Jalopnik: Triumph TR6

PCH, Bad Things Like You Done In Weed Edition: Triumph TR3A or Alfa Romeo Duetto?

Murilee Martin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:20:00 EDT

Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's the coolest... and the most hellish! In yet another PCH Superpower Showdown, Italy triumphs over Britain with the Fiat X1/9 beating the MGB-GT in the Index of Effluency Edition poll. That means Fiat has the honor of displaying the PCH Superpower trophy today (better put a drip pan underneath it, and keep the kitty litter handy)… but the Italians will have to give it back to the British tomorrow if they don't make it two in a row, because we're returning with another UK-versus-Italy matchup!

Only one of these cars is located in Weed, California, but when you get a chance to use an Of Mice And Men reference in a headline, you take it. This particular Bad Thing in Weed (go here if the ad disappears) is a project car with "basket case" right in the title… followed by a price that must be a typo, right? Right? Come on now, when a nicely restored TR3A goes for a princely 15-20 grand, $3,000 is a steal! This one has been sitting for at least 30 years, casting a pall over the seller's visions of a happy retirement, but don't think it's hopeless- hey, "Most parts are complete" according to the seller, who helpfully adds that "those that are missing like the windshield are available from other collectors." It's a California car, but it's clearly been sitting outside for decades, which means there will be rust in the areas rainwater collects. But damn, it would be a blast to have a TR3 to call your own, especially if you upgraded from the original 100-horse engine to something Japanese with lots of cams and boost.

Wouldn't it be great to have an example of the last car Battista 'Pinin' Farina designed? Yes, the Alfa Romeo Spider Duetto, a car so heartbreakingly beautiful that you've always assumed you could never afford one. But wait! What about this 1969 Alfa Romeo Spider (go here if the ad disappears), priced at a totally reasonable $3,450? The seller's statement "Parts in the trunk!" pretty much sums it up, though some weaker souls might find the statement "some rust here and there, mostly on trunk, hood, lower doors, and some underneath, and inside floor pans" disquieting, but how bad could it be? More importantly, what kind of insane engine could you fit in it? Don't try any funny stuff with the seller, though, because he or she has included the very effective "Scammers Stay Away" magic spell in the listing (we especially like the clever circumventing of CL's anti-keyword-spam rules via the use of the word "not" followed by a bunch of other car makes in the title).

PCH, Chevy-Powered Brits Edition: V8 MGA or V8 TR6?

Murilee Martin — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:20:00 EDT

Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's the coolest... and the most hellish! Yesterday, the combo of rotary weirdness and potential performance of the RX-7 scored a win over the Caprice's monster torque and bullying physique, according to the Choose Your Eternity poll. Today we're returning to a theme we saw in the very first Project Car Hell: British cars with engine swaps!

How much does a project MGA go for these days? For that matter, what does a maybe-running Chevy 350 sell for? Consider your answers to those questions while you contemplate this 1956 MGA with Chevy 350, which has a price tag of $500... or "BEST OFFER BY THIS WEEKEND." Maybe the seller will take a hundred bucks! Fifty! You get a '56 MGA body on a Nissan pickup frame, with a Chevy 350 under the hood (and maybe even connected to the frame and/or drivetrain). This "WAS A PROJECT MANY YEARS AGO," so we're not sure what that makes it now. Oh, the mysteries you'll solve getting this thing in driving condition. Check out what appears to be an RV drinking-water tank used as a fuel tank! Thrill at the sight of those racing slicks, which will come in handy at the dragstrip when you'll ~~plow straight into the nearest guardrail and take a helicopter ride to the nearest ER~~ break off some 11-second times to the roar of an approving crowd! Or maybe you could set it up to handle and have a very, very poor man's Cobra! Thanks to W1ngnut for the tip.

That 350-powered MG would be loads of fun, but the disc brakes and independent rear suspension of more recent British iron would be nice to have with V8 power under the bonnet. Yes, we're talking Triumph TR6 here, and Junkman suggests this '71 TR6 with Chevy 350 as an easy weekend project. Hey, if Junkman thinks it's a good car, who are we to disagree? Sometimes you see a description like "Chevy V8 conversion started, but far from finished. Has 350ci V8 & auto transmisiion just setting in it" and you figure it's best to just back away slowly, but that's a quitter's attitude! There's rust. The interior is obliterated. But, as the seller says, "it is what it is & they are bringing $15-$30k restored." You see? This car is a license to print money! But you won't want to sell it once you get it driving, because the power-to-weight ratio will be ~~a one-way ticket to the cemetary~~ so exhilarating.

Insert British Leyland Joke Here: 1976 Triumph TR7

Murilee Martin — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EDT

There's really not much we can add to the Legend Of The British Leyland Wedge here. American car buyers looking for a little car that weaves maniacally among mid-60s Galaxies and gets air cresting hills knew exactly where to go: follow the wedge-shaped British Leyland truck to the nearest dealer!

The Triumph TR6: Built For Hoonage!

Murilee Martin — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT

If your typical drive involves jumping through fiery hoops and playing chicken with walls of hay bales, British Leyland had the car for you! With a six-cylinder engine and legendary UK Malaise build quality, the TR6 sold pretty well in North America (though smog, bumper, and headlight-height regulations made it perform at a level a few notches lower than its British counterpart).

British Steel Screaming For Vengeance In Denver

Murilee Martin — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:00:00 EDT

We need more Judas Priest references here, and Denver's EJacops has given us the opportunity to drop a couple by finding and photographing these three British machines in his neighborhood. We've got a shockingly rust-free TR6, a Land Rover that seems ready to claw its way straight up the nearest 14,000-foot mountain, and when was the last time you saw a TR3 parked on the street in a manner that suggests it actually runs regularly? Good work, EJacobs! Make the jump for a second gallery.

Malaise? What Malaise? British Leyland Has Just What America Needs!

Murilee Martin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT

You'll have fun in the sun, "motoring tops-down" in a spiffy new late-70s MGB, TR6, or Spitfire. Note how the horrifyingly ugly bumpers of the Spitfire are barely glimpsed as we see happy Americans driving hundreds of yards with no apparent electrical malfunctions. Sure, British Leyland gave up on the idea of selling MGs and Triumphs in the US just a year or two after this ad, but can't you feel the optimism here?

Marital Infidelity Prompts All-Triumph Car Chase

Murilee Martin — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EDT

When you're caught in flagrante delicto by your special lady's husband and have to flee on foot while dressed in a towel, you might breathe a sigh of relief when you discover he plans to chase you in a Triumph Stag; after all, the timing chains probably won't hold out as long as your legs. But then, in one of those cruel twists of fate that seemed all too common in Malaise Britain, you find yourself in the waking nightmare of being forced to choose another Triumph in which to make your getaway!