Hooray!, the list is "taking" my calls again... Now that I'm
reconnected, I'd like to thank everyone for their responses to my
query concerning jacking a TR6 and the door fit problem---very
informative and useful!
Well there is hope for fools after all. I've been searching for a
hardtop at the right price and found a beauty yesterday for under
$500.00. No rust, a little water damage on rear deck area below
window, but otherwise all fittings, trim, headliner, and sheet metal
in excellent shape. The advertisement had just been published in the
'Times, and I was on the phone that afternoon. No, she says, you can't
come over right now, my husband has the hardtop under the house in the
dirt; Well, I counter, how about I get on something sloppy and crawl
in and take a look?, Well, OK (reluctant). I have my 6-year old in the
Merc. and, promising McDonalds' Happy Meals for his patience, we zip
over. I park the Benz down the street (it's a '70 280S, great
companion car to the TR6) and walk up. In no time, my son has made
friends with this woman's 2 girls and I am under the house. Uh-oh, I
think, peering through the dark, it's non-factory. Closer inspection
reveals the squared trim on the rear, the triangular rear windows, and
I realize I'm looking at the real thing. I carefully move all of the
objects in the way and, with a mighty back-cracking heave, move the
top out into the sunlight. Matt black paint by a rookie, but the
headliner, etc. are perfect. We bargain, and I back the Benz in and
manage to find a way to put the top in the trunk, pay the woman, and
I'm outta there like a scalded cat in case this dream decides to
disappear.
A few lessons learned:
* If I can find a TR6 hardtop, anyone can. I wasn't trying very hard,
and I found one at what I think is a pretty fair price. If you're
looking for one, don't give up hope--Spring is a great time to pry
these from their owners.
* Bring your TRF green book for verification of parts (plate DG?).
* The owner is selling his '74 TR6 independent of this hardtop! This
tells me it is worth calling folks selling TR6s and asking if they'll
part with the top. I guess that you might make more $$ that way???
Now the downside: the headliner is beige: I need black! It's in such
good shape it is hard to think of parting with it. It is possible to
spray vinyl, should I have a pro upholsterer "dye" the material, or
should I just pull it out wholesale when I repaint this item, and put
in a TRF headliner kit? Anyone done this? Lastly, does anyone have a
digital copy of the hardtop owner's "How to install the hardtop"
pamphlet?
Thanks in advance for your help
John
johnw@wrq.com
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