Dr-Doolin Triumph TR6 Frame Problems

[@maoxian]

Appreciate your knowledgeable, no-nonsense approach....

[@steveavis4642]

I don't know why you don't have more subscribers, that was a great and informative video! I have a tr6 and luckily the door gaps are even, but I wouldn't have known to look for that. Thanks Doc!

[@tenhendee5479]

Thank you for the very detailed explanation of the frame construction and weakness areas. I` bought my TR6 on Ebay and imported it to Europe without any check . I is an survivor. I was examinating the frame at home and was some concerned about its satus. Now, after your video, I have changed my opinion totally.

[@peterlucchesi8549]

What have you done?

[@mikeglodowski810]

You are 100 % correct in your correction! A friend of mine had a TR6 with almost exact problems. We noticed it with the wheels/tires sitting wearing the opposite vertical direction they should be. The suspension shop called it "A DROPPED REAR END' They said they were 'COMMON PROBLEMS' with these models. Sad part was like you said should have been checked before buying. The rest of the car was like new. The cost to repair it would have been greater then a new one. He was lucky to get a collector that wanted to do a complete frame off restoration. Thanks for your views. Mike G.

[@JohnMcCullough-wr9hj]

THis was a great explanation. Have not seen the explanation of the ladder frames before. I almost bought a 1969 in 1972 but had bond that was broken on a side panel - really weird. Fast fun car but chose to go Fiat 124 at the time. Certainly not as fast but had fun.

[@gjohnint]

My 1973 TR6 which was 9 months old would flop around. On the Paris cobbles the gap between door and c post would open and close about an inch as you crossed the cobbles. The front scuttle would twist alarmingly. Brilliant fun and car.

[@nealsoad]

I own a Spitfire and I'm driving a few hours to look at a TR6 today. This has been very helpful with what to look for. Thank you.

[@malcolmgay2206]

The key to getting a good TR is to find an expert before you buy and also work with that mechanic while you own the car. TR aren't for everyone, but they are a magical car and a sorted TR6 is a joy every time you turn the key😉. I owned mine for over 20 years and had to sell it a few years back as we relocated to a smaller apartment😢

[@archstanton5215]

Thank you for explaining this. Now I know the reason why I have uneven gaps on my TR-6 doors. I always wondered how this happened.

[@jeffhildreth9244]

I traveled 375 miles today to look at a "completely restored" 1974 TR6. It was a several year home hack job of a series of inelegant, ignorant repairs and parts swapping. But the biggest problem was a 5/8ths inch (16mm ) gap at the top rear of both doors and about 1/8ths inch (3mm) at the bottom. The asking price was obscene given the condition of the vehicle. I declined purchase. The owner was asking over $20K USD.. There is no price I would pay for the car. He thought the door gaps were acceptable and standard British workmanship ! The body needed to come off... not a thrilling prospect. Thanks for fortifying, and proving my observations.

[@daveunderhill9636]

Thankful both of my TR6s are rust free even though they are both from Southern Ontario.

[@teddobosz7812]

I bought a new one in 74, nothing but problems, got rid of it in 76. Best thing I ever did!

[@andrelapointe1983]

Excellent presentation, thank you James!

[@aeroearth]

A very long time ago back in the UK I owned a Triumph Vitesse 2 litre Mk II. For something that looked like a Triumph Herald one could go for a "spirited" drive without attracting too much unwelcome attention. The overdrive version, that car did about 115mph flat out. However having a separate chassis (frame) meant that it got weaker and weaker as corrosion set in and little one could do to impede it.. I did at one stage consider buying a new chassis which I was told was available and cost about 80 GBP. At the time those cars sold for about 550 GBP. But as the family grew I bought a Triumph 2000 Estate instead. Whilst Triumph cars had lots of reliability and durability problems, so did everything else back then. Golden rule when buying a second hand car is start by looking underneath first!

[@johnb7889]

Thank you for sharing! Saved me a lot of heartache.

[@terryatpi]

You just ruined my day. Guess I should have watched this a week ago. Great video btw. Thanks

[@inductionbyforce8656]

I had a tr250 that had this door gap issue too I used cut pipe to lift the body in the rear to help but he’s correct it’s a large gap you create in the frame to body gap

[@Markcigar1]

Had a 69 Tr6. Lever action rear shocks were horrible. Rear aluminum A arm cracked too!

[@davidm-1965tb]

Now the proud owner of a tr3a.... thos is a great video. What a knowledgeable guy

[@jabberjab]

Brilliant run through of a complete wreck… very useful when I go and look for one

[@PSMyarddog]

My 68 TR250 had chronic lower control arm brackets. They need to be welded several times in 1975, before they were unrepairable. Road salt, NYC potholes and enthusiastic driving did the car in.

[@jfro5867]

Now this is how to do a video. Excellent explanation. 👍👍

[@steveavis4642]

I love your videos. Is there a way to straighten a drooping frame? I have access to a frame machine. Was thinking of pulling down on the weak area to align, then re enforce. I would greatly appreciate your input.

[@Dr-Doolincom]

Hi Steve I've been thinking about any advice I could give you. The idea of pulling down the frame on a frame machine then welding on a few supports sounds like a good and easy way to fix the problem. The thing is there is a lot missing you need to think about. When you "pull" frames, or even unibody cars you need to have a sound structure to be pulling on. A late model car suffering accident damage is technically in good shape its just that it's the wrong shape as it were. The case with your TR6 is rust or structural problems, if you start pulling the frame around it is not sound enough (which is why you have a problem in the first place) it will cause more problems. You will of course get it back to a straight position the thing is' instead of "pulling" sound metal back into shape, it more than likely will rip on the bottom of the frame and compress on the top. You may not even see this as the main part of the frame your trying to straighten is under the center plate on the frame. That brings me to another point, in order to do this repair correctly you have to take off and redo the plates as the critical repair area is between them. The bottom one is accessible the top one is not. It requires removing the entire body or as I have done in the past, if the frame is corroded this bad 9 times out of 10 the floors require replacement as well. Cut out the floor and rockers and just lift the rear section of the body off. Now the third point, this is a quite involved job not counting the fabrication of the frame sections (we sell the outriggers of the rear suspension) I have alignment jigs for the main frame and the outriggers. There are a lot of things to get wrong. I think this is too difficult for most guys to try. The fourth point is if you just pull down the frame as slap on a couple of angle iron pieces if won't last, and should not even get close to passing an inspection. The problem is not the bottom section coming apart, its the top. Sorry there is no easy fix. James

[@stezo15]

Great assessment! Thanks for the tutorial! 👍😁

[@rafaeldiazus]

Great analysis! Your Thank you Dr.

[@6isenough161]

No saving for that frame. No doubt the floor, body and rockers are in equally punched condition. By the time the parts and labor count has been made that car would be a better parts donor. I've seen shops having problems with drag on the door strikers clamp the frame down just at the trailing arms and power jack up at the rear frames bumper mount points. A lot of work and distortion when all they needed were striker shims!

[@skytrooper506]

Great video. My TR6 has no rust on the frame but my gaps are wider at the top. Is there any way to fix the frame to even the gap? Thanks!

[@jagolago-bob]

Shim the rear body mounts to raise the rear a little.

[@tamjacobite4758]

Great video. Thank you so much for posting. I am looking at purchasing a TR6 and this video was so helpful. Cheers mate!

[@dee106ful]

Incredible wealth of knowledge. Loved the frame explaination

[@carguy0000]

Thanks great info , I'm looking to purchase either a tr 6 or a mgb >> do you have a preference >>>

[@andy1way]

Please keep these videos coming.

[@Dilllie]

glad you like the music from my band! keep it up!

[@Dr-Doolincom]

To see a band without a regular rhythm section (bass, drums, keyboard and guitar) and use the Euphonium for bass along with a really basic drum kit is pretty good. All the players know their parts by heart with improvised solos, what's not to like. Plus it looks like fun time after all the hard work is done and its time for the gig.

[@cherrypicker8897]

Great show. Very informative.

[@joetricomi]

Great video now I’ll be looking for cracks

[@joetricomi]

I had rear-left tire with severe negative camber when I bought my tr6 the frame where the trailing arms attached was almost gone all rusted out it was a mess lol replace it worked out great 👍

[@MartinSage]

My Triumph 955i Speed Triple motorcycle was built strong from the factory....not to mention it runs circles around the TR6.

[@davesherlock1314]

I was hoping to learn something but could not hear. Had to give up.

[@furryp2402]

More videos on the TR6 please

[@s.tranger1074]

I owned a 1972 Mk1 TR6 from new and put 70,000miles on the clock in 3 years mainly on the continent. Nice car to drive - in a straight line but useless on bends. Reliability was another problem and on a bad road (now that's all you get folks in the countryside!) it was like riding a camel with ten humps and about as comfortable

[@richardcarter1000]

Very interesting thanks. Love my Tr6. One of my faves.

[@thedyoungband750]

Turn up your volume please

[@davethompson3140]

Something that one needs to be very aware of when buying a TR6. The rear ends have independent rear suspensions that were quite advanced for their time. Along with frame issues, these repairs can run into big bucks to repair. The car he has will never drive straight and a major breakdown will happen sooner or later.

[@gazzafloss]

Good "heads up" vid for potential sports convertible purchasers Doc. Reminds me the time we bought a "restored" Jensen Healey from a backyard dealer, just about no sound metal left in the floors and sill rails stuffed with newspapers to back up the body filler, took a lot of workshop hours to repair that body. Good thing was the guy who sold it to us went to jail a bit later for winding speedometers back, "instant karma". Hope the same for the low life who caught this guy with his crummy TR.

[@davethompson3140]

Who would even think of spacing on door jams when buying a TR6? Shows you why it’s so important to have someone who knows the cars to look at them before buying. Someone’s trying to dump their problem on someone else.

[@BigDuke6ixx]

I've abandoned plans for getting a classic British sports car and went for the modern classic Caterham 7 instead.

[@sam28600]

Is it anybody making new frames for the TR6 today? I would guess there is a market there....

[@TheEulerID]

Yes, they are readily available, but extremely expensive.

[@robertrimmer4276]

yikes! buyer beware. Great video and explanations, Thanks. keep 'em coming!

[@peterscandlyn]

That car was a POS.

[@johnclayden1670]

Great video - but the audio volume could do with some 'smoothing'.

[@leewarren]

Great job on the video ... well done!

[@simonedwards5070]

A lot of CP150s in the uk have torn themselves out of the chassis, TRGB do a diff strengthening kit just for this, that car is going to be very expensive to repair, in the UK rule of thumb’ if you spend £16,000 on a TR6 you’ll be throwing £16,000 at it’

[@Dr-Doolincom]

This car would be expensive to fix no matter where you live. You would spend more in money and time than the finished car's restored value.

[@can-cruiser]

I don't own a Triumph but I own other British sport cars. I found the video excellent nonetheless. Thanks for posting and sharing!

[@richardcheatham9490]

Ouch! Audio Fix: The vocal volume is so low one has to turn up speaker volume; then the car is driven into the garage where the noise is way too much. Wouldn't put myself through that twice.

[@kjeldlarsen912]

Thx for the video great one

[@elizabethshaw2465]

Crumbs……that’s given me a lot to think about. Chassis first.

[@thomasmulhall4873]

Why don't you pave a road into your shop? I wouldn't bring a car to a shop that I have to drive thru dirt and mud to get to, plus, the shop gets dirty inside when the wind blows.

[@douglasduham9749]

I’m sure he is happy that you don’t . Wow get s as life

[@petergoose8164]

Very interesting preamble. I feel sorry for people who get caught buying cars i.e. pay good price for bad car. However it is always a bad idea to buy a car without a sanity check (as you said). The door gap and sill and panel repairs are pretty obvious. Google "TR6 door gap". However a quick look under this one even with just a mirror and torch should have got the alarm bells ringing deafeningly.

[@donaldgarver6594]

I would attempt to drive my brothers tr6, it rattled so much I came back and got my MGB no rattling in it at all

[@kevinbrooks1607]

Basically that chassis is a scrapper

[@Dr-Doolincom]

Correct, but the car was driven to my workshop. Then driven away again, I believe to be sold.

[@Zofmui]

What? I can't hear you.

[@Dr-Doolincom]

Yes, it seems the audio is a bit low for some devices. I have placed a written article on my web site in the members section. If you sign in (no cost or unwanted e-mails) it is under Video updates. it actually contains extra information and helpful links.

[@narabdela]

Serious audio problem here Dr-Doolin.

[@Dr-Doolincom]

Yes, it seems the audio is a bit low for some devices. I have placed a written article on my web site in the members section. If you sign in (no cost or unwanted e-mails) it is under Video updates. it actually contains extra information and helpful links.

[@NEWPL]

Emerald Green nice

[@franktaylor7617]

😎👍 🇺🇸

[@geyser3445]

Very hard to hear video until you brought the car inside.

[@mrbigmel3]

thanks mate , subbed you great video

[@johnnorth9355]

Damn I wish I had not watched this ! Want to know why then view TRibulous TR6 here on YT. No big hoist and large garage either :( .

[@martentrudeau6948]

Nice looking car, but the frame is gone, not fixed easily. Oh well.

[@kenwhite1053]

please voice over, cannot hear u

[@Dr-Doolincom]

Hi Ken, we have changed the way of recording our sound, and this video was made quite a while ago. Unfortunately to change the sound on completed uploaded video is not really practical and yet the sound for us is the most difficult part to get right. If I just sat at a desk and talked it would be a lot easier. The body mikes don't work well either. Mixing voice over and actual speech recording brings a whole set of other problems. Though I do find that listening to any recordings with earbuds intensifies the lows and highs. James

[@bobkids009]

Hardly can hear his voice.........!

[@kenwhite1053]

wear a clip on collar mic. intro shot hard to hear. when you pulled in garage it was so loud i haad to yank my ear buds off. then back to very hard to hear when yo closed the door. looks like you have good content and video technique but all that effort is ruined for me because of quality of voice recording . please re do sound. thanks looking forward to seeing and hearing. cheers

[@mollyfilms]

Think you mean wing and not fender after all you are a Brit.

[@fredblair4307]

christ that engine sounds like a tractor

[@johnnyx9892]

Because it was.

[@zeke3486]

What a primitive way to construct a car.

[@pierrebeausoleil5885]

THIS CAR IS JUST CRAP

[@Birashanuman]

Please explain why at your stage in life you are pre occupied with the utter dross produced by Standard-Triumph /BMC/.BMH post war ? You are clearly old enough and presumably mature enough to focus on vehicles constructed with mechanical and structural integrity .There were plenty of vehicles produced post war , using ex-WD 3''" rocket tubing chassis, AC , Dellow, Swallow Doretti , etc.Failing that you have the Riley RM series,Healey,the AC saloons ,Armstrong Siddeley, Lagonda,Alvis (pre Graber ),,Daimler(not SP) etc.Even the MGA passes muster: The list of options is very varied without having to lower your sights to the abominations created under Donald Stokes and Michael Edwardes . A nice special built on the underpinnings of a robust ,well preserved Bentley MkV1,or R Type,or even S Type , is infinitely preferable, desirable ...and most of all...satisfying ... .

[@Dr-Doolincom]

I don't think I have heard such pompous rubbish since I left England in the 70's, first you have no idea what I am preoccupied with, you watch a few videos and make a judgment. You also have no idea what vehicles I have worked on and am still working on and repairing in the last 50 or so years. Then you even presume to tell me what will satisfy me. You remind me of a guy I knew when I had my Triumph Tiger 110 1954, I bought it in boxes when I was 18 yrs old. I put it together and rode it. This guy said he would never own a Triumph, BSA, or a Norton nothing but a Vincent for him. The rest were rubbish (sound familiar). I started racing moved on and bought a van to cart my racing bike and gear around, by then it was nothing but a Jaguar for him, forget the motorbikes. He was still using the bus when I left for Canada three years later. I am a qualified Auto mechanic I repair automobiles, I had a five year apprenticeship to be given the basic knowledge to gain experience in that field. I very much doubt you have put that much effort into anything. I don't mind what make model or type of car I repair. I care more about the person that owns it. My customer list is extensive. I know a lot of MG, Triumph, Mini and other US and European car owners that think and care about their cars. Including the Aston-Martin, Jaguar, and Austin-Healey customers. None of them have the attitude you do. If they did I would refuse to repair their car, and believe me I have refused to work on peoples cars. The job satisfaction I get is from seeing a broken or damaged car put back to working order and driven. Be it a 1929 Nash or an XKE V12 or even a little Austin A35. My own project, not that I have much time to get to it, is a 1954 J2 Morris van. There is one thing you have achieved though and that is first place in the Dr-Doolin Pompous Ass Award. Please don't reply and tell me the cars you claim to have, I really don't care. Actually don't bother to reply at all. Just go away.

[@mickrobo6073]

Dr-Doolin.com ..well said mate 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 The guy clearly doesn’t understand the TR6.. he’s obviously got his nose up his arse and blinkered....as there’s a lot of people owning this vehicle ..a lovely classic British sports car ,.you’re a very clever knowledgeable guy respect mate..👍👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@mickrobo6073]

Birashanuman fuck me you’re obviously blinkered.. sound very stuck up to me ..open your eyes pal.