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John Bonnett

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Everything posted by John Bonnett

  1. John Bonnett
    It's okay I have the answer thank you. The boss is dowelled on and can be pulled off once the bolt is removed. So with a heavy washer and shorter bolt we should be in business. John
  2. John Bonnett
    I'd like a little more space between the radiator and the crankshaft pulley on my GT6 and I have heard that the Vitesse pulley is interchangeable and doesn't have the thick boss of the one fitted to the GT6. If so, does anyone have one surplus that they could let me have please? Thank you John
  3. John Bonnett
    2875 wrote:Brilliant thread - and I just subscribed to your YouTube channel! Looking forward to more vids coming through! :) That's very kind of you Brendan, I hope to see you at Prescott on Sunday. Registration of my car is PAW. You can just turn up and pay at the gate cheers John
  4. John Bonnett
    796 wrote:John, if your original swinger has the 2 bot leaves thick as all the others, then its a GT one if it aint,and the bottom 2 are thinner, are of a Spitty. If its gone weak, then its no suprise as its gotta be  35 +  years old. but can be made stiffer by either a new one, correct for the GT,NOT a Spitty one. M It's definitely a Spitty spring and it was supplied new for my rebuild but the suppliers maintain that this spring is the one they offer for the MK3 non roto GT6. The car doesn't sit low at the back but the spring is too soft. It is only now that I have discovered by having done a search that it is the wrong spring and that I should have been supplied with is part number 159654 but it is only stocked by Canley's and Rimmers.
  5. John Bonnett
    cliftyhanger wrote:I suspect that table is referring to the rotoflex mk2-3 models, and has ignored the late swing-spring version. I believe that had the main leaf extra thick? not sure about the other leafs. I'm sure you are right Clive. I've just dug out the old spring that was originally fitted to the car and it is 5 leaf. If I understand correctly SlimboyFat works at Canley's. Anybody know his real name or when I ring Canley's shall I just ask for SlimboyFat  :)
  6. John Bonnett
    Richard_B wrote:Just curious, is this a Rotoflex or a Swing-Spring model? It's a swing spring Richard
  7. John Bonnett
    [quote=smithy]John, are you going to paint it Italian Red for your next trip then?  :P :) Yes there's a thought! Will you be at Prescott next Sunday? I've booked my place and it would be good to meet up if you are there.
  8. John Bonnett
    mpbarrett wrote:Only just noticed this thread, what a great rebuild and lovely car!  Mines a late Mk3 in the same shade of blue, which I think really suits the cars shape.   mike Hi Mike, I know Smithy doesn't agree but I too love the colour; it really suits the car and very appropriate, being French Blue, for the trip to France. It is very similar to the colour of the 2CV that we parked in front of in Duras. John
  9. John Bonnett
    A couple more pics. Although we didn't know it at the time, closely following us en route to Santander were a number of cars from the Devon TR Register who had been to watch the Grand Prix de Pau.
  10. John Bonnett
    We have just returned from a really enjoyable holiday in France and the GT6 did us proud. We took the Plymouth Roscoff ferry, spent a week in Brittany and then drove down to southwest France for ten days returning to the UK from Santander in Spain to Plymouth; a 1250 mile round trip. The only problem was the light switch which broke up internally. Great service from James Paddock saved the day and a brand new switch was fitted in time for our return. In Brittany we had the same torrential rain as here in the UK and the car coped well apart from a leak on the bottom corner of the windscreen which ran into the passenger's footwell soaking everything in the glove pocket on its way down. The Golf radiator worked well even in the 30 plus degrees on the way down through Spain. However, the two 9 inch electric fans couldn't hold the temperature down in the stop start traffic in Santander so this will need to be sorted out. I was pleased that despite no heat shields fitted there was no fuel vaporisation so that was a relief. My wife and I found the car really comfortable even after 300 miles in a day and this is in unrestored seats that have done 80,000 miles. We have the 3.27 diff and overdrive which made their contribution with lower noise levels and effortless cruising. So, all in all, very encouraging particularly bearing in mind that this time last year the car was looking very sorry for itself.
  11. John Bonnett
    With two people and a full load of luggage, the car bottomed out occasionally on country roads while we were on holiday. Having returned, I did a search and read this thread http://clubtriumph.eu/cgi-bin/forum10/Blah.pl?m-1276120356/ During the rebuild, I fitted a new spring supplied by James Paddock, part number, 159640. However, reading the above thread it looks as if this is the wrong spring and that the correct spring should be part number: 159654 and can be supplied by Canley's and Rimmers also list it. The above thread also contains a table giving data for springs fitted to small chassis cars, link below: http://clubtriumph.eu/uploads/front__rear_susp_specs_8357_9051.jpg This has now confused me because it gives 6 leaves for the GT6 MK3 which according to SlimboyFat is impossible to fit. Finally, can anybody tell me if the ride height using  159654 is the same as with 159640 or will the car stand higher or is it just a stiffer spring. The one fitted to my car feels soft and would explain the excessive understeer. John
  12. John Bonnett
    timbancroft61 wrote:Lovely stuff, what a nice car. Reckon the fans will be fine. Are you taking to the Alps, if so, think about the silicon brake fluid. I had a bad experience with that stuff in the Alps back in 2005 boiling up, think about using conventional fluid. Fantastic car and I hope that you have a great time driving her. That's very kind of you thank you. We are not going to the Alps this time, we are spending a week in Brittany and then down to the Loire followed by a week near Bordeaux in South West France. We are then nipping into Spain to catch the ferry from Santander back to Plymouth so it should be a very nice trip for a GT. I never know if GT stands for Greater Trouble  :)
  13. John Bonnett
    It will be good to meet you Roy at last and to thank you in person for your advice on fitting the Golf radiator. It seems to work well although I wonder whether the two nine inch fans will cope on a very hot day in stationary traffic. I hope we don't find out in France. Both are now mounted engine side of the radiator which will give them the best chance, so, we'll see. Lucky 13, best of luck with your rebuild. I hope it gives you as much pleasure as mine has. At 750 hours in, you must be well on your way with it. Any pictures? John
  14. John Bonnett
    Thank you all. It has yet to be tested on a proper journey but if we manage the trip to Suffolk and back next week without being deafened and crippled things are looking good for our raid into France at the end of the month. I've filled in the entry form for Prescott and hope to see you there. I've driven Prescott in anger and it is truly awesome and bites back if you turn in too early (remember the adage,"Middle of the corner, middle of the road"). Be warned or you will be off and taking the short way back to the Paddock. Only joking. Do drive it if you can because like Shelsey and Cadwell it is one of those boxes you must tick before you die. John
  15. John Bonnett
    The car is all done now apart from a new set of carpets will have to wait until after our holiday at the end of the month. I've just taken a few pictures of the car and I am really pleased with how it has turned out. It was well worth all those hours during the Winter in a freezing cold workshop. We have a 700 mile round trip in the car next week so it will be interesting to see how I feel about the car after that marathon. Anyway here are a few pictures
  16. John Bonnett
    Smithy my boy, I'd say you can borrow my tool anytime but this might be misconstrued by the younger members  8)
  17. John Bonnett
    Forgot the other pics So that the removal of the screw will never be a problem again, I have extended it as shown.
  18. John Bonnett
    This is probably a job that fortunately doesn't need doing very often but I thought it might be of interest. the lower slot head screw holding the solenoid onto the Type D overdrive is very inaccessible being shielded on the one side by the body of the solenoid and the other by the chassis. I made a simple tool to slide over the head of the screw thus locating the little blighter and then inserted a screwdriver down the tube. It was then very easy to insert the head of the driver into the slot of the screw. I hope the pictures explain the tool better than I have. The flat attached to the tube is to aid positioning.
  19. John Bonnett
    Thank you all for your replies and nice comments. I'll not forget that it was only through your support and encouragement at the outset that prevented me from throwing in the towel. I'm really glad I didn't. It is a very pretty car and I'll not begrudge spending a few bob to make it look presentable inside. I'm hoping to be at the Prescott Triumph day in May and hope to be able to meet many of you there and to thank you personally. Best regards John
  20. John Bonnett
    1381 wrote:Bloody gorgeous car. John, did you get the Serck style numberplates or did they come with the car? The number plates came with the car and you are absolutely right, they are Serck plates. West Country Triumph did a very nice job for me on the bodywork so I am now having to do an equally good job inside the car by  purchasing all new interior trim. More expense aghhhhhh!!
  21. John Bonnett
    Hi Roy and Smithy, good to hear from you and thank you for your comments. I'm really pleased with how its come out and today was a milestone. Roy the radiator is 10 degrees off vertical and there are two nine inch fans in front of the rad. These are operated by a dual temperature switch and there is an over ride switch on one of them. I hope they will be sufficient to do the job. I'm sorry that I couldn't get to Stoneleigh but I do hope we will be able to meet up soon perhaps at Prescott in May? regards John
  22. John Bonnett
    Today, for the first time in 23 years, my GT6 moved under her own power; a real milestone that gave me great pleasure and I just wanted to share it with you. I would like to thank all of you who have offered  encouragement and constructive suggestions  which were a huge help particularly in the early days of the rebuild (as title)  :( Here are a couple of pictures of the car in the light of day and a short YouTube video clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByLku2BSqeY The car has no interior fitted apart from a driver's seat so there is still work to be done. But, we are getting there. John
  23. John Bonnett
    Plus this pic
  24. John Bonnett
    I'd like to thank Jason for his generosity for not only giving me a GT6 dashboard but complete with the veneer to finish it off nicely. I'm really pleased Jason, thank you once again. With the wiring out of the way, progress has been swift with the radiator. While in thanking mode, I'd like to thank Roy for the inspiration and information where I've needed it. It's really good to be able to tap into the enormous knowledge base here. I know you like pictures so here are a few showing the Golf radiator installation. John
  25. John Bonnett
    4545 wrote:HI John, looking really good. I have a GT6 dashboard (I think it's a 6. maybe a Spit) which has been re-veneered, that is the veneer has been glued on, it needs trimming and varnishing with Fiddes but you are more than welcome to it. It's in storage in work at the mo so can check Monday. Jason That's very kind of you Jason. I'd be pleased to have it if you don't need it. Please let me know how much. John
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