GT6 Can this GT6 be saved?

Hi guys - this car took a pretty good hit or jammed into a curb at speed or something.

The bonnet was removed at one point, so ignore the fit on that it is actually OK.

The door doesn't want to close right, and the whole drivers side from the firewall to the rear of the door has been pushed in.

The frame and outrigger seemed OK still.









This one is looking up at the frame outrigger;



What do you think?

It's got possibilities, if the chassis is straight. Odds are the right shop could "square" up the body and then replace any sheet metal as necessary. The advantages of body-on-frame construction! Downside is the cost of a proper repair might be prohibitive.

Hi Andy - if memory serves the sills are considered structural on a GT6, right? If so do you think the body as a whole is tweaked or would replacing the sills be adequate (hard to tell from pictures I know)?

None of the glass was tweaked, and the inner floor on the side were the accident happened was straight still.

If you count inner, intermediate AND outer sills, yes, they're structural. That's why I'd want to measure and square the body as necessary, then probably at least replace that outer sill (OE panels still available, last I knew, except possibly for the lower gasket retaining strip that holds a seal for the door bottom). I don't know if a shop might remove the outer sill first, or ???

If the main problem is that damage, not rot, I'd say it's definatly savable. I've seen far worse brought back.
Looks like a project I'd tackle if I were closer.
Maybe my viewpoint is different. Here in the rust belt, a fairly clean car is a jewel. body damage or not. you can probably afford to be a bit pickier in So Cal.

So how do you square a body? The frame looked straight, so is it a matter of "just" getting that area by the door to line up?

Anything can be restored if you want to throw enough money at it.

First thing would be to get it to a body shop, and have them put thier guages on it to see how much it's been tweaked. then they can straighten it, or you can do it. Or, probably what I'd do, is get the factory rerpair manual with the body measurements in it and roughly check it myself.
Look for things like the other body openings. how does the hatch work, or the other door? how do the gaps look around the rest of the drivers door? they may have just done a good job of caving in the rocker with little other damage done.
if the other things open hard, then it's a good possibility it was hit hard. if not, it's likley mainly localized damage.
Very hard to say just from the pics.

Localized damage may only require replacement of the rocker panals, whereas deeper damage would need to be pulled out on a frame machine at the body shop

tony barnhill said:

Anything can be restored if you want to throw enough money at it.

Click to expand...

True. Perhaps I should have asked if this can be restored cost effectively. It was "just" a matter of removing and then reinstalling new inner/outer sills it would seem like it was a possibility.

Banjo said:

Look for things like the other body openings. how does the hatch work, or the other door? how do the gaps look around the rest of the drivers door? they may have just done a good job of caving in the rocker with little other damage done.

Click to expand...

All the other gaps are good actually. Other door and hatch and bonnet are OK.

After reviewing the pics again, it really looks like you could get away with just a panal replacement. It dosen't look real deep.
Disclaimer: Pics can be decieving. My TR4A looked GREAT in pics, but it was a total bomb. Proceed at your own risk.

Tom, where the heck you gonna get time to do that one too?

If youre a checkbook restorer, then no. If you plan on doing the work yourself, then yes. I would have never gotten my GT6, if my husband didnt have some interest in welding (novice, but pretty good)

Then again, my opinion really shouldnt count. Ive spent over $4000 trying to restore a unibodied BMW that had a cracked firewall, split frame, cracked rocker panel and some idiot spot welded part of a different car on without measuring or realizing that it doesnt fit. (note that these vehicles can be had for $500-$3000)

I cant seem to find it, but I got two rocker panels from ebay for $180 shipped. I dont know if he still sells them. But I do have his email address. You probably just need to one. I dont know about the rear. Could use a new piece, or pulled out and bondoed.

The door, Im assuming does not fit due to rubbing issues of the damage done to the other panels. I had this probably with the above mentioned BMW. I know the door had been pushed in, and replaced, but simply would not close right. When I have the frame pulled, it would close. Only rubbing issue I had was with the front fender, and thats spimply because the welder didnt mesure, or didnt even care that coupe fenders DONT FIT convertibles (at least on that car anyway).

Some more pictures taken this AM;

Passenger side door is off;



Close up of the firewall on the side that got hit;



Looking at the far side / impact side from below;



Impact on the a-arm mounting point on the frame;



Unrelated to the accident, but is this gap at the top of the roof/windshield join normal?

Looks like the passenger side quarter panel has been replaced also. The welds are not as the factory would have done them. The way the roof and windshield fit i would definatly take it to a good frame shop for a pull before anything is removed. And have a good door to supply them so the fit can be checked. Then you can replace the rocker panel. I would not pay much for that car. Be sure you could get it for what the parts are worth and if you can fix it right then its a bonus. Bob

Ah, so the input tweaked the roof as well?

Oh well.

If anyone wants her as a parts car let me know - send me a PM and I'll let you know that the sellers are asking for her. It's not much, under $1,000.

You could probably flip the parts for a good net, but I've got some other projects I should probably focus on....grin.

The roof/windsheild issue: I'm pretty sure the windshield pops right off and on the bottom and top rubber seals go. It appears that this rubber was torn off, if not missing completely. Considering the age of the rubber I would doubt that's what happened. My mki looks like that. What rubber that's left is hard to notice and was painted white with the rest of the exterior.

BANJO!!!

Hey Ben How ya doing man! Long time, etc. Shoot me a pm if you get a chance.

Frank

If I knew that all it takes a crappy GT6 to bring him back I would have found another one much earlier... LOL.