My tips on buying and what to look
out for in the TR6 pi.
My tips on buying and what to look
out for in the TR6 pi. When buying a TR6 for the first
time, there is a term commonly used when buying
anything, "Caveat Emptor" or loosely translated "buyer
beware"! Do your home work before you buy, better still
take someone with you who has some knowledge of the
marque. If you are not a member of the
TR Register
(which caters for all TRs' including derivatives such as
the Dorretti, Italia and Peerless. I suggest you join
the club before you decide to buy, then go along to your
local group meeting and ask questions, there is a wealth
of information available from knowledgeable TR6 people,
all for free! There is also a forum on the club site
which is open to everyone, advice and tips are readily
available from members of the TR Register who own TR6
models.
As we all know cars rust. The TR6 is no exception, The
TR6 is now 38 years old, so inevitably an un-restored
example will have some rust or rot especially UK TR6s'.
Depending on what your capabilities are and what you are
looking for, my advice would be, if it is for a
restoration project, buy as cheaply as possible,
otherwise go for a TR6 that no work is required or has
been restored to a reasonably high standard, buy for the
most that you can afford. Be wary of buying anything in
the middle because at the end of the day it will still
require some form of restoration, probably sooner rather
than later! Hopefully my pictures in the photo galleries
will show some of the areas to look out for.
Fortunately the availability of parts for the TR6 is
very good. Most of the TR specialists’ parts suppliers
in the UK will stock most, if not, all parts from a nut
to a complete body shell. As original equipment factory
parts are quite scarce now, most parts will probably be
reproduction. The quality and fit can vary from very
good to not so good or even poor. Although this guide is
for the TR6 problem areas, it can also apply to earlier
models such as the TR4a and 5, which share the same
chassis and floor panel as the 6.
TR6 Body-shell:
One of the most important things to lookout for on
the TR6, as with all Triumphs, is rust. Usually, rust
will start from the inside and result in bubbles and
holes on the outside.
Starting from the front of the TR6, check the areas
around the headlights; muck and road dirt gets trapped
around the headlight bowl, allowing water to penetrate
through the outer wing, causing rust bubbles. Also, the areas near the
seams on the scuttle top where the wings bolt on.
The tops of the rear deck, again, near the seams.
Rust bubbling here is indicative of more serious rust
underneath.
Check the upright on the floor panel area behind the
sills if the panel feels “soft” a lot of work will be
required.
Though if the floors are
sound a repair panel can be let in.
The rear wings are prone to rust where they bolt on
to the “B” post also the areas at the rear of the wings,
again road dirt and muck is
thrown up and
trapped.
Bottom of the rear valance is an area for rust due
to water getting trapped between it and the closing
panel.
The rear lip of the boot lid can also rust. Run you
fingers along the back of the lip, any roughness will
probably be rust or even filler.
In the engine bay check for brake/clutch fluid
spillage/leakage from the master cylinders, as well as
the area around where the battery is located as the acid and
fluids take away the paint finish exposing the areas to
rust and eventually holes.
Looking from the side of the TR6 do the gaps between
the front doors and rear wings alongside the look equal?
Is the gap at the top of the door and rear wing wider at
the top than the bottom? If so, it could be due to a
"tired chassis", this can be corrected to a certain
extent by removing the rear body mountings and packing
them up a little more. If, however the gap is wider at
the bottom than the top, beware! Nothing can be done
other than restoration on the chassis. Check the doors open and close
reasonably easy, the striking plate can be adjusted
slightly.
Chassis:
TR6s’ do have a sturdy chassis,
comprising of 16swg mild steel
manufactured in box section form with inner baffles, for
strength. Most of the rust will be from the chassis
underneath the ”breastplate" or “T” shirt as it sometimes
called, because of its’ shape. Another weak area
through corrosion is where the trailing arm brackets
bolt to the chassis. Due to the excessive torque from
the wheels on acceleration, if severe rust is present,
the force can rip the trailing arms away from the
chassis, ending with dire consequences.
The rest will be reasonably
protected by oil escaping from the engine, as nearly all
Triumph engines leak oil to some extent! Water ingress
rots the chassis from the inside out.
The chassis, looking from underneath the car, should be
reasonably flat, other than where someone has, in the
past jacked the TR up,
causing dents. Problem areas are usually where two
pieces of metal overlap i.e. box section corners and
under the “breast plate”, rust forces the metal apart
forming a bulge. If this is evident on your potential TR
purchase, avoid it! A lot of work is
required to correct it properly. Also look out for
accident damage, usually caused by "curbing", especially
on USA TRs' does the chassis look the same on both sides?
If not forget it!
An unseen area is where the differential is bolted
onto pins which are welded on to brackets on the
rear chassis cross members. Again, because of the
torque generated from the rear wheels to the
differential, tends to pull the pins thus splitting
the front cross member. It is nearly impossible to
see (or repair) this potential problem, other than
to take the body-shell off the chassis. Allowing for
worn Universal Joints on the propshaft and drive
shafts, the give away would be a really excessive
"clunk"
especially on acceleration.
The TR Register have a buyers' guide with other
information on it, , you will need adobe reader to view
it
click this link to see:
Buyer Beware
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