John Bonnett

Can you run a dedicated earth from the Kenlowe back to the battery? Never rely on a self tapper into the body or chassis in the hope that you'll get a good earth. It is a good idea to have earth It does sound as if you are earthing out the Kenlowe through the starter motor and you have a high resistance making it get hot.It's a very good idea to have earth posts at convenient points and run a single high rated cable back to the battery. Just my thoughts but I hope of some help. John

I totally agree with you Colin. Manufacturers spend millions on developing and optimising so why change anything? In my case, I was faced with a very expensive re-core or a brand new Golf radiator for twenty six pounds delivered. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the standard cooling system and the only reason I deviated was for economic reasons. The Golf rad fits in so well that i don't think the chap who bought the car from me ever realised it wasn't standard.

I fitted a MK2 Golf GTI radiator to my GT6 and found it adequate in most situations. If you take that route, you will need a header tank and I found that the MK4 Astra one fitted very nicely. I managed to install the radiator almost vertically and used two GT6 bottom hoses which was convenient. Here are one or two pictures which I hope will help. If you need any help on the plumbing side let me know. regds John

I've got a set in my 1500 which my engine builder sourced. If you are interested please drop me a PM and I let you have his details. cheers John

Having just fitted a set of Minitlites I know from experience that the standard wheel studs are too short. As far as I remember you need the nut to go on 1.5 x the diameter of the stud which equates to at least 7 or 8 turns. So if less than that which i suspect is the case, please do not use your car until you have fitted studs of the correct length. Now is a good time to go over to Freelander M12 studs which are far more robust. John Brown Wheels will supply you with the correct nuts to suit. Darren Groves wrote this up in a fairly recent thread. John

Thank you Steve and good to hear from you. Yes I thought it was a good article very well written. True there were one or two glaring errors but considering he took no notes he did amazingly well. I've made a start on the G15 and am at present tackling the rust issues on the chassis. And I'm delighted to see that the project will fit very nicely into the new category that Kevin has just included.

I'd second basket weave.

Hi Wayne, Under bonnet temperature can be a problem with a GT6 but if your transmission tunnel and all the holes in the bulkhead are properly sealed that heat will not find its way into the cockpit and I promise you that you won't get out of the car feeling the way you describe. I've used both my GT6s in some seriously high temperatures and never suffered with the heat. And there have been many occasions when we've been glad of the heater. I ran my GT6 without any engine valances which I believe helped the hot air to dissipate rather than being trapped. I never found any disadvantage by not having them. Certainly the engine bay stayed clean. I would however share your worry about the electronic module. Perhaps you could think about moving it to a cooler position. John

If mine failed I think I'd be very tempted to fit an after market switch for £7 with the benefit of an accessory position and not worry about the steering lock. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal-Car-Motorcycle-Boat-12V-Ignition-Key-Switch-Barrel-Kit-w-Keys-NEW-UK-/400687626942?hash=item5d4ad7fabe:g:0UsAAOSwuTxV9-IN

I don't know if this is any help http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TRIUMPH-SPITFIRE-1500-LATE-TYPE-IGNITION-SWITCH-RIGHT-HAND-DRIVE-/182207774575

I should think Mrs Roger deserves a bit of TLC after subjecting her to the rigours of camping at Le Mans and it does look as if you are going to earn yourself a few house points with what you've planned. And a great deal to boot. Actually we've never been to Ireland so I cannot offer any suggestions. Some of our friends have and all say how lovely it is. Generally, for us the call of France is too great to ignore particularly living so close to our local port Plymouth. So mostly we go South for our breaks. Colin Lindsay may well be able to offer you some good suggestions. John

Bolting an electrical component to a cylinder block where it must see a high temperature is I would have thought an odd thing to do. The Spitfire mounting on the scuttle seems a much more sensible place to put it.

Building up for another epic trip then Roger. Ireland should be lovely in September. You are certainly right about the joys of being retired. I've been retired since 1997 and being able to do whatever we want whenever we want is still a novelty and very much appreciated. And how nice to have a classic car to help you enjoy it. They seem to bring out the best in people and are a good way to get a conversation going. We are going up to Skye in September but at the moment I'm undecided about taking the Triumph. If I do I'll post a rival blog.

That's what we parents do

Great pictures Roger and some just crying out to be framed. We are driving up through the Cotswolds on Friday 29th on our way to Silverstone. I may be wrong but I have an idea you live out that way so just wondered if we could meet for a pot of tea?

Newton Commercial list it.

I'm glad you got to Pegasus Bridge Roger and able to soak up the atmosphere. The cafe is something really special. The weather here is not too bad so it won't be too much of a shock when you land.

An epic trip Roger and you're still rolling. I'm glad you enjoyed CLM despite the renowned French organisation. Do hope you have a good day today. So much to see and so much atmosphere particularly at Pegasus Bridge if you get there. Safe journey home and remember we drive on the LEFT.

For anyone whose car is suffering from fuel vaporisation problems this might be of interest. Last year when we went to France Jerry had problems with the GT6 in slow moving traffic when idling and when stationary. His car is fitted with the original mechanical fan and also an electric on on the front of the radiator. His car would be fine when driving at normal speeds but very soon after he stopped in traffic the engine would be difficult to keep running and eventually it stopped. One of the main culprits we suspected was a plastic fuel filter near the front carburettor which was heated directly from the exhaust manifold. Removing this and replacing it with a rubber pipe improved things but did not cure the problem. Next the fuel pipe was insulated back to the pump. He had no more trouble while we were in France bu the problem reappeared when in the line waiting to board the ferry to France this year. The smart money is on the fuel in the pump boiling. So the next step has been to arrange for forced cooling in that area using a motor cycle radiator cooling fan. I built the fan into an enclosure made from sheet aluminium. The car had no problems yesterday when leaving Powderham which was quite a good test. Another and possibly more severe test will be at Silverstone at the end of the month.