GT6 After over two years stalled at the body shop, my GT6 is starting come back to life!

[jdubois]

I bought this poor thing about three years ago as a barely running junker. While it honestly had so much rot on it that it made no sense for it to be anything but a parts car, I decided I couldn't let it go down and so I foolishly embarked on a full restoration. I really only had one shop anywhere near me that both was willing to take on the body work and that I trusted to do it right. But he unfortunately had years of projects backed up. So I waited patiently and now, about two and a half years after I delivered the body shell and frame to him, he's begun working steadily on it. All new floors, boot floor, inner and outer rockers, rear inner and outer fenders, rear wheel arches, front & rear valances, A post lower repair panels, frame front outriggers, door skins, headlight surrounds, battery box, and bonnet (yes, pretty much the entire bottom half of the car). I had it all sent over by ship from Rimmer Bros for way less money than I expected all that metal would be.

Anyway, it's exciting to have the body work progressing finally, but scary now that I'll have to remember where everything goes after years of it all sitting in boxes. I'm just hoping I took enough disassembly photos! My current question, should I have him finish the frame first, and then build up at least the suspension to bring back to him when the body is finished (obviously we'd wait for all the panels to be welded on before removing the body from the frame again to avoid a warped body!), or just wait for him to finish everything and then somehow get the non-rolling car home on a flatbed?

 

[Madflyer]

I have a friend with a British car shop for many year that I once worked for. He trade out some work for two GT6's one was a SCCA racer and the other is a parts car. Due to C 19 I have not seen them yet but thinking of get them as a new project ( they are Nevada cars ) any thoughts I do not know what MK they are. Madflyer

 

[jdubois]

thinking of get them as a new project

They're definitely fun project cars, quite different than the TRs but also much is the same. Get them and enjoy.

 

[Madflyer]

Thanks I have Sprit-Bits down the road. where did you get needed info. and parts?? MF

 

[jdubois]

You mean SpitBits? I've bought from him a bit. Nigel is a good guy, he cares about customer service, and he seems to have some parts that nobody else does. I get most of my stuff from Rimmer Bros in the UK. They've got a good selection, even with shipping across the pond their prices are usually better than the domestic suppliers, and they deliver to me in about three days on average (though I'm on the East Coast, it might take a few more days to the West Coast). You'll get hit with duty though if the order is for more than $800. As for info, the factory WSM and parts books are readily available. I bought reprints online and then scanned them in for easier access. They're also available as PDFs if you search around enough with Google. Those two books and some head scratching, coupled with a bit of Triumph experience and you can get pretty much anything done.

I went up to the shop today to drop off some parts and take a look at the progress. They're pretty much done with the passenger side and are working their way through the rear end. They've been fighting with the rear valance and boot floor as the car had been slightly crunched at the back at some point, so nothing lines up right. We realized today I'm missing the lower rear bumper brackets. There had been a fiberglass floor repair before and whoever did it just abandoned using the lower brackets apparently. Another item to add to my "buy" list. Luckily they're available and only $12 each. The side brackets are NLA, but those are still present. Sometimes you win one

 

[Madflyer]

Yes SpitBits I have talked with him in the past about TEC questions my club had put to me. I have been using revingtonTR in the UK and had to do the Customs paper work on my orders. Still thinking Madflyer