IDRIVEACLASSIC reviews: Triumph GT6 Mk.3
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- Today's video is on the lesser spotted Triumph GT6 Mk3
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The Triumph GT6 was dubbed the poor man’s E Type, but in today’s video, despite it not quite taking my fancy; it is a great little sports car which could do with a little more airtime.
Now whilst the E Type is out of the reach of many, these GT6s are still available for well under 20k, which means you should definitely be looking at these if you’re looking to invest in a 60s 70s sports car.
The GT6 was made from 1966 until 1973 and just like a lot of the memorable Triumphs, was styled by Michelotti.
Early prototypes were based on the Spitfire and Triumph toyed with different ideas including fitting the Vitesse 1600 engine, but the company put investment into the car and it ended up with the 2 litre 6 cylinder engine you see today.
The GT6 on a good day should be producing 95bhp and a top speed of 112mph and the car will do zero to 60 in just a whisker over 10 seconds.
The car was marketed to come up against the MGB and whilst MG loved playing up to mother’s disapproval, Triumph boldly went to market with the streamline ‘the new one, the hot one…it’s not just a fastback it’s THE fastback’.
But here’s the thing, it didn’t quite cut it with reviewers and early buyers, because whilst that styling was absolutely spot on and the 2 litre was turning heads, the rear suspension was borrowed from the twee, tame little Herald.
Now whilst the swing axle was no problem in the more sedate Herald, the GT6 driver wasn’t out for a leisurely cruise and it was quickly apparent that hard cornering resulting in the car breaking away. Totally acceptable for the car and a reputation that has stuck so much, it was the first thing many people mentioned to me when I said I was testing this GT6!
However, Triumph did try to rectify where they’d gone wrong with the MK2 which arrived three years later in 1969. They used double wishbones and then decided to tweak the power with a new cam and head.
Eagle eyed people would of course notice the bumper change, which was applied for the American market safety criteria. You see this on various cars including the MGB and rubber bumper changeover and the Morris minors going from lowlight to highlight.
Although the MK2 took three years to come to market, the mK3 was quick into the ring and arrived in 1970 which saw new rear end styling akin to the MK4 Spitfire, more revisions to the rear suspension and by 1973, a brake servo was added.
Unlike the MGB, The GT6 isn’t one of those classics you see constantly and the car just sort of faded away in 1973 without much fuss. It wasn’t like the sports car market wasn’t there, because the MGB ran until 1980.
As you’ll see on our test drive, there are some bits which I think fall short and there are bits I think far outperform the MGB, but before we go for a drive, let’s meet TJ from Dolan Classics who will be listing this car for sale in the next week or two.
What a wonderful colour. It's a shame that Triumph is out of business - I absolutely love their cars.
It looks like it's Triumph French Blue / Lavender. Certain colours suited some Triymph models better than others. I remember working on these in the 1970s. Magenta, a plum purple colour and Mallard Green were popular, as was Mimosa / Inca Yellow and Pimento Red. I used to know all the names, some Triumph colours were only available on the Stag and the 2 seat sports models. The exotic names and shades did change slightly over the years.
@@brianwhittington5086 Inca Yellow was another class colour.
@@brianwhittington5086 You're right, it's French Blue. Agree a lot of colours suited the GT6 but this is one of the best. Love Carmine (sort of burgundy) too. Bring back 70s colours to replace today's boring grey, silver, white etc!
@@roddymac1370 Yes there wasn't much difference between French / Lavender. Only subtle changes and you often found a named colour was only available on specific models in those good old days. I've been involved in colour matching in my many years in the motor industry. We had colour library swatches and code reference books, but still year and paint plant variants may need some adjustment to get a formula to match. It's a lot easier today, with electronic spectrum analysis to identify the exact ingredients that make up any colour's formula. It also made a big overall difference that a vehicle had a suitable matched hood, vinyl roof and inerior trim to show off its paint, and of course the outside brightwork / chrome.
@@lr_s3102 I actually preferred the earlier Mimosa Yellow, a bit more subtle and not quite as stand out. Inca did look good on the Stag and Dolly Sprint. It really needed the satin black tail panel , coachlines and hood /vinyl roof and the other satin black to take the edge off it.
My dad owns a yellow one, They’re absolutely gorgeous cars
I had one as my daily driver for 20 years. I do agree with your comments but I absolutely loved it. Great little car.
.... when this car was made, the traffic was slower - your comment on the 'mess-up' of not fitting an overdrive as standard are unwarranted I feel, as a business selling cars you would have to consider the cost v benefit/saleability and it would not have made sense to fit the overdrive as standard 50 years ago - different story for todays fast moving traffic - other than that little bit , an excellent review as ever - good job Steph
Forgive me if I sound petty, but I believe you’ll find the designer of this car is pronounced Mick-el-otti, not Mich-el-otti. Otherwise, great sho as always. Fantastic hair by the way !
I can't fault the styling on that at all. Wooden dashboards as well 8-)
Triumph trade marks, and real wood too.
A bit of a junior hot rod really. The early omes were a handfull, rather like the Vitesse. Very pretty though.
Mk2 my fave, love the louvres on the bonnet.
The first car I owned myself was a 10 year old 1967/8 Mk1 2.0 Vitesse saloon. Fond memories of the independent rear suspension on them. Suddenly deciding to tuck under and completely change the rear camber angles mid corner, certainly made it interesting to drive !
I remember driving one in the 70s and as a young drives it was exactly that - a handful. I got to try a Vitesse a little later and loved it , despite it being quite a handful too. I owe a lot to Triumphs including my driving test!
My Dad had one of those he called it the Hooker puller mini skirts and boots 👢 😳
Yes, it's flawed in some ways but I love anything with a Triumph straight 6. They sound amazing!
I've heard before that heat permeates the transmission tunnel quite badly. And why anyone buying one new would specify no overdrive is beyond me but yes, it should've been standard (no pun intended).
More desirable I reckon and rarer than an MGB. Lovely example and colour.
They handled a lot better than any MG BGT, once they changed the swing arm rear suspension. The Herald based cars all had a fantastic tight turning circle too. They took a slightly backward step towards the end of GT6 production, by messing with the rear suspension setup again, to save on production costs.
In the 70's, I had them all MGB, MGB GT, Spitfire Mk4, and GT6 Mk 3. Loved them all and wish I'd have been able to keep them.
My older brother owned a GT6 in the 70s, he used to scare the life out me, he floored it everywhere we went...
My Dad had one when i was quite young and he had converted it to the 2500 PI engine out of a Triumph Mk1. Complete with the mechanical timed Injection. 150bhp in that little car was quick !.
@Sean M Never did as far as i know. I will ask him when we speak next.
@Sean M Ha ha ha. I had 3 MK1 Vitesses and being young and silly would treat them really harshly..I have a feeling the diff and gearbox would handle a 50% power increase without too much worry.
@Sean M My point was smooth driving will make something last significantly longer..I was saying I would be silly for instance drop the clutch from a rolling 5mph to throw my mates off the back (Vitesse)and being generally unsympathetic mechanically. If you are smooth and gradual something could last forever (ish). It is the hammer vs the silk glove - literally with the hammer. I'll never get another Triumph anyhow. I've played with them to my satisfaction. They just don't give driving satisfaction, agricultural, cheap running gear on a wobbly old chassis. I just couldn't now. I love Michelotti's style and was seduced by the look. A Mini is a 1000 times more fun and rewarding to drive.(for instance).
I love the GT6 - a bit of 60s Italian style exotica with some British straight 6 grunt.
I wouldn't call 95bhp grunt TBH.
@@noseyparker6622 It is when you're driving one. Light body, low gearing and smooth engine combine to give plenty of pace. Sometimes the stats aren't everything.
Well Steph, you got that one spot on. I lusted after one of these many years ago and about 5 years ago set out to buy one. Fab styling externally but the interior disappoints. Great engine but so SMALL both inside and out (and i am a lightweight 5 ft 9inch). Noisy and the optional overdrive is a must. Gearboxes on the ones I tried were all rubbish as they were designed for a Herald i.e. not the same power. After test driving a few I gave up and bought a Sunbeam Alpine SV instead. Now you would be impressed with that!!! I find it sublime.
I'm 5'10" and had plenty of legroom in my GT6; lots more room than my Spridget! The GT6 diff stub axles were weak though, smaller than the TR6.
It looks like a cross between a porshe 911 and an e-type jaguar.
I really like the GT 6. So much more style than an MGB. The Spitfire was more fun with its drop top , shame they didn’t put the straight 6 in it.
They did put a V8 in it later though.
@@peterh4761 I think he actually meant the MGB, not the GT6.
@@peterh4761 Triumph didn't want to lose any TR sales. That is the main reason we didn't get a 6-cylinder Spitfire.
One of the best sounding 6 cylinder engines ever, in my opinion! 😁
It sounds way bigger than 2 litres too!
and if you fuel inject them with a bigger exhaust.... it's heaven.
I had a 1970 Vitesse Convertible. Many happy recollections of that car, including driving it through the Peak District, hood down and just loving the music of that six rebounding off the rock faces of the cuttings. Some years later I had a 2500 TC (actually a South African Triumph Chicane). One of my favourite things to do was to drive it slowly along a long straight suburban street near my home and just see the heads of pedestrians turn at the fruity note of that long stroke six.
Funny that I don't recall any discomfort with the pedals on the Vitesse.
Thanks, Steph, as always for an enjoyable and informative video.
Pretty car, especially the rear.
The one I went in - the ride was incredibly poor and this compromised the handling on anything but the smoothest roads. The MG that replaced it - even with its leaf springs - felt far more able and safe. We also had a Renault 16 at the time... Similar era design and not a sports car. I'm afraid to say in ground covering ability and cornering speeds (straight line too as it was a TS model), the soft Renault was vastly superior
There is an episode (Money Money Money) of The Sweeney from the 1970s where the Sweeney's Consul (Granada) chases someone in a Renault 16. The R16 corners very badly and lifts the inside back wheel about a foot when turning 90 degrees into a side road (it's possible the stunt driver may have overcooked things a little!), but the tables are turned later on when they get onto loose ground on a field. The R16 is very sure-footed whereas the Consul is tail-sliding all over the place, which looks impressive but makes it fall behind in the chase. RWD versus FWD - a clear demonstration ;-)
@@Mortimer50145 I remember it - the camber was pretty bad but it looks terrible - mind you Golfs used to do this - but not a foot!
The one you tried probably had knackered bushes/shocks. A well set-up GT6 is great fun.
I had a Mk2, for a few years, wish I had kept it., You don't have to pull the heater controls out they just move from side to side. Yes it's hot in there very true, a cardigan wasn't a good idea :), the O/D yep it was an option but it was on many cars of that era, not everyone liked them sadly, I did, it is brilliant far better than a 5 spd. Those mirrors need sorting, the quarter lights should not clash, probably incorrect replacements. Nice to see a review of a GT6, much underrated cars.
On the MkIII you pull the left hand knob to operate the heater fan. It is two speed. These controls can get stiff over time and the knobs are held on with grub screws, the plastic can break if the screws are over tightened, the only fix is replacement knob.
@@steveabbott4518 ahh, I don't remember my mk2 being like that, maybe it was an upgrade. Cheers. I remember the plastic as that very hard type, that does not age well so pulling in and out over a long time period....
I should have snatched one of these 20 years ago when the were selling for 6000-8000€
Back in the 70s,80s and 90s you could pick up really excellent examples for well under £1500. If only I'd kept all my old classic 🙃😐
They will have been rebuilt twice by now...
American actress Nancy Walker owned a brown GT 6. It was the subject of a few interviews in the 1970's. She was very proud of the Triumph.
Clamshell bonnet! Nice and easy(ish) to work on. Love the styling - I’d have one of these over a Spitfire.
Oooh, I dunno. I'd rather have one of those than an MGB.
unfair to comare these against an mgb. so much more beautiful and the 6 cylinder on these are sweet. perhaps an mgb gt... but i think if there is a comparison it would be with a TVR from the same time. the mgb engine doesn't compare in any way, not even the mgc... the mgc 6 cylinder was a dog.
I can remember, when you could buy these for peanuts .. the GT6 , was actually dangerous ..
I think that you are spot on with your review. I have driven American versions of the Triumphs, MGs, Austin, etc. The side mirror/ wing window interference was not unique to Triumph. As someone nearly a foot taller than yourself, I did find the footwell fell cramped. Loved the torque of theses engines, but always felt Triumph had an edge over the Austin designed motors. We often eliminated the lockout on the overdrive and used it on the upper three gears. Sometimes third is too low, but fourth a bit high. The heater was something we joked about in all British roadsters but Triumph especially. Your feet always seemed overheated year-round, but coats were not optional in Winter, heater or not. I did find, like the Sprite Mk 1 and my Fiat X1/9, that once inside, it is comfortable. I did find the ride more "jaunty" than the MG due to the independent rear suspension, but like the difference between the TR-4, and the TR-4A, once you were accustomed to the quirks, and did not overreact, the handling was excellent. Great job!
The early cars look incredible to me, much nicer than the MK3. They would leave an MGB way behind both with performance and looks..Even if corners presented occasional issues for the unwary..They stuck to the road like a leach if you kept the camber right with power.
Nah mgb GT v8 all the way
@@robinmerrington2298 Yeah, I like that, except if you put the 2.5 pi engine in the GT6 it will still beat the V8.
Edit Standard engines as factory. (the 3.5 can be tuned to blow away the 2.5, except from factory the power and torque were about identical). Plus the GT6 mk1 ad 2 still look better with beautiful Italian styling.
Lovely car, honest opinion, what else can we ask for? Thanks, girl!
I bought restored and ran a GT6 MK 3 and an MGBGT mk 1 together for about 15 years. The MG was sturdier with more reliable handling and ride, but the GT6 far prettier, lovely smooth engine and this, together with the driving position and smoothness made it more enjoyable on a long trip. Heat soak into the GT6 cabin was definitely a problem and the ventilation not particularly good, but the early MGBGT had a one speed blower and no dash level vents at all!
I like the Triumph dash. It was quite classy for the time. Much nicer than the crackle finish metal dash of he MG, and in fact there are two glove trays and it's surprising what you can fit in them.
I agree both cars are much improved by overdrive but not fitting it as standard I not really a missed trick by Triumph. Remember 5 speed boxes were rare in those days and overdrive usually featured only on more expensive cars. No, the trick they missed was to make the GT6 only in coupe form. It was daft. The Vitesse had been a saloon and a convertible and making a convertible GT6 would have been straightforward, just fitting a spitfire body and the GT6 bonnet to clear the straight six engine. In fact many have done it since and made really great cars.
Thanks for giving the GT6 a bit of publicity though.
looks like a datsun 240z joined to a 1967 mustang fastback
I own this car now and I love in to bits! Overdrive gearbox is being fitted next year 😀
I love the styling and the engine and I agree with your comments. However I can't help think that a webasto and overdrive as standard would have transformed this car. Perhaps that is the key when looking for one
Hot inside? Now you know why GT6 drivers wear shorts...
Hi Steph, The GT6 was never a car I lusted for as a young man.
I was more into the Triumph TR6 which was much better. Never got there.
Never mind I can watch your videos instead.
I have driven both, and believe it or not, the seating position of the TR6 was much less comfortable--my shoulder was pressing against the door the entire time.
I drove both the GT6 and a multitude of (chrome bumper) MGB GT's while working in a classic car garage and IMO the GT6 had the far better styling but the MG was the better car to drive unless it was the black bumper one's then they were on a par.
Those six pots are great, just leave it in top and unless you go below 10mph you never need to change down and sound lovely.
The swing axle rear wasn't a problem unless you backed off the power in a bend: you have to know how to drive!
That discounts the bloke in the Merc I followed yesterday - every bend his flippin' brake lights came on! Arghhh! ;-)
True, and the corners are more thrilling with that twitchy rear end. Converted my Spitfire from swing axle to swing spring and it feels more stable but slightly less exhilarating now.
I recall when I worked for the MOD around 1968 a guy had one the same colour, he seemed very popular with our female colleagues ...
You don't need a radio when you have that sweet straight 6 to listen to.
Overdrive wasn't considered to be important for the American Market, Gas was less than a dollar a gallon back in the 60's and early 70's. The yanks loved these fast high revving British sports cars. The rear suspension sorted out the men from the boys!
My HA Viva did not have the interference issue with the side mirrors owing to there being no side mirrors. Great review. Good to hear you call out the less-desirable points!
Wow lovely car, even with all the faults you pointed out I've still always fancied one, unfortunately my budget will never stretch that far 😕
I used to love these GT6 when I was a teenager back in the early seventies even though some of the suspension came from a Triumph Herald. It was a stunning looking car and I think it can still turn heads today. Would still love to have one today.. Thanks Steph another great video, thanks for uploading this one...
This car brings back memories.
My aunt had one but with overdrive.
When you mentioned the heat in the cabin I remember riding to the Milwaukee County Zoo on a mild summer day and sweating through my shirt and my thighs sticking to the vinyl.
Fast forward to December and the heater couldn't warm up the interior enough to melt in tracked in snow after 45 minutes of highway driving.
I remember the car had a constant stream of issues.
After two years she traded it in for a Opel GT with dealer installed A/C.
The Opel was a far better car and she drove it for 140k miles in 7 1/2 years.
It was warm in the winter too...
I ran an MGBGT as my everyday car in the late '90s but that was before prices went silly. I think I would rather go for the Vitesse than the GT6. That probably had the same dash but it would be possible to modify that. No mention of MPG but I dare say they are quite thirsty, especially without the overdrive.
I had two GT6s and enjoyed both of them immensely. The first had a Webasto sunroof which was noisy both open and closed and, when open, buffeted you about something chronic as soon as you went over 50! My second one had aTR6 2.5 litre engine and optional overdrive and that was a real shifter! No sunroof so much quieter than my first car. Loved them both and would have another like a shot.
No oil pressure gauge , that's not good...
Beautiful car .
That was my brother's GT6, small world. Fabulous car, loved driving it.
Steph sounds like she's been out on the lash!
The prices these sell for suggest that these "faults" are not a deal breaker for those in the know.
it's all about the drive. maintenance is just part of the deal.
Always loved the GT6 and that one is in fantastic condition especially in french blue my best friends dad had a dolomite sprint in the same colour
Can see what you mean about the overdrive it was standard I think in the 2000 with the same transmission
I like to hear people’s honest opinions , thanks Steph 👍
I've always thought this was an absolutely gorgeous car, especially in French blue. Never been in one until riding with you just now. Wonderful, honest review.
Yes French Blue is the best colour.
I often wondered what the GT6 was like and how it differed from the Spitfire. Great video. Coincidentally I done a jigsaw today for the first time in ages and it has a red Triumph Spitfire in the picture. These cars are from a time when cars were individual and quirky with their own character and charm and not clones of each other. Thank you for the video, take care and stay safe.
One of the prettiest cars with fastback design! Thanks for showing it in detail! ✌🖤
By '73 the rear 'swing axle' returned - albeit with the MK4 Spitfire central spring pivot. It ruined the handling. Crazy.
The overdrive cars are quicker - which I owned - have the 3.89 MK 4 Spitfire diff ratio. Non overdrive like this, had the 3.27 ratio. Hence the 6 speed and 4 speed cars had the same top speed.
Beautiful little car, but its interior layout has not aged well!
I remember throwing up in the back of my dads GT6 on every long trip during the 70s 🤮 Great video steph 👍
Gawd, not surprised, it's not really even a 2+2
95 hp from 2000cc………The MGB had 95 hp from 1800cc and only a 4 cylinder…….in 1962 !!
What 60’s Brit would not be better with higher gearing? I had a TR4 for quite a while and fitted overdrive. Total transformation. An uncle had a Bond Equipe 2litre with overdrive and that was a delight. No UK manufactured car had a five speed until dare I say, the woeful Maxi. It didn’t matter until motorways proliferated in the late 60’s, but that doesn’t excuse the complacency.
The internal heat was another screaming oversight.
What was acceptable on a dull day in the Midlands counted for nothing in California, southern Europe or here in Australia.
E-Types, Interceptors and most of the rest were intolerable for half the year and then were too low geared to swallow half a continent before lunch.
The GT6 still looks and sounds terrific though!
You state car has a swing axle, not so. It is in fact a double wishbone with the leaf spring forming the upper link. In order to accomplish this there is an inner u-Joint and a flexible rubber coupling at the wheel upright. Even at that the car to my recollection did have snap oversteer tendencies.
Now that is lovely...I miss those little pocket dynamites...
The best part about these is that they have a 6 cylinder so there is a lot more pickup than any other triumph. One of the reasons these are rare now is the fact that people took the engines out of them and put them into spitfires.. they had to screw around with bonnet to get it in the spitfire but it could be done. I’m not sure but maybe they even put them into mgbs. Anyhow.. the roof of the gt6 easily rusted where the lip meets the windshield and it’s a difficult fix to say the least. Expensive. Replacing any roof sucks really. These are gorgeous cars though. Too many were crushed so I love seeing one on the road though it’s very rare to these days. Many may not know but the 1990 Mazda mx5 Miata idea bloomed from the Americans and Japanese that loved their spitfires and gts.
I like the mk1 gt6
I'd love to add that (or any) GT6 to my collection. I've always loved Spitfire's since they've always been in my family, but the second I found out about the GT6, I knew I have to have one, some day.
I had the Mk 3 with the intermediate suspension (the best). Like all cars the 0-60 is worth nothing. The GT6 had a 30-50 time that was superb and could challenge most cars. Overtaking efficiency is what's important (don't tell Clarkson) and the GT6 had buckets full of torque and speed.
Amazing to think that in the US in 1971 the list price of the 95hp Triumph GT6 was only $172 less than Datsun 240Z. datsunforum.com/road-track-july-1971-comparison-test-240z/
I remember trying a GT6 and a Spitfire in the 80s. Nice cars but just too low to get in and out of. Ended up buying a cracking little sportscar instead, a TR7. I'd worked on the TR7 for years as my sister had a JPS special TR7 for about four years before trading it in for a convertable TR7. Wish now that I'd kept mine but after a couple of years had to sell for a family car (SDI 3.5 V8). Hey, the wife said I needed a car for our expanding familiy, she didn't say I had to be sensible about it :D
A PE teacher in my junior school days, had a Triumph GT6 in white. Same year an L registration.
Many years ago, I had a 10 year old 1968 Triumph Vitesse 2.0 saloon. They are basically the same as a GT6 under the skin. It had a vague rubbery gear selection, feeling more like you were following a K than H gate pattern looking for the gears. The gear selector lever has bushings that fail, due to exhaust heat and oil leaks, they're a cheap and easy repair to fix the problem. You do it from inside the car, by simply removing the gearbox tunnel cover. It's a moulded fibre cover, and if damaged, or not fixed properly, it can let in noise, heat, fumes and water.
What you perhaps didn’t realise was Triumph fitted the high ratio diff ( 3.27: 1) on the car (non overdrive) giving it the legs
but… if you went for the overdrive version you got the Spitfire ( 3.89: 1) final drive!
Has your version accidentally got the latter fitted on past repairs ?
I, thirty five years ago, while restoring my 1973 GT6; Fitted a latter 3.63 Spitfire 1500 from a scrap yard diff mated with overdrive which was the perfect compromise ❤️
Fine machine seems to drive well
notoriously worn shifter bushings- reason for wonky 2-3 upshift
The earlier cars were nicer inside, but they simplified and cheapened the later versions, because bean counters, Those door mirrors are not original and were poorly installed by a DPO
If only Triumph had triumphed. The 2000 was a great car, the Dolomite was a great car, the Stag could have been a great car.
But once in the deadly clutches of " British Failand" all was lost!
Edwards, Stokes and red Robbo? Should have been shot.
The best GT6 was the MK2, not this. Tiumph had sorted the suspension, and hadn't uglified it with the 'family corporate' rear end a la Spitfire, Triumph 2000, Dolonite etc. as they did later with the MK3. I don't recognise those wheels from back in the day, nor the colour. This car looks like it's had a not very brilliant paint job done over rust.
Quite a few of these got upgraded to the 2.5 litre version of the sweet Triumph six, but if you do that, you really need to put something like a 240Z diff in to avoid snapping axles like carrots, they weren't much stronger than the puny Herald/Spitfire items.
With the GT6 should had a open drive on that clear box but if it hasn't got it on that clear box you can get a gearbox with the OverDrive to fit the GT6 engine the straight six when you are in 4th Gear your revs are slightly a bit high with the OverDrive you can use it in 3rd and 4th the OverDrive gives the adventures with another care but what it does it brings down the rest down and use the power what it got but there are so many things you can do to upgrade your GT6 with the Triumph estate and saloon most of it they have the same engine it is a straight 6 a a a2000 a 2.5 P. I you could put the 2.5 engine in the GT6 on the 2.5 triumph where you got your wiper and your indicators on the same different sticks you can use the brackets to fit the GT6 column where you got your buttons for your lights on the steering console you can you can use the Selector on the GT6 where is all to hand if you use the stuff from a 2.5 or a thew.2500 triumph and where is your celebration pedal if it is to further to where the door is you can bend that to the position where your foot wants to be to the pedal so it is a little bit further towards the break and if you have the 2.5 PPI engine you could store a power steering rack and I'm not the dashboard on the 2.5 and the stag where the doors are all together you could use something like that in the GT6 and most of the interior lights you can get them if you have got 2 L or 2.5 triumph car and you could upgrade your rights pension and you can upgrade your rear drum brakes to disc brakes on the GT6
They did come with overdrive, mine has it.
It was an optional extra. It didn’t come as standard.
Had 3....1 Mk1 & 2Mk3s. I st Mk 3 sold to be deposit on first house. Great fun loved them all. Ps. 2nd Mk3 had overdrive which helped with the gearing.
Well…when I drove an MGB 38 years ago, it was not exactly a dream dream drive…fairly horrible really! The interiors of cars of that age are never that good and a random selection of cheap Lucas bits will never impress. Whilst it has even more flaws, it was the 1966 model that really caught my eye in period but I bought a Ford Capri instead! I am not planning to make an offer for that car though…others did the same formula rather better! Stay safe! 😀😀😀😀
The things you're finding fault with are the bits that were tacked on to the older design in a car that was nearing the end of production. Probably not a lot of development and no money.
I've forgotten if the MK3 was different, but non-overdrive MK2s had a taller diff so they were geared the same in top, but didn't accelerate so fast.
If you want to experience crude heating and ventilation, try an early Spitfire. You have to rummage under the dash to adjust those!
The leap Triumph made with the 2000 and 1300 FWD was huge.
Owning a family owned GT6 MK2 LHD myself, this is one of my favorite cars. I don't like the rear end styling as to be found on the later Spitfires as well as the MK3 GT6.
Very nice review! I loved it.
This made me catch up with your channel again since a very long time, which I am sorry for.
Cheers from Belgium!
Perhaps if you were a little lighter you wouldn’t find the car so cramped and hot……..just a thought.
People now buy these Triumphs as much as investments as much as daily drivers. Much more interesting looking car than the MG B!
I had an L reg mk3 GT6 just like this one in the late 80s.
The best thing about the GT6 is the 2 litre straight six engine. The problem is that the rest of the drive train is under-developed. The gearbox is a development of the Herald unit, which itself was inherited from the Standard 10, and is just not strong enough. The lay shaft bearings always wear prematurely and the gearbox fails. The differential is only marginally able to cope with the torque and these too often fail, but mine was OK.
Mine wore out its big end and main bearings at 70k miles, not an uncommon experience. The only good thing about this is that because the design is so simple they are eminently diy-able, and in fact I had the crank ground and fitted new shells myself for less than the cost of a major service on a modern car.
It was a fast car in its day, but today it would be out-classed by almost everything. It’s a shame they are now worth so much - classic cars are fun when they’re cheap but you would really have to want one to pay today’s prices.
You are right about the heat soak in the cabin. In fact there are two more (invisible) air vents below the dash; it’s just a shame that they were next to useless. The slider control you showed pulls out to work a 2 speed fan - I always thought this was a reasonable arrangement.
If only Triumph had spent some time fixing the obvious faults they would have had a great car.
I would rather have the GT6 than the MGB, because of the engine, and the styling
When I was a kid in the 70s and 80s we saw these, and Spitfires, as really uncool. But, wow, have they aged well. Looks awesome.
My favourite car,i regret not buying one 10 years ago when i had the chance.
I absolutely LOVE the GT6!!!!! Lat year we went to check one out, but it was an utter undrivable coffin, and needed a lot of work! pity, it's such a classy car!
Undriveable coffin 🤣🤣🤣 - have to use that myself in future!
After an e type where the accelerator pedal requires anyone with average size feet to almost have to turn your foot and press it with the outer edge , or have tiny feet or very, very slim shoes... I can't complain about cramped or offset wheels or pedal boxes on anything else. I thought my cinquecento was bad when I used to accelerate and accidentally slam on the brake at the same time!
thank you
A friend had a Spitfire mkiii, after he rebuilt the rear suspension we came to the conclusion that all the concerns about the rear end were unfounded. It was quite easy to make a tired Hearld dance all over the place but the stiffer Spitfire with new everything in the rear was very stable.
It depends how hard you push it, I've certainly managed to break the back end away at reasonable speeds in the lanes; however, I was always able to recover it without finding myself the wrong side of a hedge.
As I recall, and you mention, that 6 cylinder sounds very busy at 60-70mph.
The mk2 and mk3 GT6 had 104bhp in line with the 2litre mk2 vitesse
Lumpier tickover than standard. Cam? Carbs? Exhaust? Headwork?
It's not difficult to deal with the heat, just needs heat shielding materials in the right places
Rule of thumb with a Triumph. If it came with Overdrive, get that one.
Yes. That’s a nice motor.