BritishV8 Forum

As you probably recall, this was offered for sale last year. Timing was bad for me, otherwise I'd have bought it.
Any one know where it went?
And how its creator got along with his medical issues? He seemed a nice chap.

Ivor

I searched the want ads and found that the car was sold on March 26th last year. I thought I saw a post from the new owner shortly after that. I don't know if you can search the site by date. Hope this helps a little with your search.

I understand this car is back on eBay at the moment...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1972-Triumph-TR6-V8-British-magazine-car-cobra-sunbeam-tiger-kit-car-mongoose-/320917214004?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4ab8281334

Many thanks.

Sadly, the owner has changed it in the opposite direction to my intentions... I had planned a smaller carb, a standard-stall convertor, generally to make it more streetable for regular use. And judging by the front ride height with those new springs he's had put on, that would have to be undone as well. Plus, those side pipes - perhaps there are no speed humps in Colorado. Also, what happened to those nice leather (?) seats Rick had in there... now we have standard high-back Miata.ugly, doh.
On the plus side, it now has side windows and a soft top and rear bumpers.

And, naturally he's added the $4.5k he spent to what he paid.
So, sadly, although I might bid on it, it's not likely to happen, as it's worth less to me than it was before.

Also, I rather liked that hard-top he's thrown away. OK, I have weird tastes...
Heyho.

regards

I generally agree with you Ivor.  The Fiero seats that were in it (at least that's what they look like on the HIWD page) looked to be in great shape.  Wonder if he sold those to help fund the other changes?  Or maybe put them in the toy he's keeping in lieu of this TR6?  Either way I've liked this car since I first saw it.  Shouldn't be hard to revert it to a more streetable ride and at least the tranny should be able to be resold for more than a more stock one would cost.

"560hp at the flywheel"

I feel like such an amateur thinking that 240hp for my car could be too much haha. That car must be an incredible monster! Indeed, it has not changed for the better :-(

Kristof.

I'd have to believe 560 flywheel HP is a bit... lets say... "optimistic"

Edit: Ok, i did just notice that the Chevy 350 is bored/stroked to 405 so maybe less optimistic than I was thinking.

I  noticed no weight listed, and I suspect, rather hefty, say 2,600-2,800 lbs, with maybe 55% on front ? Therefore if 0-60 mph is real, hp must be close. Handles like a sports car ?  roverman.

Ok, now you're making me self conscious Art... weighed my MG last week -- 2640 (with me in it & a full tank of gas & a tollbox that's at least 15-20lbs).  1340 front; 1300 rear so 51/49 but I gotta ask -- does this car make me look fat?

I think that 560hp was with single shot NOS.

The seats that were in it were the earlier(?) Miata with separate headrests, which to me look much better in a classic car. Also, the harness won't fit right now it can't come over the top of the seat.

Handle like a sports car? Tbh one thing that put me off in the first place was those huuuuuge rear tyres & the light weight and the thought of what it would do in corners or on roundabouts in the wet. I do drive my car in the rain, and I need it to handle. The 215s I have now can be skitty enough, never mind the, errrm reach for calculator, the 400s that are on here. And then there's the narrow roll centre on those standard TR6 springs. I've seen pics of the bare chassis and rear susp, it is pretty radical, and of course like all self-build radical changes, it was an experiment, which may or may not work out.

I suppose one reason I'm so negative about what the seller has done with it, and the idea that I should pay an extra $4k for work I mostly don't like, is that I could and should have bought it from Rick Vandenberg, and I chickened out. OK the house move was a good reason, and it would have caused severe domestic friction at the time, and for that matter probably would now. The fact is though, it was and is a pretty special car, it was offered at $18k, then 15k then 12 then $10k and we all sat on our hands. There's a term 'buyer's remorse' to describe when you agree to buy something then wish you hadn't, don't know if there's a contrarywise term for when you didn't.

Is Rick still around? I have his email address, but I don't like to get in touch if he's no longer with us, if you see what I mean.

Ivor, Perhaps an abandoned project, in your homeland would be a potential. Maybe there is some "deals" out there ?  roverman.

When I first checked out British V8 I went through all the "How It Was Done"  articles and my first reaction to Rick's car was that it was too over the top for me.  Now after seeing what the new owner did with it and comparing and contrasting with the original car I would have to say that Rick got it right and the new version of the car has gone in the direction of that "t bucket MG midget" that is in the MG section.
Ivor just bite the bullet and get yourself a Rover drive train and put it in your own car.  I am sure the money you would have paid to buy Rick's car and have it shipped over to England would easily cover the cost of an engine swap in your own car.

Cheers
Byron

Only hit $11,001 so it didn't cross the reserve. Parts alone have to be 10K.

George

$11,001.... that was me.
But after a lot of correspondence, and dithering on my part, I'd already told the seller I wasn't going to proceed, and I guess his 'buyer' at $11,000 also faded away so now it's back at $10,500. What a bargain for someone with the courage to buy another man's dream, and the pocket to slake its thirst.

What sank it for me was two-fold.
First, the tubbing takes up a lot of the rear and trunk space, and we already have trouble fitting into a standard car.
Second, with fuel at $10/gallon I really can't convince myself to take on its 12mpg thirst, as I can get that same V8 sound from a Rover V8, and what am I going to do in the UK with big-block performance except lose my license.

And finally, we already have a much better looking TR6 that I'm into for hundreds of hours and thousand of pounds, so I guess I'll just have to put a V8 into it. Wish it was as easily done as said...

(http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb76/88v8/TR6/IntheLakes.jpg)

Ivor,

Now that's what a TR6 is supposed to look like! Beautiful paint job. What have you done inside?

I think you are on the right track. Half the fun is doing it yourself. You don't want to forever have to call your car "The Rick Vandenberg TR6".


George

Inside? Just the usual stuff really.
MR2 seats which I recovered from a kit, with middling success. Touch of the Charles Chaplin trousers in places, and the supplier didn't manage a very good colour match. Never mind, I can't see it when I'm sitting in the car.
Retrim in cream n red, as was when acquired.  Covering the wheel arches was a PITA, fortunately I had good help from the TRR forum.
Breezebreaker, which I highly recommend.
Modified the heater, good & bad.
Pushbutton start.
And goodbye radio.

(http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb76/88v8/TR6/Goodbyeradio.jpg)

(http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb76/88v8/TR6/Moddedandoriginal.jpg)

(http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb76/88v8/TR6/Justfitted.jpg)

(http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb76/88v8/TR6/Pushjbuttonstart.jpg)

(http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb76/88v8/TR6/Turnbuckle.jpg)

(http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb76/88v8/TR6/Bbeaker.jpg)

hi Guys! great to see this old thread. I purchased my car back this year and have almost completed changing it back to the way I built it the first time. BTW, this car was a partial body on a trailer headed FOR SCRAP, when I stopped the driver and bought the body shell. It was not worth restoring, which is one reason I went more radical. Growing up in the mid-west, we used to drag race for 1 or 2 blocks on a Friday night. This car is a tribute to a 500HP MGB I had as a kid. seeing all the skeptics in this thread, I indeed had 560 at the flywheel, and 548 at the rear wheels. Just hitting the gas at a light, it would pull the front end up a foot and carry it across a four lane interchange. I have been setting the car up lately and in the interest of preservation, I have detuned it a bit. I currently have a guy wanting to buy it. this car attracts a lot of attention. If I don't sell it, it will be at the 2018 English Motoring Conclave this September.

Rick, I'm guessing you have a typo above.  12hp drivetrain loss is way too little.  560/448 would make more sense?

All I can really say about that, is that the flywheel numbers came with the engine, the wheel numbers were max in a rolling Dyno test when the car was first completed. The car was only maxed out twice. I do not really know of an error or typo. I do know that it is now an old build. It's great to have it back, and it is getting quicker with everything I fix.

I have been trying to add photos of the rebuild, but it doesn't seem to work.

Like this?

<B>April 2018

Rickscarapril18...jpg

Arrrrgh

RickVtakeII.jpg

As was</B>
>RickVandenberg-BD.jpeg

As I said, I liked that original rear end treatment. It was well integrated and classy.

Attach a photo, Browse, Attach.
Max size 600kb which isn't much nowadays.

Ivor