I'm only one of the following three idiots:
I was 16 when I was shopping for my first TR6. The first one I test drove
was owned by a recent college graduate. It was in good condition, except
for a primered front right fender. After I test drove it very
conservatively, he asked me if I had driven a 6 before. He explained its
understeering tendency and offered to show me how well it handled. Belted
in, we sped along some tight turns and he kept the motor screaming. I
could barely hear his lesson on throttle control counteracting understeer.
That is, until the front end slid out and we landed in the ditch. He
immediately began cursing himself. The only damage was to the recently
primered front fender. We couldn't push it out, so we walked back to his
house. As we came up his drive, his dad stopped the lawn mower and said,
"You did it again, didn't you?" Turned out it happened on the same corner.
(I didn't buy that TR6.)
Months later, I found a TR6 in good condition that I wanted to buy.
Original paint and no rust. All mechanicals checked out and test drive was
good. Thought it over that night and called the next day to make my offer.
The seller explained that TR6's tend to understeer and a potential buyer
had wrecked it while test driving it an hour after I drove it. (I didn't
buy that TR6.)
Bought a TR6--three key words indicating this is the story where I'm the
idiot. A year later, began restoring it. Meanwhile, I bought a Toyota 4wd
pickup and began enjoying off-roading. After some moderately difficult
forested trails, my friend and I came to fresh pavement leading to a
housing development under construction. I pulled on to the shoulder to
unlock the hubs (a very soft pea gravel shoulder). Got stuck in pea gravel
three feet from the road. No lockers, one front and one back wheel
spinning, sunk to the hubs. Hmm . . . twenty-one miles back to my house.
But wait, my friend spots the construction company's International
Loadstar flatbed at one of the housing sites. With key under floormat. We
"borrowed" this fine piece of machinery, tie it up to our truck, and
cannot get it started again. Hmm . . . stolen truck next to stuck truck.
We proceeded to run. Yes, we ran twenty-one miles to my house, started up
my TR6, set the seats inside and drove it (top down, without hood, both
front fenders, or interior) and pulled out our 4WD Toyota. We didn't try
moving the Loadstar.
Unfortunately, no alcohol was involved in any of these stories. For those
interested, it took us just under three hours to run the 21.6 miles.
I'm considering forwarding this to my dear old dad.
Maybe in another ten years ;]
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