New Member, New Project

[Pete GT6]

Hello all!

 

I'm Pete, a new member of TSSC and of a 1969 GT6+, for full nut and bolt restoration.

 

I have a few questions before I start any work and I wondered if people would be so kind to help answer them?

 

A bit of background.

I have wanted a classic restoration project since a young boy at 13, when I helped a friend of the family restore a Austin Healey 3000, which then won many local shows, which I accompanied.

16years on I am now In a position to purchase my first classic project.

 

Having settled on a GT6 mk 1 or 2 project to, I found the UK cars to be few and far between and also very rotten! So when an imported US one came up from a dry state that had been Sat for 15 years, with only one rust hole in the battery box, I was all over it.

 

Now for my questions;

 

-Has anyone converted a left hand drive to right before? If so was it worth it from a driving pleasure perspective, and how much hassle was it to carry out.

From what I can see, the steering rack is a pretty straight forward change to RHD, just a new hole through the fire wall and bracket for steering collum. Change of dash and all gauges etc (they are all stripped out of the car when I bought it), unbolt and change to UK pedal box as I believe the accelerator pedal is a different shape from research? Cut out and weld in new battery box on the opposite side, mount new pedal box and connect up.

 

- The car appears to be in original condition, all worn paint colour etc matches throughout the car, but it has a Mk1 style front end (no side vents on front wings and the triumph / logo in centre of bonnet, round indicator lights at front, but the mounting brackets for the chrome bumper from what I can find on the net are the mk2 style, can anyone confirm?

(I am missing the front bumper and valance so harder for me to tell. I have read about change over years and parts being used up from mk1s and fitted to mk2s. Is this true or an Internet myth?

 

-How do you post pictures on the forum? Then I can upload some photos, which will make descriptions and answers easier.

 

-Is there a way of telling if the engine number matches the original chassis / commission number?

Is there a register somewhere of all triumph build numbers, with detail of all chassis, commission, engine numbers etc?

 

Thanks

 

Pete

[Pete Lewis]

For build data get a certificate from

https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/archive/heritage-certificates

 

 

On replying just go to the 'more posting options 'tab and select your photo from your file and then select ' attach this file ' tab , there is no upload limit.

 

Pete

[John Bonnett]

LHD cars sell at a premium in Europe, perhaps 30% more than a RHD in the UK so perhaps that might be a consideration when thinking about a conversion. From a practical point of view the main works will be modifying the scuttle and bracing to interchange  the master cylinders and battery box.,

[Clive]

About 20 years ago, there were LOADS of such cars (and body parts) being imported from the USA.

So a panel to convert the scuttle and cover the hole where the battery box was, was being produced. They may still be available. Try Chic Doig, Fitchetts and then the other suppliers. But those 2 are the most likely (I think!) to still have a panel. 

[dougbgt6]

Also the wiring loom will need replacing or considerable modification? Can the fuse box stay where it is?

 

My dad converted an American VW fastback in the 80s. He discovered there where LHD and RHD petrol tanks! There's always more work than you first imagine.

[Pete GT6]

Everyone likes pictures!

[Pete GT6]

Pete Lewis - thanks for the info on the build data certificate. And photo posting.

 

John Bonnet - Interesting comment on being 30% premium for LHD in europe, not something I had considered. I don't think selling would be an option once I have sunk all the time and effort into it, but something still to bear in mind.

 

Clive - that is a very valuable bit of info if I do go for a RHD conversion. I will have a search. Does anyone know of any TSSC member who has converted LHD TO RHD?

 

DoughGT6 - as you can now see fro. The photos, it will probably be easier for me to rip out the wiring loom and all electrics and start again!

 

Trying to gauge how much work is involved and if anyone has done it before to try and avoid as many unforseen as possible. Or just leave it a lefty.

Now is prime option opportunity as the car is completely stripped.

 

Thanks all for your help so far.

[John Bonnett]

Hi Pete, thank you for posting the pictures. How nice to see a virtually rust free shell requiring little in the way of serious work.A great find.

 

As far as restoration goes, it's good to have a plan and work methodically. I would try to avoid the temptation of unscrewing and removing every single component. and reducing the car to a pile of bits and jam jars full of nuts and bolts. I've found that it's good to put the screws back in the holes. This avoids the possibility of things being lost and forgetting where and how they were fitted when the time comes to put everything back together. So, if you are planning on removing the body, to do the chassis I would leave it fitted as far as possible. You may want to try to get the engine started before you do anything to see how it sounds. It may be fine and not need any work. 

 

You mention wiring and you are quite right. There will never be a better opportunity to rewire the car and fit a few more fuses and relays. The original system of just three fuses isn't satisfactory  and does make the car vulnerable to an electrical fire and other problems. Many of us have done this and there's a lot of information if you do a search. 

 

Have a look over on the Club Triumph forum Club Torque. There are a number of GT6 restorations recorded there which I think you might find helpful to refer to. 

 

The above comments are based on my own experiences having done a few restorations and I hope they will be helpful. If not, please disregard them 

 

regards

 

John

[AidanT]

Hi Pete,

 

It was some years ago, I thought of doing the same, importing a mk1 from the US and converting it to RHD.

 

I did some investigation then on the different  parts that would be needed and at that point I would have agreed with Clive that the Battery box and plates for the scuttle were available

 

The problem I had was to find a RHD Facia panel PN:904621 that goes behind the wood dash. 

 

That would be my first search before anything else before you make a final decision and start buying parts for a RHD conversion

 

Aidan

[John Bonnett]

That's a very good point Aidan and probably more important than the rhd scuttle. We made a new scuttle for the Lightweight which was fairly straightforward given that I have a folder and swager but the panel behind the dash might be a bit more challenging. 

[Pete GT6]

John, thanks for your comments. I agree with the methodical approach, bolts back in original holes is my approach, I was an engineer for nearly 10 years so follow the same approach.

I'm not too keen to try the engine, as there would be quite alot of work required to get it going again and I want to fully rebuild it anyway. It's only sat on the engine mounts and literally all wiring is just ends hanging every where, carbs would need a strip and rebuild, new dizzy & ht leads, radiator isn't connected etc etc. Also risk damaging things if anything major is wrong such as big ends etc.

 

New wiring and extra fuses sounds good to me, will do some searching as you suggest. I will post a picture of the fuses on the car currently, it will make you laugh!

 

AidanT - of all the bits for a conversion I had thought of, the dash facia panel I thought would be easy to get hold of from an old RHD... O dear!

Do they unbolt or are they welded? I've only had 2days of the car at home to poke about before I had to put it In off site storage in order to keep it dry and remain rust free etc as my current garage has my RB5 in it. So havent been able to investigate these things. I need to build another garage before restoration can commencement.

I will give the likes of Quiller a ring, someone must have a RHD facia panel around.

 

Does anyone have any answers on the mk1 front end I have on a mk2? And can you tell if the front bumper mounts are for the mk1 or mk2 style chrome bumper. The car came with a mk 3 front bumper in the pile of bits, which obviously doesn't fit and also what I think are the lower mounting brackets for a mk1 bumper (bent flat bar with holes in) but think the mounts from the bonnet are for a mk2? So I'm understandabley a little confused as to which it's suposed to be.

 

Thanks all

[Pete GT6]

The fuse box as I found it! Can you spot what's wrong..

[AidanT]

Hi

 

I'm afraid they are welded in and that's part of the problem cutting them out is not an easy job and as you have probably found they are rare. I think the mk2 might be slightly less rare as it might share the same form as the mk3? But I'm not sure on this

 

I like the pic of the fuse box! Wonderful fuse that and the middle missing so no lights then! I upgraded the poor Lucas box on mine there's a thread on here you might find useful

 

Another hard part to get is the dash top which I see is missing You might want to keep an eye out for one of those They sometimes come up on fleabay

 

Aidan

[Pete GT6]

Aidan - you weren't wrong on them being hard to find! I rung around all the breakers and suppliers I could find, I was told by most, they haven't broken a GT6 mk1 or mk2 in years! However..

 

Clive - Thank you for your contact advice of Chic Doig, they had one of everything I needed! Pedal scuttle plate and all pedals, brake master plate, dash rear facia panel, passenger foot plate, battery box and steering column bracket. So I bought the lot as they seem to be as rare as rocking horse doo doo.

Just a new wiring loom and steering rack, but both of these will be new when it comes to it.

 

Pete

[John Bonnett]

Aidan - you weren't wrong on them being hard to find! I rung around all the breakers and suppliers I could find, I was told by most, they haven't broken a GT6 mk1 or mk2 in years! However..

 

Clive - Thank you for your contact advice of Chic Doig, they had one of everything I needed! Pedal scuttle plate and all pedals, brake master plate, dash rear facia panel, passenger foot plate, battery box and steering column bracket. So I bought the lot as they seem to be as rare as rocking horse doo doo.

Just a new wiring loom and steering rack, but both of these will be new when it comes to it.

 

Pete

A good result Pete. you now have work in progress! 

[Pete Lewis]

I guess the helical fuse is an improvenet ona 6" nail !!!!!

 

you have a real task a head, just think of the smile when it launches down the road

 

pete