With summer here, we could all use a little British roadster for those warm nights. There are many to choose from, but one of our favorites is the Triumph TR6. They offer adequate power, ample leg room, and clean lines. Everyone has taken notice of this great sports car though and it can be tough to pick up a good one cheap. Well, we just found this 1970 TR6 on eBay with a BIN price of $6,800. It is located in Westerly, Rhode Island and could end up being a bargain. You be the judge…
If this TR6 isn’t hiding any surprises, we think it could be a great deal. The seller claims that there are only 68k miles on the clock and that it has always been garaged. It was restored back in 1986 which could be a good thing, or not. When they were restoring it they decided to perform a full color change from yellow to blue. We never like to hear that though because most people do not strip everything off to do a proper job. We would want to inspect the car just to make sure there is no yellow peeking out anywhere and that it is not covering any bondo.
While they were respraying the car, they also rebuilt the engine and replaced many other parts. A rebuilt engine is normally a good thing, but we cant help but wonder why they didn’t put more than 7,000 miles on it since 1986. The seller claims that is just needs a fluid change and some work on the brakes to be drivable. The buyer will just want to make sure there aren’t any other serious problems that may have caused this roadster to get parked not long after the restoration. This TR6 could be a gamble, but is it worth taking?
Source: eBay
re respray engine bay is blue which is a plus
I picked up a good deal on the smaller Spitfire 1500 a few years ago and there is nothing like top down in a British sportscar on a warm summer evenings. My car won’t win any drag races, It’s a good 20 footer. But people really notice it at cruise nights and it’s a hoot to drive.
This would definently compliment my 96′ mint XJR ;)
IF this isn’t hiding serious rust or past accident damage (or poor repair/cover of past rust/damage) this TR is a bargain!
Curious as to why the seller never mentions the “R” word…
…being that the car is located in the NE you would think that the seller would want to clearly state that the car is “rust-free” if that actually is the case.
I’d want to put this up on a rack and inspect it for rust and/or repairs.
Or AT A MINIMUM have the seller describe in detail any rust or repairs. AND ask for pictures of the underside of the car, the rockers, the door bottoms, the trunk floor, etc. etc.
Pics of the car prior to the restoration would be a BIG plus!
IF the seller has something to hide he will be reluctant to provide pics and details!
…
HOPE that this is a solid car & that someone gets a good deal!! :-)
And here it is! The TR6 I alluded to in the MGC Barn Finds comments…a desirable, small bumper TR6…needing a thorough vetting of course. We’re in the right ball park, price-wise though.
As other have said if there is no significant rust issues it would be a great bargain/project/fatherson bonding time/etc.
There are a lot of these for sale now, seemingly more than all the big Healeys, MGAs and Sprites on the market put together. Although some owners are asking big money for theirs, big money TR6s tend to be perfect, and big money for a perfect TR6 tends to buy you a marginal driver MGA with needs or a big Healey with big needs. A lot of the TR6s are selling for bargain prices for what they are—good basic British sportscars with some crude aspects to the design (e.g., rear suspension) but with a great body design by a famous Italian designer. The straight 6 engine is not quite up to the standard of a good running 3 litre Healey engine, but is fairly smooth and torquey, and it sounds good.
Evaluate carefully and always drive it first. Resist the temptation to buy at a distance just because it’s affordable. These are older cars and, in addition to the possibility of rust, there’s lots of potential for the suspension and drivetrain to accumulate wear and get sloppy. A potential problem with the engine is the Stromberg carbs, which are not as good for driveability as the SU carbs on most other Brit sportscars. But if it passes evaluation it’s likely to be the best bargain in a sportscar you will see nowadays.