To triumphs@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: TR250 info.
Hello Rob, saw your post :
> I have been looking to buy a 1969-1972 TR6 for about six months now
> and I happened to come across a 1968 TR250 in Virginia. The car was
> disassembled by the previous owner, who is now deceased, and
> supposedly is otherwise in good running order. Motor totally rebuilt
^^^^^^^^^^
Here's the big `IF' as I see it. DPO = Dead Previous Owner in this case.
Are there receipts for the `total' motor rebuild ?? w/parts list incl. ??
Ask to inspect them and any / all other relevant paper.
> fairly recently, body has no rust. Previous owner wanted to replace
> rubber between body parts but never finished. Car has been garaged
> for over a year. My question is is the TR250 a better Triumph (more
> rare) than the TR6 and what is the availability of parts? Also I have
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Most body parts are common with TR-4, with some trim exceptions. Frame and
drive train are essentially the same as early TR-6s.
Speaking of frame, that's what I would check first, the rear swing-arm
bracket area, where those brackets bolt to the frame. Crawl under there
with a ball-peen hammer or big screwdriver and look for Swiss cheese or
rust in the frame area just ahead of the rear wheel well. If you can't
find any rust there, I'd be very surprised...pleasantly so, of course.
> not seen the car since it is four-and-half hours from my house. What
> should I be concerned with when I do look at it yellow striped hoses,
> rust, missing body parts? The asking price is $3900 and I believe the
> person is somewhat desperate since he also has four TR6's (sitting
> outside) and some MG's for sale.
I wouldn't sweat the striped hoses, unless you can see that the car is
obviously a show-quality car just waiting to be re-assembled. From the
asking price, unless this is an exceptional car in many ways, it does not
sound to me like the seller is desperate, he should know that a `basket
case' equals a pig-in-a-poke, and rightfully so...you may not know for
quite a while just which important/unavailable piece is missing.
My humble opinion: unless you or someone you trust can personally inspect
this car and verify that it is a show car with `some assembly required',
and has some desirable options such as overdrive, wire wheels, new paint,
verifiable fresh engine rebuild, or some combination of these, then I
wouldn't get too excited unless the price came WAY down from $3900.
Good luck & best regards,
Tom Tweed
SW Ohio
TR-250 owner for 8 yrs ('til last October)
'72 Trident 750cc basket case
'75 TR-6 bare roller & some salvage parts left from crashed '75 TR-6
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