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Triumph TR6 - Suspension Woes

After five weeks and a ton of money, I finally got my TR back from my mechanic. I had bought the car out of state and was told it "needs nothing." Well, live and learn I guess. Got it home and found a cracked front shock tower, a cracked diff mount and very bad bushings.

I guess there is a silver linign in everything. I got the suspension I always wanted. Lowered 1 1/2" on uprated springs with urethane all around and Koni's on the corners. I figure it can pull 1 lateral 'G' as it sets now. The interior is the next project this winter.

Wondering if anyone has encountered a suspension in as bad a shape as mine was. I feel like I got taken on the car. But at least I have the opportunity to set things right and make it a pleasure.

- Don
D Hasara

Don,

I've got to observe that:

1. You pays your money and you takes your chances.

2. It's always something I 'spose. I thought my car was a dandy but I'm finding things here and there that are adding up quickly.

3. I imagine that you'll have things on your car that won't need to be touched where my car will need money spent on them.

Guess where I'm going here is that we all discover things on our cars that need attention. If we do them ourselves then it's the satisfaction of the work (my favorite part) that we 'get' to do on our cars.

If one needs to have someone else do the work then, yes, I can imagine it's going to get expensive.

Drive that puppy over and we'll dive into it. <G>

Jim
Jim Deatsch

Thanks for the encouragement Jim!

The suspension is the one thing I shy away from. The last thing I need as me winding up upside down in a ditch due to my own stupidity!

I have no problem with the other mechanicals. As a previous MG owner I can say I'm handy. As a TR6 owner you not only need to be handy, but have quite a bit of free time.

The interior, including the dask & gauges, if coming out this winter for a redo. Wondering if anyone would think less of me if I were to change the interior to a non-original colour. I know there are some purists out there, but I think I'd prefer black over shadow blue.

Jim - where are you in NY? I'm straight out Rt 78 and three miles from PA. Do you get out this way at all?

Cheers,

Don
D Hasara

Hi Don

All of your woes plus a few others are common on a TR.

If the fella used a regular garage. With an inexperienced TR mechanic. The shock tower and Diff mounts can be missed? And or diagnosed wrong.

Glad it worked out for you despite pocket book. :)

Bill
Bill Brayford

Don,

I must ask. Who owns the car? <G>

Oh, YOU do? Then make it black and do it well and enjoy it.

I'm near Rochester so a ways away but, in the grand scheme of things, not that far.

You'll do fine. You're right about the 'time' deal. They do take time.

Picture me trying to sort out the SU carbs on my TR6.

Jim
Jim Deatsch

Don you go right ahead and do what ever you like to your car, just do it well. And don't think for a minute
that you're going to get away with some suspension
and interior work, by the time you've got it to where
you want it you will have spent $15,000-25,000.
But you'll have a great time.
Christopher Trace

Don
Welcome to the club of empty pocket books.
I gotta agree, doing the work yourself is very gratifying. I replaced my entire interiour with new but I stuck with original (27). Sorry gotta suggest staying with the shadow blue especially if you are a 96 on the outside. Black is a very common interiour and that is what I like about my 6, it is not common and original ( no need for appology here).

If you do go with black then look to VB as they have a very good price on an entire black interiour kit.

Two other things, use the 3in1 (insulation, sound deadening, and heat shield) underlay as you will not regret it. Also 3M general spray trim adheasive is very good stuff.

Above all.....have fun.

Rick C
Rick Crawford

Rick,

My 6 is color 19 (White) which leaves me open to just about anything on the interior. The more I think about it, a lighter color would probably make the car seem a little bigger inside. Considering how tight it is, I may very well stay with blue. Thanks.
D Hasara

Personally I think a black interior is the Henry Ford deal and generically speaking you'll learn that as you succeed at some problem solving exercises on the six you'll gain confidence and learn about what you like.

For example, you can read about how rear swaybars are great and tripple webbers are the promissed-land and roller rockers are the best and aluminum flywheels are a must and all this stuff but there is no substitute for driving 20,000 miles and tuning and learing for yourself about what you like and don't like. That's the hobby - you can sit in the bar or play 100 rounds of golf or you can dominate a mechanical thing and gain some insight about some of your talents that you didn't even know you had.

My only word of advice is that you will think you are fixing the car "once only" but you'll be back into the same thing when you gain knowledge.

Have fun with the hobby. I arrived at my home last evening at the end of a one thousand killometer journey and was completely beat-up - my eardrums were shot - my hair was wired - my eyes were farged and yet I was totaly invigorated - passed all the traffic on every 2-lane-hill with my souped up car and had a rap session at every gas station with twenty complete strangers who walked up and introduced themselves and said hello and had some question or comment about the car. Drive a firebird and you won't talk to anybody during your journey.

Have fun or sell it.

JP
John Parfitt

Well SAID John, well said indeed.

I've got to go along with the 3M Super 77 Spray Contact Adhesieve (not for headliners though). Check out a product called Reflectix at:
http://www.reflectixinc.com/?src=overture

I've used it in serveral cars I've built and have been VERY happy with it.

I've bought it at "Home Depot" and it's VERY reasonable.

hth,

Jim (mostly soundproofed)
Jim Deatsch

Thanks John. Your comments hit home.

I had to go to my mother's this evening to update her computer (you know why). Sure, I could have gone directly to her place from work in the Honda...

I came home and changed to the TR6. All my worries and concerns melted away by the time I hit third gear. The smile was obvious when I was shifting to fourth. It was the most pleasant drive I've had since I bought the car (well it was raining since I bought it but...). It makes all the time and effort (and money) worthwhile.

On my way home, as I turned onto my street, a child of about ten stopped cold on his bike and yelled, "Cool car!!"

I remember when I was that kid. Now I know how the guy in the cool car felt.
D Hasara

Just another tidbit to add about the trim adhesive, I was steered onto this at a local fabric store: 'Keyston' General Purpose Adhesive #4011 by Keyston Bros. Seemed to work better for me than the 3M.

Rod
Rod Nichols

Indeed well said John - These are great cars, satisfying to improve by experience.There is no substitute. They challenge you sometimes then repay with lots more fun. I too, even after having bought a black interior, decided to stay with the lighter 'new tan'. And it's a kick, how many comments one gets just driving a TR6. Peter
Peter Gooch

Thanks Rod,

I'll look into that stuff too. Always wanting to learn about different products.

Jim
Jim Deatsch

This thread was discussed between 10/08/2003 and 14/08/2003

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