I have been lucky to have owned this brilliant red TR6 for
17 years. I bought it in 2000, drove it for about four years, then
put it in a garage for about 7 years due to a leaky muffler. About
five years ago, it was “re-activated” and has been my “daily
driver” since. My work is only three miles from home and I go to
the office only a couple of times a week. Therefore, even though it
is my daily driver, I have not put that many miles on the
car. My guess is around 1,000 miles per year for the past
four year. I have no idea what its actual total mileage. The TR6
has brought much joy for me and my family over the years.
Regretfully, I need to sell it to raise money for my new business
venture, and it is priced for a quick sale.
This is a car that has been in California for a long time,
although I do not know its complete history before my ownership. It
is a 1971 vintage so it does not have most of the smog control
add-on devices or the extruding rubber bumper. It is exempt from
smog test requirement by California DMV.
This little TR6 has been quite a reliable car for me, as
reliable as any classic British cars can be. Its engine will start
right off after you prime the engine a few times, even after being
parked for more than a week. The engine runs smoothly and strongly
with a great sound. It can be rev’ed nicely all the way up
through the orange arc, although I have never gone beyond that.
Following is a summary of its overall condition;
- Body
- The body looks stunning and is in good shape. Body panels are
straight everywhere except for the drive’s side front fender. A
minivan backed into it in the parking lot when I started driving it
five years ago, creating a palmsize dent with chipped paint. The
dent has been manually smoothed over, but it definitely noticeable
(see photo). The best way to take care of this is probably simply
replace the whole fender during a new paint job, e.g., a $600 part
from the Victoria British catalog.
- The body paint is about 20 years old of the original color. But
it still looks stunning (see photos).
- There are a few small hairline cracks developed in the paint
now, with a most noticeable one on the driver side door (see
photo).
- Interior shows normal wear and tear as shown in photos.
- Very new carpet and floor liners, with matching TR6 rubber
floor mats.
- It has four pretty wire wheels with a fifth one as a spare in
the trunk.
- The top is worn with small pinsize holes showing up at various
places, but can still provide adequate weather protection from the
elements.
- It comes with an original tonneau cover (see photos)
- Mechanical
- The suspension has been stiffened with a strong front torsional
bar and lowered by about two inches or so. It drives and turns
crazily nice like a gocart. GREAT FUN!
- Everything mechanical work great, no issues, except for one
item below.
- The driver side window glass operation requires some manual
alignment after it is lowered or raised.
- Electrical
- Most electrical systems of this little British car actually
work except for two items:
- The emergency flasher does not work
- The parking light is always on when the ignition key is
on.
- Most other body light bulbs (turning direction, brake, etc.)
have been updated with LED bulbs.
- The previous owner has put in a good Alpine stereo system with
two large integrated speaker behind the seats. The stereo has a
detachable front panel for security (see photos). It also has
a builtin one-disc CD player. I consider it one of life’s
great joy cruising in this TR6, open top, down the highway with
good music in a nice spring day.
- Many key components have been replaced or rebuilt within the
last two years:
- Speedometer, rebuilt
- Carburetors, both, rebuilt
- Brake booster cylinder, new
- Complete clutch, new
- Stainless steel exhaust, 5 years new
As one can see, for a simple British car, this adorable TR6 has
most of its major components refreshed to provide reliable
transportation and fun for many years to come. I am selling it
directly without going through third parties, representing a great
deal for the new owner with no commissions.
