Triumph TR6
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? This is a project car, so our test drive comprised a short drive on private land. The most obvious fault is a huge leak from the exhaust, which sounds virtually unsilenced. Our limited test revealed no issues with the steering, brakes or suspension and the straight-six engine seems to pull well. We only used first and reverse gears, but each engaged with no problems and the clutch seems fine.
BODYWORK CHECK
This may be a project car, but the steel bodywork is generally good. It does, however, need a sill repair and the windscreen surround contains a couple of rusty pinholes and a lot of aftermarket sealant, suggesting that it’s not exactly water-tight. The hood also needs replacing and the bumpers have minor pitting – they’re good enough for general purposes, but probably too far gone to be polished back to concours condition. Overall, though, the body is very good, with decent paint and a solid-looking chassis. The car has been resprayed at some point, but it does seem rather a shame that the original black rear panel is now the same colour as the rest of the body.
HOW’S THE INTERIOR?
The vinyl seats are very tidy and show little wear and the red carpets are in very good order. There are a number of small tears and creases in the rear wheelarch covers, however – they really ought to be replaced. The thoroughly corroded metal gear stick doesn’t adversely affect its operation, but drags down an otherwise fairly decent-looking interior. That said, the car’s new owner may want to replace the dashboard – which has minor cracking and some peeling in places – and maybe upgrade to a betterfinished item than standard. UNDER THE BONNET
This car is being sold as a project because the vendor suspects that the engine may need another rebuild (it was done back in 2012). They think that they have heard a grumbling noise from the engine’s internals, but the obnoxiously loud exhaust makes it difficult to hear anything when the engine is running. The engine bay doesn’t look neglected, however, and the engine itself has been converted to run with an alternator and there are no visible oil leaks. It holds good oil pressure while running – unsurprising, given the recent rebuild – so the straight-six doesn’t seem like a complete basket case, whatever the problem turns out to be.
THE CCW VIEW
This older restoration has been stored since 2014. Why the engine is showing issues so soon after a rebuild is a bit of a mystery, but the various issues all seem manageable, making it a good basis for a project for someone who can tackle at least the greasy bits themselves. Charlie Calderwood