The owner of this GT6 graveyard has loved Triumphs for years, but they have decided to move on to something else. So, they are listing one car for sale at a time and plan on finishing with their GT6 race car. They are actually out racing it this weekend so don’t expect to hear back from them before the auction ends! Josh and I haven’t had much luck with the Spitfires we’ve owned, but I hear that the GT6 is a different animal…
The first cadaver to cross the auction block is this red ’73. It was built right at the end of production and includes some improvements such as a brake booster and suspension tweaks. It never sold as well, but it could keep up with an MGB and if you squint real hard you can almost see a baby Jaguar. At first glance this one looks pretty rough, but further inspection reveals that the body isn’t too bad. Take a look here on eBay where it’s listed with no reserve.
Not only does it look different than its drop top sibling, but the GT6 came with two extra cylinders. That inline-six turns what would normally be an anemic corner carver into something that could top over 100 miles per hour! Not that this poor little is going to go that fast anytime soon. The seller believes that the engine is free, but they are not sure if there’s a title or not. These cars are a big enough gamble with the paperwork in order. Still, it might go cheap. Are you willing to take the risk?
Just run as fast as you can.
“Is it raining?”
“No, its just the millions of rust flakes falling off the neighbors Triumph collection across the street”
“Oh”
“So the thunder is..”
“A car carrier dropping off another one.”
“Oh”
“Crappy weather we are having.”
No title — No deal… Racing would be the destination for this one and what a waste that would be.
…being a Triumph fan generally, I do like these GT6s. Neat styling…maybe the “poor man’s E-type” compliment was a bit of a stretch, but hey were fun.
Would agree that these ones are probably a bit far gone, and having no title makes them a poor proposition to restore for the road. The shame is, they’re worth more in parts. Even with the ease of restoration and reasonable parts costs, the selling prices for good complete examples are barely high enough to justify restoring a rough one – unless you simply want to do it for the fun of it, it makes no sense economically. Yes, GT6 is rarer and more valuable than Spitfires, but still not high dollar collectibles.
as for the description Jesse….I’ve got to take issue with your opinion (OK, with tongue in cheek here..) “the six turns it into something that could top over 100mph…..” well, the Spitfire could top over 100mph, (OK, only the final “1500” model, just about creeps over the ton, and it would have to be the full-fat non-federal version….). Similarly, “the GT6 could KEEP UP with an MGB” ?… in road test the GT6 was typically reported as being a touch faster than an MGB (OK, excepting the MGB GT V8).
And after all, if you want a drop-top, the GT6 and a Spitfire tub can get you there (with the skills and labor).
The biggest issue with the GT6 I always found was the lack of air flow in the car. A hot summer day with out a/c was brutal. The latter cars had additional venting in the front and the sides which helped but still not enough. The 2L straight 6 was a nice unit, often compared to the TR6 2.5L which actually wasn’t as good. As it was made on the cheap, with no cam bearings and an offset crank position which wore out the bores elliptically. So for racing and longevity the 2L GT6 engine would be the better choice. But like previous posts have stated, some of these examples are a little too far gone to make it worth while.
Or you could use this as a starting point for a GT6 convertible. I drove mine daily this week and put it away for the season last night (first snow, and road salt, of the season today). Not a good financial investment, but a great investment in fun.
if you ever wanted to build a “Spit 6”, this is the car. Late production GT6’s used stock Spitfire rear suspension. So this one is as easy as remove the GT6 body, and drop your Spitfire body back on the frame. That simple, that quick. No cutting/moving suspension brackets, shock mounts or anything. About as “plug-n-play” as you can get it. I was working on a GT4 project and moving mounts, etc on a body when a friend let me know he was building a Spit 6 out of a late nearly rust-free late 73 GT6. My GT4 project just got shorten’d by a year or two…
Back in the day, I wanted to take a GT6’s guts and put them and the front cowl into a Spitfire. Never did and bought a big Healey instead.
There’s a fellow here in Nashville that has the same, uhm, affliction with British sports cars and GT-6. Similar to this seller in Texas, his collection has grown into the earth and around here moisture has not been friendly to any of his hulks. When you ask him how much he wants for a car he says he’s “starting at $500 each…but not the GT6s.”
The red Mk3 sold for $510. Seems fair to me. Personally I like how the GT6 handled much better than the MGB GT. I turned down buying a GT6 Mk3 Burlington NC back in 1985 when I lived in Greensboro. The price was right back then, but I just did not have any money to spare.
If anyone is interested, he has Toyo Proxes with Panasport wheels up for sale now. No bids yet, starting at $600. These fit the GT6 or Spitfire.
Lucas electric….PASS