work speeding along now

OKay, so I haven't kept this journal up to date, but speed on over to triumphexperience.com and view my journal there. Lots more fun stuff.

Just to whet your whistle...

I have the driver's side nearly buttoned up and am working ont he passenger side. Rocker and quarter panel are only dry-fit at this point in time as I am having a tough time getting the door to align properly. While mulling over the solution to that dilemma, I have started to refurbish the bonnet. One fender and headlight mounting ring have been replaced, and the other side is now ready to have the fender replaced. Again, jump over to the above link to view pics!

Driver's side Upper A-pillar
Now Playing: Street customs on netflix

Upper A-pillar on the driver's side was in bad shape, so I removed it and replaced it with a part I built last year. Unfortunately this peice on the car needed to be replaced. I was afraid the work I spent on rebuilding the part back then was now put to waste with the change in plans. Fortunately I had it already install this time around.

I discovered the regulator on my welder is leaking. While working yesterday the gas in my bottle ran out. Now I need to either get a rebuild kit, have it rebuilt, or buy a new one.

Being unable to continue welding I cleaned up and turned my attention to the windsheild frame.

I fit the lower gasket to the frame last week and hld it in place with tape, and it has been sitting in the hot sun for a week in order to get the rubber to fit the curved shape of the frame.

Today I finished stipping the paint and primed it so I can get it fit.

Going from here is all progress...

mor work

Darn weather and two jobs....

My 2 jobs keep me from doing as much as I would like, and due to my small garage the weather prevents me from when I can. I have to roll the car out of the garage for most work, and it rained all day, starting practically the moment I had time.

 Anyway, enough grumbling. I got the new battery tray welded in this week, as wells as getting the angled cross braces reinstalled. I also patched a hole on the side of the firewall as well as three on the lower passenger side of the firewall. Not sure what these were for, but they looked like they were there from the factory. See https://www.angelfire.com/ex2/gt6er/spittogt6conversion12.html for the pics.

I also replaced the bonnet latch auto-open striker place on the passenger side; as you can see in the pics it was bent, and I had one from my original tub I refurbished. When I moved to the drivers side I realized the upper a-pillar was severly dented, and there are stress cracks around the hinge bolt holes, as well as part of it is pushed in about 1.8". Though I could probably eventually work it all out, I think I will put in the new part I have on hand. This will set me back a bit workwise, but better to do it right and be happy than wish I'da done it on down the road.

This was actually the part I had hoped to be able to swap today. Well, maybe next thursday now, weather permitting--here it is mid June and it still feels like March. Its rained so much I'm starting to think I live in Seattle! I haven't even had to put the sprinkler on the lawn yet this year and it's greener than the golf courses. I had planned on it today, but it started raining. I guess the good news about the rain is that I can go a few more days without setting the sprinkler.

completed the windshield frame

Finished up the windsheild frame today. I tried to fit it to the car but I discovered a few things. First of all, the remains of the old seal is still on the car and that needs to be removed. Second, the new rubber does not fit perfect and I am going to have to figure out jsut how to make it fit properly.

Once I do that I can put the frame back on the tub and then I will be able to weld the top down to the rest of the body.

However, there is a minor amount of body work I need to do on the rear-end first, as it is much easier to access with the top separated.

 

I also started in on the battery tray. Of course it needs to be replace, so this is a good time for it. There is a minor amount of rust on the inside firewall between the the old tray and the firewall, so I will be able to remove this as well and get it primed and painted. In hidden areas such as this I am hitting them with paint so when everything is fully assembled there should be very little bare metal exposed to the elements, if any.

windsheild frame-nearing completion
Now Playing: Deadliest Catch bike on American Chopper

Nearly finished welding up the structural metal on the drivers side of the frame. Duty cycle on the welder kicked on and shut me down for the day--gotta go to work anyway.

A few more welds and add the rain channel and this part of the project will be done.

Windsheild frame
Now Playing: still watching 2012
Topic: body work

Okay, so the windshield frame needs some work. I have three total, one of which is the original. Unfortunately the original is one of the worst. I took the better of the three to refurbish.

www.angelfire.com/ex2/gt6er/spittogt6conversion11.html

Both lower corners need to have metal cut out and replaced, as you will see in the pictures. Shapiing the curve was the most challenging, but I was able to do so. You will notice that I did not cut the hole out. This is a provision for a support rod. Because the GT6 is a coup it has strength throught the top and the windsheild gets its extra support that way. This hole is not needed for this application, so I elected not to re-cut it, mainly because I did not want to bother with cutting it out, but mostly because its an opening for moisture and therefore rust.

 I have the passenger side completed, complete with new rain channel.

The driver's side is currenlty just tack welded together and I still need to bend the rain channel.

Enjoy the pics and the progress.

Update and new info
Now Playing: the movie 2012
Topic: body work

Okay, so by now you have hopefully read the bits on my website stating that I have gone from continuing the full restoration on the GT6 as it was in my last post (yeah yeah, sorry for not updating more often, any of you out there following. I'll try and do better.)

The thing is, I realized a number of things. First of all, my own workmanship when I started the process was not the great, due to lack of experience and a poor welder-I didn't know how to weld very much anyway.

I tried to build a few critical body components, and there again, due to my lack of experience I think I failed in the attempt. I could not get the door to fit right, and the more I worked at it, worse it got. At one point I had it straigt, but when I started working on the drivers side it went screwy again. Additionally, more parts were rusty than I could get, and removing the rust would leave the metal too pitted and thin. Although my skills have improved in the past year, I am still unable to fabricate complex pieces.

That said I bought a spitfire for parts I thought I could salvage critical body parts from but as it turns out the body was in such excellent shape I decided to strip the convertible bits from it and use the base car. I then removed the top from the GT6 and transfered it over to the spitfire body. Everything now is just making sure the top fits squarely with the body. Gas tank mounts and trunk floor mounting brackets needed to be build and installed. The dash and instrument panel also needed to be removed from both cars and the GT6 on installed.

You can follow all of my progess on my main build website. https://www.angelfire.com/ex2/gt6er

You would think I'm jumping from one project to the next but I have so much off of the car that needs to go back in just to make sure everything is square and the doors fit correctly, as well as where the front of the rocker matches up to the wheel well of the bonnet.

That said, today I worked on the upper dash peice. I pulled it out 3 years ago (lots of spot welds!), removed the underside braces, and removed all of the rust and hit the sucker with Por-15. I also removd the dash backing piece, and it was so bad I couldn't keep it. Too much rust, in addition to that some previous owner had brazed a lot of it and it was out ofshape. http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/Misc%20car%20parts/dash1.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/Misc%20car%20parts/dash2.jpg

 It took less time to remove the part from my Mk2 parts car and get it prepped than it would to prep the original, if it was even worth it. (bear in mind all of this was three years ago)

Today I finished up the upper dash peice, welded the underside supports back on, fitted it to the car along with the dash backing piece and welded the two together. I still have this part and all others screwed together. I had just realized today that I if I need to take it out again I may as well do it now while I am still making adjustments.

fitting floor and adjusting the door

I have the entire drivers side apart. The floor, the upper and lower A-pillar, the firewall half, and most of the rocker panels. I did not really want to tear it apart in this manners, but replacing all of the body peices, which is all of the above and then some, I ended up having to completely dismantle the drivers side.

I just prepped the new floor pan, and have all of the new pieces fitted together with self-tapping screws, for ease of adjusting. Now I just need to make minor adjustments until I have the door opening correct.

I rushed the passenger side and once I had everything welded up the door was way out of alignment and I had to undo some of my work. Fortunately I was able to get it adjusted. I'd rather not go through that again.

The new firewall shelf is not complete but the old one is good enough to make sure everything fits properly.

More on the firewall shelf

OKay, so I realized the current shelf I am building is good practice. It is too thin (24 ga?) and is galvanized. In addition to that the metal was 2" too short and I had to weld a bit to the end to make it the right size. The templates are loose, so aligning on to another is a bear.

I'm going to restart, now that I have a very good idea of what I am doing. I'll build another die for the master cylinders, so they are aligned properly and paired. I'll also connect all of them with 1/4" bits of metal so they are all in the correct position relative to the others. Then I'll build the rounded bit to from the rolled lip as part of the master die. I need to build a circular die for the hole for the heaterbox intake. And this time it will be built of 22 ga instead. Need it to be as strong as possible.

Prep-work for firewall shelf
Now Playing: Nuthin. Why do I need to be listening to something?
Bought some 3/16" and 1/4" metal plate today and started building more templates for making the raised portions on the shelf. The wiper motor, starter solenoid, and other items get mounted on these. Pics to be posted later.

Firewall shelf build

Working on building a new firewall shelf, the old is way too rusty.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/Firewall%20shelf%20build/firewallshelf1.jpg

 Last week i got the metal bent and started cutting out the basic shape.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/Firewall%20shelf%20build/firewallshelf5.jpg

Today I started building the raised portions where the brake and clutch pedals mount. I built a steel template to match the shape of the old one, clamped it to the metal in the correct location, and wailed away with a body hammer, adding heat as neccesary.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/Firewall%20shelf%20build/firewallshelf10.jpg

See the complete set of pics here:

http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/Firewall%20shelf%20build/

 

Big update
Now Playing: Dr. Who on Netflix

Okay, so I have not been very diligent in updating. I've done bits here and there as time and funds would allow.

I have spent the past three years refurbishing peices of the car, including dash mounting peice, steering wheel mount, inside upper a-pillars, and many other bits. All of these I removed the rust and coated with Por-15.

I have also been learing how to weld, and that has been a big plus in the rebuild department.

1st (summer, 2009) I did get the engine to fire. It simply took a bit of starting fluid. I need to adjust the carbs yet, as I have rebuilt them since I last ran the engine, but at least I know it works. http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/engine/?action=view&current=EngRunning.flv

 2nd (ongoing throughout 2009), I have nearly completed the passenger side rebuild. I needed new floor crossmembers so I built some new ones, with the help of a friend who works at a sheet metal shop. He was able to bend new ones for me, out of 22 ga paint lock steel. I needed to weld in new inner supports.  http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/passfirewall/

http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/passenger%20side%20floorboard%20and%20rockers/

http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/Misc%20car%20parts/

http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/Floor%20Crossmembers/

I have a corner where the heel board and the inner rocker panel meet that needs to be re constructed, then I will be able to weld the rest of the passenger side together. I have reconstructed and refurbished the passenger side fire wall.

Items replaced or refurbished on the passenger side are as follows: complete floor pan, floor crossmember, rocker panel-all 3 parts, uppper and lower a-pillar (new lower, rebuilt upper) and the fire wall.

In my haste to weld the new components in I neglected to adjust the door first. In the end I discovered the door to be way out of adjustment. I had to slice a bit of the repaired firewall out to make adjustment room to bring the bottom of the door back into alignment. Word of warning. Check your fit before you weld.

3rd (mid 2009), I have started the drivers side rebuild. All components on this side have been replaced by new or refurbished parts from donor cars. No original metal was salvageable. http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/driver%20floor/http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/driver%20floor/

I also worked on modifying the alternator bracket (to lower the alt 2"-it was rubbing on the bonnet)http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/engine/

(summer 2009) I built a new lower a-pillar and floor crossmember.

(3-20-2010, 25, 26)The new upper a-pillar I purchased from rimmer brothers did not come with the door jam so a new one needed to be constructed. I have spent the last two weeks (three days really) building this part, and it is now ready to install. I painted the entire inside of this part with por-15. After welding the inside and the outside, a little bit more needs to be coated with por-15.

http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/Upper%20A%20pillar/

4th (3-27-10), I have started rebuilding the firewall shelf as the old one (yeah, you gessed it, rusted beyond salvaging). I am currently in the process of forming the raised rectangles the components are mounted to. http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/byak0/Firewall%20shelf%20build/

Yet to come, both quarter-panels and the rear lower valance, the emblem mounting portion of the rear, the front lower valance, and replacing the left and right sides of the bonnet.

ho hum update
Mood:  not sure
Now Playing: Edvard Greig-peer gynt, no wait. now it is Aerosmith-Livin' on the Edge
No luck on getting the engine to turn over. I havent tried lately, but back in the summer I gave it quite a few attempts. Not sure what I am doing wrong, but I think have narrowed it down to lack of fuel getting into the carbs. (it's a bit more complicated than merely filling the tank, but thanks for the thought.)

As for the parts, I have many more prepped with the Por-15. I have heard a lot of good stuff about it. I hope everyone is right or I have wasted a lot of time.
I have my A-pillars rebuilt and ready to reinstall as soon as I get some new lower A-pillars and clean up the inside of the firewall the A-pillar mounts to.

Engine
It's been over 10 years since I tore the car apart.
I'm hoping I'm not crazy for trying the following. My engine is intact, in that I have not torn it apart, aside from removing the manifolds and the radiator. I am in the process of getting ready to fire it up, just to make sure every is still kosher. I have rebuilt the carburetors since I took the car apart, but have not had the opportunity toi tune them I realize I probably did this backwards, but se la vi. Anyway, My next post should be of the results of my starting test. I got it to turn over, with the coil disconnected, so I don't think there will be a problem, since it made no alarming noises. I have turned it over by hand semi-regularly, and it has been mostly garaged.
Wish me luck