All,
I am absolutely amazed at all the "low" numbers being bounced around for
building a performance TR6 motor. It is one thing to pick out some items
from a vendors catalog, and yet another to integrate them into a working
system.
As many of you know, I am rebuilding "Rags" into a usable street-racer.
Wally Hicks (who built Paul Newman's motor for the 1976 championship) is
building my motor. My specification is to build a strong motor that will
run to 7,000 rpm with 10.0:1 compression, and last 40,000 miles till another
rebuild. The cost (so far) is nearly $6,000 for the long-block. I have not
mentioned the alloy sump, harmonic dampener, alloy flywheel, headers, DCOEs,
dizzie, fuel pump, regulator, etc, etc, etc. I am *hoping* that it will
deliver 150 rwhp.
Anyone who thinks they can build a performance motor by reading the vendor's
catalogs is nuts. If $2500 could build a reliable-and-driveable 170hp TR6
motor, we all would have done it years ago, and stock motors would exist
only in museums and concourse cars.
The performance TR6 motor is expensive to build. For less money, I could
easily shoe-horn a GT-40 crate motor, but that is not what I am after. I
could also squeeze in a mild Datsun 280Z (with turbo), Toyota Supra (with
turbo), or E3 BMW straight-sixes. V6s don9t enter the equation. But I am
sticking with the Triumph donk because it has history, and I know it well.
Gawd, am I nuts? Probably. But after 10 years of planning, reviewing, and
interviewing owners, builders and racers, I think I am on the right track.
My $0.02. And you wont see that in any catalog.
Shane Ingate in Maryland
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