My parents used to have a Triumph Spitfire when I was growing up, they constantly regale us of the stories of drop-top motoring around the countryside. But for every convertible joy story they have, there is another side with the breakdowns, repeatedly adjusting the choke, steam spilling out on a long journey type of stories which they don’t talk about so often. And that’s the problem with the cars from Triumph of this era – they are wonderful machines with lots of memories, but only when they are running well. However, they did say they were especially easy to work on and they did all of the DIY jobs themselves. That is the beauty of the Triumph range – that any amateur enthusiast can fix and repair with ease. However, the car we have here today suffers from quite considerable rot, so maybe outside the realm of a home mechanic. However, if a crusty British roadster is up your street, step this way as we have a 1971 Triumph TR6, in Charlotte, North Carolina available on Craigslist here for just $2500. Thanks to Chuck Foster for this find!

Although this was manufactured by a British company, these were almost exclusively for the US market – of the 90,000 built, only 8,000 remained in the UK. I have to say that this is one of my favorite body styles, it sits low and squat and with the optional hardtop looks like a proper British roadster. However maligned they are for their notorious electrics or build quality, they remain a firm favorite across both sides of the pond. This is good news for the new owner, as you are going to be in touch with a lot of owners about fixing the burgundy version we have here. Although it looks ok from a distance, underneath shows a rather different story. The sills are rusted through, there are dents and dings on the driver’s door, and the boot lid needs a lot of repairs – this needs a total restoration.

When the seller states that the only positive is that ‘the seats are good’, it leaves you to wonder about the other parts like the engine. The 2.5 liter straight six is in place, giving it between 106hp and 150hp depending on the model. However, the seller doesn’t say if it turns over, only that the car has been sitting for a long time. Again the interior looks like it’s in better condition, but the reality is that this will need a full restoration as well.

Whilst I do like the TR6, I am not sure if I have the funds or love of the brand to pour in what will be a lot of time and money into bringing this back to spec. But it could be a great restoration for a parent-child’s first restoration car over a number of years, as spare parts are plentiful and it’s easy to work on. So would you put in time and money to bring this back to life for more carefree convertible motoring or will you pass on this project?