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Triumph TR6 - Concourse or Fun

I decided to open a new thread on this. When my family and I go to car shows the Tr's that interest me are the ones that are a little different. After a while a row of "stock" 6 all look alike and get repeatative. At these shows I search out the cars that are a little different and will study these cars. I will walk by one and my son will say "Daddy you missed one." And I will say "Stock" and keep on walking. Now don't get me wrong to you out there with the 95% and up original car my hat is off to you. I tried that route but took a wrong turn on a one way street somewhere. To the folk who pass me by and drop a different power plant in that's OK too, but they are a different type altogether. I hope I didn't rattle anybody's cage to hard and if I did I am truely sorry.
Don K.
DON KELLY

About 20 years ago I was in my mid 20's earning enough money to ski, drink beer and drive a beater car. I loved sports cars although couldn't afford one at the time. One day I saw something in a used car lot that made me turn around and go back. Whatever it was, I'd never seen it before. I remember walking into the dealership that day on pure impulse. The salesman took me over to the TVR and I slid in behind the steering wheel and he took the passenger side. I fired it up and remember accelerating out of the lot onto Hastings street with this huge rush of air and this mechanical symphony. The Triumph 2.5 litre engine had tripple webers, cams, headers you name it. That little TVR was a monster of a car - one of the most exiting cars I'v ever driven. It wasn't stock. My best friend had a bone stock 75 TR6 around that time and even though we all thought it looked neat, it was a dog - boring.
I think you have to tune em' up and make em exiting. Forget about the bone stock dog of a 6 that was sold in North America. I'm with Don.

REgds'

JP
John Parfitt

I have an appreciation for both, but for my own purposes go for fun. I have enough other stuff to take seriously and don't really worry about concours for my own car. I have judged at various VTR events and prepared a TR6 equipment guide with paint chips, material and carpet samples for my local (at that time) VTR chapter. I grew up with these cars and remember them from new. What bothers me when judging was someone trying to pass something off as "original" or "original type fitment" when I knew better. You need to decide, is it a car that you're setting up for yourself your way or is it going to be the "Concours Queen." A case in point was a very nice 1976 TR6 in either senior or preservation class at a VTR convention several years ago. As the team leader for late TR6 class, I was assigned to judge this car.

The owner had the wrong carpets in the car. The carpets he had were the Wilton wool carpets as used in the early cars instead of the later nylon carpets. Now I can understand wanting the Wilton carpets, much nicer stuff and what I would have wanted, but wrong all the same for this car in concours. The rules have changed since that time, now it would be considered over restored, but I seem to recall that it was a mandatory deduction of 10 points at the time for wrong material. Needless to say, the owner was rather upset and proceeded to question my right to take points off of his car as "that was the original type of carpet fitted to the car." This was a case where he wanted it both ways, set up for himself, but not wanting to take a hit come concours time. This particular car was one of the causes for a rewrite of the Concour Rules later that year.
SteveP

Hay Don
No u did not rattle my cage. I also hope I have not got someones hackles up. We do need to pock fun at one another some times to keep this BBS interesting. Life would be boring without humour in it. The bottom line is that the way each of us restores or rebuilds or changes his TR6 is a personal preference and is exactly what that person wants. Is that modified TR6 that u own lots of fun..u bet it is. Is my close to original TR6 lots of fun..u bet it is.
Is original better than modified ( or visa versa)? It does not matter. The main thing is that; that TR that is back on the road IS.... BACK ON THE ROAD! Thank u know who it did not end up (as I said) the front fender of a Miata.
My boring dog of 6 is one of these "saved" vehicles. The dog I purchased literally in pieces and with EXTREME pleasure and fun, I put it back together over a 3 year period. My goal: as original as I would like. The dog also cost me a little more than a few bucks in vet bills:)
Is a (restored to original) MG TD or a Austin -Healey 100 a dog? Sorry John, but to call a stock (original)TR6 a dog..I...well...do not think is quite cricket.
Ok... enough of this stuff. Back to having fun and helping each other out.
Gotta go out to the garage tonight and freeze my chestnuts off to drop the dif:)
Original by preference.
Rick C
Rick Crawford

Hi All,

One of the things that I love about this board is the depth of knowledge and the variety of opinions that help me figure out what to do with my car. Being new to TR's I have a ton to learn, and as long as I learn something, I will not get rattled.

I guess my car is at that "nobody has changed" it stage and I feel like it would be a sin to change it. Maybe this is my catholic downbringing that makes me feel guilty about having fun. But one thing that Don E. and others have sunk into my brain is that most things are reversible, especially things like ignition wires. I am still trying to figure out where my fine line between stock and fun is, but for now, I think I am going to say 3 hail mary's and order those magnecores!

Ignatius
Ignatius

Rick and Co...

Hopefully you gents will accept my teasing about dogs and so forth as good natured participation in a "frank and lively debate".

My bottom line is I just love the TR6 in any form, modified or stock as long as it has a TR6 motor.

But you have to admit, there is a HUGE difference between the TR6 sold in Europe and the TR6 sold in North America.

I think it a noble goal to bring that performance up to the European version. I'v driven both and they really are different cars from behind the wheel.

One gets smoked by a Chevy Sprint and the other is a world class roadster.

My rant for the day...

JP
John Parfitt

Blame it on America!

If it were not for their smog control regulations in the 1960's and 1970's (which never worked properly in the first place) we would have ended up with the 'world' version of the TR6. While the rest of the freeworld ended up with the PI version, we in North America ended up with a anemic version, fitted with the Lucas equivalent of fuel systems...the @#&* Zenith Strombergs.

Yes it would be great to have the 150/150 version of the car, not the 103/128. Hmmm 50% more horsepower would certainly make a difference. While triple webers, headers and a hot race cam can replicate the power, but at cost of driveablity and fuel consumption.
Steven

My first LBC was a 69 Consul, my second was an MG Midget and third a 71 TR6. After happily retired at 55 (years..not 55 MPH) finally I got the car always wanted..TR6. It is "stock", painted white,not original color, has 205/70/15 tires, not original red line tires, a CD AM/FM radio, electronic ignition,poly bushings all around and many others little things that make this car better but not "stock"...When I go to Auto Shows and see others TR'S with 3 webbers and hot cam, to me it is something to admire and sometimes desire.But the question is ,what is the bottom line? Living in an island 35 miles by 100 miles, don't need a "hot rod"...It is december with an average temp of 80 F..top down and the caribbean breeze on your face...a hammock between two palm trees
Angel L. Traverso

Angel, OK, now I am rattled! It is cold and raining here in Seattle. - Ignatius
Ignatius

To the Angel's, Jeff F and Peter G:
Who live in very warm climates on tropical islands and have to remind us about it: May the curse of King Lucas play havoc everytime you brag about the weather. The rest of the REAL world does not have such luxuries.

Yours truely,

Steven, in the Great white north where it is -12c windy albeit no snow (yet)

PS If King Lucas does not get you, then Lord Stromberg has a few tricks up his sleave.

Steven

Just when it starts to get cold ya can bet the guys running around in shorts and still enjoying they toys will be commin out of the wood work!
John, I do agree with you..for that size of engine,it should have more guts.
Steven..the only reason you do not have snow is because you live south of the bannana belt. Come on up north a little and see what we got.


Good drive today....top down.....ground nice and white....good breeze in the hair(s)....-12C...hardly wait to get home to warm up the chestnuts.
Rick C
Rick Crawford

Hi all age sunshine and Frozen Hair folicle etc. impaired.

Had use of 50 Chev truck that was also used to haul pigs to market wasn't cool in girls eyes.

Northern Saskatchewan boy Angel. Haying money earned most of summer $32.00 paid for a fine ride in my eyes in 50s. 1948 Austin A40 first car. Teacher sold it to me coudn't start in -40 winter. Never heard of Ether I guess. Little flags pop out of sides for turn signals. One rear lever shock missing all function. Cobbled a makeshift setup that looked much like current TR6 aftermarket.

Some of my more well off friends had 55 Chevs. they had to ask Dad for. None had modified fold back bucket seats "bedroom" like mine. My radio worked like theres and everyone new it was me! Plus up till now non of the girlfriends mothers ever thought they could get into trouble in that silly little car. Ran for 3 years and sold to another cowboy for twice the price.

Don't like trailer Queens. Objects de Art are my wifes hobby. If you can make the little devil more roadworthy, reliable fun more power to you. The Engineer and designer start with a concept? Nobody wrote it in stone that you can't improve.

Bill










Bill Brayford

The TR6 was available modified by Triumph... Hot cam's etc... could be ordered when buying new..

I see nothing wrong with Mods.. Except if I ever see a huge Supra Tail on a TR6 I will personally kill the guy !!!

My goal when I have money is to hop up my 6 and try to make it as if I was going to race it back in the 70's..

Thinking of replacing the wood dash with aluminum.. Straight pipes with butterfly vales (to make street legal) and maybee throw a period correct supercharger in the puppy..

I want to keep the block.. No V8's or the like..

I like the fact it is british.. All british not a british car with a small block in it..

I think it can be taken a bit to far but hey that is your personal preference...

I find at car shows the 6's with the most people around it is where they have done somthing interesting with it.. (saw a guy with triple Stromburghs one year)

The guys with v8's tend to be shunned to another area or they are bonding around each other.. Whatever

A six was built for fun and driving.. They have rally car heritage..

If I had the money to buy a trailer queen it wouldn't be a TR6..

Keep Em on the Road

brent
BrentW

I'm with all of you! I don't want a concourse car personally, I want fun.(license plate 'PUR FUN') These are great cars and technology has moved on - employ it - there are so many ways you can improve your car now - do it. It is a wonderful engine, use it the best you can. And enjoy7 Peter G
Peter G

Hey John Parfitt,
Was the TVR you were testing yellow? I remember the first time I saw a a TVR was on Hastings twenty something years ago. A beautiful thing.
BrentW, I finished my British Rod, a TRV8 this spring
I attended over a dozen car shows and at least that
many crusies this season. I was never shunned at any
event. On the contrary, I found that my TR was surrounded for most of the day. I answered hundreds
of questions by enthuisists who were from all levels
of the hobby.Don't misunderstand me, I love stock
cars. But my little rod is something I've wanted to do since high school. The best of British and American
technology in one pakage.
Christopher Trace

I enter my 1958 TR3A in many concours events at the TRA and VTR National level and always come out near the top. "TRusty" is a 93 point car as per TRA and a 380 to 385 point car (out of 400 points) at VTR on a consistent basis.

Now that you believe that I don't have fun with "TRusty", think again. In the last 12 summers, I driven it over 70,000 miles of FUN ! During that time, about 67,000 miles was "top-down driving" even for the whole 3-week drive from Montreal to Portland Oregon and back including an on and off again deluge for 300 miles on the last day from North Bay to Montreal.

I have proven that a TR can be "original" or re-done as "original" and that it will be reliable and can provide years of fun. And it's a lot cheaper to keep it running that way.

During 8,300 miles in the summer of 2002, all I did was change the oil, grease it and once I bled the clutch line. That was it !!!

If you like modified Triumphs, click on this site. Chris - you might want to send them some photos or a link to your site.

http://britishv8.org/swaps/examples.htm

Don Elliott, Original Owner, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

To those interested, we have a British Car Club in Puerto Rico, www.prbritishclub.org
Page is under construction and soon will be professionaly updated. You will find some photos of our cars.In february 14 and 15 2003 we have the biggest Auto Show in Latinamerica with over 1000 cars over 23 years old. There will be a tent sponsored by us. Come down for vacation and will have fun together.
Angel L. Traverso

Don E. - When I started this post I thought of you and what you would add and how you and your car are an anomely (spelling correction please). What I want to know is what took you so long?
Don K.
DON KELLY

I wanted to wait before jumping in. It's nice to read what others write.

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

Oh, prey on the inexperience of the young..
Don K.
DON KELLY

This thread was discussed between 30/11/2002 and 12/12/2002

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