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TR6 1969 Triumph TR6 Differences

Quackedo

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I have an early (Dec 69) 1969 TR6 that I am trying to get back to original. I am amazed so far about all the differences between the 69 and the other years. I am currently working in the engine compartment and was wondering if the original car had a shroud in front of the radiator or behind the fan? Any idea? I have the yellow striped hoses, and both a silver and chromed rocker cover (still trying to decide which is correct there as well). Where would be a good source of information on original 1969 make-up?
 

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poolboy

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You might need a book to help with this and other questions that may come up.
"Collectors and Originality Guide" by Bill Piggott
 

Tybalt

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The Piggott "Triumph TR" book is a good reference. He also has a book on the TR4/4A/5/250/6 but it is not as good a reference on running changes for the early TR6 production changes. Graham Robson also has a TR book, not so much text on running changes but a fair number of decent pictures.

Many years ago when George Raby was Chief Concours Judge for VTR, I had worked on a Concours Judging Guide for the TR6. Here are the quick and dirty engine compartment notes with rocker cover and fan shroud question up first. While some of this stuff in the guide notes was for all production, the emphasis is on the North American market cars.

On a 1969, the rocker cover is chromed, the painted one was 1970 up.

The fan shroud is forward of the radiator.

Single tube downpipe.

The crankcase breather valve is the diaphragm type, same as the TR250. 1967 and down MGB used a similar valve, the diaphragms are interchangable but the unit assembly is not. Crankcase breather set up and intake manifold changed for 1970.

Fan blade on most 1969 cars was the 8 blade, yellow plastic as used on the TR250. Some later ones used the seven blade yellow plastic fan found on the 1970, 1971 and 1972.

Washer bottle is oval, motor housing is square, square washer bottle began with 1971 cars.

Not obvious from the outside, but the crankshaft, flywheel, pilot bushing, are the same as the TR250. These changed in 1970 and as long as the components are in the correct sets, either the early or later crankshaft and bits can be used together, but not mixed.

Distributor is double vacuum (advance and retard) like the TR250 and many of the 1970 cars.

Looking at the picture you have attached, you have the correct 12 hole wheels, 5 1/2 x 15 with the stubs for mounting the ROSTYLE hubcaps. Don't knock those stubs off, if you are ever lucky enough to find a set of the ROSTYLE hubcaps, you'll need those stubs. Later wheels had 15 holes and no stubs since they used the small center caps like you have fitted.
 
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Quackedo

Quackedo

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Thanks, I have one of Piggots books, I'll get the other. I know that i have to change the top (hood) as the one installed has no reflective tape as original. I have the magnetic fuel fill, proper seats, air filter, oil filter housing, and steering wheel. I even found an original "Triumph"AM radio to install. There are so many things that are only on the 69, but I am slowly learning, just need a good source.
 

Madflyer

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You will find that the TR250 comes real close also. It looks like the next project is the tractor in the background.
If you build it then drive it!
 
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Quackedo

Quackedo

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I am also looking for the 4 lug rostyle wheels for my car. Any idea on a location? Added to that, is my steering wheel and hub. Even though they are the earlier ones with the holes, they are not black. We're all 69 steering wheels/hubs satin black?
 

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Tybalt

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Unlike several years of MGBs and MG Midgets which did use Rostyle wheels, the TR250 and 1969 TR6 did not use Rostyle wheels, they used Rostyle hubcaps which were mounted to the stubs on the wheels mentioned in my earlier post. You have the correct wheels, you just need to find the Rostyle hubcaps. Unfortunately that is easier said than done, but every now and then some show up fleabay or in Hemmings, here in the classified section, etc. One odd thing, at least in my mind about those hubcaps, they are stamped in a way that they show five "lug nuts" even though the cars use four studs and lug nuts per wheel.

Regarding the steering wheel, the spokes should be black on the 1969 TR6 although given some of the stuff I have seen, it would not shock me to find out that very late production 1969 cars were fitted with later silver spoke steering wheels. If your car's production date is say August of 1969, that may be the case, it it was May though, it has had a later steering wheel fitted at some time along the way. What I seem to recall is that it was an black anodized finish (a black dye was added during the sealing step for the anodized layer). This isn't something you can easily do at home. If you can find a black matte finish paint, especially if it is an epoxy paint for better wear resistance, that is something you can do at home and most would be none the wiser.
 
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Quackedo

Quackedo

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OK, My TR6 has the three posts to mount the Rostyle hub caps and four lug nuts. I found some paint for the steering wheel and the hub behind it and painted them. It looks OK. The five lugs on the hub caps has me confused. I thought that the hubcap fitted over the existing lug nuts. But if I am actually looking for a hubcap with five fake lug nuts, it explains why I have never seen one with four. The search continues.
 

Tybalt

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Perhaps they did the five vs four thing to make a "fashion statement." Despite that, I still find it odd, but you can pull old pictures or look at interweb images of TR250s and 1969 TR6s and see it plain as day, five "spokes," five fake "lug nuts" between those spokes.

The only possible real rationale explanation that I can come up is that the Rubery Owen company (the Ro in Rostyle) licensed some of the designs for use on both wheels and hubcaps from a US based OE wheel supplier to the US auto industry. If you look at late sixties/early seventies US muscle cars and performance versions of pony cars you will five spoke/five lug wheels. Since these were the big, muscular, six cylinder Triumph sports cars, they mimicked the five spoke, five lug wheels found on the the US performance cars with those hub caps. Just a theory but it's the best one I have on the real why they did that.
 
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Quackedo

Quackedo

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OK, My TR6 has the three posts to mount the Rostyle hub caps and four lug nuts. I found some paint for the steering wheel and the hub behind it and painted them. It looks OK. The five lugs on the hub caps has me confused. I thought that the hubcap fitted over the existing lug nuts. But if I am actually looking for a hubcap with five fake lug nuts, it explains why I have never seen one with four. The search continues.
One last note on my car. It was made sometime in Nov 68 as near as I can tell.
 
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Quackedo

Quackedo

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OK, the search for decent rostyle hubcaps continues. I also just noticed that some 69s had metal beading along the top back seam near the fender. Was that all 69s or just the first ones, and what color would it have been?
 

Tybalt

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OK, the search for decent rostyle hubcaps continues. I also just noticed that some 69s had metal beading along the top back seam near the fender. Was that all 69s or just the first ones, and what color would it have been?
I know some early production 1969 cars had beading in that area but the beading was dropped sometime during the 1969 model production run but not well documented. Don't recall if it was painted body color or if it was on the shiny side. Hazarding a guess, I would say that it was painted body color. My rationale is that on the 1969 cars bright work on the exterior was kept to a minimum. Even the grill on all of the early TR6s had no bright work on the grill surround like the later cars did
 

TR4nut

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Yes I think that small fender strip was painted body color. I’ve only seen it on one car, it’s rare. Painted strip is consistent with how they did them on 250s.
 
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Quackedo

Quackedo

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. "Even the grill on all of the early TR6s had no bright work on the grill surround like the later cars did" what exactly do you mean by that? I need to check my grill now as I was going to refresh it. I bought the beading for my car
Need to paint and install it too.
 

Tybalt

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Other than the center bar and the cloisonné "TR6" badge in the middle of the grill over that center bar, the grill is black. The 1973 and up cars had bright mouldings on the grill surround frame.
 
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Quackedo

Quackedo

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Other than the center bar and the cloisonné "TR6" badge in the middle of the grill over that center bar, the grill is black. The 1973 and up cars had bright mouldings on the grill surround frame.
Apart from the cloisonné, My TR6 has a center bar with a silver front edge and a black center and sides albeit with some wear and tear. Sound correct?
 
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Quackedo

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Next question. The gear shift knob for my November 68 build 69 was leather covered with a metal 1-4 and R on top in silver? Or was it wood with the griffon/open book logo in black and white, or was it griffon/open book logo in white and blue? wood or leather trim?
 

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Tybalt

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Next question. The gear shift knob for my November 68 build 69 was leather covered with a metal 1-4 and R on top in silver? Or was it wood with the griffon/open book logo in black and white, or was it griffon/open book logo in white and blue? wood or leather trim?
Bolded was standard fitment for North American market cars. The wood or leather with the open book Triumph logo would be popular aftermarket items with the majority being from AMCO. AMCO made shift knobs for all manner of cars with logos or with shift patterns. They also made consoles, floor mats and other interior accessories along with luggage racks, bumper bars, mirrors and such for the exterior. They were sold by most dealers to the point that first BMC and then later carried over into the BL days, they became "factory authorized" and were carried under the BMC style "HAC xxxx" series of part numbers regardless of which BL brand was the target audience.

Here's a link to images of AMCO products:

 
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