One Year Trip Report

[alwaysride]

I've been using my '72 TR6 as a daily driver for a little over a year now and thought it would be good to post my experiences.
First some background:

Last summer (2005) I bought two '72 TR6s and merged them into one, and then sold what was left.
The paint on the 'keeper' car was done by an amateur (before I bought it) and it has plenty sags, runs, cracks, etc. This is a definitely not a show car.

Mechanically it's great, having recent brakes, recent top, recent suspension, rebuilt engine, new clutch and a bunch of other titbits I fixed before putting it on the road. Since I put it on the road at the end of August '05, the only thing I've done to it was replace a 3 inch section of gas line up by the front carb.

My commute is about 50 miles round trip and I've been driving the Six all year here in Massachusetts. It's been through snow and ice (though I don't commute in it when I know there's going to be fresh snow), temps in the teens, temps in the 90s (in stop and go traffic), rain, hail, and oh yeah, plenty of clear sunny days, too. It also just passed the Mass state vehicle inspection a couple weeks ago with flying colors.

The car has performed flawlessly. It is rock solid on the highway and tight on bumpy roads.

The bottom line is:
These are real cars and can be driven in all weather and all road conditions and I'm very satisfied!

 

[R6MGS]

Nice to see someone using these cars for what they were built for. I drove TR's and MG's all year from 1970 to 1984...But I'd love to do it again, it's just not practical for me right now. My wife uses her MGA daily, usually just the summer months...But this year it came out in May and there is no sign of stopping anytime soon, I've got nothing against her driving it all winter...She doesn't have a commute so it's just grocery shopping, clothes shopping, picking up kids....stuff like that....So far this year the only thing thats been done was having the rad re-cored.

 

[TR674]

I used to keep mine garraged at my inlaws and take it out for a sunny Sunday drive every 6 weeks to 2 months. I was getting tired of flat batteries, sticking cables, ceased water pumps, dirty injector heads, etc, etc.
My mechanic said to use it as much as possible, so I use it daily and have had little trouble.
Only drawback is the fuel pump (original Lucas) over heats when the temps get above 35C, so I avoid hot days, or take a frozen pack of peas!
The 6 is a very solid and simple car and is a pleasure to drive, and also stands out against the non descript modern cars.
Regards
Craig

 

[swift6]

[ QUOTE ]

Only drawback is the fuel pump (original Lucas) over heats when the temps get above 35C, so I avoid hot days, or take a frozen pack of peas!

[/ QUOTE ]

I tend to overheat at temps above 35C as well. I know how your fuel pump feels. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[bobh]

My first TR6 was my daily driver. In fact it was my only means of transportation for awhile. Living in NJ in the '70s there was a fair amount of bad weather. I drove in rain, snow, heat and cold. Speaking of cold the temp got down below -15 once or twice. I know what you mean about frozen peas.

 

[alwaysride]

>> The 6 is a very solid and simple car and is a pleasure
>> to drive, and also stands out against the non descript >> modern cars.

That really sums it up for me.
I wanted to post this one year update for the people who are considering buying a Triumph or those who are in the middle of a pro restoration, or those who are just trying to get an old driver back on the road. - It is worth it!

 

[Brosky]

I just finished having the last of the seals replaced in my TR6. While they were not worn out from mileage, they dried out from lack of use. Every mechanic and owner that I know says the same thing "Drive it!".

Besides, it's more fun than watching it collect dust in the garage. I just draw the line in bad (winter) weather.

 

[R6MGS]

[ QUOTE ]
My first TR6 was my daily driver. In fact it was my only means of transportation for awhile. Living in NJ in the '70s there was a fair amount of bad weather. I drove in rain, snow, heat and cold. Speaking of cold the temp got down below -15 once or twice. I know what you mean about frozen peas.

[/ QUOTE ]

-15 below isn't that uncommon for us....sometimes it gets even colder....One time the oil in my my brothers MG Midget got so cold and thick that the engine wouldn't turn over....We tried dragging it in gear to get the motor turning with my Spitfire but the wheels where frozen and it just slide across the snow/ice.....Eventually we broke the wheels free and got the engine to turn over-but it was a long night.(this occured in a theatre parking lot around 1am) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/canpatriot.GIF

 

[skikir]

My six is normally a daily driver for the last two years. rebuilt the front suspension, breaks and bolted on body pannels and paint other things to make it look right. has bent frame. Engine has almost a complete 10 lbs of oil pressure warm at speed. I have seen 32MPG indicated. Only time I something goes wrong is when the wife is in the car. I don't know why they just don't get along. But generally it is very reliable for a 34 year old car.