Rubce Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Hi AllWell winter is rapidly approaching and its time to start work on our GT6. We have had the car 4 years in 2008 and 3 years ago (2009) I replaced the drivers floorpan, panel under the rear bumper, fitted repair panels to the rear section of the rear wings, swapped the bonnet, fitted new carpets, new dash and full respray. The front seats, rear suspension and propshaft were overhauled last year and the front wheel bearings this year. Other than that the chassis and running gear is as boughtThe car is used all the year round several times a week as a daily driver and the 2009-10 and 2010-11 harsh winters did not do it any favours underneath. Most of the paint has come off the chassis, and the passenger side floorpan has very poor underseal. There also a few rust patches and two holes around the ends of the sills and on one front wing.So the time has come to take it back off the road to:-sort out a few body scrapes that it has picked up in supermarket carparks etcinvestigate the rust/holestake the tub off and do a full resto of the chassis and all the running geatotal re-wire from scratch (did this on my Stag and was well worth it)respray (retain the Jasmine yellow)new clutchnew headliningnew interior trim in the rearThe downside to all this apart from the cost of materials is that my Stag will have to live outside over the winter whilst the GT6 occupies the garage :'(Attached are two photos from when I finished the work on the car last time in 2009.Anyway, all encouragement and advice gratefully received as I keep this thread going over the next 6 to 9 months.RegardsBruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I like that colour - Not seen one like that beforeDid you make the wiring loom yourself, or did you buy and fit a ready made one?Interested to hear your thoughts as a friend of mine did his own wiring, he said it was a very time consuming, but made a huge difference Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubce Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 1903 wrote:Did you make the wiring loom yourself, or did you buy and fit a ready made one?Interested to hear your thoughts as a friend of mine did his own wiring, he said it was a very time consuming, but made a huge differenceHiYes I made the Stag wiring loom from scratch. This allowed me to re-route the cables away from the exhaust manifolds, set up the headlights so all four worked on both dip and main beam via relays, move the fusebox and electronic ignition into the cabin, use modern spade type fuses, modern relays etc. And yes it was time consuming! At least the wiring in a GT6 is much simpler and access so much better so it shouldn't take as long to do. ;)CheersBruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepy Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 Bruce,She looks nice as she is now, but you never see the hidden problems.I like the dash, is it walnut?We have an old walnut tree in our garden, and I will cut it down one day, and part of that will make a new dash for the mk3 when that gets restored! :)Look forward to your resto thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubce Posted September 13, 2012 Author Share Posted September 13, 2012 Hi ShaunThose two photos date from 2009. These days she still looks tidy until you get up close, probably a bit like a lot of us! ;DYes the dash is walnut and was done by a family friend who is part owner of Nantwich Veneers, Nantwich, Cheshire. I went along to their workshop and selected the piece of veneer that I wanted him to use for the dash. Looking at a tree stump which has been sliced like a loaf of bread was interesting. Their company supply Bentley and do a quality job.I intend to start dismantling the car tomorrow afternoon with the first job being to remove the interior. The Webasto sunroof has leaked in the past and I am wondering what the steel roof is like behind the headlining :-/RegardsBruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubce Posted September 15, 2012 Author Share Posted September 15, 2012 With the sun shining today I started work dismantling the car. First to go was the interior together with front and rear lights, webasto roof and various other bits. All in all a productive start but I doubt it will go back together again as fast!CheersBruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spider Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 4058 wrote:Bruce,She looks nice as she is now, but you never see the hidden problems.I like the dash, is it walnut?We have an old walnut tree in our garden, and I will cut it down one day, and part of that will make a new dash for the mk3 when that gets restored! :)Look forward to your resto threadWell worth selling the walnut tree and asking purchaser for the pick of the veneer once it is sliced up. I am not sure but a solid lump of walnut may have a tendency to warp.Amusing Story. A work colleague had a walnut tree in his garden and had made arrangements for a chap to purchase it from him with the view to using it for veneer and a price of £1500 (20yrs ago) had been agreed. The purchaser had removed the limbs from the tree and arranged to return to cut the tree down a couple of weeks later. My colleague then went on holiday and his son who was trying to earn some brownie points told him he'd had a clear up in the garden and cut down that old tree stump and burnt it. To say that my colleague was incensed was an understatement but gave us all at work a good laugh. "Kids! you've got to love 'em" was a phrase often bandied about for the next few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubce Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 Hmmm, after spending an hour this afternoon attacking the car with an angle grinder and a knotted wire wheel, a few holes have appeared. :'(The nearside sill has a whopping hole in it at the front. The nearside sill front closure plate is only half thereThe offside sill has several holes holes along its length and a large one at the rear end (signs of previous patching repairs)The nearside front wing has multiple holesThe bonnet has a nasty hole at the rear just above the bonnet handleSo, it would appear to me that the car requires:-2 x new sills2 x new sill front closure plates1 x front nearside wingCorrosion along the top rain gutter of the rear tailgateHow big does a hole need to be before a sill has to be replaced instead of simply patched?Thoughts and comments all welcome.RegardsBruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubce Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 Here are the other photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubce Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 And another Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubce Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 and another Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubce Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 and another Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubce Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 the final one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT6Craig Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 It depends on your budget but I did a lot of patching and found myself replacing panels in the end. It's often easier, less time consuming and more importantly - much less soul destroying.We all feel your pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepy Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 The thing is, if there are small holes appearing, and as you can see with the seams, there is rust there also, then what is the rest of the sills/panels like that you can't see? I personally would replace the complete panel, do it once and do it correct, you can patch but how long will it be until the rest goes bad, and even more heart breaking if you had a nice new paint job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molten Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 184 wrote:It depends on your budget but I did a lot of patching and found myself replacing panels in the end. It's often easier, less time consuming and more importantly - much less soul destroying.We all feel your pain.Fully agree with Craig. Replace the panels. The bonnet is a huge area, one that is looked at with attention. When the car is painted, you'll be glad you did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubce Posted September 21, 2012 Author Share Posted September 21, 2012 Hi AllOne week into the project and work has been progressing steadily during the evenings this week culminating in the engine and gearbox coming out this afternoon and being split apart. The fuel tank was also drained and removed leaving just the dashboard and facia to remove from the interior. I am hoping to start excavating the first sill tomorrow as the new ones arrived in the post today.RegardsBruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubce Posted September 21, 2012 Author Share Posted September 21, 2012 Out :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubce Posted September 21, 2012 Author Share Posted September 21, 2012 From what I have seen so far the chassis appears to be in good condition despite having very little paint on it. I think the various oil leaks have helped preserve it! ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Are you Harland or Wolff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky 13 Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 I think your thread title is perfect - Here We Go - that's just what I thought each time I started on a new panel and found more and more of that nasty red stuff called rust. I won't list all the panels that I replaced - I've seen better tubs on sale for less than the panels I bought! Still, it's all worth it when it's all back together and looking like a car again and I'm sure you'll enjoy the process on the way there. I did patch a few areas, but as others have said, in reality it's better and more rewarding to replace where you can. At least you then know that the whole area is sound and can take the necessary steps to protect it for the future. Good luck!Are you up against a deadline, or do you have the luxury of taking your time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubce Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 Ryan wrote:Are you Harland or Wolff?Both when you consider I only paid £11.50 for it.Bruce :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubce Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 3310 wrote:Are you up against a deadline, or do you have the luxury of taking your time?HiNo I am not up against a deadline but neither do I want it hanging around in bits in the garage/garden/house. My goal (more like a wish) is 6 months to complete the entire job. That is not based on any hard facts, simply a desire to have it back on the road and in use for next spring. RegardsBruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubce Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 Took the nearside sill off yesterday and discovered that somebody had been there before me! The outer sill I was cutting off was not original and neither was it actually attached at the bottom to the inner sill Just goes to show you don't know what is under the skin of a classic car until you have dis-robbed it!Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky 13 Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 ;)6 MONTHS Blimey that will be going it! Good luck.........At least it looks like the inner sill is salvagable, hopefully that trend continues. I started my rebuild 23months ago and have just got the engine back in. Still got to get it running though, then replace all the interior and glass, etc. Winter's coming so dark nights means more opportunity to spend time in the garage. My goal is to get it on the road by next Spring, so maybe at about the same time as you. Cheers John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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