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Merry Christmas.
a gentle return to this site recently has brought on some great memories, and have reminded me how delicate life is. and in this return, I began to throw some notes together, preparing for a blog redux. and rather than post in the specific blog area, I have decided to put my blog back where I it started. Smack in the middle of the prospective area.
I started the Guvna Blog in 2008. The purpose of the blog was not a ramble, but a lobby of sorts, relating, sharing, and giving some comfort to those looking at owning a TR6. It was a journey of history, mine particularly, but peppered with other owners chiming in what it is like to maintain one of these marks. Day to day. Year to year. Some light commentary on the current events, such as gas prices and electric vehicles. In the migration, the blog was erased. That was a reminder to save your stuff. But looking on the bright side, it gives us a chance to start over. I realize looking back, that the blog was getting tired. It was less about the prospective owner, waxer, nastalgiaist. It became more of a modern day blog, and it became about things other than this mark, like 1 other car in particular. But the premise of owning, stewarding a TR6 was there, even if there was no driving that week or period. Understanding all that goes with stewarding a mark like a TR6 should help those seeing only the blonde hair and curves.
So, lets get back to where we started.
My journey in 50 words.
At 14, I started driving a 72 TR6 that my dad bought for me to have at 16. 2,200 for this horrible car. 50K miles on it and at that time, only 4 years old. 3rd owner. I can't imagine what stunt driving they did with the car, but normal suspension issues were failing, the motor was ****, and it was expensive to maintain. Had the car through college, and was sold wrecked from a rear end collision with a drunk on 4th of July eve 1985. The car was bad mechanically, but lovely otherwise. Repainted back to its original white, new soft top that I installed, new dash that I made, new carpet that I installed, and stereo complete with 6" rear pioneer speakers. No overdrive. I drove it back and forth to college 30 miles away, and drove it daily.
12 years later, in Orlando, I am asked to help my boss inspect some MG's he was looking at. In these inspections, there were always a few TR6s around. At some point, the bug hit me again. Between 1985 and 1997 I had zero interest in another tr6. Zero. And then it hit me - I need another one. But this time, it has to be the right one, even if I have to create it. Hard top, overdrive, a different color. Better mechanicals. The focus grows into an obsession. I read my bentley manual on a drive back from Ashville NC to Orlando. I get a TR6 book by Bill Piggot. We drive to Richmond to look at a car in the woods - get cold feet cause this car might be stolen or something - just odd. Drove all over Florida looking at, driving various cars. 35 cars later, in Dallas, I pull out of Bill S. drive way, hit the highway a few blocks later, in OD, running 95, and this car is solid. In 2 weeks, that car is in our garage. Another white TR6, 1976 this time.
that was more than 50 words.
I try to stay in a format, and with that, here are 3 topics I'll use to start this redux.
Sifting
Pros and Cons
Dave Hagenbuch
sifting
Looking through the forums recently, struggling with navigating, I began looking for some history on my topic - reviving my sitting TR6 which bent a push rod because a valve stem froze in a guide due to carbon or something. I got back on the site to throw out a few questions on the engine and basic running. This new format has thrown a few of us off our game, me included. Core stuff is easy to find - the general forums, and so forth. I went into my profile and sifted through my posts all the way back to when I first posted. In this nostalgia, I get into the mechanical forums from the first posts. I read a few, and fast forward a few pages, and out of nowhere, I find Poolboy's first post. How to adjust a stromberg. I read that, forget the gent who helped him, and how amazed I was at how fast he became the legend he is. I know, or think I know, he had a Jag back in the day, likes motorcycles, hunts, and is just a cool guy to hang out with. And as I am enjoying finding this post, I stumble on DavidK's first post about considering to buy a tr6. From happy to sad in just a few posts. DavidK was, David Kuyenkdall, a legend in my mind, anyway. David introduced me to Ed Bernard, Poolboy in Waco, Jim Herter, and many others. Just a great guy to talk to about TR6s. He was listed on Patton's site as one of his first tr6 TBI conversions. He passed away recently from brain cancer. And the Waco trip a few years ago was just a few months before he was diagnosed.
The site is a timestamp, living document. How we dealt with GPS, how we worked around smog equipment, new materials, and simply, how we got to today. It doesn't matter how long you have been on here. Reading some of that stuff is helpful to anyone owning this mark. Our mark is in this cycle now of passing on. During and just after production, a car would move to a new owner - today, we are faced with estate sales of this mark. Seems more urgent now how we pass the mark on. I've said over and over, you don't own a TR6 - you belong to it, kinda like Crocadile Dundee. The car will outlive you. You are a steward, and it is your responsibility to leave it better than you found it. Words to live by. I'm talking to myself right now, not you. Read back at how I ignored my sitting car, known better as the School Car for those that don't know.
Pros and Cons
I'm still getting used to this format. But in fiddling, I have found the whos online. There are pages of guests, at any given time. So, those TR6 enthusiasts are coming in, reading posts, looking for things that will validate their ideas, or something that says - hey, I didn't know that, or is this worth pursuing.
So, new and prospective owners….what brought you here. Surfing? Remembering a drive in a friends 6 back in the day? Remembering your 6 back in the day? Me - for what its worth, I was helping a boss find an MG when a few 6s were in shops where these MGs were. the smell, the seats, the bodywork. the dash, rims, etc. and a ride to see my dad, asking him if he still had my bentleys manual. Read it all the way back to Orlando from Ashville. A year and around 35 test drives later, we drive the school car home. and 10 years after buying that car, I find this site. And for a while, can't shut up about it.
I can't speak for all the members here, but I can speak for me when I tell you - this isn't a mark to fear or be afraid of. There are more reliable cars. There are cars with more parts availability. There are more popular marks. But this mark, with all of its preconceptions, is now a better mark. A more reliable mark. A mark with plenty of parts available. And a mark that will always have a following. I can't drive anywhere without someone asking me about it.
Today, electrical issues are almost a thing of the past. Fuel system - gone, or should be gone is the mystery and wizardry of the Stromberg. Performance - while these cars will never be high horsepower, they will be mild rods, with improvements to cranks, drive train, rotating mass, and wheels, tires and brakes. Better interiors, seat options, dash, gauges, tops, materials….and much more. And the best part, the mark has the interest of several developers and engineers who find more each year in a continuing R&D.
But. there are a few fences. For me, the clutch. There are good options, but don't expect to get 200K on a clutch system like you might on a 5 speed honda accord. And the motor, by design, isn't healthy at extended periods of RPM over 3500….or something around that number. Noodle effect from the bore and stroke. Something like that - Kas Kastner has expanded on it, but just know, overdrive and gearing can help you drive with traffice on I95 or whatever without hurting the car. Yeah - that’s right, you can road trip this car and not hurt it.
Dave Hagenbuch
Before Poolboy, RatRidge, lfmTR4, Wolf, Baws, Tush, Elwood,….leaving out a dozen legends here, all essentially works support for anything on this mark from bumper to bumper. Before all this and these legends, there was Dave Hagenbuch. Dave was the tech line at The Roadster Factory. I learned a lot from Dave. My favorite is the top cover vent hole that is on almost all factory top covers on a TR6. It helps your gearbox not leak by reducing internal pressure. We all learned a lot from that here. But there are hundreds of lessons like that in the continued development of the mark. That is what 6pack is - your race shop team that listens to your debrief after some hot laps.
Dave retired recently. I connected with him on facebook, and exchanged a few notes. Like Dave, so many out there are filled with helpful information. And, possibly looking to share. You aren't committed to any support here, but you will find yourself commenting, and helping another owner and steward. And in that, you pay back. Be vocal, find a way to pitch in, and no matter what, don't be afraid to ask questions or comment. Go back to my history and see the silly stuff I posted - that tends to make everyone feel better.
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year. I'll be back after the new year with another installment. Its great to be back in saddle.
Do yourself a favor. Take a kid driving.
LO Guvna
a gentle return to this site recently has brought on some great memories, and have reminded me how delicate life is. and in this return, I began to throw some notes together, preparing for a blog redux. and rather than post in the specific blog area, I have decided to put my blog back where I it started. Smack in the middle of the prospective area.
I started the Guvna Blog in 2008. The purpose of the blog was not a ramble, but a lobby of sorts, relating, sharing, and giving some comfort to those looking at owning a TR6. It was a journey of history, mine particularly, but peppered with other owners chiming in what it is like to maintain one of these marks. Day to day. Year to year. Some light commentary on the current events, such as gas prices and electric vehicles. In the migration, the blog was erased. That was a reminder to save your stuff. But looking on the bright side, it gives us a chance to start over. I realize looking back, that the blog was getting tired. It was less about the prospective owner, waxer, nastalgiaist. It became more of a modern day blog, and it became about things other than this mark, like 1 other car in particular. But the premise of owning, stewarding a TR6 was there, even if there was no driving that week or period. Understanding all that goes with stewarding a mark like a TR6 should help those seeing only the blonde hair and curves.
So, lets get back to where we started.
My journey in 50 words.
At 14, I started driving a 72 TR6 that my dad bought for me to have at 16. 2,200 for this horrible car. 50K miles on it and at that time, only 4 years old. 3rd owner. I can't imagine what stunt driving they did with the car, but normal suspension issues were failing, the motor was ****, and it was expensive to maintain. Had the car through college, and was sold wrecked from a rear end collision with a drunk on 4th of July eve 1985. The car was bad mechanically, but lovely otherwise. Repainted back to its original white, new soft top that I installed, new dash that I made, new carpet that I installed, and stereo complete with 6" rear pioneer speakers. No overdrive. I drove it back and forth to college 30 miles away, and drove it daily.
12 years later, in Orlando, I am asked to help my boss inspect some MG's he was looking at. In these inspections, there were always a few TR6s around. At some point, the bug hit me again. Between 1985 and 1997 I had zero interest in another tr6. Zero. And then it hit me - I need another one. But this time, it has to be the right one, even if I have to create it. Hard top, overdrive, a different color. Better mechanicals. The focus grows into an obsession. I read my bentley manual on a drive back from Ashville NC to Orlando. I get a TR6 book by Bill Piggot. We drive to Richmond to look at a car in the woods - get cold feet cause this car might be stolen or something - just odd. Drove all over Florida looking at, driving various cars. 35 cars later, in Dallas, I pull out of Bill S. drive way, hit the highway a few blocks later, in OD, running 95, and this car is solid. In 2 weeks, that car is in our garage. Another white TR6, 1976 this time.
that was more than 50 words.
I try to stay in a format, and with that, here are 3 topics I'll use to start this redux.
Sifting
Pros and Cons
Dave Hagenbuch
sifting
Looking through the forums recently, struggling with navigating, I began looking for some history on my topic - reviving my sitting TR6 which bent a push rod because a valve stem froze in a guide due to carbon or something. I got back on the site to throw out a few questions on the engine and basic running. This new format has thrown a few of us off our game, me included. Core stuff is easy to find - the general forums, and so forth. I went into my profile and sifted through my posts all the way back to when I first posted. In this nostalgia, I get into the mechanical forums from the first posts. I read a few, and fast forward a few pages, and out of nowhere, I find Poolboy's first post. How to adjust a stromberg. I read that, forget the gent who helped him, and how amazed I was at how fast he became the legend he is. I know, or think I know, he had a Jag back in the day, likes motorcycles, hunts, and is just a cool guy to hang out with. And as I am enjoying finding this post, I stumble on DavidK's first post about considering to buy a tr6. From happy to sad in just a few posts. DavidK was, David Kuyenkdall, a legend in my mind, anyway. David introduced me to Ed Bernard, Poolboy in Waco, Jim Herter, and many others. Just a great guy to talk to about TR6s. He was listed on Patton's site as one of his first tr6 TBI conversions. He passed away recently from brain cancer. And the Waco trip a few years ago was just a few months before he was diagnosed.
The site is a timestamp, living document. How we dealt with GPS, how we worked around smog equipment, new materials, and simply, how we got to today. It doesn't matter how long you have been on here. Reading some of that stuff is helpful to anyone owning this mark. Our mark is in this cycle now of passing on. During and just after production, a car would move to a new owner - today, we are faced with estate sales of this mark. Seems more urgent now how we pass the mark on. I've said over and over, you don't own a TR6 - you belong to it, kinda like Crocadile Dundee. The car will outlive you. You are a steward, and it is your responsibility to leave it better than you found it. Words to live by. I'm talking to myself right now, not you. Read back at how I ignored my sitting car, known better as the School Car for those that don't know.
Pros and Cons
I'm still getting used to this format. But in fiddling, I have found the whos online. There are pages of guests, at any given time. So, those TR6 enthusiasts are coming in, reading posts, looking for things that will validate their ideas, or something that says - hey, I didn't know that, or is this worth pursuing.
So, new and prospective owners….what brought you here. Surfing? Remembering a drive in a friends 6 back in the day? Remembering your 6 back in the day? Me - for what its worth, I was helping a boss find an MG when a few 6s were in shops where these MGs were. the smell, the seats, the bodywork. the dash, rims, etc. and a ride to see my dad, asking him if he still had my bentleys manual. Read it all the way back to Orlando from Ashville. A year and around 35 test drives later, we drive the school car home. and 10 years after buying that car, I find this site. And for a while, can't shut up about it.
I can't speak for all the members here, but I can speak for me when I tell you - this isn't a mark to fear or be afraid of. There are more reliable cars. There are cars with more parts availability. There are more popular marks. But this mark, with all of its preconceptions, is now a better mark. A more reliable mark. A mark with plenty of parts available. And a mark that will always have a following. I can't drive anywhere without someone asking me about it.
Today, electrical issues are almost a thing of the past. Fuel system - gone, or should be gone is the mystery and wizardry of the Stromberg. Performance - while these cars will never be high horsepower, they will be mild rods, with improvements to cranks, drive train, rotating mass, and wheels, tires and brakes. Better interiors, seat options, dash, gauges, tops, materials….and much more. And the best part, the mark has the interest of several developers and engineers who find more each year in a continuing R&D.
But. there are a few fences. For me, the clutch. There are good options, but don't expect to get 200K on a clutch system like you might on a 5 speed honda accord. And the motor, by design, isn't healthy at extended periods of RPM over 3500….or something around that number. Noodle effect from the bore and stroke. Something like that - Kas Kastner has expanded on it, but just know, overdrive and gearing can help you drive with traffice on I95 or whatever without hurting the car. Yeah - that’s right, you can road trip this car and not hurt it.
Dave Hagenbuch
Before Poolboy, RatRidge, lfmTR4, Wolf, Baws, Tush, Elwood,….leaving out a dozen legends here, all essentially works support for anything on this mark from bumper to bumper. Before all this and these legends, there was Dave Hagenbuch. Dave was the tech line at The Roadster Factory. I learned a lot from Dave. My favorite is the top cover vent hole that is on almost all factory top covers on a TR6. It helps your gearbox not leak by reducing internal pressure. We all learned a lot from that here. But there are hundreds of lessons like that in the continued development of the mark. That is what 6pack is - your race shop team that listens to your debrief after some hot laps.
Dave retired recently. I connected with him on facebook, and exchanged a few notes. Like Dave, so many out there are filled with helpful information. And, possibly looking to share. You aren't committed to any support here, but you will find yourself commenting, and helping another owner and steward. And in that, you pay back. Be vocal, find a way to pitch in, and no matter what, don't be afraid to ask questions or comment. Go back to my history and see the silly stuff I posted - that tends to make everyone feel better.
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year. I'll be back after the new year with another installment. Its great to be back in saddle.
Do yourself a favor. Take a kid driving.
LO Guvna
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