The Triumph TR6 was one of the company’s sales success stories. It remained on sale for eight years, with 94,619 buyers parking one in their garage. Like many classic British sports cars, their desirability has grown over time. This 1976 model pushes the desirability to a higher level courtesy of a rare paint color and optional air conditioning. It has sat for years, but the seller coaxed its engine back to life. It needs a new owner willing to return it to its former glory in what appears to be a straightforward restoration. The TR6 is listed here on eBay in Stanfield, North Carolina. It has only received two bids to push the price to $5,100 in a No Reserve auction. However, the seller indicates that $7,450 or a respectable offer could see someone take this gem home. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder T.J. for spotting this solid project candidate.
If I were to pick a favorite from Triumph’s “TR” series, the TR6 would win the contest hands-down. I’ve always felt the styling was a winner, and it is one of those rare classics where I can clearly remember spotting my first one. Few cars have that sort of impact on an enthusiast, but it demonstrates how much I like these little cars. The seller indicates they purchased the vehicle from a previous owner who had left it in dry storage for many years. They planned to restore the TR6 as a daily driver but changed circumstances mean that won’t happen. Rather than leave it sitting for longer, they decided that sending it to a new home would be wise. They describe the Topaz Orange paint shade, a color only offered in 1975 and 1976, as rare. I haven’t seen many wearing that color, but that hardly constitutes solid evidence! The paint shows its age, and the buyer will undoubtedly strip much of it away before applying a fresh coat to recapture the car’s lost youth. One issue they won’t face is rust repairs. The seller says that the floors and trunk pan are rock-solid, and the supplied photos support that assertion. The top frame is in good order, with the seller including a new top, an as-new top cover, and a tonneau. The glass looks excellent, with the chrome appearing acceptable for a driver-grade restoration. Triumph hit a sweet spot with the steel wheels, and the deep trim rings add an aggressive touch to the TR6’s appearance.
Triumph chose to power the TR6 with a 2,498cc six-cylinder engine which produced 101hp and 128 ft/lbs of torque by the time this car rolled off the line in Coventry, England. That power was fed to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission, but this Triumph doesn’t score the optional overdrive. The seller believes this car is numbers-matching, and although it has sat for years, they coaxed the engine to life using an external fuel source. They say it sounds excellent and holds good oil pressure. If potential buyers are interested, they will supply a video supporting the claim. It is worth noting that this TR6 isn’t roadworthy because apart from needing a fuel system clean, the hydraulics are soft due to lack of use. The buyer will need to budget for new parts in their build, but the impression is that most problems could be tackled in a home workshop.
This TR6’s interior is a mixed bag, containing equal helpings of good and bad news. The door trims look good, as do the upper and lower dash pads. The walnut dash fascia has developed a matte appearance, although I don’t believe it has delaminated. If correct, restoring it with an appropriate polyurethane finish could be possible. The driver’s seat has a hole in the base, which appears to be the only upholstery flaw. A competent professional might be able to blind patch it, but the new owner should probably allow $700 in their restoration budget for a set of replacement covers. That approach would produce the best results, especially since the seller includes a new carpet set. The leather-wrapped wheel looks nice, and the factory radio has made way for an aftermarket radio/cassette player. The most significant feature of this interior is the factory air conditioning. As with the exterior paint shade, it isn’t often seen in these classics. The system is complete, although years of inactivity mean it is another aspect of the car that will probably require restoration.
The supplied photos indicate that returning this 1976 Triumph TR6 to its former glory may not be challenging. Its lack of rust and originality are significant plus points, while the paint shade and A/C help its cause. If the seller achieves a high-end restoration, those features could easily push the potential value beyond $20,000, with a higher figure not beyond the realms of possibility. With that thought in mind, would you join the subdued bidding party, or would you throw caution to the wind and offer the seller their asking price?
Oh boy, this one will keep you busy, or if inept in British car repair, at least will help put a new level on your mechanics house. Again, not to sound redundant, but so many did not have overdrive, or A/C. Fact is, of all the roadsters, I never saw one with A/C. Seems a bit silly, but baking in the hot sun with the top down is no fun either. I can’t find an option cost, but I bet the A/C wasn’t cheap. The O/D was not that expensive,($225) although the car itself was, on par with a Corvette, another couple hundred bucks for O/D must have been a deal breaker. I read, this is a significant car, I believe ’76 was the last year they were imported, if that means anything, cool cars, but extremely labor intensive, meaning, the engine, suspension, electrics,, all pricey stuff, and while these British specific parts places have everything, make sure it’s genuine British parts, as cheap knockoffs have gotten in there too. It’s a good find, I hope the new owner gets to actually drive it in between repairs. Of all British cars, the TR6 is my least favorite. Air pump stuck, no air filters, unless rebuilt, rear suspension very difficult, I prefer the TR4 just because of the live rear axle, and I thought was just a better car. My experiences with Spitfires has not been good. I realize, the Spitfire was no TR6, but some things were Triumph all the way, and didn’t care for it. It was no MGB, that’s for sure.
owned a pimento red 72? l loved driving it. but God! every thing that could go wrong did! i had to aim at pot holes to get the wipers to work. had fake knock offs. cool. except when the right front didn’t fake; and took my fender off. went to back into a spot. the transaxle broke free. sold it for parts….still like em’ but never again!
I bought a new 1975 TR6. I don’t remember a/c even being an option. I did ask about adding air but the people at the dealership said it would take away to much power. Fun car to drive and the manual choke helped a lot on cold mornings. Maybe I missed it but does the a/c work? Once it’s sorted the next owner will love it.
I may be in the minority, but I’ve always thought the TR6 was the best looking of the British sports cars . I’ve wanted one since I was a kid, but by the time I was 16, they were all pretty rusty here in CT. Still want one, but I just dont have the time ,space or money anymore for another toy
Bought a used 75 when we lived in Florida. Believe when I say, the AC was a godsend. I’m not sure if it was dealer or factory installed. Wish we would have kept it.
The ’70s “rotary” compressors installed by the aftermarket took all the “loss of power” out of the equation. The old 2 piston compressors did eat up a lot of power on small engines. We installed several custom ACs on the old sports cars and especially on the VW vans and cars that didn’t hurt them at all. At the time the 100 plus summer temperatures in Oklahoma brought lots of customers into the shop for AC work.
Looks like a very good deal at the current bid of $5,600. Biggest investment required for this one is love, labor, and elbow grease. From that point it is just a matter of how far you want to take the restoration. Spend some time sorting through it, and you’ll have a reliable weekend driver. If you can’t work on one of these, then I must wonder what you can work on. No offense intended. She will be beautiful once those ugly bumper over-riders are removed.
I own and restored a 1976 TR6, but never got around to getting a new compressor to fix the dealer-installed AC option. The vent system takes up alot of what little room is under the dash. I can’t imagine AC would be worth the power loss. Removing the air pump helped from that perspective. Super reliable little ride. I rarely have any issues at all, and mine was a poorly maintained rust bucket when I got it.
I am not a big fan of A/C in general, and have removed it from various cars. Back in the mid ’80s the factory A/C really added value to the TR6 which I found frustrating because the ones with A/C tended to be the better maintained cars. At the time I didn’t have the money to pay the premium and didn’t see the value of hauling around the extra weight. Without question, driving a TR6 can inspire a lifetime of fondness for roadsters.
Bought a 73 off the dealer floor, tan interior, carmine red. ( deep red) , overdrive, luggage rack and roll bar and did not have the goooddd awful bumpers . Did my own maintenance – the wife got it in 1983 with 145000 miles on it. She sold it for 150.00 to annoy me. I loved that car
No shortage of love here for a TR6 – one of my all-time favourite cars. However, the Ebay listing shows the “rock solid” trunk as having plenty of rust in it. No pictures underneath, and I’d want to have a really close look at the rear frame crossmember (a well-known haven for rust). Plenty of good looking TR6’s up here over the years with the rear suspension falling out of the frame (I have that t shirt….)
cheers,
bt
The differential mounts can be loose,or break off,
& you need to check out the thrust washers on the engine
for excessive play.
The twin Zenith-Stromberg is as troublesome as the electric.
What do you base that on? Mine ran okay,& then
I rebuilt them myself & then ran great!
Also remember that this is a 47 year old car.
Never had any problem with twin carbs either. Never had any problem with Strombergs.
In 1987 I saw a movie with Danny DiVito and Billy Crystal it was called Throw Mommy from the train. In it Billy Crystal drove a early TR-6. It was the first time I had seen one….. so I thought. Right down the street from where I worked was one sitting in a garage left to rot I knocked on the door and knew the person as a customer from the video store I worked at. We made a deal and I got that car for $300 bucks. It had over drive and a steel hardtop. I loved that car and wish I still had it.
FYI –
TR6 no matter what year NEVER had factory air conditioning……that option/item was a USA port of entry install or a dealer install only
That was my understanding too. But I really did not know if it was true. The few that I saw with A/C had Chrysler Airtemp systems. They seemed massive compared to the size of the car. Does anybody know which systems were typically used?