• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

TR6 TR6-What to look for when buying

Share this page

kyreb1862

kyreb1862

Jedi Knight
Offline
It's been a long time since I've had a TR6 and I've found what seems to be a good deal on one. I would like to ask for a few pointers on what to look for and check out. The CO tells me that it had a new fuel tank installed and the carbs rebuilt last year. The CO also said it had rust in the trailing arms. Is this something that could be easily remedied? I would tend to think the problem is probably in the trailing arm mounting brackets but I haven't looked at it yet. Any input on this would be appreciated.
 
Rust in the trailing arms is common...Not sure about the remebies so I'll get someone else get that one. Otherwise drive it and listen for 'clunks' in the rear end. Then it's jsut the obvious stuff you'd check on any car...body rust(around tail lights), rockers, floorboards. The best way to determine the condition of a TR6 is to drive it.....Especially with the 6, if something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.
 
Frame rot where the trailing arms bolt up is a very common issue with TR6s. It can be fixed easily or correctly. A proper fix is really to replace the frame rail between the outer frame rail and the center bulkhead (where the trailing arms mount) or replace the frame.
But I've seen my share of angle iorn and welded brackets. and it does work (affects the value though)
Other commons are floorpans, rockers, and the dreaded rear end clunk, like R6MGS said.
But the frame is the biggest sticking point. As long as it's priced right, you can probably get several years of service before it needs the frame repair. As long as the brackets are still holding strong.
 
Rust in the trailing arms, aren't they cast aluminum? I'm sure the CO means rust at the mounting points to the frame.
 
I think /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif that this will stand for all Triumphs:
Check for heater core leaks.
Corrosion under battery area
Use a mirror and flashlight to inspect for rust in the upper forward regions of the trunk area as well as the rear sections of all fender panels (inside wheel wells)
 
Check the sills -- *carefully* run your hand along the inside of the bottom door sills -- there are several holes there to let water out. On one seemingly solid car, I could feel that the entire inside of the sills were filled with rust scale. Yikes!
 
It depends on if you are looking for a show car or just something fun and cheap to drive.

I spent $2000 on a car with some noticable rust underneath. 7 years later (garaged, and not driven in rain or winters). The rust hasn't progressed very much.

I had to have both trailing arms rewelded with new tube steel. The back end is probably stronger than the day it was built.

I hate to hear about cars with some rust being blackballed because for the right price and a little TLC they can be fun.
 
Certainly not suggesting "Black Balling" potential buys, however it is nice to know just what you are getting into. right?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Certainly not suggesting "Black Balling" potential buys, however it is nice to know just what you are getting into. right?

[/ QUOTE ]

Right. Old Gold has a solid rust free frame. However it does need rockers on the left side and there is a little rot at the front of the LF floorboard. Basically any old TR that isn't restore will need some work in the rockers and floors. How much do you plan to drive the car and how much does this affect its driveability.
Rust in the trailing arms can be trouble. If the brackets, or rails they attach to are rotted, it means they could just fall off while driving.
I would say the first place to look at any TR is from underneath. Take a screwdriver and poke the frame. If it punches through, it wasn't anything that wasn't there before. No sense driving a a car that is about to collapse in half from rot. A good paint job can make anything look nice. IMHO, I'd rather bad paint and a mainly rot free car. (like Old gold). Check out the buyers guides on VTR.org. THe TR4A/250/6 are all the same frame underneath...
 
In my opinion it is a fairly big job to repair a frame with rust in the mounting points for the trailing arms.
Obviously this is a highly stressed point, and simply plating or reinforcing is only safe if the rust is not too bad.
Also, if you cut out and remove this piece it is not just square section tubing, there are reinforcments across the tube so when you tighten up the mounting bolts you don't crush the tube. Since they are inside you have to assume these are rusted if the outside is weak.

Again, you could do a temporary fix to get you on the road for a season or two before really tackling the job.
Simon.
 
Back
Top