Sheepy Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Some good progress, for a sick man! 😆It will all start to come together quickly, then you can get out and play!CheersShaun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Moore Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 Quick question - at the rear edge of the roof, the headlining disappears under the black plastic cover which hides the tailgate's torsion bars. Does the headlining extend all the way to the tailgate's seal lip, covering the torsion springs, or is it glued to the steel roof rib just forward of the torsion bars? I'm hoping it doesn't cover t he torsion bars as it'd be a lot harder to access the wiring and springs once the headlining is in place, but maybe it need to to maintain even tension across the headlining? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Moore Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 OK, a trawl of the internet (google image search mainly) seems to indicate that the headlining does indeed cover the torsion bars. At least, that's how other restorers have done it, and it seems to produce acceptable results. Which brings me to my next question... the torsion bars had a small bracket bolted to them. Unfortunately the tailgate hinge mechanism was removed at least two years and many, many bottles of red wine ago and I can't remember exactly what the bracket as attached to. Did it connect the torsion bars from one hinge to the other, or the two loops of one hinge's bar, or should there be two brackets? In this case Google image search has not produced the goods! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firebobby Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Nick, I have just checked my car and the clamp fits on all 4 parts of the spring up towards the interior light switch end, so as the spring leave the hinge, it goes across, then loops back and then loops back away again, it's near the loops, where the clamp fit to all 4 sections.Hope that makes sense 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Moore Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 Thanks Bobby. Back to the garage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saltddirk Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Quoted from Nick Moore Question - there are rubber seals between the heater box and bulkhead. My car's original seals had been eaten by something (rubber mice?). Are they foam rubber? How thick should they be? Here's a picture of mine, as they came off the car,The ones over the in-outlet pipe were about a 1/2 inch thick, the one sealing the airducting a bit less. it looked a bit like that foamy sponge deal you can buy to exclude drafts around windows and doors in yr house. Needless to say, mine did not come off, part stayed on the bulkhead.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob dunn Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 fit the wipers and washers before any thing else. sponge is appx 40mm dp on 1/2 inch and 20mm dp on the fan. very spongeeyy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Moore Posted June 3, 2012 Author Share Posted June 3, 2012 I came up with a plan so cunning I surprised even myself. I stuck a sheet of the 1/2" thick Dynamat foam rubber on the bulkhead side of the heater box and cut out the large central hole to let fresh air in. The foam compressed nicely once the box was firmly bolted to the bulkhead. A couple of chunks of foam rubber made good seals for the heater pipes. The heater can't rattle or transmit noise from the fan motor, and the extra padding will help keep things quiet in the cabin.Once the heater box was in place I found that the air con evaporator doesn't fit any more. I'm not surprised, it's a kit from a US company called Old Air, designed for big American cars. Their most compact unit's 16"x6"x6" so not really compact at all! The air con plan will get shelved for now but I may be able to make a custom evaporator enclosure down the track.The headlining's taking shape, but a couple of seams at the back have started unravelling. Time, therefore, to purchase a needle and thread and try to remember how they work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotoflex Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Quoted from Nick Moore Once the heater box was in place I found that the air con evaporator doesn't fit any more. I'm not surprised, it's a kit from a US company called Old Air, designed for big American cars. Their most compact unit's 16"x6"x6" so not really compact at all! Nick, the enclosure for the evaporator (without fascia) fitted to my car & other US GT6's as dealer-installed options & aftermarket equipment is 15" wide, 5" tall, 9" deep (12" deep allowing for the exit & bends of the coolant hoses from the rear). It was a very tidy installation, replacing the passenger side parcel shelf. Which dimension on yours was the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Moore Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 The unit's 16" long and 6" deep. An inch shorter and shallower and it would have fitted perfectly. I'll talk to the importer and see if the evaporator takes up the entire enclosure - if it's smaller then there's a possibility I could trim it down. Hanging the squirrel cages underneath would reduce the depth too.I have a Subaru evaporator somewhere and that's about 8" square, so they don't have to be huge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Moore Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 A fellow GT6 owner here in Oz put me onto the trail of a local windscreen supplier who stocks GT6 windscreens. I popped over this afternoon to pick it up, but as I suspected, the windscreen the guy had pulled out of the racks was for Mk1 and 2 GT6s. Their catalogue simply mentioned "Spitfire Mk1 & 2, GT6 and TR4". I confirmed this by comparing its size with a set of trims - about 2" too shallow. He has a Spit Mk4 one on the rack but it was way out of reach, so high it probably had pigeons roosting on it. He'll have it ready for me to pick up on Saturday - I'll be out of town for a few days so no hurry. The windscreen's one of the last hard-to-find parts, so I actually looking forward to fitting it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Moore Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Right, I know I said that I was looking forward to fitting the windscreen, but I take it all back. In theory it's simple - fit the rubber to the windscreen and then fit it to the car with the aid of a cord. The Herald's windscreen was easy, but this one is a right bar steward. It took ages to fit the rubber to the windscreen, and now I know why the fitter who sold me the screen had hands like cricket gloves. It needed stretching to fit, meaning it acted like a huge, angry rubber band. Ping! The finger strength required is enormous, and one finger nail kept bending back when it got caught under the rubber lip. As for fitting the screen to the car, forget it. I lack either the strength, technique, stubbornness or vocabulary. Actually possibly not the latter, I taught the cat a new swear word 😎. After half an hour of exactly no progress I decided to call in a mobile fitter next week. I just hope that whoever comes round has a sense of humour...In the meantime I tidied the garage, stitched up a fraying headline seam and fitted the rear number plate. So still some progress 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiggrr1 Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I struggle to fit a new front screen to my first GT6 back in the early eighties, as you say it is a pig of a job.After smashing one into a million little bits "just getting the last little bit in place"I called in the experts....................He fitted a new one in seconds, I didn't know weather to 😀 or Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT6 M Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 whats neede is plenty of lube ont ropes and some one to press doon on the out side.as some times the rubber lip does nae fit ower the screen lip,if no pushed doonM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Moore Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Aye, never forget the lubricant... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Moore Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 A couple of months ago I talked to a guy reputed to be the best chrome plater in the eastern states, a few hours south in the New South Wales town of Lismore. He was happy to rechrome my bumpers, but wasn't interested in knocking out the dents first. Both ends of the car have suffered knocks, the front bumper in particular. Local body shops weren't interested in knocking out the dents - turns out modern panel beating doesn't involve much beating, just painting and fitting new plastic bumpers 🤔More searches located a business only a few kilometres from home that does the lot - beat out dents, polish and chrome plate. They even repair stainless steel trim. So I left work early this afternoon and dropped them off. The guy photographs every consignment when it arrives, so that he knows exactly how many parts each enthusiast has dropped off. When I got there he was photographing a set of chunky bumpers that looked familiar - they turned out to be from a TR6! Bear in mind that I've seen exactly one TR6 in the six years I've been in Oz... them bumpers are a lot heavier than a GT6's!I also dropped off the good 'horseshoe' trim and mentioned that the other one was beyond saving. Bring it in, he told me, he can braze in new sections and save a lot of damaged castings. I'm not crossing my fingers, but we'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Docman Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I understand your grief with the windscreen. I just wanted to have the brite trim inserted on mine, but my local glass shop insisted on new rubbers too. After a few hours with his mate, the job was done. He said he would never do another.I'm glad the glass didn't break because there are apparently none in the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotoflex Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Why oh why did I not fill warehouses with Spitfire/GT6 windscreens, GT6 vent windows, & XKE's back in the day when they were just old stuff everybody was trying to get rid of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Moore Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 A windscreen fitter came around today while I was at work and had a go fitting the new windscreen. He rang to ask where it came from, because he couldn't get it to fit properly either! It seems to be about 5mm too tall and wide to fit in properly, and he thought that the rubber moulding was too thick as well. I may try and get the windscreen factory to make one slightly smaller, or check how to ship one from the UK. Either way, (angry)(angry) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Garvey Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Hi Nick, there's a new one for sale on Trade Me Mk3 $250 with sundym band I think. It's appears to be a windscreen suppliers in Nelson.Hope this helps, Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Garvey Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Had another look - yep Nelson Autoglas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pom Down Under Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Nick - If it makes you feel any better, my evaporator (that you didn't want me to drop into the GT6 while it was still in my neck of the woods) is 14 and 1/2" wide. 🙂Paul - Where abouts in NZ are you? I would like to include you on my OZ/NZ list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Garvey Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 I'm in Christchurch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Moore Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 Hi Paul, do you have a link to that? The only GT6 item I can find on there is a magazine. Of course getting a windscreen shipped from NZ won't be any easier than getting it shipped from the UK. It's just annoying that there's a factory right here in Brisbane making them, but making them wrong.PDU - thank for the offer. The aircon unit I tried was 14" long and it was too long. Also the depth was a killer. With the squirrel cages at the back pressed against the heater box, the front stuck out past the dash frame. Whoever designed them obviously had bigger cars in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Garvey Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-parts-accessories/triumph/auction-483088829.htmcloses in x8 hours..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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