John Bonnett
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Posts posted by John Bonnett
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cant wait to see it. To be honest, the thread is bound to be better than the article !
You have to be right because everything in the article has to have been made up whereas the thread is based on facts. Apart from chatting (on many subjects) to the photographer, sat in his car while we were waiting for the rain to stop I have told them nothing about the project at all. So, all very odd and, slightly intriguing.
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John, I don't see how it can be embarrassing. You created the car and there it is in the flesh, a properly unique car (not like so many that claim to be that)
The fact is unpainted will just add to the history. Hopefully another article will be done once it is painted and all those little jobs sorted (and there is always a list, something I know too well!)
Sit back, enjoy a break over Christmas and we are all waiting, like you, to see it in its new colours!
I feel better already. Thank you for your support guys. I believe the magazine hits the shelves on 24th December so I'll have to venture out on Christmas Even and get a copy.
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John,
Do not bother with the crossed fingers. The car will be seen as what it is, a brillant design of a car and one that any of us would be proud to own.
Neil
That's very kind of you to say Neil. Thank you.
I spoke to the painter yesterday and his plan (well mine actually) is to have the car painted by the end of February. This will give me a month to re-assemble it and be on the road for the beginning of April.
By the way, are you doing the Silverstone Classic? We are hoping to be there for the GT6 celebrations and of course a drive round the circuit. It should be a memorable occasion.
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rest assured you will have some cracking enhanced photo's with a script made up from past history, old road tests ,myths and with luck some notes about.
what like what you said
been there a couple of times with the Vit6 but always pleased with the overall outcome make sure you request some copies of the snaps , they all tend to say
you will get some..... blah blah.......its never happend for me
Pete
Fingers crossed then eh Pete?
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Thanks John. That's what I'm thinking. Looking closely at pictures of other cars, the gap at the point of the striker plate is even all round. I'm never going to get that with the door on the latch. The other possible variable is that I think my doors have been re skinned at some point. I may even be battling with odd profiled doors...! Got a garage day tomorrow, so back to the start again... Thanks again.
Good luck with the job and please let us know how you get on with perhaps a picture or two. Don't forget that by loosening the bolts hinge to door you can move the top of the door in and out and the bottom vice versa. And yet another variable!
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If i understand correctly the door needs to come forward to even out the gaps, B post to door and bonnet to door. If you've got enough adjustment on the hinges to allow the door to move I'd set it up without the latch and do as you suggest and pack out the striker plate. The bonnet can be adjusted in two directions to help give an acceptable gap and to keep the gaps parallel; so many variables! In the end I think it will be to achieve the best compromise. From experience i know you can spend hours and hours fiddling and adjusting until either you are happy or resigned to, "I can make it no better".
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I've just noticed that Classics Monthly are running an article on my car in their January edition. The photographer took pictures in October. I specifically asked that they wait until the car is finished before printing anything. This means adjusting panel gaps and shut lines, reupholsterd seats replacing the vinyl in the dash area that had become un-glued during the heatwave in France and of course painting. I've not given them any words so I have absolutely no idea what they are going to print. So, in a nutshell Im disappointed and more than a little concerned the the car will look like a dog's breakfast.
about the pictures they choose to print. -
i rang mr papworth for some advice and a quote for a gearbox for my 13/60 and was asked to send him an email which i did nearly a week ago but have received no response.
has anyone else had problems communicating with him?.
Yes but stick at it. He's aways very busy but does a first class job in my experience.
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Here's a link to an album showing most of the things I need to move on.
Good bits include:
Genuine GT6 steering rack 4.25 turns lock to lock believed to be reconditioned
Brand new Spitfire rear brakes
GT6 MK3 quarter vents
Rotoflex driveshafts.
All is going on Ebay but if there is anything that catches your eye please drop me a PM. Realistic offers please!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67580543@N08/albums/72157661681799512
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John all I can say is ................???
Happy Christmas
youve earnt it
Pete
Pete, that's really kind of you; thank you. This is a very good opportunity to send my best wishes to you and your family and to thank you for all the unstinting help you give us all on the forum. Without your incredible knowledge and expertise this would be a poorer place.
Best regards
John
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So, I'm now happy with the bonnet to door and sill gaps and finally the car is stripped down ready for painting. It was a funny old feeling to see it leave the workshop after three years residence as it was taken to the bodyshop. I have absolutely no idea when I shall see it back here but so long as it is back on the road by April all will be well.
I've just ordered a pair of new DCOE40s and the engine is ready to go to the engine builder for strip down and assessment.
While the car is away I shall use the time to refurbish the window mechanisms and sort out all the stuff that is surplus which I can hopefully sell. And there is plenty of it. It will go on Ebay but I'll give you a heads up when the auction starts.
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The new adjustable hinges work really nicely and the gaps between the doors and the bonnet have been significantly improved. The picture shows the passenger side gap which I think is acceptable. Any closer and there would be a risk of clashing when the door is opened.
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I've made the adjustable hinges which, when fitted, should allow a small amount of upward movement and about 20mm fore and aft. The new hinges which are M8 rod ends will fit inboard of the chassis brackets. They will be mounted on a slotted plate welded to the bonnet frame. I've used an M12 screw drilled and tapped internally to M8. The M12 setscrew passes through the slot on the backing plate and underneath is a captive nut which slides back and forward along the narrow slot.This gives longitudinal adjustment. The rod
ends can be screwed in or out to raise or lower the front of the bonnet.The existing fixed hinges will be cut off. The last picture shows a threaded bar going through the old and the new so that in theory once the fixed hinge is removed the new ones will put the bonnet in an identical postion to the fixed hinges and the hinge pins will line up. I'm now plucking up courage to remove the fixed ones.
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After weeks of anguishing over paint or not to paint, the decision has finally been made. Painting it is and the colour; French Blue. The die was cast when I painted the steel structure in that colour so it would be a bit ofdd if the body were in one colour and the interior and all the bits behind the panels in another. I'm about to start the strip down ready for painting and at the same time, the engine will be stripped down and an assessment made.
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Pete, could I please add my good wishes and hope that you are having an enjoyable and memorable day. Your knowledge freely shared with us all on this forum is invaluable and greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Kind regards
John
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One of the Classic Car magazines is going to run an article on the car and just before we went away on holiday the photographer arranged to come down and take some pictures. Predictably, after two weeks of near perfect weather, the day of the photoshoot was very wet. We sat in his car on Dartmoor for over an hour before the rain abated sufficiently to allow him to get to work . He was very interesting to talk to and the time passed quickly. He had some good kit which lit the car as if it were a sunny day.
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Nice piece of work Roger. Isn't it good to have time to play? Lucky we are not trying to make a living at this. Nobody could afford the prices for a realistic hourly rate. I've not costed up the inner wings I've just made but I reckon a thousand pounds wouldn't be unreasonable given the hours I spent. But who would spend that on a pair of inner wings?
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Hello All
I have decided on the Newman PH2 cam(at last) on further looking it has the same lobe angles as all the Triumph ones.
What about cam followers? Triumph never listed any different ones from what I can find! and the Newman steel ones seem expensive (£88 + vat a set, £40 +vat chilled iron type)
I have run just ordinary ones on the Mk3 prifile for 10,000+ miles and all seems ok? (Thoughts)
As to the rocker arms I have been reading reports on the TR register and a fair few people seem to have had trouble with them(poor maching and soft tips)
So I am going to have a go at drilling them out and bushing them with Phosphor Bronze(I found a lenght in the workshop) and re profiling them and a new shaft(if they wear it is not to much trouble to change them.
I have made a jig to hold them for re drilling and I have a 9/16" reamer(so its just my time and all winter)
Roger
A good project Roger. Please let us know how you get on.
John
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I agree with you in part Alan. On the one hand, you could not refurbish a car to that standard for anything like that price but on the other seven grand seems a lot for a car that has no MOT and isn't finished. One wonders why on earth if it is that close to being finished the seller didn't make the final push, do whatever is needed and then ask ten for it.
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Food for thought indeed, I am indebted to you all for this information.
I agree with Clive regarding damper makes, having raced cars fitted with Spax, Koni, AVO and Bilstein and found little difference apart from price on all but Bilstein.
Sadly the Bilstein are not adjustable and need to be valved to suit the car and they don't have data for the Mk2 Vitesse for obvious reasons.
Looks like GAZ or AVO for me.
As for the CV conversion, that is for next year along with an LSD but I am researching replacing the hub bearings with Formula Ford style items first.
I have just removed the TSSC kit from my car and they are available at a substantial saving over the new price. This includes the brackets and a pair of adjustable Gaz dampers. They are as new having done less than 2000 miles. Do drop me a PM if of any interest.
John
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The next little job is to make the bonnet hinges adjustable. This would have been so much easier done when I made the frame before the aluminium skin was fitted. I cannot believe I made the hinges non-adjustable. What was I thinking about?
But I have a design in my head which I hope will be fairly easy to make and that will do the job. To achieve a good shut line between the doors and the sills the bonnet needs to be raised a fraction at the front, and moved back by about twelve mms.
I'll post some pictures as soon as there is anything to show.
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I shall be very interested Roger to hear which camshaft you finally decide upon. And when the engine is together what results you get on the rolling road.
Please do keep us posted.
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get a bit of string, 2 tape measures, 2 bricks and 2 stright bits of metal about 600mm-1m long. An assistant, and about an hour or so.
It will transform the car.....
I guess I ought to stick mine on a weighbridge. Just out of interest.
And John, not sure if canleys still sell the alloy lower wishbones? I have wondered about a fabricated version too, that would be much lighter.
There was a chap selling a pair of Canley alloy wishbones on the CT site a couple of months back. Unfortunately, they have been sold so I've missed them. But at the time when they came up I was concerned with the basics like the engine problems and getting the car ready for the trip to France rather than enhancements. But it does look as if Canley still supply them so I may well buy a pair from them at some point.
I've just finished the second inner wing and overall I'm happy with the result. They won't work any better than the MK1s but they are curved rather than angular and in my view, suit the car better. I cannot believe how many hours I've spent on them. They are quite a complicated shape, made more difficult by interfacing them with the valences, forward extensions and the bulkhead protectors. But they are done now and something else to tick off the list.
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Thanks. Of great interest. Seems heavier than expected. Iirc my bond gt4 is under 800 kg. with its 1500 and j type. however it handles terribly and needs setting up!
The weight is in the wheels I fear; nearly 100kg if you add in the spinners and spline adaptors. But of course the rotoflex wishbones are heavy as well all adding to the unsprung weight. A 13 x 5 aluminium Minilite weighs in at 5.1kg and the Michelin XAS 155R13 at 7kg. So by replacing the wire wheels with Minilites I could save about 40kg. Worth thinking about.
I hope you manage to improve the handling on your GT4 and if I can help with any more information on what I've done please drop me an email.
regards
John
Tachometer Issue
in Electrical System
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Failing that Mark, Speedy Cables will repair it and it will come back like new.