I shouldn't get too upset if it turns out it isn't a "matching numbers" car. As long as the numbers match the documentation then all's good IMO. If it's a rare Ferrari, Porsche etc worth £m's then maybe it makes a difference to value. Owners swapped engines for various reasons back in the day. The one my friend owned years ago had already had the engine replaced (and tuned) by the previous owner. I've replaced engines in a couple of cars in the past (not a Ferrari or a Porsche) without a thought for engine numbers other than getting it changed on the log book. Then of course there's the "restomod" way which is becoming popular with old classics getting modern engines and running gear etc. I watched a video on the tube a while back of a TR6 with a V8 retro fitted, a Ford 302 IIRC.
I plan to keep it pretty original, and drive it for fun. If you go and put some V-8 in it you ruin it as far as I am concermed. I have seen this done to a lot of Jaguar sedans. They put a "small block" GM in them and the car is worth less than if you left the Jag engine in it. Why didn't they just go buy an Impala ? They just suceed in ruining two cars. ...J.D.
It all depends what you want from your classic. An original standard vehicle as an investment or to maybe reminisce about if you had one years ago or something to just drive with modern levels of performance while keeping the classic look. I've seen E types with American V8 transplants, not what I would do but obviously worth the effort to whoever thought it a good idea. The nicest, modded E type I've ever seen was a S3 V12 with the Stromberg carbs replaced with six twin choke Webers, lovely. Jeff Uren, a British racing driver and tuner back in the 60's/70's produced his own versions of existing Ford models with bigger engines, 3L V6 Escorts and Cortinas and a Capri with a Boss 302 V8. Original versions of these cars are now worth small fortunes.
Most of the time people who modify cars put more money in to their project than they can ever hope to get out of them. I do not plan to modify OR restore this car. I am just putting it good running order and holding on to it for a few years. Lets see where it is at in say 2-5 years. If the car it is replacing is any Indication, it will only be driven 200-300 miles per year. ...J.D.
I think you nailed the "it depends", @Pegscraper. Several of us went for a little MC ride yesterday afternoon and this comparison came up--basically, stock versus "resto-mod"--as we were firming up our plans for a road trip. We're riding to Las Vegas in a few weeks to go to the Mecum Antique and Vintage Motorcycle Auction. And the resto-mod vs. stock debate always comes up when we watch the Mecum car auctions on MotorTrend. Evidently there's a place in Henderson, NV, a suburb of Vegas, called Atomic Motors that has classic cars and (maybe?) motorcycles. Our riding buddy, Russell, has been there and suggested we make a stop. I think they do both classic restorations as well as rest-mods. When we watch the auctions it does seem that, for both bikes and cars, the vehicles that fetch the highest prices are classics restored as stock. And, like @Wire-Wheels mentioned, the sellers of the resto-mods usually say that they put more into the car/bike than it sold for. https://www.atomicmotors.net/
One of my favourite cars of all time is the Jensen Interceptor, not the early one, the 1967> model. Beautiful Italian styling by Touring, big block American power by Chrysler and hand built by British craftsmen. It's now available as a restomod by a Co. that completely rebuild it, replace the original Chrysler V8 with a new LS3, normally aspirated or supercharged complete with uprated everything else. You just give them an old Interceptor, around £100k or so and they do the rest. The result looks virtually the same but is WAY better to drive than the original in just about every department and considerably faster to boot, but.......it's not an "original" interceptor built by Jensen. My personal choice would be the best original car I could find, even one restored to original spec, even though driving one of each back to back would undoubtedly put the original to shame. A business friend of my Dad had one back in the early 70's. I got to drive one several years ago. It just took me straight back to 1973 and that's where I would be every time I drove mine if I had one, back in the 70's.
My take on the resto-mod thing is the creators of these vehicles really miss the point of vintage vehicles. They just want something to show off, but really do not care about the history. Putting a GM crate motor in a classic car just shows they are too lazy to make the car right. One of the things I have enjoyed most so far with my TR6 project is the lovely sounds it makes from its old 2500cc, pushrod 6. The feel of its early gearbox when you put it in gear, the feel of its old rack and pinion steering box, etc. Resto-mods throw that all in the trash. What a pity people are so shallow. ...J.D.
There's also the electric conversion that's gathering pace in the classic market. Throw away the very heart of the car, the straight 6, V8, V12 etc which makes the car what it is and replace it with modern battery tech. This means you can "future proof" your investment, enjoy your pride and joy and be green at the same time! " Enjoy", really?. IMO that's like buying a classic Rolex, trashing the movement and sticking in a battery powered replacement. Pish!
Right now, the price on these is really going up, but quanites are plentiful. I am making a few changes to mine to make it easier to live with. I have upgraded the ignition system, and modernized both the throttle and clutch linkages. I may improve some of the electrical if it proves to be a problem. I may add a couple of period correct accessories to give it some sparkle. Nothing that might not have been done over its natural life already though. ...J.D.
Thankfully, my son finally got some free time to give me a hand. Had to take some stuff under the dash apart to fix the headlights. At my age, I cannot get under there anymore. Picture is me and my grandson Liam after his dad got through putting it back together for me. Thanks son ! ...J.D.
I'd expect the TR6 to be more plentiful across the pond than here in the UK. The fact that there were almost ten times as many exported to the US than sold on the home market, plus the benefit of having "sunny" states where salted roads are non existent should mean many more have survived. Sun damage can certainly wreck paintwork and interiors but rust is the No.1 killer and by far the biggest problem facing classic vehicle restorers. Add to that the fact that cars of that era left the factories with virtually zero rustproofing and you can understand why decent examples are comparatively hard to find over here.
These are pretty plentiful in the US, but oddly enough, I never see any. They are getting expensive. That is why I snapped this unrestored 73 up last October. It has some minor rust in a couple of spots, but nothing serious. According to some paperwork I got with it, it had only been driven 4,000 miles in the last 8 years. 99000+ on the clock, but who knows ? Engine seems solid. I live in the California desert. I bought it out of Southern Florida. Who knows where it has been it its long life ? ...J.D.
There were a lot more TR6's sold over here than in the UK for some reason. ...J.D. indigocard activate jjsploit.click
There were a lot more TR6's sold over here than in the UK for some reason. ...J.D. indigocard activate jjsploit.click
Probably for the reason I mention in post 51! The last years of Triumph cars were all built under the British Leyland mantle along with several other old names. Apparently, in 1975, Drive magazine did a survey of the worst new cars in England and in 1st place was a Rover P6B, 2nd place an Austin Allegro and third place went to a Triumph Stag. According to Wikipedia, the survey said that a Rover 3500 P6 purchased in 1974 had covered 6,000 miles (9,600 kilometres) during its first six months, during which period it had consumed three engines, two gearboxes, two clutch housings and needed a complete new set of electrical cables. The car had spent 114 of its first 165 days in a workshop. Imagine being the owner who bought that one!
It the interest of full disclosure, these do not even pretend to be practicle transportation. My wife and I just barely fit. It is a good thing we are fond of each other. Another consideration is, you either have to be financally well off [we are not], or be quite machanically adept. No computers. No self adjusting brakes. You need to adjust the valves about every 3000 miles, adjust the clutch, change the spark plugs, adjust the timing, etc, etc. Just for fun. ...J.D.
Potential parts availability problems aside, at least they are comparatively simple and easy to work on. In a daily driver you want reliable start and go tech with long service intervals. When it's a toy and a nostalgic classic to boot, tinkering with this and adjusting that is all part of the enjoyment IMO.
I worked on a lot of this stuff for a living back in my mid-20's. I had forgotten just how simple they are. This one had been in storage a lot, and had a lot of little things to fix. Parts are easy to find, at least on the internet. I think the guy that had it before me, either lost interest, or got overwhelmed. There are signs he had been spending time an money on it, but there were things not finished. I have it almost ready for inspection a registration. ...J.D.
This week I have been gathering parts together to install a electric radiator fan. I live in a desert. Last year our weather hit 117°f . I bought a fan kit, relay wiring, a 185-200° temp sender to go in the cylinder head. I also have a 6 slot fuse panel on order to give me a little more connections to work with. Heat can be a real issue in this part of the world. ...J.D.
