Happy Birthday.

Always enamored with the TR250, TR4 and TR6. What great looking automobiles.

My Father had a Spitfire for a short period of time. It did spend a lot of time in the shop as I remember.

I know nothing about the car, but I came across this that you may find useful.

https://silodrome.com/buying-guide-triumph-tr6/

I so wanted a TR6 back in the day but along the way I learned that over complicated British engineering is the product of nook and cranny minds from a nook and cranny country.

I have owned too many British sports cars during my 56 years on this earth to count. Some were bought in nice shape and some I restored. If you are to own a classic car like this you either need to be mechanically inclined or willing to pay someone who is. Even fully restored cars will have issues. The cars had them when new and nothing has changed. As someone else said the British were behind the times in their mechanical engineering so the cars drive older than they are. But- they are fun and impart a great feeling of adventure and nostalgia for many. Always buy the best car you can for the money you have and have an expert check it out- no if's and's or but's on this point. Me personally, after recently deciding to buy myself a new toy I realized I wanted to get something to use more and mess with less so I bought a new motorcycle and passed on all the older cars I checked out first. I wish you well in your search for the right car. I definitely recommend finding a local British car club for both the support and knowledge they offer along with the fact someone that is into these cars always knows of a good one for sale.

The first car I bought with my own money was a 1965 MG B (in 1976) ... it was in good shape but it was always needing something. At least one weekend a month I was doing some sort of maintenance ... but it was my daily driver.
I've had several British cars over the years but never a TR-6, just never cared for the boxy look, I've had a couple MG B's, a Midget and my last one was an MG A ... it was definitely the most beautiful and my favorite, and the first car my daughter fell in love with.



One thing to be aware of, they are not as maintenance free as the cars of today, however if you have a bit of mechanical aptitude and can find parts, you can do most maintenance yourself. But also be aware, electronics are by Joseph Lucas "AKA" God of Darkness and the reason the British drink warm beer (Lucas refrigerators)

I'm on a Facebook page dedicated to Old British Cars, and its fun seeing all the classic's from across the pond that few if any made it over here.
Something that has struck me as odd is the number of Brits that comment that the 6clyinder in the TR-6 is under-powered and the 4 cylinder 1500's such as the power plant Triumph Spitfire are more responsive and quicker ... I got a bunch of backlash along those lines on a thread that had a TR6 and MGA pictured and asked "Which would you want?" and had responded with the MGA with the TR6 engine ...

One that's still on my bucket list (but will probably never materialize) is the 1955 MG TF which is the last of the T series

I was a sports car fan for decades, but managed to learn what to avoid from my buddies British and Italian mistakes. In 1975 my friend gave me a lift from PDX to Boise in his practically cherry MGB.

Longest most excruciating ride in my life.

Aside from mechanical reliability, virtually nonexistent, creature comforts rate in the buckboard era.

I was humongous Healy 3000 fan, until I discovered what washboard gravel corners meant as relates to unexpected loss of control. The improvement between the Healy 'hard tail' ride vs the refined actual shock absorbers of a then-newish Datsun 1600, on the very same near-killer patch of gravel road at barerly 30 mph was truly a 'learning moment'.

TR 6 performs best in the driveway being waxed in preparation of selling it. Of course, YMMV. I've already taken the cure.

Buy a TR-6 and a used Miata, that way you have something to drive when the TR-6 is down, or, move the TR6 Body to the Miata underpinning so it's a bit more reliable.

I thought a TR was cool back in the day. Especially in British Racing Green. Until I went halfsies with my HS buddy and bought a Sunbeam.
I believe it actually hated me. The wiring under the dash would often catch fire. While you were driving. Jolly good show, mate!
Going down a steep hill with a curve at the bottom, the brakes failed and my buddy and I hurtled into a cornfield. View out of the windshield was corn, then sky and then corn. Twice.
No more British cars. Ever.

quote:

Originally posted by signewt:
I was a sports car fan for decades, but managed to learn what to avoid from my buddies British and Italian mistakes. In 1975 my friend gave me a lift from PDX to Boise in his practically cherry MGB.

Longest most excruciating ride in my life.

Aside from mechanical reliability, virtually nonexistent, creature comforts rate in the buckboard era.

One thing from the vehicles of that era (and earlier) they are made to be worked on ... and they were designed before the "throw-away era" of the Bic lighter.

Almost every part on my MG's were rebuild-able ... from the oil filled shock absorbors which could be disassembled and re-sealed or topped off as needed; generators, alternators and electric fuel pumps could be rebuilt with new brushes, armatures, and diodes ... even the dreaded Lucas switches, could be disassembled and replace the contact points, springs etc. The down side of that era was metallurgy isn't what it is now, most required a valve-job every 30K miles and 100,000 miles on an engine without being at least re-ringed was unusual, typically at 100K you had to bore the cylinders and replace the pistons.

Of course paying someone else to do these things made little sense as by the time you paid for the part and their labor, it was more efficient to just replace the unit.

Keep in mind, back then, the Owners manual went into detail about how to adjust the valves and brakes ...
... Owners manuals for current production cars has a warning to not drink the contents of the battery.

I had a '58 TR3A back in the late '60s. It had its suspension beefed up and the 121.5 ci engine was bored out to 150 with the SU carbs replaced with Weber sidedrafts. It was an absolute hoot to drive.

Enjoyed being a tad crazy driving it in the winter with the top down but the tonneau cover zipped up tight over the passenger compartment. Also liked to raise eyebrows by crank starting it. Most folks had never seen such.

quote:

Originally posted by bob ramberg:
Search for a TR-6 or British car club. They usually have classified ads for cars. Also very knowledgeable people who can help with what to watch out for.

dated a girl in college that had a TR7 convertible,

what a POS,, and I loved it,


wife's besty has a TR6 that runs great, mostly,

then it doesn't, and needs a mechanic (she and her 2nd husband were in the local club and he has a TR 4a, that runs like a top)

I lust after a TR250, and a Bug Eye but no longer have the spare $ nor the spare time to wrench it



dad did a trade and ended up with a rust bucket MGA hardtop

that was a true pos, but it had been road hard, put up wet, and then allowed to rust, a lot,



one thing to think of is how original you want to keep it
friend with the TR4a swapped out the original trans for a Toyota 5 spd, (late 70's early 80's Celica apparently bolt in easily)
helped his performance a lot,

Thanks for all the comments, suggestions and links(and the birthday wishes). I knew the Miata thing would come up. It is a better car and everyone seems to love them. But I have always been hooked on the looks and idea of a TR 6 and its gonna be that or nothing. If it turns out to be an unreliable POS or I hate the ride or whatever and I have to sell it even at a loss so be it. What am I going to do with my money anyway, leave it to my kids? Where's the fun in that?

I bought a 1974 TR6 new. It had trouble with it. I think their quality control sucked. Stuff like going outside and starting it then find out the lights don't work. Make sure you have a good mechanic.

quote:

Originally posted by kho:What am I going to do with my money anyway...

Buy guns and ammo?

My first car was a TR7. Not even the convertible version, and it was still fun (poor man's Ferrari).

As already mentioned, prepare to work on it as much as you drive it (whether it's you or your mechanic). That said, it sounds like you know what you're getting yourself into, and how much fun you'll have. And TR6s in British Racing Green, wow.

You should bookmark The Roadster Factory now.

quote:

Originally posted by mushoot:
I bought a 1974 TR6 new. It had trouble with it. I think their quality control sucked. Stuff like going outside and starting it then find out the lights don't work. Make sure you have a good mechanic.

Kind of an understanding don't you think when you buy something of that age considering the state of mechanics back then?

That website I gave above TRF Classifieds lists quite a few 6s in various conditions for sale. Wow, good conditions are easily going in the $20s and up. I had no idea. Maybe considering the amounts the owners put in to keep it running.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:

quote:

Originally posted by mushoot:
I bought a 1974 TR6 new. It had trouble with it. I think their quality control sucked. Stuff like going outside and starting it then find out the lights don't work. Make sure you have a good mechanic.

Kind of an understanding don't you think when you buy something of that age considering the state of mechanics back then?

Another thing to remember is, in 74, higher safety standards and emission controls were hitting the USA very hard, and activist Ralph Nader was a huge killer of performance and sports cars ... back then performance and emission controls were never used in the same sentence, at least not without many choice 4-letter words. Nader hit the US cars first (my 72 Corvette was a dog compared to my 69) and after 72, was bumper height, 5-mile an hour bumpers ... Many people don't remember he was responsible for the beginning of the end of an era.

My dad restored one in the 80s. Watch for rust in the rear panel between the fenders and the rear suspension is not very robust. It was fun.

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:

quote:

Originally posted by kho:What am I going to do with my money anyway...

Buy guns and ammo?

Got those. I'm here aren't I?