Hi Bash,
Hey, I say go for it. Everybody started out with the same level of experience... none!
I'm mid-stream restoring a TR4 that I've owned for over 25 years, drove daily for about 10 and stored for a long time. This is actually the second time I've restored this particular car. The first time was after an accident in 1978 or '79. This time I'm doing a much more throrough and planned job than the last "rolling" restoration which had to be completed during an all-too-brief Summer break from college!
If I may make a few suggestions:
1. Buy the best and most complete car you can. This will minimize the amount of work needed and the overall cost. Perhaps it will be possible to do a phased, rolling restoration that allows you to enjoy the car a bit along the way. I think it's true that it will nearly always cheaper to buy someone else's completed restoration, but what's the fun in that?
2. At the same time, don't fear a frame-off if that is the level of restoration you really want to do. It's easier than it sounds. I just installed a new frame under my car, after swapping out and installing all the drive train from the old, one piece at a time much as the car would have originally been assembled at the factory. The body lifted quite easily with only the windshield, carpets, wiring harness, spare tire, hood and bumpers removed. Two Harbor Freight 1000 lb. chain hoists bolted to the ceiling did the trick. The factory service manual for TR4 even gives a list of everything that needs to be disconnected or removed, and dimensions for brackets to do the lifting (maybe the same is true of the TR6 manual).
Note, though, that the IRS of the TR6 makes it a more complicated frame-off candidate than my ladder-chassis/live axle TR4.
2. Get hold of shop manuals, factory parts catalogs with original part numbers and the major vendors' freebie catalogs with all their nice, exploded views of the cars. This makes part identification much easier. The factory manuals are very useful in terms of details. But sometimes aftermarket repair manuals from Haynes and similar are more hands-on practical. I've got three different TR4/4A manuals.
3. The more space, the better. I've been using most of a two car garage and still would love to have more space! Mainly, I wish I had a large number of deep shelves to store carefully labelled and reconditioned parts. Stacked cardboard boxes are a pain, no matter how carefully labelled. If garage space is limited, a storage shed in the yard might do the trick, or a spare room in the house (my windshield is in the master bedroom, for safe-keeping!)
4. The next restoration I do, the very first thing will be to take the car for a thorough steam cleaning underneath and in every nook and cranny, to get off all the old gunk and better see what's needed.
5. Do advance research on both the specific car and restoration techniques in general. There are many great books out there filled with good ideas. These can help you establish a plan. I recommend Roger Williams' "Restoring TR" and "Improving TR" books whole-heartedly. There is also a more general book entitled "Restoring British Sports Cars". Bill Piggott's books "Original TR" are excellent, too. These can be found on eBay, but I find they are often cheaper on Amazon.
6. It's your car, so restore it to the level and in the manner you choose. I.e., don't let anyone tell you it *must* be original or whatever.
However, I must say that a restoration emphasizing originality is in many ways easier than one that calls for modifying and improving. This because one mod leads to another and there's always questions about what fits and works, what doesn't. When doing some modifications, you find yourself doing a lot of fabrication and test-fitting.
On the other hand, original restorations call for identifying and then finding the right replacement part, new or reconditioned. That can sometimes be a challenge, but the engineering and design have been done for you by the factory. Plus, an original car will usually retain value better, if that's a concern.
7. Join your local Triumph or LBC car club and get to know some other TR6 owners and their cars. They might help you shop, too. Additional, experienced eyes can be a big help when looking at prospective cars! Alternatively, someone from this forum might be in your area and willing to help you poke around in and under a few cars.
8. Depending upon your level of experience and skills, you might want to contract out various aspects of the project: painting, chassis repair, engine/gearbox rebuilds, etc. Try to find out in advance what good, local resources are available to you. I see you are in NJ, which is great since there are a number of LBC-related specialists in the Northeast U.S. Having someone do some of the work will be more expensive initially, but quite likely cheaper if it's done right and avoids problems or do-overs.
9. Over the years, I've often seen mention of people getting some work done on their cars at local Junior colleges and high schools that offer auto repair classes. This might be an option to explore, if you are looking for a less expensive route (free labor) and are willing to take a little risk. People who have done this report very good quality results (but those who get poor results probably don't talk about it).
10. Use a digital camera, sketches, labels and lots of clear plastic bags to organize as you disassemble. Throw absolutely nothing away! Keep a log of work done, along with a plan of work yet to be done. Document the work with photos and receipts for better eventual resale value.
Have fun!
Alan