TR6 Opinions on value of this '76 TR6

[Gliderman8]

OK, I was not looking for this car, it found me... really. A friend of mine was talking to a colleague at his work one day and learned that this guy had a '76 TR6 that he wants to sell. I already have a '73 TR6 but I thought I'd have a look at it.
I realize that the gas tank would have to be flushed, rubber hoses replaced, carbs cleaned and adjusted and brakes gone through.
Here's the info I have on the car:

• 1976 TR6
• 76,400 miles
• Seller is the original owner
• Car has been sitting 5-7 years
• Chrome in really good condition for its age
• Interior is also good
• Clutch pedal goes to the floor.... will need new master and slave probably

I would like to hear your collective thoughts on the value of the car, and a fair offer to make the seller.
Here are some pics:

 

[poolboy]

Any idea why it was out of commission for so long, Elliot, loss of interest, mechanical problems ?

 

[Gliderman8]

Good question Ken... I was told the seller just lost interest; he has other hobbies he did not seem interested in getting the car back on the road.

 

[poolboy]

I think what I would do is mentally start out figuring 11,000, then begin to deduct for things that need fixing once you are able to get it running and shifting... things like tires, complete hydraulics, tune up, body work, rust repair, anything else you discover. Be good to yourself and don't discount much because of the fact that you are capable of fixing a lot yourself.

 

[Marvin Gruber]

A non running car is always discounted heavy. Does look good in the pictures. With what Poolboy mentioned, your looking around $5k.

Marv

 

[Gliderman8]

Marv, Ken, thanks for all the good advice. I am making a list of "worst case" replacement items right now.
I think the $5k or somewhat lower may be in the ball park.

 

[Brinkerhoff]

If it's a car from your area, it will be a mess underneath, if repairable . There are no shortage of cars in this condition and current books value them way too high. If it's non OD then $1500 might be too much.

 

[Brinkerhoff]

Sorry, didn't look at the pictures before I shot my mouth off ! It looks like its in pretty good shape if the paint is original. I like seeing that the color hasn't been changed but white is not a good color for resale . I didn't see if it had Overdrive. That option alone seems to make these cars worth 4-5000 more than a std. gearbox . 78,000 miles is a lot of them judging by the general condition under the hood . I'll bet it needs $10 grand worth of work done to it / half that if you do it. The frame could still be rusted through at the rear mounts for the suspension even though it looks good on the outside. If it was running , driving and stopping well , then what would it be worth ? $8,000 without od , $12,000 with. You have to buy this one cheeper than we think.

 

[Gliderman8]

It's a non-overdrive car. It has been stored inside always. Of course I will check the frame before deciding.
$10k worth of work is excessive from what I'm seeing... yes, it needs the typical work any car would require from sitting that long. By the way, it has been stored all these years off the ground.

 

[Brinkerhoff]

I'm playing the Devil's advocate . It looks like a decent car that has just been neglected . Under the hood it looks to have had NO care. What does that mean ? At 38 yrs. old and with 78,000 mi. on it , its uniformly worn out, isn't it? All the rubber seals , bushings, hoses, pads etc. will all have disintegrated. Even if the engine starts and runs ok, it will probably want an overhaul , same with the clutch - they only last so long. The same goes for : steering, suspension, brakes. Probably nothing major has kept it off the road , just a lot of minor things to all the major systems. Before you know it , you've rebuilt the whole car.

 

[YYCDave]

FWIW it looks as though it may have been repainted at some point given the white paint showing through the grill so you may want to assess when and why. Cosmetically the exterior and interior look very nice.

 

[Gliderman8]

Dave, I did address the repaint with the seller. He told me it was resprayed the original color some years ago to freshen it up. There is no body damage anywhere that I can tell.

 

[aeronca65t]

Looks good to me.
I'd be sure to check the frame mounts for the trailing arm in the rear suspension.

It kinda reminds me of my white '69 MGB which was also ignored but in decent shape. It had similar miles and was always stored inside too (I bought it for a lot less than $5K, but it was a weird circumstance).
By-the-by, white is my favourite colour on cars. We have four white cars (three bought new).

$5K is probably a fair price if the engine isn't stuck and the rust is only superficial.
If you got that car for less than $4K, I'd say you're getting a very good deal.

 

[Gliderman8]

Thanks Nial. The seller told me he had the drivers side trailing arm mount welded up some years ago by a local shop that only worked on brit cars.
Before (and if) I buy it, I will be doing a compression test and have a look at the frame.

 

[mallard]

Don't spend the time fixing a car you already have, go out and enjoy the 73. To fix and flip this car you may get in over the cars value quickly. If you have somebody else in the family that needs a TR6 then I would give about 3 or 4 grand for it. Good luck it looks like a solid car from the pictures.

 

[Marvin Gruber]

Now that I have a few more details (respray and welded trailing arm) I will also drop my estimate of the car. Look the welded area over very closely. If its just the U bracket thats been welded back together, $2500/$3500 range. There's going to more issues with the diff mounts. If its the frame thats been welded on then RUN FOREST RUN.

Marv

 

[Gliderman8]

Don't spend the time fixing a car you already have, go out and enjoy the 73. To fix and flip this car you may get in over the cars value quickly. If you have somebody else in the family that needs a TR6 then I would give about 3 or 4 grand for it. Good luck it looks like a solid car from the pictures.

Your words keep ringing in my ear Keith. I have no intentions of dumping lots of $ into this car if I buy it. Do I need it? NO. My only thought was to buy it, fix it, and try to resell.

 

[smaceng]

IMHO, Whether you need another TR or not, if the frame and body do not show signs of rust, this is a steal of a deal for $5000. Maybe in other areas of the country an unmolested non-runner show up more often, but not in CA. Recently a 1970 car that had the chassis updated and renovated, but all the rest of the car was in pieces, went for $2000 in one day on CL. Check to see if the engine turns over, do a compression test....If everything checks out, then figure to redo the clutch and brake hydraulics, put on a set of tires and you are on the road. Scott in CA

 

[mrv8q]

Nice looking car, glad you like white! Check the thrust washers. VTR has a write up if you're not familiar...