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Triumph TR6 - TR 6 reliability

hi there,i was considering getting a TR6 but at 24 i don't know that much about them so the Q. is are TR6's realible?
I plan on using it daily and 4 work (I'm a postman)
will it be up to the job and if it does all go horribly wrong will it cost me a small fortune to fix,parts etc?
many thanks
Dan
dan

Hi Dan,
I drive my '75 TR6 everyday to work ( for the last 3 years ) from late April to November and beyond as long as there is no snow. Car has been very reliable and enjoyable. In both cases when something went she got me home and the most I spent was $100 to have my starter rebuilt.
I also drive it all the other times to !!
cheers
Charlie
Charlie Ballard

Hi Dan
If you buy a good one they are as reliable as any classic car, but they do need more servicing and TLC than modern cars. If you are looking for a daily driver spend the money and buy a good one, also do your homework before looking, like all old cars they have weak points that need awareness. If you are in the UK join the TR register they are by far the best club for TR6 owners in this country.
This might not be a popular post in a TR6 forum but I have an MGB as well and I would say although it's not as much fun to drive as the 6 it would be an easier car to live with as a daily driver
Ron
R. Algie

Algie, don't feel bad. I too have both a Tr6 and an MGB. I love them both. I must agree that the MG has some points as a daily driver. They are incredibly easy to work on, even as compared to the Triumph, and I think they handle a little more sportily. IMHO. I must admit I've had a little more trouble with the Triumph than with the MG, but that could just be individual cars. I know that debate will rage.
J. L. Stein

uh oh what have i started now lol
actually this debate's quite handy cos i was a also considering a MG Midget haha
thanks for the input so far
Dan
dan

Having had multiple MGBs in addition to Triumphs, I think either a TR6 or MGB would make a good daily driver. The TR6 is better if you have lots of highway speed stuff, the MGB is better if it is mostly surface streets. The effort level of the controls is lighter on the MGB than on a TR6 and the car is more rigid (assuming that the tub is in good shape) thanks to its unit body construction compared to the somewhat flexy TR6. I also find the interior of the MGB to at least feel larger than the TR6. I find the TR4/5/6 to be tight around the shoulders, but don't feel that way in an MGB. Best years for a daily use MGB are 1968 through 1974. You get an all syncro transmission and negative earth compared to non-syncro first and positive earth on the 1967 and earlier cars. Also note that 18GA engines on 1962-1964 were three main bearing engines, the 1965 18GB engine went to five main bearings. Starting in 1974 1/2, the cars were jacked up to meet US bumper standards and given those rubber bumpers. Other silly stuff too, like taking off the oil cooler that had been standard and going to a single 1.75" Stromberg instead of twin 1 1/2" SU carbs with the 1975 cars. Tr6 are pretty much year independent. For some reason, the Triumph arm of BL was better able to deal with the changes required by US law in the early to mid seventies than the BMC arm.

I would not go the Spridget (Midget/Sprite) route as all of the BMC motored cars have a non-syncro first, while the later rubber bumper cars have a Spitfire engine and transmision. This gets you an all syncro first gear, but they tend to run hot. Reliability was not their strong suit. As the cars are light, the components are light also, making them a bit on the fragile side compared to a MGB or TR6. Overall, the Spridgets just don't fill the bill in my mind as a daily driver.
Stevep

You get out what you put into it. If you're a bit lazy on the checks & tune-up's you can expect a let down now & again. If you are on top of things mechanically you will be rewarded with reliability. I just got back from a 300 mile RT down to Muscle Shoals - and everything was perfect on the trip. You don't do that in a LBC unless you're confident the car's OK. Now for the sunburn ointment...

BB

Brent B

TR6 is much harder car to live with day after day...everything is hard and stiff ie steering, clutch, shifter etc etc.

The MGB is easier to drive and is why perhaps that and the Spit are considered "hairdresser's cars" over in England. A pansy car, just like a Miata is today's version of a hairdresser car




Real men drive TR's (except 7's) and Healey's,
Fancy boys drive Spridgets, Spits and B's
Steven

Hi Steven
Don't want to worry you, but nothing on my TR6 is stiff [apart from the driver maybe]
The steering is slightly lighter than the B, the gearchange is about the same and the clutch is slightly heavier mainly because it has the earlier 3/4" master cylinder.
Ron
R. Algie

The 71 TR6 I have has been pretty reliable during the year I have owned it. However, it is not a daily driver and is driven mostly on weekends during the cooler parts of the year here in SoFl. I think that if you are reasonably diligent with the maintenance, you are going to have a fairly reliable car, although things are going to break.

As for the comment about the TR6 being kind of "heavy" to drive, that is sort of true. I had an MGB a long time ago, and it was a bit lighter feeling, but, in my experience, not as reliable--but I was young and didn't have a clue about preventive maintenance. Also, my son has a Mitsubishi Eclipse, and it is much easier to drive than the TR6. Actually, for a fun daily driver, one of the 5 or 6 year old Eclipse convertibles would probably be a fun, reliable and economical car.

John
JL Bryan

My favorite is always going to be my '6, but, the most fun AND reliable LBC I've ever had was my MGB that I did the aluminum v-8 conversion to. We punished it every day(me and my employees) and it just came back for more.
Gene Holtzclaw

This thread was discussed between 05/07/2004 and 07/07/2004

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