It's one thing to attempt to compare a Healey to a TR6 - which which TR6?
The Healey has unquestionable drool factor - but its always had it. It had
style by the
truckload, it made an incomparable noise and it handled and performed in the
true manner
of a sports car of the fifties/sixties. It was and is unique. The lookalike now
being made
in Stroud with the Rover V8 engine has, for me anyway, just as much of the
looks about it
as its forebear but I guess the purists will shudder at this statement.
The twin carb version 6 up to 1970 spec as supplied from the factory, was
comfortable,
fun, a good performer with good low down torque and a delight to drive. It
didn't 'oil up'
in heavy traffic and its overall performance was quite good. Then change seats
for a UK or
just the engine for a Rest of the World TR6PI and you're into a whole different
ballgame.
I can't remember the figures for the last Healey but about 145bhp from a 3
litre lump?
That's 48bhp per litre. The early US spec TR6's were in the region of 42bhp per
litre and
the TR6PI dished out 60bhp per litre.
IMHO, we have effectively three totally different cars. All of them had unique
points in
their favour but to claim that one is better than the other is rather like
trying to
compare a 1275 Cooper S against a Daihatsu Charade Turbo GTti against a Peugeot
205GTI..
For balls out performance, handling, noise, comfort, ride quality,
repairability and sheer
value for money - even today, a good TR6PI has to come out on top. The Healey
is fabulous
in every way and I'd give my eye teeth to own one - but they're all way
different and
thank goodness they are. At the end of the day its "what you want for yourself"
-
comparisons on a technical basis don't enter the equation and they aren't
really all that
relevant.
.
Jonmac
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