1973 Triumph TR-6

Convertible

2.5 Liter, twin Stromberg Carbs, Dual Exhaust

Manual

CF10404U

Clear

Gasoline

1973 Triumph TR6 Roadster - in CaliforniaMaroon/Tan Upholstery, Black Top – NO RESERVE! This classy 1973 Triumph TR6 roadster has a strong 6 cylinder, 2.5 liter motor backed by an all synchromesh 4 speed transmission. The TR6 is the more powerful, meaner-looking sports car than prior Triumphs. The German design house, Karmann was commissioned to create the unmistakable body, which projected updated styling compared to English sports cars of old. Yet, the TR6 still retained the traditional true frame and body construction and feel of English roadsters. In 1971 Triumph fitted a stronger gearbox (from the Stag) to the TR6. 1971 to 1973 are the preferred years for this classic. An additional plus for California owners (and maybe other jurisdictions) being a 1973, it is exempt from smog inspections. In 1974 the engines were detuned, big rubber over riders were added to the bumpers and high back bucket seats were fitted to meet US safety and emissions requirements. The car is located in the San Francisco Bay Area, but still retains its Arizona Classic Vehicle license plates as it has not been registered in California. It’s remained mostly under cover in an indoor storage facility with a battery tender. It was purchased from the prior owner’s estate in AZ a year ago as an addition to my accumulation of special interest cars (mostly jaguars and big block Fords) for my own use. I am not a dealer or car flipper. Being an estate sale, there wasn’t any additional information on its history, maintenance or repair documents. I was told that the deceased gentleman, only used the TR6 occasionally, also having a 2006 Lotus Exige plus a daily driver pickup. So, he liked his British performance sports cars! The odometer currently reads 58,882 miles. The AZ estate transfer title shows 58120 actual miles as of 1/30/14. Since then, I haven’t had the opportunity to fully enjoy it, as too many other activities have consumed my time. I’ve fired it up and taken it out occasionally to keep it exercised. I need to thin down the collection and therefore would like to find an appreciative home for the TR6. As such, this is a NO RESERVE listing. TR6 Driving Experience - The interior can be described as typically British, meaning two low slung seats, an upright dash with real wood veneer spanning the width of the cockpit. Simple, yet elegant. The full set of easy to read Smiths gauges are set into the beautiful wood trimmed dash and the wooden shift knob falls easily into your hand. For the most part, everything is laid out well. The main quirk to this otherwise well designed space is the ignition switch. It is nestled underneath the steering column with the barrel for the key pointing directly at your belt buckle. You need to reach around or through the three spoke steering wheel and instinctively search for the slot to insert the key. After a few times, you easily get used to it. The low back bucket seats are comfortable and the interior is a great place to enjoy open air driving. I still get a smile on my face every time when I settle into the TR6. This classic isn’t a powerhouse compared to Jaguars or Big Healeys, but it makes some of the best sounds you could ever hear in the sports car world. Overall the TR6 was a nice evolution of from the earlier British sports cars while still maintaining all the elements that make British sports cars so wonderful. Walk up and climb into the TR6 and you will realize how small this car actually is. Without a doubt the interior is tighter then a Mazda Miata. However, firing up that strong, six cylinder engine results in one of the most melodic sounds in the automotive world. The Monza exhaust has a wonderful mellow burble at idle. It may even sound better than my Cobra, dare I say. Press in the clutch, grab the gear selector and slide into first gear to let the fun begin. British sports cars are all about the driving experience. Having the sun in your face, the wind in your hair, the smells of the fumes and the trumpet of that wonderful exhaust note while you drive down the road are the elements make driving these cars such a pleasure. This particular TR6 has all these elements in spades. As you travel down the road the exhaust note changes pitch while going through the gears. You can’t match the way this Triumph tickles the senses. View a short You Tube video of the car starting and in motion at: Get your own valid XHTML YouTube embed code Engine/Drivetrain - The engine starts easily, oil pressure at ~80 lbs at start and 50-60lbs. at idle. It runs cool, with original front spoiler air inlet and radiator/fan shroud still in place. After extended idling, the temp gauge registers at 1/4. Engine pulls strong and shifts cleanly through all gears. Throttle linkage does need adjustment as there is a slight lag in responsiveness. However, after getting used to this, it doesn’t affect drivability. Also, for your information, there is a whirring sound in neutral with the clutch disengaged. I was told by the British mechanic, acting as estate agent selling the car, that this is typical for the TR6. It has not been further diagnosed beyond noticing the noise, although I was told by another quite knowledgeable owner of many TRs that one of his did the very same. He fixed it with some aftermarket springs/hardware that better aligned the clutch disc assembly or something like that. The clutch operates just fine, with proper amount of pedal travel for release. It engages smoothly with no chatter. The oil filter has been upgraded with a spin on adapter. Air cleaner has been changed to 2 performance filters and Monza performance exhaust has been added for a throaty growl, but without an offensive raspy pitch. Electrics/Gauges - The electrics work fine. Headlight low/high, turn signals, hazards flashers, parking and backup lights, under dash courtesy lights, panel and trunk lights function fine. Panel light Rheostat/off switch works fine. The OEM British Leyland radio is in place, but the speakers are missing, so its condition is not known. At some point, additional, discrete blue panel lights were added to the dash around the radio. The heater motor doesn't seem to work, although not diagnosed further. An aftermarket air horn has been added – don’t know condition of original horns. Interior/Top – The tan vinyl upholstery (as per original spec) and carpeting appear to have been professionally replaced. Both are clean, fresh and tight. Besides a minor one inch wear abrasion on the driver seat where bottom and back meet, due to normal entry/exit wear, the upholstery is in very good condition. There are no rips, tears or loosening stitches. The black convertible top is a high quality replacement that appears to have been professionally installed. Please do note that the passenger side plastic rear quarter side window has a 2” crack from being improperly folded by the prior owner. The previous owner obviously did not view the You Tube video about the correct way to put down the soft top. Otherwise, the clear vinyl has no defects. The sun visors are missing although the mounts and pivot arms remain. The soft top boot cover is missing. The wooden dashboard is free of cracks, warping and delamination. It has a pleasing hue and grain. There are several silver dollar sized areas on the far left corner of the dash where the varnish finish has been lost and needs recoating. Also note a slight crack in the vinyl on the upper dash by the ashtray. The side windows are in good condition and rise and lower smoothly. Body/Frame – Please see numerous pictures for better assessment. The ID plate shows the original paint color code as 82 which is Red- Carmine /interior as 33 Brown – New Tan. One repaint is evident and is an identical or very close color match. It shows as a reasonable 8 foot paint job. There are some blemishes and one minor dime sized dent on passenger door. The fender seams at rear tonneau and front cowl panels were filled in and now show some cracks. From the underside, no rust-through is readily visible, so this “flaw” is more a result of an economical paint job by someone not familiar with TR6s. Bumpers have some scratches, blemishes and minor dents from 43 years of doing their job. The frame shows the usual rust typical for TR6s. There is rust scale on the lower cruciform plate, but the upper looks to be good. Also there are several small areas on one outrigger support that has rust perforation. One prior patch is also evident. Should you want to be a purist and correct these areas, a google search found several sources of readily available aftermarket repair parts, being a typical need for TR6 owners. Some of the vendors are Weebly, Moss Motors and the Roadster Factory. They all sell these repair parts for about the same cost. There is some body filler evident on lower front fenders and inner wheel well behind front tires and rear valence. Again, as a typical issue with a 42 year old sports car, repair panels are readily available from those same sources. The rear differential mounts, another typical weak point, in this case look to be in good shape. The great news is that the floor pans, foot boxes and spare tire well are sound with no apparent rust. Rocker panels, door sills and bottom of doors are also sound with no rust. The finishing touches are very nice wheel trim rings, with no curb rash or oxidation. The TR is fitted with period correct Coker redline tires with very few miles evident. The nubs are still visible. Handling/Brakes - The steering is tight and responsive-it drives straight and true. The front brakes and wheel bearings have had a complete overhaul in preparation for sale. The work includes - New rotors, rebuilt original calipers with new metal pistons, and new brake pads/shims. The front wheel bearings, both inner and outer, have been replaced, repacked and new grease seals installed. The entire brake system was bled. Rear wheel brake cylinder bleed valve opened freely, leading me to suspect that newer cylinders were installed. Rear brake shoes were not inspected. Again, for your information, while the front brakes were overhauled, it was noted that the front suspension and steering mount bushings and ball joints look to be original. They should be more closely examined, as some of the rubber boots need attention, although it still feels tight. The front shocks are aftermarket issue, but their age is unknown. Overall - The Carmine Red paint, bright chrome wheel rim accents/redline tires and exhaust note produces lots of comments from previous British sports car owners, UK ex-pats and thumbs up from other knowledgeable folks. The OEM UK flag emblems on the rear wings bring approving nods. You just don't see that many similar cars around. It will not be a low profile ride! The spare tire is still one of the original Michelin red line tires. A wheel lug nut wrench is present, but the OEM jack is missing. I've tried to be as descriptive and forthright as possible about the car, based on very limited knowledge of its history. Overall, it would benefit from some tinkering and sorting out, as it may have sat for a while before I acquired it and since then. Picture Gallery - Please look at all the pictures and ask any questions before bidding. An extensive gallery of pictures can be viewed at: http://jaykdantcars.imgur.com/ Transaction Details - It is being sold "as is," and buyer is responsible for transporting the vehicle or for pick up. Personal inspections are welcomed. I will answer any inquiries to the best of my abilities. Please ask any questions through “ask seller a question” or you can feel free to call me directly at 650-595-4155 (please between 9:30am – 8:00pm Pacific Daylight Savings Time hours). Since the TR6 was not registered in California, I will provide the original Estate duplicate Arizona title signed by the Estate’s Personal Representative. The Buyer information is left blank. I will also provide the bill of sale from the Estate Agent transferring the TR6 to me and a second bill of sale from me transferring the TR6 to the winner of the auction. That should satisfy DMV requirements for the chain of ownership and transfer. The AZ Historic Vehicle license plates look to be valid through March 2017, but I have not further researched the regulations for these plates. Thanks for your consideration. You should know that it is also being advertised locally, so I may need to cancel the listing early should it sell before the auction ends. The winner of this auction is fully responsible for providing me with a Cashier’s Check in the amount of the winning bid within three (3) days of auction close after which the title and bill of sale will be overnighted to the winner. I can be flexible in picking up the TR6 and could store for a short period as I will be unavailable from 6/12 to 6/29. Otherwise, reasonable availability and assistance can be provided with the pickup. I am located near San Francisco International Airport if you’d like to fly in to inspect or drive it away. Thanks for your interest and consideration of this great British sports car. Good luck in bidding. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE On May-28-15 at 09:28:48 PDT, seller added the following information: Several eBayers wanted more details about any rust. I want to reiterate what's stated in the listing and shown in pix. There are 4 areas of rust perforation/deterioation; scale on edges of the lower cruciform plate, 2 one inch holes in the frame member from cruciform to outrigger rail, bottom of front fenders, surface rust on underside of hood above radiator. Also, splash guard bottoms show repairs that could cover rust. These shouldn't affect the driveablility, but should be addressed before it worsens. If kept in an absolutely dry climate, there is no rush to fix, but if the car will be going to the midwest or east coast, the buyer will want to address these areas sooner than later. Also, there is an small, old starburst windshield crack which hasn't migrated.