I'm going to look at this car today. I was going to bring my trailer, but I think I'll wait until I see the car. It is supposed to have no structural rust or rust through. Obvious surface rust. Interior is missing. Drivetrain is complete and motor turns over. Comes with all the exterior trim and extra motor.
I've always loved the TR6 and would make this into a tribute Paul Newman track car.
http://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/cto/5016913773.html
Seems like a decent deal. I expect you could leave with it for a good bit less. It didn't say that he has any trim or interior so a good vintage racing project if the rust stuff is true.
I'm probably not helping...
Given it needs an interior, it probably would be a good track-car candidate. To restore that car back to decent driver level would not be cheap - probably about the same as buying an already done car.
pinchvalve wrote:
More along the lines of yelling "jump" to a guy on a ledge
The GRM community in a nutshell:
By the way....do it!
I'm in the middle of restoring a TR6 that wasn't much better than that to start with. It's a ton of work and the new parts cost adds up, but I think it could be made into a decent car without investing way more than the car is worth. Since you can't drive the car, it will be harder to tell whether there's anything wonky with the frame. Look for visible frame twist and rust on the trailing arm sections. Check whether the rear door gaps are consistent. They all open up towards the top to some degree. The worst rust areas on the tub are the sills and rear fender mounts. Look where the rear fender bolts pass through the shell for rust. This can be repaired, but the replacement sill and forward rear deck pieces are not from original tooling and take some extra work to fit.
If you want to drive the car fast, you'll need to upgrade a few things like the front axles/rear hubs. The half-shafts are a weak point, but we've only broken one in 15 years of trying. They can be made into quite a fun autocross car. I say do it.
I know we're supposed to be enablers, but I looked at one in better shape not far from me and passed. Looks like a ton of work.
https://providence.craigslist.org/cto/5032814288.html
If a big selling point is "...the chassis is solid with no rust in the frame anywhere, trail arm sections are solid, the tub is solid, no rocker panel rust, no rust in the floors, solid trunk floor" wouldn't you think pictures of the rust free areas would help the sale?
It looks fairly solid, but so did my tr4. After tearing it down there were about 75 separate patches ( but no rust on the chassis). Little stuff adds up on cars that need everything. I'm glad I went through the exercise, but it would have been cheaper to buy a driver and gut it than build up a gutted project. And I would have been racing this season instead of wrenching.
I went and looked at it and here are my observations. This car had been stripped and primered years ago. It sat outside for a couple of months at some point. Very little paint left on the car. Certainly too little to hide anything. Some parts of the car did not get primered, the rockers and windshield frame for example. There is rocker panel rust, a few holes, but otherwise solid. The driver's side front fender is rusted out and boogered up in the front, probably not worth messing with. The driver's rear fender has a small rust hole above the tail light cutout. Passenger fenders and both doors are solid. Floors, inner fenders, firewall and trunk are all solid. Tiny hole in rear inner fender well. There is a solid trunk lid and hood, both with surface rust only. There is an engine which looks clean inside, bolted in the engine compartment. Trans is not in the car, but included. Extras include extra front and rear suspension,pedal box, wheels and diff. Front and rear appear to have no crash damage. Front lower valance has some rust issues around the lower radiator openings. Dash is out as is steering column. Was told they are included, but not inside the car. Did not see steering wheel although it is supposed to be in the shop somewhere.
I would have picked it up had I brought my trailer {which is why I didn't take it} except for one major issue. I have run out of room in the garage. I wouldn't let this sit outside. I'm trying to find warehouse space to move my hobby into, but I haven't found what I want yet. If I had the warehouse, I'd get this. I told the guy I'd be back as soon as I get storage straightened out. I don't want to put it in the trailer because I'll be using it to transport the Chumpcar to the cage builder in a few weeks.
In my world, its $25,000 from being a nice restoration. That is you doing all the work except paint.
Body needs to come off and everything sandblasted and epoxy primed. figure 3k
Suspension and brakes need going over figure 2k
paint 5-8k
interior 3k
chrome and trim 2k
engine and gearbox 6k
wiring 1k
wheels and tires 1.5k
exhaust $500
Stuff I cant think about 2k
Plus 1000 hours of your free time plus the tools and space to work on it plus the cost of the divorce.
Now go lok and see what 25k will buy you in terms of a finished car.
In reply to NOHOME:
Thats a little harsh. What ever happened to enjoying the hobby of restoring a car? If everyone was to go out and drop $25,000.00 on finished examples there wouldn't be many to go around. I actually do this kind of thing because its fun. Most of your numbers are based on shop prices($11,000.00 for body and paint?) I rebuild my spitty engine for less than $500.00.
bearmtnmartin wrote: In reply to NOHOME: Thats a little harsh. What ever happened to enjoying the hobby of restoring a car? If everyone was to go out and drop $25,000.00 on finished examples there wouldn't be many to go around. I actually do this kind of thing because its fun. Most of your numbers are based on shop prices($11,000.00 for body and paint?) I rebuild my spitty engine for less than $500.00.
Numbers are from experience. You and I might have a different idea of what a "restoration" entails. In my world, it it moves, its most likely worn out and gets replaced. $500 engine rebuilds do not include carburetors, distributors water pumps and generators. $500 would not cover the machine shop work required for a full rebuild.
Other than getting the panels sanded smooth and painted, the rest of the numbers represent DIY as much as possible and are just the numbers pulled out of the MOSS catalog.
As far as this being a hobby and not a money maker, I am on your side, I happen to be the president of the more money than brains club when it comes to stupid car expenses. I am the guy who builds them for 25k and sells them for 15 a couple of years later cause I want another project.
My point is that if you want to drive a classic then go buy one that is nice enough to drive for the duration of your ownership and pay up front. Most likely when you are done you can sell it for what you paid. If you want the challenge of building one from a pile of rust or parts, then by all means have at it.
NOHOME wrote:bearmtnmartin wrote: In reply to NOHOME: Thats a little harsh. What ever happened to enjoying the hobby of restoring a car? If everyone was to go out and drop $25,000.00 on finished examples there wouldn't be many to go around. I actually do this kind of thing because its fun. Most of your numbers are based on shop prices($11,000.00 for body and paint?) I rebuild my spitty engine for less than $500.00.As far as this being a hobby and not a money maker, I am on your side, I happen to be the president of the more money than brains club when it comes to stupid car expenses. I am the guy who builds them for 25k and sells them for 15 a couple of years later cause I want another project. My point is that if you want to drive a classic then go buy one that is nice enough to drive for the duration of your ownership and pay up front.
NOHOME so say a lot of us.
I spent about thirty years on the Yin side where I lived under a car and considered myself lucky when I didn't lose too much on what I worked on and then sold right about when it was right and I thought, boring.
I'm now way too old to do all that work. I'm now on the Yang side. I drive and on occasion, clean my rides. The "young bucks" can live under their finds!
Well, if he is truly considering it as a track car (I assume he means vintage racer), then throw all those numbers out the window and start over.
From experience, you'll not want to spend much money or time on the body and paint. Race cars get so beat up by yahoos hitting you (or you hitting others if you are the yahoo) that it isn't worth having a beautiful shiny paint job. They also get chewed up pretty bad just by debris on the racetrack sandblasting the front, stuff falling on them in the trailer, etc., etc. Do the minimum rust repair, clean it up, and put one of those $50 roller paint jobs on it.
The interior is nothing-- a race seat. You'll spend good money on the rollbar and safety stuff though-- $500 to $1000 on a roll cage, $500 plus on a fuel cell (plus installation). Then there is building the motor for racing. Dunno what a TR6 motor would go for, but just a 1275 four banger for a Sprite is a minimum of $4000 for the machine work and go-fast parts. Much more if you want really go-fast parts.
Then there is the rear sway bar, front sway stuff and probably a whole lot of other things that are specific to making the TR6 handle and survive that I don't know about.
Not that the total isn't going to be less than the street restoration. Probably about the same, just allocated to different areas. Of course, then there are the race tires and other maintenance items, not to mention that everything breaks or needs replacement at some point...
I'm going to pass on this project. I've got a '72 Nova in restoration, a '95 M3 track car that I'm about to put an E46 M3 ABS system into and a '94 M-Tech 325is that I'm about to do a complete M3 conversion on. I've got enough "projects" and not enough room.
If I had the warehouse space to let this sit, I'd buy it and do a little at a time, but I don't.
That said, I've looked at a LOT of TR6's that looked good from 10 feet and were not as solid as this one where the asking price was $15-20K.
maj75 wrote: That said, I've looked at a LOT of TR6's that looked good from 10 feet and were not as solid as this one where the asking price was $15-20K.
I understand you there. I tend to view my 1800ES the same way - it's rusty and needs a ton of work, but gosh-darnit I know what it needs vs so many "project" 1800's I see for sale that look a hell of a lot better on the surface, but in reality need the same amount of work to get put right. The difference being these cars have $5000 asking prices instead of the $800 I paid for mine.
I found a warehouse, sold the BMWs and have plenty of empty space waiting for a project...
Well it’s taken a few years, but I found my TR6. Here is a link to the car:
The completed work looks to be excellent. I have all the invoices for the work performed. Comes with the Triumph history certificate, factory books and repair manuals. As you can see, the drivetrain is in the car and all components have been rebuilt. It has the overdrive transmission. Brake plumbing is complete, but no fluid has been filled. No plumbing on the engine. No electrical components have been installed.
Picking the car up on Thursday with a flatbed tow truck and a moving van for all the parts. Most parts are new and boxed. The factory hardtop has been repainted as well. All glass is out of the car, but present. We will take the car to my warehouse where I’m lucky enough to have a two post lift. First mission will be to inventory parts and create a spreadsheet for what we have and where it is. I’m very concerned because I’m handicapped by the fact that I didn’t take the car apart.
I am giving serious consideration to trying to replace the factory heater box with a modern AC/heater case. There are some very small units made for street rods that I’m hopeful I can use.
I will not be turning this car into a Newman replica. Instead it will be a 1976 time capsule, as close to original as I can make it.
I’m working on a TR6 build myself. I got in over my head with a car that was probably too rough to start with. The “while you’re in there” type of stuff adds up really quickly ... and never seems to end.
That looks like a much better starting point. A complete interior (carpets, door cards, rear area, etc.) minus the seat covers will come in at about $1000. The dash with be about another $1000, plus gauges. The windshield and frame is costly, but you may be able to find a completed replacement: there was one for sale on one of the Triumph FB groups recently.
I’m assuming you’ll want aftermarket seats. I just bought a pair of TR6 seat mounts from Planted, so that opens up a world of options. I’m planning to go with Intatrim for mine.
If you’re looking for a bolt-in rollbar, Safety Devices UK makes the best one I’ve seen in terms of fit. I’m still undecided about whether to go with a rollbar plus race seats or go for a more hotrod look with low-back buckets.
Congrats. That's about where I'm at with my TR6 project minus paint on the fenders and the steering column. The tub looks really solid. The great thing about buying a project at this stage (without the interior) is that it's harder to hide rust or bad repairs. IMO, that color looks really good on a TR6.
I have a ton of spare parts laying around, so let me know if you need anything.
Thanks,
I will inventory next week when I’ve moved all the parts. I know there is a convertible frame, hardtop and old seats. Supposedly there are new seat rebuild kits and convertible top. I won’t be tackling the top. Seems like a 100 boxes of stuff. It has a beautiful Koa wood dash. The windshield frame is there. I confirmed all major components are present.
At least most of the stuff is new so I won’t have to work with rusty, greasy crap!
I envy you. My boxes looked like this...
bearmtnmartin said:In reply to NOHOME:
Thats a little harsh. What ever happened to enjoying the hobby of restoring a car? If everyone was to go out and drop $25,000.00 on finished examples there wouldn't be many to go around. I actually do this kind of thing because its fun. Most of your numbers are based on shop prices($11,000.00 for body and paint?) I rebuild my spitty engine for less than $500.00.
The more you do the lower the cost of restoration. Plus there is a world of difference between what a shop has to do and what an owner can accept as is or maybe with a little tweaking. Something as simple as. The points. An owner can clean and reset the points while a shop has to replace them.
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