I've owned both too but the Healey was 30 years ago when I was in college.
As has been pointed out, cost is the biggest factor............... a real
good TR6 $8K or less versus $20K or more for a 3000. Factor in maintenance,
repairs, insurance and the difference climbs even more. But to me the
biggest factor is use, and when I went looking I wanted a car that I could
drive every day, park anywhere and not worry (well mostly not worry).
There's no way I'd leave a Healey in a parking lot at the mall or the golf
course. That made the TR6 a no brainer........ I could afford to buy it,
repair it, maintain it and insure it.............. but mostly I could drive
it. If money were no object I'd have one of each: my daily driver TR6 and a
shine and show Healey. My head still snaps around when one drives by more so
then with any other car.
Bob Danielson
75 TR6 - Current Status at
http://pages.cthome.net/BobD
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-triumphs@autox.team.net
[mailto:owner-triumphs@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Jim Hill
Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2000 12:41 PM
To: triumphs@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: Re: Big Healey vs. Triumph TR6
Bill Holt wrote:
>My brother . . . is interested in buying a Big Healey (as am I) or a TR6.
> . . .
>Are there any listers who can OBJECTIVELY compare and contrast
>the pros and cons of . . . the TR6 and the big Healeys, particularly the
>3000's, BJ7's and BJ8's?
If that is really your question, then the answer is a simple "No". There's
hardly anything that's "objective" about comparing these two cars, although
the various magazines have been printing articles purporting to compare them
for nigh onto half a century. Anyone who knows these cars well enough to
make a comparison would have a hard time being objective about what is, in
essence, a very subjective and personal matter.
Now that the few "objective" factors like acceleration and braking times
have far less importance than they did when the cars were new, what remains
are those subjective factors like the owner's taste, prior car experience,
and similar intangibles.
If your brother has no clear preference between the two, the TR6 is the
obvious choice - it's half the initial cost, the repair parts are more
widely available and roughly half the price of comparable Healey parts,
they're quite a bit easier to work on (which your brother will be doing--or
paying someone else to do--at regular intervals) and you can buy a TR6
that's 10 years newer than the last Healey.
But if your brother really wants a Healey and it only thinking about a TR6
because it's a less expensive alternative, I'd suggest that he wait until he
can afford to buy the car he really wants - he won't be happy otherwise.
There's one other intangible - restoring and driving these cars tends to be
a largely social activity. If your brother buys a Healey, he's going to have
to hang out with "Healey People" . . .
(Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course :-)
Jim Hill
Madison WI
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