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TR-6's. Love'm? Hate'm?

128 messages,  Last post on Jan 24, 2013 at 1:27 PM

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What is this discussion about? Car Buying, Car Values, Convertible

Messages Page 12 of 13

#109 of 128 Re: how to mess up a TR6 in just a few short weeks! [parm] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Mar 21, 2011 (12:43 pm)

Replying to: parm (Mar 20, 2011 9:13 pm)
I must respectfully differ regarding the TR6s performance. It is every inch an Austin Healey 3000 in that regard. It's really a fun car to drive and has plenty of torque for spirited driving on twisty roads.
 
As for modifications, I have no problem with *improving* the internals that cannot be seen externally, but garish wheels, body cladding, or different engines are not only a-historical, they are unnecessary.
 
so many old car guys think they are smarter than factory engineers, and they make modifications to improve one thing and end up, usually, degrading another thing they hadn't counted upon at all.
 
e.g., they put in a lightened flywheel and then struggle with shifting in city driving; they replace the Strombergs or SUs with Webers, and end up fussing more with those than they did with the originals; they put on a "sport exhaust" and drone themselves to death at 4000 rpms;
 
Sure, you want to strengthen the differential mounts, maybe some nice Bilsteins, you want to put on a modern ignition perhaps, synthetic oil perhaps, maybe even an overdrive transmission. These things make sense to me.
 
Being part of a club doesn't necessarily validate what is done to cars. The competition among them often leads to doing really stupid things as well as very clever mods.
 

#110 of 128 Re: how to mess up a TR6 in just a few short weeks! [Mr_Shiftright] by parm

Mar 22, 2011 (6:11 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Mar 21, 2011 12:43 pm)
You raise an excellent point. No doubt that some guys get themselves into trouble when they start swapping out bits and pieces without a master plan. However, the point should be made there are a lot of components utilizing superior designs/materials that weren't available in, say, 1972. As an example, anyone doing a total body off restoration on a TR6 should consider a modern frame replacement as there are at least two companies I'm aware of that make better frames than the original. Keep in mind too that the original engineers were constrained to some degree by costs in order to keep the overall car at, or below, a specific price point. Therefore, it's entirely possible (and probably a fact) that better designs/materials were likely ditched as a concession to cost. In today's TR6 world (and other marques too), penny pitching accountants don't have the final approval when it comes to selecting the quality and design of components. In other words, in an effort to build a better mousetrap, the restorer is not under the same constraints as the original engineers.

#111 of 128 Re: how to mess up a TR6 in just a few short weeks! [parm] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Mar 23, 2011 (8:13 am)

Replying to: parm (Mar 22, 2011 6:11 pm)
Well I'm sure we could vastly improve the performance of a Civil War cannon used at Gettysburg, but should we?
 
Now of course most old cars do not maintain such an exulted place in history, but they ARE part of history, and all I'm saying is that some RESPECT is in order...*some* respect.
 
There's just a certain arrogance in taking a 50 year old car and saying "oh, I can improve that, and it's mine, so I will".
 
Surely there is a balance point between fanatical meticulous over-restoration and the other extreme of unabashed barbarity when modifying a historical vehicle.

#112 of 128 Re: how to mess up a TR6 in just a few short weeks! [Mr_Shiftright] by texases

Mar 23, 2011 (8:18 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Mar 23, 2011 8:13 am)
I've wandered down that path - what if I got a '65 Mustang, then put in a good crate engine, 4 wheels disc brakes, etc, etc...then I wake up and decide, if that's what I want, just go get a 2011 GT!

#113 of 128 Re: how to mess up a TR6 in just a few short weeks! [texases] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Mar 23, 2011 (8:31 am)

Replying to: texases (Mar 23, 2011 8:18 am)
Well Mustangs are a dime a dozen so I'm not so fussy about modifying them, although even in their case, I'm not fond of seeing them butchered up with hood scoops and spoilers.

#114 of 128 Re: how to mess up a TR6 in just a few short weeks! [Mr_Shiftright] by parm

Mar 24, 2011 (5:00 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Mar 23, 2011 8:13 am)
One important difference though is that a Civil War canon is no longer regularly (or ever) fired.

#115 of 128 Re: how to mess up a TR6 in just a few short weeks! [parm] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Mar 24, 2011 (7:55 am)

Replying to: parm (Mar 24, 2011 5:00 am)
True enough, my example was a case in extremis to be sure. However, there are restored classic cars that get about as little use as a Civil War cannon.

#116 of 128 all black by lemmer

May 19, 2011 (7:47 am)

The alternately liked/derided modified TR-6 is dropping in price.

#117 of 128 Re: all black [lemmer] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

May 19, 2011 (8:01 am)

Replying to: lemmer (May 19, 2011 7:47 am)
barbarians.

#118 of 128 Re: all black [lemmer] by parm

May 19, 2011 (10:52 am)

Replying to: lemmer (May 19, 2011 7:47 am)
Barbarians indeed. That's way over the top. Not the kind of tasteful mods (Koning or Panasport wheels, some modern electricals, brake upgrades) I would ever do.

Messages Page 12 of 13

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