Pete Conover's 1974 TR6

While living in Houston and working for the Symphony there, each summer our education director would invite a bunch of us over to her house for a party during the annual "Sounds Like Fun" concert series. For four summers I had seen a partially unassembled sports car of some type under a pile of boxes in her garage. Her husband had bought it in 1985, drove it a few weeks, and took it apart to fix "a few things," never to finish the repairs or drive it again (you know the story!). Although I had no idea what it was, I had recently had an interest in having "a little sports car," and had always said to him, "Let me know if you ever want to get rid of it." In 1996, he said okay, and we quickly made a deal. I brought it home on Labor Day (how prophetic), and started finding out what needed doing.

Although I had worked on cars earlier in my life (I brought an Opel GT back to life the summer after high school, using an engine from my Dad's Opel that I had smashed up the night of my graduation. No alcohol was involved! I missed the deer, but hit the ditch.), I really couldn't tell what was going to be involved with restoring this car. Initially I didn't even know where or if I was going to get parts! Luckily I quickly joined the local Triumph club, the Texas Triumph Register. With lots of support from TTR members, it was back on the road in May 1997. I hadn't the knowledge, skills, or inclination for a "concours" restoration, but with the help of club members, I had attempted to do things as correct as possible. Perhaps more importantly, from the club I found what it meant to have a Triumph - to be part of a group of individuals passionate about their particular brand of British car.

While it didn't receive a frame-up restoration or an engine rebuild, virtually the entire car was gone through thoroughly. There wasn't too much rust, but after sitting in Texas for over 10 years, almost all the rubber was dust. The car had been in an accident at some point, and there was lots of Bondo on the bonnet. Luckily, a club member gave me a bonnet and boot that were in better condition than mine. The car was originally that very "70's" brown color; the donor parts were white - so for a while, until the car was painted it's present BRG, it looked like a brown shoe with white spats!

One memorable early drive was one December during the holiday season, Kristi with Lauren, then about 4 years old on her lap, and I drove around the neighborhood looking at the "over-the-top" Christmas displays that some neighborhoods in Houston are infamous for. With the top down - since there was no top yet installed to be down - heck, there wasn't any interior yet! - we bundled up (yes, it can get cold in Texas), blasted the heater, and had a great time. For a while, Lauren called it the "Zoom-Zoom Car," since that was what it sounded like to her - well, that is what it sounds like!

After finishing most of the mechanical work by February 1998, I had it painted that spring, and got it back on the road in June. Shortly after it's unveiling, in July I loaded it up on a flatbed for a ride to it's new home in Chicago.

I had been in contact with Jeff Rust and joined ISOA even before I left Houston; Kristi, Lauren, and I met many of you for the first time at the '98 Potatofest. I showed my Triumph at the BCU show that September and for the two following years (unfortunately, the Chicago Symphony had/has tours to Europe in 2001, 02 and 03 during that time and therefore I will be away and not able to participate). It was during those shows at Oakton, with my TR-6 mostly finished (Are they ever completely finished?), that I began to think about my next project. I always liked Jaguars, but when I looked over at the Jags, I just had to admit, "That's not me!" A stroll a few aisles over to the Austin Healeys showed me a car that I feel is a better fit. For one thing, some the Big Healeys have back seats, a big plus since I had always felt bad that Kristi, Lauren, and I could never all travel in my LBC at the same time. Therefore, in the spring of 2000 I purchased a '63 3000 Mk II (BJ7). I have been working steadily on it, especially in the past year, and plan to have it on the road within the next year.

In the meantime, I still enjoy driving the TR-6 very much. The trip to Breckenridge last summer was certainly a highlight. Having spent some time in the Rocky Mountain west, I had always thought how great it would be to have my car out there. When the VTR convention was announced for Colorado in 2001, I set my sights on it. Putting aside work on the Healey for the time being, I tried to made sure that my TR-6 was going to be up for the trip. For most of the summer, while making small improvements, I drove the car to the CSO's summer home at Ravinia, a 50-mile round trip. A short story to illustrate how we can never take our LBCs for granted: After many weeks of reliable and enjoyable traveling to and from Ravinia, one night on the way home after a concert, quite late, the car just died right in the middle of the intersection of Addison and Oak Park Ave. I mean DEAD. It wouldn't start at all. Luckily I was able to coast to a safe parking spot, and while the music from the Polish bar behind me throbbed away, I went through most of the spare parts in my trunk trying to get a pulse from my engine. Nothing. When the bar closed, somewhat tipsy gentlemen with heavy accents offered their words of advice. That was a big help, although I have to admit that some of them complimented me on the car, even though it wasn't actually operating at that moment. Hours later, a AAA flatbed finally brought me and the car the last 3 miles to home. Subsequent investigation in the comfort of my garage revealed that there was a problem with the distributor cap - one of the only parts that I didn't have in my trunk that night.

A few weeks later, feeling humbled, and with more trepidation than I might otherwise have had, I set off to Colorado. Up until that point, the single longest drive I had made in the TR-6 was the East Shore Lighthouse Tour with the Detroit Triumph Club in 1999. During that trip Kristi and I traveled about 800 miles over 4 days. So, after driving like a maniac across Iowa by myself, I caught up with an ISOA caravan outside of Omaha. Glad to be among compatriots, Snake, Spuds, Elwood, Yacker, Gizmo, Streepy, and the rest, the next two days drive was really great. After a fantastic time in Breckenridge, the ride home with Yacker and JellyBelly were just as great. Opting for a more "relaxed" pace (especially thanks to Yacker's electrical problem, and Joe's overconfidence in what "E" on the gas gauge really means) we had another enjoyable trip. The picture in the calendar was taken shortly after leaving Breckenridge - you can tell since there are hardly any bugs on the windshield.

The fate of the TR-6 lies in balance: If I want to start yet another restoration project after the Healey (an Aston Martin comes to mind...), I'm going to need some more garage space and some cash. Yet somehow, I'm reluctant to just "sell off" my little green friend from Texas. Lauren, who is currently 8 years old, certainly doesn't want me to, but it's a few too many years until she'd be ready for it herself. We'll have to see. Right now, I'm just looking forward to the predicted warm days ahead and the first drive of the year. Zoom Zoom!

by Pete Conover