In a message dated 1/25/2001 7:18:28 AM Eastern Standard Time,
dandet@alltel.net writes:
> I have found a '75 TR6 shell for sale at a very reasonable price. The shell
> on
> my '70 TR6 has many panels that are shot. (Floor pans, rockers, spare tire
> area, etc.,etc.) This '75 shell would save me a lot of time and money. My
> question for all of you knowledgable folks is about any differences in the
> shells I need to know about. I know that the bumper placement was different
> in
> '70. I think there are some cable and wire routing that is different coming
> through the firewall. My biggest concern is the difference in the emissions
> equipment between the two model years. My '70 has the evaporative loss tank
> on
> the interior right rear fender. I know that in '75 they were using other
> emissions equipment and did not use the tank. My question for you is did
> they
> change the dye for the shell to not incorporate the tank? Is it there and
> just
> not beeing used? If it is not on the '75 shell, can I remove the tank that
> is
> on my '70 and install it on the '75 shell? How difficult would this process
> be? I would like to keep it as original as possible.
>
>
Dan,
I'm in the process of converting a '75 into a '71, so I can give you a few
tips. I haven't completed the conversion, so I can't tell you *all* the
differences yet.
1) front parking lights: You will have to cut new holes for your '70 style
lights. There will be a hole left under them, about 3 inches square, which
will need to be filled with sheetmetal. This hole is left from the later
bumper mounting system.
2) front bumper: You will have to make new holes for the bumper bolts in each
fender, about an inch or two below the '75 holes. I'm not yet sure if any
mods to the bumper/frame mouting details will need to be made or not.
3) steering column: The opening in the firewall for the steering column is a
bit different, but only VERY knowledgable Triumph enthusiasts would notice
the difference - just something to keep in mind when you buy the grommet for
this.
4) license plate lamps: On the '70, these lamps are mounted on the bumber, on
the '75, there are mounted above the license plate, recessed into the sheet
metal under the lip of the trunk lid. On my conversion, I am retaining the
'75 lamp position, as I am not going for originality (yeah, right, with a
Ford V8, how could I!). You could use the original lamp holder, but you will
need to fill the openings for the lamps with something. If you look close,
you can see "bulges" for these lamps by the trunk latch, but, again, only an
expert is likely to notice if you don't tell them.
5) rear bumper: The rear bumper on the '75 is a bit higher than the '71, but
not very noticable so unless you are looking for this. Again, I'm retaining
the '75 bumper, so I don't know what will need to be done if you should
choose to use the '71. You would have to drill the '75 bumper to use the
earlier lights.
6) evaporative loss tank: the space is there for the tank , but no mounting
holes have been drilled for it. I plan to use one of those tanks myself, but
I haven't found one yet, so I don't know if I will encounter any problems. I
don't think so, from a preliminary check.
7) dashboard: There are a few differences in the switches used, which means
there is a small difference in the dash and in the metal backing for the
dash. The '75 metal backing could be easily modified, but the '71 will bolt
right in if yours is in good shape.
Other than that, I haven't found any other differences in the two model
years. That doesn't mean there aren't any, just that I haven't found them
yet. You may very well get to finish yours before I do mine, so please let me
know if I've missed anything.
Why am I converting mine? Simply because I like the looks of the '71 front
end better than the '75. I have a completed '71 model to use as a reference,
so if I can check anything for you, let me know.
Dan Masters
Alcoa, Tennessee
Triumph TR 250 - TR6 Electrical Maintenance Handbook:
http://members.aol.com/danmas6/
Stuffing a V8 into a small British sports car:
http://members.aol.com/danmas/
MGBV8 Newsletter:
http://members.aol.com/danmas4/mgv8.htm
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