PAUL: I'm forwarding your TR6 questions to both a list for members of The
Vintage Triumph Register and also a list of hundreds of Triumph
enthusiasts, many of whom qualify as TR6 experts. Additionally, I have
copied VTR's TR6 Vehicle Consultant.
FOLKS: Please reply to Paul, not to me, but copy the list if you feel the
questions and answers are of sufficient general interest.
Thanks!
--Andy
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Andrew Mace, President and *
* 10/Herald/Vitesse (Sports 6) Consultant *
* Vintage Triumph Register <www.vtr.org> *
* amace@unix2.nysed.gov *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 21:14:33 -0500 (EST)
From: Paul Aslanian <paslani1@swarthmore.edu>
Subject: Rookie needs help
Dear VTR-Person:
Please excuse my boldness in contacting you with a list of TR6 questions.
But first a little back ground:
I am about to buy a 74 TR6 from a very good friend of mine who is the
second owner. He has owned the car since 1984 and put less than 6k miles
on it. The total mileage is 63,000. The car was originally purchased and
driven in Montana. The first owner must not have driven it in the winter
because it appears to be rust free. My friend (with whom I will not
dicker--it is like a sale between family members--I will either buy the car
for $4,500 or not buy it) is not a gear head. By that I mean he does not
really understand why the piston is connected to the crankshaft or why the
cam turns at half the speed of the crank. He does not abuse his equipment.
With regard to the TR6, he mainly just didn't use it. He also has in his
stable a Saab convertible which was always there to drive and may explain
why he didn't drive the TR6.
My observations of Karl's TR6 gathered over the last 15 years:
(1) It rattles like mad--my friend Karl, never hears the rattles --some
folks are lucky. Do they all rattle--seems like the doors/dash/console/top
are the main culprits--familiar? I assume fixable?
(2) The car is that 1974 yellow--sort of like mustard yellow, brown
interior. I don't like either the exterior or interior color in
particular. If I remove all the things necessary to get a good respray,
what should I be looking at in terms of cost of a respray? Since my
favorite color for a TR6 is French Blue, I would need to redo the interior
in black. What would be a reasonable price to expect for all the
interior--new covering for the seats, door panels, carpeting, etc
(3) The car has neither a hardtop nor an overdrive
(4) The top has little tiny "slices/cuts" in it I presume from Karl not
being real careful about how he folds the top when he lowers it. Two
questions: were the original tops the ones outfitted with reflective
material around the window and across below the rear window? What does a
new top cost? Are they difficult to install? Or, should I plan to have it
professionally installed?
(5) The body is straight, original, and complete. The exhaust system is
like new. The tranny does not shift like a Porsche box--the shifter does
not feel like moving a hot knife through butter. The clutch release is not
progressive, linear, and super smooth. The engine is not as tractable as
for example the narrow V6 in my Passat. My question: for those of you who
have rebuilt your motors including attention to the ignition and
carburetion, do you end up with a very nice and smooth (sweet sounding)
six. Or, is the motor in the TR6 genetically a little rough/uncivilized?
(6) If I buy Karl's TR6, it will not be a daily driver. It will be another
car in my eclectic collection. I would drive it quite often in the summer
with the top down. There are times when I would love to take a drive with
another person, but not behind me on my motorcycle. I don't like
passengers with me on my motorcycles. The TR6 would be my "social
motorcycle" (and I like the fact that one of my bikes is a Triumph TR6--it
would be nice to have two TR6 machines--a bike and a sports car)
(7) The car has never been abused--it has mainly just sat in Karl's garage.
Karl has insured it every year, run it every year, just not driven it very
much.
(8) I would plan to find a rusted out TR6 for parts--especially a factory
hardtop and an overdrive. Looks as though that might be the best way to go
as long as I have a place to store the hulk. Overdrive question: I
noticed from the web that there was a change in overdrive in 1973. Is
there preference of one over the other and if so why? Is the overdrive in
a 74 operated by a stalk on the right hand side of the steering wheel? I
have not been able to find a picture of the dash of a car with overdrive.
(9) I just become interested in the TR6. Your web page has been totally
wonderful in helping me begin to get my arms around the car. In addition I
have requested over the web a parts manual for the TR6 from Moss Motors and
The Roadster Factory.
If I buy it, I would love to have a French Blue reliable,
smooth--relatively rattle free LBC--I assume that is possible. And, if I
buy the car for $4,500 and I do the vast majority of the work on the car
myself (except the respray--I'm quite good at mechanical stuff--not
painting--but I'm REAL fussy)--do you think I could have that TR6 the way I
described it above for an all in cost of $9k??
Thanks so much for at least reading down this far on this very invasive
email. If you have neither the time nor the inclination to answer my
questions, might you suggest a person for me to direct this email to??
I recently moved to Swarthmore PA; I will be off to Minnesota (where I
moved in from) over Easter where I will see Karl's TR6. Therefore, I'm
trying to collect all this knowledge before I see the car for the first
time in a while. (Karl was my neighbor for 25 years while I lived in
Minnesota)
Appreciate your time and help,
Paul
PS. I have one more question (for the moment):
Today I read, again, through the Buyer's Guide to the TR6 on your web page.
I noted the concern about the rust where the trailing arms tie into the
frame. I will check that out real well. The next thing I noted was to see
if there is a "clunk" which would indicate loose/broken/damaged/rusted/torn??
differential mounts. I recall Karl's car having a distinct "clunk" when
one accelerates away from a stop. My question is: is the differential
mount most likely the reason for the "clunk"? And, if it is, is it a fatal
symptom? For example does it indicate a major problem equivalent to a
rusty frame where the trailing arms tie into the frame? I'm trying to put
some bounds around the "clunk" problem--a $100 problem or a $1,500?
Again if I'm inappropriately hassling you, please tell me to whom I might
direct this inquiry.
Thanks for all the help,
Paul
Paul J. Aslanian
1995 VW Passat V6/5sp--daily driver
1987 Jaguar XJ6--54k
1979 Yamaha 650 twin (last Brit look alike) 9k
1978 BMW R 100/7 --35k
1972 Norton Commando Combat--8k
1968 Triumph TR6 Trophy--9k
1965 Honda S90--11k
|