Jim Davis wrote:
At the risk of being unkind after viewing your photos, I'm not sure
why
you feel this TR6 is unique. It has no overdrive, steel hard top, air
conditioning or obvious performance mods. In the southeastern U.S. the
car would be considered a bit rough and worth maybe $1,000-$1,500,
assuming it runs. What was the purpose of importing the car? I'm just
curious why one would go to the expense of importing a TR6 in this
condition.
Jim - as I'm in digest mode, I see you've had answer from him and from
Australia as well as to the reasons why.
It's clear Lennart's reasons were to buy a largely rust-free car and
$1000-1500 value plus shipping still makes for a very cheap TR6 by
European standards. For as long as TR prices in the States remain at
their low(er) level, they will and do find ready buyers in Europe.
Genuine injection cars usually cost a lot more with premiums going
higher as each year passes. TR's of any variety are more scarce in
Europe/UK than the States, so prices are higher - often a *lot*
higher.
Lennarts car probably won't have injection and while the performance
with a U.S. spec engine is a lot less than a PI car, it won't be
sensitive to altitude variances if he wants to use it in the Alps.
Original injected cars were troublesome in high altitudes as there was
no altitude compensator on the metering unit. He may keep it stock, he
may work to extract more horses with carbs than injection - and many
in Europe do this.
It's already left hand drive, so won't need conversion, except for a
kilo speedo and they aren't difficult to source.
It can be kept as a Stromberged engine or converted to injection
using 100% Lucas parts (still plentiful if you know where to go) or a
Bosch pump with associated changes to cylinder head and camshaft.
FWIW, there are three (maybe more) former TR250's within 20 miles
radius of my home. These have now been cloned into TR5's including a
steering position switch to RH steer and at a total cost that was far
less than a genuine TR5.
I'm sure this practise will continue for as long as decent and halfway
decent LBC's can be found in the States. If I had the garage space,
I'd certainly follow Lennart's example and buy a 250 to turn into a
"TR5." As I've said before on this list, the only way to hope to keep
the remaining cars in the States is for vendors to start pushing up
the prices but then they'll be going against market forces. In April
this year at the Techno Classica exhibition in Essen, Germany - I
counted no less than 28 ex US TR6's for sale and 7 petrol injected
cars. They were all in above average condition with stock US engines
but way cheaper than injected alternatives. From memory, prices on the
ex US cars were $12500-$20000 depending on general condition with
another $10000 for the genuine injected alternatives.
At the end of the show (4 days) all the US cars had been sold but only
3 of the injected ones had found new owners, so business is obviously
good - and likely to continue? Our gain is your loss, so start
re-appraising the value of your Triumphs as we'll happily pay more for
them overseas than you will at home. I suppose that a few decades from
now, our grand children will see another profit opportunity and sell
the ex US cars back to the States <g>
Jonmac
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