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TR6 TR6 rear panel: always black?

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jjbunn

jjbunn

Jedi Knight
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Were all TR6 rear panels painted black - a book I have on Triumph cars says so? If a TR6 has a rear panel the same colour as the rest of the car, does that imply the car has been repainted at some point?

Thanks!
 
Generally, this does mean that the car was resprayed. Not, that said, on rare occasion it has been reported that a few TR6s came from the factory without the black Kamm back. If the car you are looking at has the original paint, this could well be one of them. You should be able to look closely to tell if a car has been sprayed. Look in the trunk, under the dash, under the carpet, inside the doors, etc. If all these areas are well sprayed with a new paint job, you have a rare car indeed, one that was painted properly. That would be a sign of a body-off-frame resto.
 
It was originally designed with black to make the car appear to be wider. Look from the rear at a non black versus a black parked side by side and you'll see the illusion.
 
Brosky said:
It was originally designed with black to make the car appear to be wider. Look from the rear at a non black versus a black parked side by side and you'll see the illusion.
Click to expand...

I thought horizontal stripes did that. At least that's what my wife says. Makes her look fat.
 
Why do you think that I never wear striped shirts? I'm big enough as it is!!
 
I had read at some point that some of the very early (First month or so) production TR6's for 1969 did not recieve the black Kamm back.

Black windscreen surrounds started with the 1970 model year and black lower rockers were hit and miss. With many cars used for advertising having been pulled early before the rockers could be painted black. The rocker info seems to be supported on many versions so it is pretty hard to say.

But generally, for a rule of thumb, I would say that if the rear valance is body color it has been repainted.
 
Hi Folks;

First; I believe the Black panel looks Great:

Secondly; I also believe that it was Factory Painted Blk. up to `72 or perhaps `73: Beyond that I`m not certain & In the "Orig. TR4/5/6" book; It does`nt say anything! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/confused.gif

So; From `69 thru `73; For Sure; If you have one or are looking for a TR6 and Its not Blk; "ITS BEEN REPAINTED"!!

Regards, Russ /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/banana.gif
 
Until this weekend the only TR6 I had ever seen in person was mine. Consequently my opinion was based on the faded and worn black on mine and I do not like it. Yesterday I was parked with dozens of other TR6's and had a chance to see some with the black and some with out, and most of them with better paint than my old original paint. While I still lean towards body color in back and the windshield frame I did find the cars with a fresher looking black looked much better than mine. The result is that I have much less conviction now than before.
 
My car is an early '74 and I believe the paint was
original. It has the Kamm black and th lower rockers
are black as well. If somebody repainted this car,
they've done an excellant job at hiding it.
 
At the BL port of entry in New Orleans during the TR6 ayears we never saw one that was not painted black in the back and rocker.
 
I think perhaps some people may be confusing the TR6 and TR7. The TR7 started out with a black rear panel up to 1977. 1978 and up models were painted the same color as the car.

1969 TR6 factory brochure picture. Black rear end.
1969TR6.jpg
 
Brosky said:
It was originally designed with black to make the car appear to be wider. Look from the rear at a non black versus a black parked side by side and you'll see the illusion.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I always speculated the rear of the car was painted flat black to mask road dirt and engine exhaust particulates (aka oil). /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
When my car was repainted, I looked at the rear end painted and opted to keep it green.
I thought it looked good.

DSC05918.jpg
 
Once again, purely a matter of taste. All TR6's look great, whether painted black in the rear or not.

Beside, given enough time and lack of soap and water, the oil leaks will eventually make is black.
 
jjbunn said:
Were all TR6 rear panels painted black
Click to expand...
Given all the other mistakes made at one time or another by factory workers, I feel confident there was at least one TR6 that escaped without the blackout treatment.

John Macartney, who worked as a Triumph salesman for many years, once told me of a car where the factory had put steel wheels on one side, wire wheels on the other, and one of each in the boot !

And I'd bet money that wasn't shown on it's BMIHT certificate /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

BTW, if you ever get a chance to read John's book "In the Shadow of my Father : Life at Triumph", I heartily recommend it. Doesn't have any deep dark secrets about the cars, but is thoroughly entertaining and, I think, reveals a lot about the attitudes prevalent at Standard-Triumph.
This is an outrageous price to pay for it, just the only site I found that has details :
https://www.biblio.com/details.php?dcx=49824350&aid=frg
 
TR3driver said:
jjbunn said:
Were all TR6 rear panels painted black
Click to expand...
Given all the other mistakes made at one time or another by factory workers, I feel confident there was at least one TR6 that escaped without the blackout treatment.

John Macartney, who worked as a Triumph salesman for many years, once told me of a car where the factory had put steel wheels on one side, wire wheels on the other, and one of each in the boot !
Click to expand...

Wow, what a great story. Is he still around? Could you get him to join this forum and tell more of what he has seen? I'll bet he's got some unbelievable stuff to tell having sold British cars.
 
Semi-gloss or satin sheen.
 
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