
Ford C-4 automatic from a 1978 Ford Granada
Suspension
Stock TR3, front steering modified with a Subaru station wagon rack and pinion
Wheels/Tires
15x5.5 inch Centerline wheels with 225/70-15 tires front; 15x8 inch Centerline wheels with 295/50-15 tires rear
Electrical
Custom wiring harness by owner
Body
Stock TR3 with front air dam and rear fenders widened 3 inches

Parts used

What the owner names in the write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.

Engine 3

Fuel & Ignition 3

Cooling 2

Gearbox & Drivetrain 1

Suspension & Steering 1

Wheels & Tyres 3

  • Centerline wheelsCenterline

    15x5.5 inch front and 15x8 inch rear wheels fitted to the car

  • 225/70-15 front tires

    Fitted to the front Centerline wheels

  • 295/50-15 rear tires

    Fitted to the rear Centerline wheels

Body & Trim 2

  • Front air dam

    Added to the stock TR3 body

  • Widened rear fenders

    Widened 3 inches to accommodate the rear wheel and tire width

Electrical 1

Other 3

  • Custom headers

    1-5/8 inch headers built for the exhaust system

  • Glass pack mufflers

    Used in the custom exhaust setup

    In the shops
    Drop Glass Seal Clip (Pack of 50) ↗Motaclan Limited· £9.59 GBP
  • 4 inch side pipes

    Part of the custom exhaust routing

Photos

All 10 pictures in the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from britishv8.org. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.

Mike Donovan's TR3 with Ford V8Photo: britishv8.org
TR3/Ford V8 engine leftPhoto: britishv8.org
TR3/Ford v8 interiorPhoto: britishv8.org
TR3/Ford v8 front viewPhoto: britishv8.org
TR3/Ford v8 engine viewPhoto: britishv8.org
TR3/Ford v8 engine viewPhoto: britishv8.org
TR3/Ford v8 engine viewPhoto: britishv8.org
TR3/Ford V8 engine rightPhoto: britishv8.org
TR3/Ford v8 engine viewPhoto: britishv8.org
Donate Now!Photo: britishv8.org

How it was done

Getting the car

Mike traded a motorcycle for the TR3. Shortly after he began driving it, the engine started knocking, so he parked the car for five to six years before deciding to build a hot rod out of it.

Sourcing the V8

A friend had a low mileage 1978 Ford Granada, which supplied the Ford 302 engine and C4 automatic transmission for the swap, along with other parts used in the conversion.

Building the engine

The 302 was fitted with 1969 351 Windsor heads that were ported and shaved. A Holley 600cfm carburetor sits on an Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake, modified by cutting out the bottom plate and installing an intake valley pan from a 255ci V8. A dual-point Accel distributor and dual remote oil filters were added.

Cooling and exhaust

A custom 4-row brass radiator was built along with an aftermarket electric puller fan. Custom 1-5/8 inch headers feed into glass pack mufflers and 4 inch side pipes.

Chassis and steering

Suspension remains stock TR3, but the front steering was changed to a rack and pinion setup taken from a Subaru station wagon.

Wheels, body and electrics

Centerline wheels were fitted, 15x5.5 up front and 15x8 at the rear, with wider tires at the back. The body stayed mostly stock TR3 but gained a front air dam and rear fenders widened 3 inches to clear the tires. Mike wired the whole car himself with a custom harness.

A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is the owner's: read it at britishv8.org ↗

Worth knowing

  • A donor car like a Granada can supply both engine and matching transmission cheaply
  • Widening the rear fenders was necessary to fit wider wheels and tires
  • Swapping in a rack and pinion steering rack can improve on stock steering setups
  • Modifying the intake manifold's valley pan let a different intake fit the engine combination
  • Building a custom wiring harness gives full control over an unusual drivetrain swap

britishv8.org

Read in full on 6 September 2026. The work, the words and the pictures are Mike Donovan’s; this page is a catalogue of them in our own words, and a signpost.

Read the full write-up at britishv8.org ↗

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