Hello to all. I’m a new guy here.

[Dave SW Pa.]

Hello,
From beautiful South Western Pennsylvania. My name is Dave and I am an old Triumph loyalist. Short story, I bought a new Spitfire in maybe August or September 1968 at A&L Motors in Monroeville, Pa.
I got a Spitfire because I couldn’t afford the $800 -$1000 difference in the GT6+ sitting beside it or the New, TR 6 being released. I really wanted the GT6. Well, I recently bought a basket case 69 6+ on a whim. Now 52, very short years later, I now have my GT6!!!
This 6+ is rough, but salvageable. It was supposedly in a barn since 75 but it must have been a very porous barn by all the rust and rot throughout. It is mostly all there but needs a lot of sheet metal and the engine is froze up. There is nothing that you could not touch if you were restoring it and I have to ask myself “how far do I really want to get in.”
I feel that the first thing I should do is try and free up the engine and go from there and see where that leads me. It’s a factory OD car left hand drive with LO at the end of the commission number.
Any suggestions that previous experiences might dictate? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Again, Hello and thanks.

PS I’m a retired Chrysler and Subaru Master Tech of 48+ years experience so I might be able to fix a couple things myself. I’m not sayin I’m the best but I do know which end of a box wrench is the box!

 

[DrEntropy]

Welcome aboard, Dave! The GT-6 was my first choice at about the same time frame, had to settle for a two-year-old MGB instead.

Glad to have another "wrench" on the forum. The Triumph section is a lively group, you'll be fitting right in!

I escaped Western PA winters in 1980, left what is now the Sewickley Car Store back when it was Sewickley Porsche/Audi Alfa.

 

[PC]

Welcome aboard, Dave!

 

[DavidApp]

Hello Dave

Welcome to the forum.

You will find the Triumph section is very active so you are sure to get plenty of tips anfd advice there for your GT6 project.
Post some photos of your starting point.

David

 

[Dave SW Pa.]

Thanks for the welcomes. Here’s our starting off point.

 

[Dave SW Pa.]

this Little guy looks “ good from far but far from good”.

 

[Dave SW Pa.]

I’m anxious to get started but I’m holding back. The engines froze up and I don’t want to get into sheet metal etc. till I know where the engines at. I sprayed a lot of PB blaster into each cylinder hoping that the rings are just stuck. I giggle the crank with a 3’ breaker bar every morning and no luck yet. I know of another 69 6+ that I’m trying to buy and this one might end up a good doner car. Time will tell where this goes. If I were to part it out, how much demand is there tor used parts out there. I assume a lot!! I will probably pull the engine and trans later this coming week if I can’t free up the engine.

 

[Basil]

Dave it looks like you have your work cut out for you. Good luck and be sure to post updates in the Triumph forum to keep us posted on progress.

 

[DrEntropy]

I sprayed a lot of PB blaster into each cylinder hoping that the rings are just stuck.

How about Marvel or ATF? We've found those do a better job than PB.

 

[JPSmit]

I’m anxious to get started but I’m holding back. The engines froze up and I don’t want to get into sheet metal etc. till I know where the engines at. I sprayed a lot of PB blaster into each cylinder hoping that the rings are just stuck. I giggle the crank with a 3’ breaker bar every morning and no luck yet. I know of another 69 6+ that I’m trying to buy and this one might end up a good doner car. Time will tell where this goes. If I were to part it out, how much demand is there tor used parts out there. I assume a lot!! I will probably pull the engine and trans later this coming week if I can’t free up the engine.

welcome - and sounds like a great project. I wouldn't say there is a huge market for parts unless you stumble on the one person that needs what you have. There are many abandoned projects out there - On there other hand if you can't get the engine free there are a number of viable engine swaps out there.

 

[Dave SW Pa.]

Good news.
I got the engine freed up and turning over Sunday morning. A 3’ pipe wrench and a cheater pipe on the fan hub got it to wiggle and then I slowly turned it over a couple dozen turns by hand. I sounds clunky under the timing chain cover so I know there’s issues there, but at least it’s freed up. The rings were stuck. I threw a battery in it and got it cranking with the starter. Cranked it quite a bit to get the cylinders cleaned up without overheating the starter. I figured I might as well do a compression test while I was cranking it over. 3 were at 140 +or - and 3 were anywhere between 65 and 90, so there are issues. I didn’t have any spark so I pulled the points and condense and filed and cleaned the points and put them back in and gapped them. Good spark now. I opened the butterfly’s and gave her some either and got it to fire a couple time but no actual continuous running. It’s making 25lbs. oil pressure cranking with a manual gauge screwed into the oil pressure switch hole. I wanted to know if it could make oil pressure before I attempted to fire it off. I hooked a hose from the fuel pump and put it down into our 5 gallon gas can for the lawn mower. The fuel pump still works, it was spraying gas all over the bonnet. From all the holes in the carbs feed line!!!
After another band-aid on that issue and the carbs filled up, they both started leaking. Stuck open needle and seats!!! So I pulled the carbs and stripped them down and washed them all down. Kits are ordered from SpitsBits and should be here by Monday. I was hoping to get her lit and running as cheap as possible but that’s not happening. I got a feeling that even after freshened up carbs and if it starts and runs it will still ending up needing the engine freshened up.

 

[Basil]

Congratulations! Small but important step! Good luck going forward.

 

[Dave SW Pa.]

Just an update: Rebuilt both carbs and got it running today. At first I could not get it to run! Took some coaxing but finally got it fired. Had to put a couple squirts of oil in each cylinder and cranked the crap out of it to get it all oiled up. Then put the plugs back in and cranked it with the higher compression from the oil in the cylinders. It fired on a couple cylinders and one by one all 6 came to life. Put the rad and new hoses back in and fired it and ran it at 1500 for a half hour straight. Ran continuously, but not exactly the smoothest. But ok enough, for sitting for 46 years since it last ran. Did another compression test hot, Man it really needs freshened up. Rings and Valve issues. It does make 30 lbs. of oil pressure at 1000 rpm’s after running 1/2 hour. Not too bad I thought.
I guess you can’t post any videos since I can’t figure out how to unless I’m missing it.

 

[DavidApp]

Going to have to do something about the floor before the road test.

David

 

[Dave SW Pa.]

Ya think!!! I‘d need a functioning clutch and ANY brakes before I can even drive it up and down the driveway.

 

[DrEntropy]

Good progress!

 

[Madflyer]

Dave I am a few weeks ahead of you with the same project 1972 GT 6 Mine did start and run at the get go. Cleaned gas tank and new gas line as org. could not pass gas. New tires battery oil changed and filter red. cleaned and fill new hoses clutch MC and fluid DMV and Ins. done been on the road carbs cleaned less rust than you floor pans good ( I live in Nevada so even sitting out side ) rust less of a problem. I got two cars one parts and one to build.
Madflyer

 

[Dave SW Pa.]

Yea, your WAY ahead. Good for you though. I’m trying to get to the point where I can push the clutch and run her through the gears on the rack. Then I hopefully will know where the trans, od and the diff is at.. I’m trying to keep the investment down and reasonable. If I can produce a presentable rolling chassis and drivetrain, then I might bite the bullet and start replacing all the rusted panels. We’re going to cross that bridge when we come to it. If I get there I may still look for a good body and put my chassis under it. I just have a problem with a vehicle that’s not matching numbers. If you know what I mean.
Again Madflyer, good luck on this adventure.
BTW not passing gas is sometimes a good thing, just sayin!!

next up getting a functional clutch.

 

[Dave SW Pa.]

update: gota functioning clutch system. Trans has all gears, a terribly worn out shifter but it shifts. The diff has some noise but mostly axle bearing noise. Hard to really hear with a straight pipe off the manifold and NO floor. OD works intermittently and I made sure to top off the gear oil in both trans and diff before I ran her through the gears.
Next: rebuild the shifter and evaluate the brakes. Depending on brake lines etc. I migh reinforce the rusted out floor etc. so it stays straight and just pull the body. It’s way easier to do the plumbing with a wide open frame. And a good time to get the frame stripped and sand blasted. Paint it body color and rebuild the suspension. Maybe??? Remember Dave, baby steps, your retired now!
This thing fires instantly after sitting a few days. Just pull out the choke, light it and push it in half way and in 15-30 seconds you can have it down to an idle. I’m impressed!!!

 

[Dave SW Pa.]

Vehicle update.
After 4 months, complete brake system overhauled. Machined the rotors and drums. New rear wheel cylinders, all hardware, new lines, rebuilt the front calipers, master cylinder, everything. Sand blasted rear backing plates and the complete rear suspension and painted. Rebuilt the rotoflex axles and unjoints and complete rear suspension. All new rear axle bearings and seals with proper float shims set up. Rebuilt the shifter. Removed and cleaned the gas tank and reinstalled. I’m in the process of rebuilding the front suspension and once that’s done I’ll brace and cross brace the body and pull it and get it on the rotisserie to attack the floors first.
I’ve been able to pull it in and out of the garage under it’s own power.
The first it’s done that on it’s own in 47 years.