Well fellow listers I took the plunge and bought a TR6.
Thanks to all the great advice from you folks I think I got exactly what I was
looking for...a car that I could drive immediately. I didn't want a "project"
since I'd just finished remodeling our kitchen and dining room from the studs up
and had satisfied my need to fix for a while. I was more in the mood for fun
and I think this little car is going to provide a lot of that...along with the
occasional fixing fix.
I bought a 71 TR6 that has been about 95% rebuilt professionally in the last
four years (saw the receipts for $14,000 worth of work) including rebuilt
engine, rebuilt tran, rebuilt drive train, rebuilt front end (including
strengthening the mounts for the control arms which I understand was a problem
in the early TR6s), new interior, new dash top, new wood dash board, new top,
new radiator, new alternator, halogen headlights, new seats, new differential
mounts. new bushings throughout suspension, stainless steel exhaust and more. I
paid $7500.
The car drives like a champ which is exactly what I wanted. At 70 mph it held a
line down the road straight as an arrow. The paint looks great but it has been
painted too many times (its crimson red now and was royal blue originally
according to the paint number, 56) as you can see some thickness problems but
you have to be right on top of it to see them so still it looks great from
beyond 20 feet. That could be a blessing in disguise since I won't be so
concerned about potential dings and I'll just drive it without getting too
stressed about parking lot gremlins.
It always pays to trust your intuition. I'd looked at (and drove, and had it
inspected) this 74 for two and a half weeks and just couldn't pull the trigger
because of some lingering doubts, but when I saw and drove the 71 it was all
over and I bought it on the spot. Good thing too, because although I didn't
know it there was another buyer (who had looked at it the day before) waiting in
front of the seller's house to make an offer and the guy who looked at it an
hour before me called an hour later to make an offer.
I know, I know, I'm running on here but I'm ecstatic that I found a good value
in a super drivable TR6.
However, I do have a question that hopefully this fine brain trust can help
with.
The only thing the car doesn't have, strangely enough, is a heater core. The
seller kept the car cover and stored in his warehouse from October to April and
never put one back in since he didn't need heat in the months he drove it.
I've decided to look at this as an opportunity and have been looking at a couple
of different options.
1) Simply replace the heater core for about $200 (core and fan motor) plus
labor (mine probably).
2) Replace it with a heater/cooling/defrost after market unit that would fit
under the dash for about $900 plus labor (mostly mine). This would mean adding
a compressor mounted to the engine, a dryer and a condenser somewhere in the
engine compartment, and the refrigerant hoses back under the dash. Any other
venders besides Vintage Air and Classic Auto Air?
3) Replace it with a used Triumph factory air conditioning unit (if
possible...did 71s have AC?). Cost unknown. Anyone know a good source for used
(or new) TR6 AC units?
I would like your opinions on those options. I do like the idea of having AC
since I'm likely to do summer road trips in the hot and humid Heartland.
Does anyone know where I can get diagrams of TR6s with AC or pictures so that I
can get some ideas on where best to put the AC components and how BL ran the
hoses through the firewall. Suggestions are welcome too.
Sorry this is so long, but as you can tell I'm pumped about becoming being a
Triumph owner again.
Thanks in advance.
Bud 71 TR6 (nice to be able to put that there)
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