Brought a new one home (pictures)

I'm the new owner of a sanford and son looking 1970 Triumph GT6+! It has body rust so bad I'm not sure what is holding it together. But for $600 I didn't even haggle or sweat it. The engine sounds pretty good and ran well enough to get it on the trailer. You'd never know there was a recently rebuilt engine under there.

I'm gonna have the local Triumph guy tell me if it is worth dumping some money into it or if it is a death trap. If he thinks the structural support is still there, I intend to have a body shop get creative with the bondo and paint it. I may buy some body panels if I come across any rather than go the bondo route. Then for the interior. From what I see them going for after some TLC I think I have some breathing room.

Even if he nixes my dreams of granduer I'm pretty sure a running 6 cylinder conveniently packaged in a bucket of rust will be worth $600 to SOMEBODY. As far as I know this is the same engine that is in the TR6.

I really like hanging on this board. I'll go slum on a Triumph board so as not to abuse this site meant for MGs. Just wanted to share the fun of my latest LBC.

<http://users3.ev1.net/~eldave/06290004.jpg>

<http://users3.ev1.net/~eldave/06290006.jpg>

KOOOL!!!

70 is one of the better years for GT6s. They're nice cars, in an evil sort of way. Handling is pure trouble, but again, 70 was one of the better years in that regard. GRM did a story on them sometime in the past year (I wrote it... shameless plug) that you could get a back issue or reprint of.

IF the frame is good, and the front cap is OK, you're home free. GT6 front caps are hideously expensive, and the frame holds all the strength. The body is just a bolt on deal.

If it's really iffy, you could dredge up a Spit and make a Spit-Six.... easiest way is to swap the Spit body over to the GT6 frame. There's web sites that detail the conversion. You will, of course, still need the GT6 front cap to clear the motor.

The motor is a 2.0 liter version of the six found in the TR6s. It was also used in the Vitesse, not that you'd ever see one of those around. TR6 engines will fit in the GT, although I wouldn't recommend it. Has enough trouble dealing with the power in the 2.0. You can use TR6 heads and quite a few other bits, too. Or Spit bits for the cosmetic stuff.

For my money, the 2.0 is a sweeter motor than the 2.5... smooth, powerful, a real gem. If the MG had ever got a motor like that, it would have been a very different ball game. Then the B would have been real competitive in the 2.0 racing classes, and it's much smoother than the 1.8 B four-cylinder.

BTW, your's has 5-lug wheels. Odd... I wonder if something else has been swapped under there. GT6s were 4-lug AFAIK.

I'm sure all kinds of things have been swapped. I read the 70 had those fake rims bolted over the wheel. Maybe that has something to do with the 5 lugs or maybe something major happenned to the rear hubs.

The front cap seems OK, but not all that great. I think it is a good enough shell for use in the upcoming body work.

This guy I bought it from said he's had it since the 70s. He drove it all over the place. He was his own mechanic so who knows what I'll find.

I saw the frame. It was rusty, but I saw no swiss cheese in the area I looked. I'm crossing my fingers.

I'll know a lot more after a few weeks.

By the way, I know of a 70 spitfire sitting in a junkyard so I may have to go work something out. I already know I'll need the front bumper off it. Maybe I'll grab some stuff from the TR6s sitting next to it.

Thanks for the info about a possible spit 6. Good to have other options.

That's one slick GT-6 compaired to the one I found a couple of years ago. You wanna talk dogs? Can we talk dogs here?

Sure!! Why not?? I haven't seen Skye around for a long time, unless he popped in when I was having 'fun' in Boise!!!

GT6's are a thorn in my side...I love 'em...I'll buy one & drive it around for a few weeks, get disgusted with it & sell, miss it, buy another, etc, etc....watch out about rear end fitting points....GT6 rear end hooks up to body where Spitfire didn't...also, my Triumph buddies always get down under my GT6's and shake some tubes & tell me to junk it....your Triumph buddies will know what I'm talking aobut...they are neat cars....damn! now I've gotta go find another

I came very close to buying a new, BRG GT-6 from the local Triumph dealer, but discovered that I could not get in and out of it comfortably. Somehow, even at that younger age, the car and I weren't compatible. I had the same problem with the Saab Sonnett that I drove for a couple of years. I put up with the uncomfortable ingress/egress because I liked the car and always thought I might have done the same with the GT-6, had I bought it. Another opportunity missed! Good luch with yours, Dave. I hope it works out for you! AL Bradley

There are a pair of TR-6 engines sitting inside at the wrecking yard here in Pendleton that have been around since the beginning of time.

Love the tartan carpet (if it is carpet...)! Is that original? ;-)

The previous owner did some horrible, horrible things. Very sketchy repair jobs to the body. I think he glued plastic to the car and painted over it or something gawd awful like this. I also discovered he had forged the date in the registration sticker. I kid you not, I asked him if it had rust and he said no. He also said I could drive it back home which is about 180 miles from where I bought it. Chills..... But I prepared myself for it to be a total beater no matter what he said. And a beater it is.

By the way, the wheels are four lugs and the covers have fake lugs.

She is currently at the local Triumph mechanic getting checked out. After he looks over it I will either have the body restored, or push it off a cliff (actually it would end up on ebay as a "project" car since it retains SOME value to SOMEBODY). I can't get over how many dissassembled "project cars" end up on ebay. I can only imagine the agonizing stories behind those listings.

Dave

About the only thing sadder than those dissassembled project cars is the car I saw at the junkyard, twisted, bent, crunched and it still had the "just married" signs on the windows.

hmm probably too much of a bummer.... sorry guys

That is bad!!!! :o(