steveb leatherworks: the blather

My homeboy Freddy has a thing for convertibles, and has had a few TR6’s in the past. I think this 1972 vintage unit is number 4. This nugget came to him some years ago as a crazy pinkish purple – a stock color believe it or not. I think i have a pic of it somewhere in its original configuraiton, but believe me – it was hideous, crazy hideous as a matter of fact and in short time, it became, through the spray gun of Stevie, his bodyman a nice, staid burgundy and then, had the crap driven out if it.   You see Freddy drives his cars hard, very hard – and in a few years this car needed some pretty deep attention. it got some bandages, got driven some more, but got neglected due to a 63 Vette joining the family.

A few years later it needed a good rebuild – from stem to stern. With the help of a few able bodied and knowledgeable craftspeople and some owner-sweat equity, and another spritz by Stevie, this time a nice classic British racing green – the car came home a few weeks ago looking spiff. nice job Freddy, enjoy!,

Now a note on the TR6. If you’ve never ridden in one, I can only describe it as very low to ground, pretty loud and very loose and rattly. 50 feels like 90. It is kind of like the Shovel Head of cars in alot of ways – defiantly rough around the edges and rattly.   So, in answer to this loose-as-a-goose endemic situation with all TR6’s,  Freddy loaded this car with Dynamat with this rebuild, put new Redline tires on it, beefed the suspension, got the engine dialed in, the carbs synched, the shifter linkage tightened up and lubed and has reported back that this is the absolute best he’s ever felt a TR feel. Not bad for a 36 year old car. Ya know, I think I can name every part in the engine compartment, I dare any of us to do that with our modern cars..lol

Only because I was off duty and he’s a lifelong friend, I wont bother ripping him for this garage crime as the pic speaks for itself, I feel bad for his Fatboy trapped in the corner, on the lift, surrounded by lawn furniture, kids bikes/toys and some other detritus of suburbia. Nuff said.