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Ginetta G15 Restoration


John Bonnett

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John is a top bloke and writes interesting inspiring content.  I think his thread is welcome.

Tim said "Stretching the 'Special's aspect of this segment of the forum, but surely not an issue." which John may think implies disapproval I would say the opposite.

The moderators are discussing this thread and so far nobody has said anything against it in fact the exact opposite.

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Such a difficult one as we could be making a rod for our back here.

Personally I think the G15 thread is fine, John's GT6 was so interesting and like many I cannot wait to see the progress.

Fact is that most of us just love cars, old or new, and love to read about them and of course see them out and about.

Maybe time to have a section of the Forum that is open to forum members and their other cars?

I was speaking to a fellow Mk2 GT6 owner last night who I had never met before and found that he has a Volvo Amazon as his other car. I'd love to read about such a car.

BTW is a Ginetta G15 a 'Special'? I think not as similar to a Lotue Elan in the way that they were offered to the public.

Thanks to Nick for correcting me about Andy Russell, a seriously quick and precise driver. The 80s hillclimb scene was a fascinating time, and for me will always conjure up the thought of Nic Mann's Morris Minor V8 roaring up Gurston Down hillclimb-marvellous!

Edit: Just watched the vid from Nick, blimey he has been competing in that G15 for along time!

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Thank you everyone especially the Mods who have given the okay to continue with the thread. I feel very touched and hugely flattered that you have the will and stamina to follow Book 2 of War and Peace.  I'll try to keep it like the Sun; loads of pictures and not too much print. Sadly no page three though 😉

I'd like to thank Jonny-Jimbo for his very useful and interesting contribution above. And what a fine piece of fabricating.

Now, here's the story about my chassis. Andy Wright the previous owner bought a replacement chassis from the Ginetta factory only to find that the body didn't fit. I've spoken to Duncan Campbell who built chassis at Ginetta and he told me that the jig for one side of the rear end had been lost so they made both sides using the one jig. Turns out that the two jigs were different and the sloping upright ended up the same length rather than one shorter than the other. This prevented the body sitting down properly on the chassis.  So Andy sent the chassis back together with his old rusty one as a pattern. Three weeks later, Ginetta went into administration. It was over two years later that Andy finally got his rectified chassis back. By that time I guess he had lost a bit of heart and a lot of enthusiasm. The chassis had been stored outside under a tarpaulin for twenty years or so. It's rusted right through in two or three places where the water got in.

I understand that it is a late chassis with a fabricated rear cross member rather than the Imp one which you mention. I want to measure the wheel alignment at the weekend and hope they are either parallel or with a bit of toe in. The concern is that if they are not or one different from the other there is no adjustment. Many of us have personal experience of how awful a car is with a bit of toe out. Fingers crossed that they will be okay but if it turns out that they are not as they should be I do have a Plan B.

The front body mounts weren't drilled so I've made up some threaded stainless steel sleeves and welded them into the chassis. They go right through welded top and bottom. So much on the lines you describe Jonny but without nuts on the bottom.

I'm going to bore out the holes for the coolant pipes to 32mm and weld in sleeves to stop water from filling the cross members. There should be room for 28mm copper pipe providing all the holes are in line with each other.

I now have three meters of 2" x 2" ERW and have made a start repairing the rusty bits.

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Quoted from BiTurbo228
Nice work so far, and nice to know a bit of the history behind it. Sounds like a pretty unpleasant experience for the PO.

I'll second the motion for adding another section to the forum for 'other makes and marques', and that John should stick around


By a strange coincidence, TSSC on their forum have just added a non Triumph category.

Absolutely right there, it was a miserable experience for Andy and one can only admire his doggedness in pursuing the receiver until he got the chassis back and as it should have been, free of charge.

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Quoted from timbancroft61


Maybe time to have a section of the Forum that is open to forum members and their other cars?



I suggested that a while ago, but the idea didn't get much support, but this is the exact case in point. Everything could be included from Dave's Citroen Picasso refresh (Might not be everyones cup of tea), but he's keeping an old car on the road, and that's what this is about. I've got my various projects on the go too, and then there's things like the old locomotive rebuild etc that could all go into this section.

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John,

That means a lot to me, from a man with your fabrication skills. I'm a long way off yet, but hopefully a few more years will see me right!

I worked at Ginetta after all the turmoil of the admin, Dare Ltd and the new Ginetta company - we were based just outside Framlingham in Suffolk when I was there (yet somehow I never made it down the A12 to the Essex CT meets!)

Some of your mods are a good idea, but we were unsure. On the first chassis I made, I investigated opening the coolant pipe holes out and welding in tube, but the workshop manager didn't like the idea saying there wouldn't be enough material left in the chassis after opening the holes up. I argued that the welded in pipe would be way stronger, but the decision was made. Welding in threaded bosses is okay, but does rely on the holes lining up! As the bodies were not made with holes we used to drop the bodies over the chassis, square it up as best we could and then drill up from underneath to the the holes in the right place, then bolt down as we went so the body wouldn't shift once the holes were made. At least, that was the theory. Welding in the threaded boss it a neater solution overall though.

I wasn't aware they used fabricated cross members, I only ever saw ones with the Imp panels in.

Some of that rust does look really bad - I am surprised how it's gone so crusty in some places and not others!

It'll be great once it's done, often overlooked due to their engine size, but a well sorted G15 is a quick car.

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Quoted from Jonny-Jimbo
John,


Some of that rust does look really bad - I am surprised how it's gone so crusty in some places and not others!





The chassis has never been used Jonny, just kept under a tarpaulin for twenty years and I guess it's gone rusty where the rain got in. Shame.

I'm really pleased you worked on the G15 because you'll be able to put me right and keep me on track. The chassis is pretty straightforward but fitting out the body is a different matter.

Oh I sent you a PM.

cheers

John

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Some good progress to report today. On checking the rear wheel alignment the left hand wheels toes out and the right hand is parallel. No adjustment- yet! I thought this might be the case and already had a plan to design a system of adjustment based on MX5 cam bolts. It needs a bit of thought but it should work and will make a huge difference to the way the car drives.

I cut out one of the rusty tubes and looking at the inside; well worth doing. I've sleeved the replacement and tacked it in. It was a great relief to find that all the holes line up.

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The last week or so has been spent on rectifying the rusty areas of the chassis. Although the chassis was new twenty odd years ago and never had the body fitted, it has been stored outside under a tarpaulin and we all know how these things turn out.

In all, I have inserted nearly three metres of 2" x 2" box section in various locations; time consuming work but all is sound now.

The body is  briefly back on the chassis, bolted down on the new front fixings so that the four rear holes can be marked along with those for the seat runners.

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Quoted from Jonny-Jimbo
Good numberplate on it!

John - I have not been able to head back to my parents to get the G15 technical file; spent the whole bank holiday under my 2.5 Mk1!


Absolutely no problem. It's really kind of you to take the trouble so whenever it fits in with you will be great.

Thank you,

John

PS With the chassis on trestles with me sitting on the front and my son leaning on the back we were both quite shocked to see how easy it bent at the point near the rear where the angled uprights join the main longitudinal tubes. It twisted just as easily.

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Quoted from john2502
John

Just seen this today, excellent! Very much look forward to seeing it as it progresses.


Well thank you John. I'm hoping to crack on really quickly with it but the chassis design is a bit of a concern. If I can get a full roll cage out of Safety Devices at a reasonable price I'm hoping that should add the stiffness it needs. If not I'll need to get creative 😉

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Quoted from rustbuckit2011
-This is just ever so slightly off topic, but I just clicked on that Coupe Florio link on your signature- What a cracking wee vid! Certainly goes well that GT4!


Ah, that was with the duff engine, only 68bhp at the wheels. Got 106 now 😉

It really was a fantastic event with hospitality that only the French can provide. And 1.7 miles of closed roads what could be better? And you don't need a competition licence.

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