Hi all:
Had an interesting road trip over the weekend. My wife and I took our
'72 TR6 and met up with my friends Dave and Kathlene, who own a very
nice '67 Jaguar E-type roadster (more on that car in a moment). We all
live in the D.C. metro area, and were headed to Lexington, Virginia, in
the southwestern sector of the state for an overnight. As luck would
have it, we were "forced" to take the Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge
Parkway to get there and back. For those unfamiliar, these are two
connecting roadways that snake through just about the prettiest part of
Virginia. (And the ridges of the Appalachians really are blue -- even
on a hot summer day.) These two parkways were built under F.D.R. and
finished circa 1939 -- well constructed two-laners with nicely banked
turns. Perfect for motoring in our cars. These parkways get crowded in
the fall, but surprisingly, we encountered few vehicles, and were able
to drive pretty much at will.
Dave and I swapped cars at one point, he in the TR6 and me in his Jag.
His 4.2 liter E-type is immaculately prepared, and quick with the
various modifications he's done ... such as replacing the Z-S carbs with
a triple SU H6 setup ... (which is not really a modification for this
car). The car has all the power you could ever want. Need to pass?
You're around the guy in a few seconds, and the motor isn't even
breaking a sweat. Then, as you approach a hill, you're tempted to go up
it faster than you were going before ... just because you can.
Ride-wise, the car is very smooth, sticks nicely, and is really very
quiet, without the rattles that Triumph folks are used to. It's a
touring car with guts.
On the other hand, my TR6 has its own charms. Except for truly taxing
situations (like passing uphill), it's also got torque in reserve for
Sunday afternoon. The Monzas I've got make a nice bark with the hammer
down, and always give me smile. Plenty of personality, as it were, and
I must say a clean TR6 is one cool looking car. This was the car's
first trip since I reconditioned the engine's bottom end, and I'm happy
to report no problems there at all.
So the moral of the story is ... take the Blue Ridge Parkway sooner
rather than later, if you're nearby. And while you're in the
neighborhood, try some good Virginia wine, too ... some of it is really
quite excellent.
--
Martin Secrest
72 TR6
73 GT6
Arlington, VA
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