British sports cars, to their credit, are among some of the most popular vintage classics out there. And it’s clear why there’s always a healthy assortment at local Cars & Coffee and other enthusiast gatherings – they’re fun to drive, easy to find in driver-grade condition, and the robust network of fellow owners and parts seller means you’ll never be without good advice or spares. But how do you stand out in a car so many others have? Find one of the rarer colors offered on an already-desirable 1976 Triumph TR6, like this one here on RM Sotheby’s website wearing Java Green paint. Bidding is at $6,750 at the moment with three days left.
My second favorite feature after the paint are those awesome Lucas fog lamps it wears on the front bumper, a totally period-correct enhancement I can’t recall seeing before. Of course, there’s some irony to using Lucas-branded anything that requires wiring and/or an electrical connection, but you could also just use the driving lamps for decorative purposes. The TR6 appears to be completely stock, and that paint color is a factory hue that doesn’t appear to have been repainted, as evidenced by the matching color inside the door jams and inside the engine bay. The listing notes the Triumph has been barn stored since 2001.
I can’t tell what’s going on with the seat upholstery, but I hope that isn’t mold I see. I’m sure the seller would have wiped it clean if it was, but the additional gallery photos reveals what looks like a fairly deep covering of a mold-like substance on the seats and the shifter boot. The wood dash fascia is in surprisingly nice shape, and looks good enough to use as-is. The same goes for the door panels, steering wheel, and dash pad. Mileage isn’t listed, but the condition on display here is definitely the kind one would usually associate with a lower mileage specimen, or at least a car that was used sparingly. It may look tired to some of you, but I see a survivor underneath all that dust.
The engine bay is pleasingly stock, and also shows no signs of having been partially torn down at some point to explain why it was parked for so long. Like most inline-six equipped cars, these TR6s sound incredible at full throttle, and even better with an upgraded exhaust. This example, while still quite a few months away from being driven in anger, looks solid in all the right places with no evidence of major corrosion. The listing notes it left the factory equipped with a laminated windscreen, inertia reel seatbelts, Overdrive, and tubed Michelin redband tires – which it still appears to wear today. There’s certainly some work to do here, but the rare factory color combo makes it worth the effort.
I don’t get the concept of leaving cr@p all over the car, as if dust and mold somehow “legitimizes” the story of the barn find. One or two shots maybe but for goodness sake, clean this car so bidders can see how nice the jade color really is. A little detailing can go a long way…IMHO.
Well said. Why does anyone want to make something look like it has been throwed away and then put a for sale sign on it.
I love this site. I mean I REALLY love Barn Finds. But for some reason I am so bummed when I see a car listed that’s for sale at a giant auction house. I get that it’s a barn find, but so out of reach now that I don’t feel like anything being discovered, just sharing a link. Unless, of course, they are paying you for promotion, in which case I’m all for it!
Based on the other RMS listings seen here on BF, they seem to ‘specialize’ in Crusty & Dusty. Whether it’s a real early 356 or a muscle-less muscle car (engine missing), they’re listing long slumbers for high numbers.
did you go to francis w. parker in chicago?
Can’t figure out why an owner would spray the engine compartment black. Seemed to be a habit back int the 70’s and 80’s. Maybe the next owner can get it off without spoiling the java underneath. And you can believe that is mold. I’m in Florida and it tends to be a problem for cars that sit undisturbed. Sometimes just a couple of months is all that is needed to get what you see in this car.
It looks like that dust is hiding surface rust on the bonnet, top of doors and hood.
Friend of mine had a 72, Burgandy body black gut and top, lotta fun, quick ,handled well, he had the car in 74/75, spun out in the rain with it in Manhattan, went thru a bank window, bye bye TR6
Seems like a fairly solid TR6 underneath the dust and mold patches. I agree, a few hours of cleaning would have made a huge difference in presentation.
It looks like the ODO states 34K miles, would be good to know.
Rare color and overdrive are positives. some shots of the underside would be appreciated.
The TR6 is a great car (I owned a red one); however, the major weakness can be the rear suspension where it attaches to the frame. This is a common problem as the frame shape at that point causes water to be trapped; the frame rots and the rear suspension becomes out of alignment, then detaches, and the car is toast. So you either junk the car OR
replace either the back portion of the frame (or the entire frame). My car developed that problem, but fortunately I found a frame from a wreck that had a good back half. A talented (but expensive) body shop spliced the my front frame half with the back half of the wreck frame solving the problem. Definitely beyond the capability of most home shops! Be sure to check the frame where the rear suspension attaches!!
OK, I get showing a picture or two with 20 years of dust on it, but then shouldn’t the remaining pictures show how nice two hours of cleaning can make it? I like the bright green on the TR6, it almost completely takes your eye off of those enormous bumper guards! Lets hope it finds a happy home and gets driven.
Agree – almost wears the bumper over riders well!
Certainly better looking bumper guards than most cars of the era. Pull them off, a couple of chrome pumper bolts in the holes, guards in a plastic bag for the next owner. Looks like a good car with a whole lot of crap all over it.
I agree with Fahrvergnugen and other people wholeheartedly. Clean the car and present it in a proper manner. The engine compartment is properly body color, it appears that they sprayed some sort of undercoating there, or painted black over body color.
The passenger door jamb has a yellow plug that looks like it is the type that an undercoat service would install.
This is not a rare color by any means, but a. nice one, still this car needs a bath before presentation – – – which makes me wonder, are they trying to hide something?
In the near future I will be selling my ’69’ TR6, and it will be clean, and you will see it, warts and all.
matt
It’s obvious it didn’t spend all those years in storage alone. There’s been a lot of mice residing inside and out. The wiring is probably destroyed. Bringing an old car back to it’s former glory is a lot of fun, but it’s always cheaper to find a nice restored one than do the restoration yourself.
Incorrect
I spent sometime with the car. Nobody had visited it in a hanger in a farm field community with a crazy amount of classics. The car not only checked out(matching engine number too) but hadn’t dripped a drop from a full oil tank and turned over with a charge. Original wheels, glass, tires and 35k on odometer confirmed. The top is actually in great condition..I did not confirm as original but I would not be surprised. The gaps were amazing..needs a slight hood adjustment. The car has been Ziebarted throughout(including the engine compartment). And it has overdrive “just won’t stall!” I bought the car today regardless if the wiring had been chewed on in which I saw no signs.
Give a good car a break man!
Cheers
See if BF will post some pictures on this thread after you do your initial cleaning. I think you got a great deal. The TR6 is an iconic open top roadster.
Great idea JB! Thanks
There just might be some gold dust in the dirt left on the car, and now we know why the dirt is still on this car.
Stay tune! Thank you for the positive response!