Triumph GT6 Buyer's Guide
by Christopher A. Kantjariev ( cak@dimebank.com ) and Richard George
Overview: In addition to the items listed in the general Triumph Buyers Guide , there are a number of specific items of interest on the GT6. The car's weakest spot is definitely the tranny, and the differential is probably next.
Engine: Check the compression. That year has the 9.25:1 head, so the numbers should probably be in the 175-185 range (cold). The car has the fairly bulletproof TR6 block, with the usual problems with low oil flow to the valve gear. Watch out for excess rattle up there; it might mean some work is needed (the shaft is about $80, and the rockers are $16 each). Check for smog stuff if the car is going to a smog state; '69 probably just needs PCV valve and vacuum advance/retard lines. Be careful if the car has to pass local emissions tests to get re-registered - these cars used the strombergs with the needle that slides on the side of the jet - Unfortunately, this wears a groove in the jet which hoses up your mixture (and of course the jet is non replaceable in this carb, and its mostly non-adjustable...) (I.E. IT WON'T PASS). The last time my '69 had to go through, I had to borrow someone else's carbs to do it... There are supposed to be fibreboard panels around the engine compartment; if these are missing it's a place to negotiate about originality and price. Of course, they're pretty much a nuisance, but...
Tranny: This is the car's weak spot; it *will* fail. Listen for excess noise and feel for worn synchros. Be prepared to either rebuild it or walk away from the deal if it crunches at all. Putting Redline MTL in will often help synchro problems, but the main failure seems to be the bearing on the output shaft.
Suspension/driveline: Check the state of the rotoflex couplings in the back (look for cracks in the rubber donuts) No one seems to replace them when they need it, so be prepared to replace them yourself immediately after purchase. Listen for excessive differential noise. Listen for universal joint clunks and thunks. Expect that at least one U joint will be loose and want replacement. These are all fairly cheap and available, but a royal pain to install. Same for all the rubber bits in the suspension. Worn rear radius arm bushings, especially, will cause slightly weird handling over bumps, and the rear end is squirrelly enough as it is! Check the steering rack gaiters for tears and the rack mounting bushings for play. There will probably be wear in the trunnions. The Roadster Factory (TRF) offers a complete front suspension rebuild kit for under $100, and it's well worth doing on a "new" car.
Overdrive: If it works, great. If it doesn't, well ... it *probably* needs to have the O rings replaced, but that means pulling the tranny (and probably the engine with it).
Body: Probably the most important thing is the firewall; the car relies on this for structural strength. Go over it with a magnet and make sure there isn't much (any!) bondo. Look to see if the tranny cover mates well; if it doesn't, you'll get heat and fumes into the passenger compartment. Check the battery box area and the floor underneath it - your usual owner will replace the battery box only after it has caused severe rust on the floor under it. Look for the usual things about rust and trim. The rear shock mounts to the body at the upper end, so that area needs to be solid too. Check for chrome trim: there should be trim strips along the front and rear wings, and under the doors (under the sills, actually). Check for bonnet shake and the integrity of the rubber seals at the rear of the bonnet and the inner wheelwells.
Frame: Hmm. The body is a main spine with outriggers. Check the outriggers for rust; they provide most of the transverse strength of the car. Check the rear frame members for rust.
Brakes: Nothing out of the ordinary here; before writing off the brakes as weak, make sure the rears have been adjusted. Look for leaks around the master/cylinders. The brake master cylinder rebuilds easily, but the parts are expensive. The reservoir lid tends to crack; you used to have to buy the complete reservoir and lid, but TRF has just started listing the lid separately.
Price: While some jokers seem to think they can ask 4 grand+ for a perfect one, you should be able to find a good one for $1500 - 2500 (At least where I am...) (I think the 4 grand ones sit for a while, and the owner gets discouraged and...).
Fit/function: My legs aren't quite as long as TerriAnn's, but I have trouble fitting into my GT6, too. Didn't stop me from buying it, and one of the first things I did was buy a 13" steering wheel. Made a huge difference. Leaning the seat back fairly far did the rest; now I'm quite happy motoring down the road in a semi-prone position ... It's a hot little box -- both in speed and interior temperature. Handling is pretty good, though the rear end tends to "hop" trying to find the apex... TriumphTune offers various bits that improve it greatly.
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