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TR6 Shift knob to Steering Wheel, TR6

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Julian,

Ask yourself why out of 90,000 or so TR6's built, only this car is seamless on the forward deck panel area. Ask yourself how a rear fender that is bolted on to the body can be bolted on with the 'enhancement' this car shows.

I am not trying to get on your case, but there is or was something wrong with the car or repairs made to the car.

In addition to the seamless seam, the seam that extends toward the trunk appears to be very wide.

If there are serious problems with the rear fenders, easily fixed, they can be replaced with reproductions for around $1,000 each or a lot of sheet metal work.

Buyer be ware.
 
TR6oldtimer said:
Julian,

Ask yourself why out of 90,000 or so TR6's built, only this car is seamless on the forward deck panel area. Ask yourself how a rear fender that is bolted on to the body can be bolted on with the 'enhancement' this car shows.

I am not trying to get on your case, but there is or was something wrong with the car or repairs made to the car.

In addition to the seamless seam, the seam that extends toward the trunk appears to be very wide.

If there are serious problems with the rear fenders, easily fixed, they can be replaced with reproductions for around $1,000 each or a lot of sheet metal work.

Buyer be ware.
Click to expand...

OK folks, just to be clear, I haven't bought this car! I am considering it.

Somebody else on this forum said that judging from the Commission number, the car was built in Belgium. It was delivered new in Germany. I know that the car was brought from Germany to the States a long time ago, and has been garaged for a lot of the time since.

If the car was built in Belgium, did they use some different body panels? I know that would be surprising, but it's worth asking.
 
Re: Shift knob to Steering Wheel...and Seams, TR6

jjbunn said:
If the car was built in Belgium, did they use some different body panels? I know that would be surprising, but it's worth asking.
Click to expand...
Fair question...but no. Cars assembled in Belgium were built from "CKD" kits (completely knocked down). Depending on the market for which the car was being assembled, there certainly could have been differences in certain specifications, but that would mostly be things like a KPH speedometer, or different lamps or lenses to meet local requirements, or the possibly more obvious safety and emissions equipment for certain markets.

Records sometimes apparently are spotty regarding CKD cars, but it might be worth researching the car through the BMIHT to see what information they have, particularly whether the car was built to US specification or not. Very possibly it was, and it was a serviceman (or servicewoman) stationed in Germany who bought it and first registered it there.

As to those fender seams or lack thereof, I agree that most likely there is filler hiding rust. But there's always the chance that some previous owner had his or her own reasons for filling the seams when the color was changed!?
 
Re: Shift knob to Steering Wheel...and Seams, TR6

Look at the Moss Catalog under rear body panels and you will see that there is a seperate piece that goes there, that you can purchase, and after installation there will be a seam.
 
Re: Shift knob to Steering Wheel...and Seams, TR6

Andrew Mace said:
As to those fender seams or lack thereof, I agree that most likely there is filler hiding rust. But there's always the chance that some previous owner had his or her own reasons for filling the seams when the color was changed!?
Click to expand...

Andy, thanks for the informative comment. I do agree with you and roofman that, if the panels are the same as those in the VB and Moss catalogues (and I suppose they must be!) then there should be a seam running along.

At the risk of labouring the point, please refer again to this photo:

https://farm2.static.flickr.com/1073/1295677257_3246cf38fc_o.jpg

What baffles me is why someone would do such an impressive job of concealing the seam pointed at by the arrow, and yet leave the other seams visible. Perhaps it's just one of those mysteries, like that of the Marie Celeste: we will never know the answer!
 
Re: Shift knob to Steering Wheel...and Seams, TR6

This is a common rust spot. Imagine trying to bondo a double sided rounded seam with a perfectly straight seam line to look stock. Much easier to bondo over the whole thing and round off.
Not dissing the car, just be aware of what you are buying, your expectations for the final outcome, and the costs to get there. All part of evaluating any car.
 
Re: Shift knob to Steering Wheel...and Seams, TR6

Julian, I guess to make it more clear, when I bought my current TR6 (I have owned a TR2, TR3, and 2 TR6s) I looked around for 2 years before I found an acceptable car to restore. Now, living in Louisiana, finding a good car to fix is a challenge because they were never that plentiful here and being a Wet State, they rust easily. You are doing the correct thing by asking lots of good questions. And the idea of finding a car that you want to overhaul yourself is what keeps our passions alive. But there are a lot of unusual repairs out there where someone, for whatever reason, decided to "improve" the design by filling body panels or whatever. I have seen a gorgeous TR6 that had <u>all</u> body seams welded and filled. Good to look at, impossible to repair.

Bottom line, there were never any variations in any TR6 bodies that allowed for filled seams, etc. When I said that car had lots of rust, looking inside the door panels one can see rust, looking at the sealing channels for the convertible top (with no sealing rubber), rust. This car has lived a large part of its life outdoors, in a wet clime.
Even storing these cars under cover but on a dirt floor means a death sentence for the body and frame.

Try to find a car that requires minimal body or frame repair. Rust, in and of itself, doesn't mean any car is a bad bet but remember that there is no such thing as surface rust on a Triumph. And there are no magic coatings that will stop rust. Bring a friend along that knows as much or more than you and ask questions from a potential seller. As you are doing with this particular car, take pictures and ask the forum. I just hate to see someone get burned when they buy what appears to them a nice car and end up very frustrated or giving up all together.
 
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