Build catalogue
Hank Kingon's 1974 TR6 V6 conversion
britishv8.orgas recorded by Dan Masters
Photo: britishv8.orgA 1974 Triumph TR6 fitted with a Buick 3.8 V6 and automatic gearbox
Hank Kingon shared photos of his 1974 TR6, which had already been converted to run a 1979 Buick 3.8 V6 paired with a three-speed automatic transmission. The car retains its smog equipment for California registration and drives on the road, though the owner was still weighing changes to lower highway RPM and had not yet repainted it.
Parts used
What the owner names in the write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Engine 1
- Buick 3.8 V6 engine (1979)Buick
Installed in place of the original Triumph engine as the basis of the conversion.
Fuel & Ignition 1
- HEI ignition system
Fitted as the ignition system for the V6 swap.
Gearbox & Drivetrain 2
- 3-speed automatic transmission
Paired with the Buick V6 to replace the original drivetrain.
In the shops
BW-8 Automatic Transmission ↗
Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD
DG250 Automatic Transmission ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD
BW-35 Automatic Transmission ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USD - B&M shifterB&M
Used to control the automatic transmission.
Body & Trim 1
- Modified exhaust pipe routing
Rerouted so the pipe would not stick out the back of the car.
Photos
All 10 pictures in the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from britishv8.org. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
How it was done
A stock-looking car with a hidden swap
The TR6 looks largely original apart from the exhaust pipe routing, which Hank changed because he did not want it sticking out the back of the car. Underneath the stock appearance sits a 1979 Buick 3.8 V6 and a three speed automatic transmission.
Passing smog and staying on the road
Because California requires it, the car retains all of its smog equipment. It is currently registered and actively driven, not just a project sitting in a garage.
Living with the gearing
Hank noted the engine spins over 3,000 RPM at 65 mph, which he found too high. He was considering either adding an overdrive unit or changing the rear axle gearing to bring cruising RPM down to about 2,300.
Enjoying the acceleration
Despite the highway RPM concern, Hank said he enjoyed the off the line acceleration the V6 swap gave the car, and liked being able to beat other sports cars away from a stop.
Future plans
Paint was being deferred until Hank was satisfied the mechanical work was sorted and he was done tinkering. He also planned to fit a larger radiator, similar to another TR6 V8/V6 conversion he had seen featured on the site.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is the owner's: read it at britishv8.org ↗
Worth knowing
- Rerouting the exhaust avoided an ugly pipe hanging out the back of the car.
- Running all the smog equipment allowed the swapped car to stay legally registered in California.
- Highway cruising RPM was too high with the stock gearing, prompting thoughts of an overdrive or rear axle regear.
- Holding off on paint until the mechanical sorting is finished avoids redoing bodywork after further tinkering.