Iain T Posted September 16, 2021 Report Share Posted September 16, 2021 8 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said: it's the getting out. A back surgeon told me the best way is like a "lady" keep your knees together swivel your bum and plant your feet on the pavement. Then get your wife to give you a big push! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted September 16, 2021 Report Share Posted September 16, 2021 Mum & Dad used to smoke constantly. We had the lounge decorated every year because of the nicotine stain on the wall. I'm sure that the room was considerably smaller in the end. Now, that's the similarity to a Spitfire & GT6. They all seemed bigger when you were younger, a bit like a sort of TARDIS in reverse. As for the heaters.... haven't got a clue, but brings the thread back on track?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain T Posted September 16, 2021 Report Share Posted September 16, 2021 20 minutes ago, Badwolf said: nicotine stain on the wall. Aah I remember the yellow ceilings! As to heaters I don't really drive my Vitesse much in the winter but the heater fan does sort of keep the windscreen clear. I think I read the PO used a Golf matrix? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted September 16, 2021 Report Share Posted September 16, 2021 31 minutes ago, Iain T said: keep your knees together swivel your bum and plant your feet on the pavement. You haven't got a GT6 have you? You have to grasp your right ankle and lift your foot through the door, because your leg is no longer flexible enough to do it on it's own. Similarly with the left ankle. You will now be swivelled in the seat and facing the door. NEXT both hands behind your head forcing it down so your back and neck bend just enough for your head to clear the doorway. Now roll forward supporting yourself on the wheel arch, if you're lucky you make it to vertical, if not you're on the floor. And you're out! Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain T Posted September 16, 2021 Report Share Posted September 16, 2021 8 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said: if you're lucky you make it to vertical, if not you're on the floor. And you're out! That's not fun and why I like my Vitesse, lots of headroom and getting in and out is a doddle. However the GT6 is a lovely looking car. I had a drive in an original Ford GT40 and although the gull wing doors helped it was the high rocker panels which incorporated the fuel tanks that made for the uninitiated (me) the only way out was on all fours. Probably easier if you're 5 foot 6 and 10 stone.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted September 16, 2021 Report Share Posted September 16, 2021 31 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said: You haven't got a GT6 have you? You have to grasp your right ankle and lift your foot through the door, because your leg is no longer flexible enough to do it on it's own. Similarly with the left ankle. You will now be swivelled in the seat and facing the door. NEXT both hands behind your head forcing it down so your back and neck bend just enough for your head to clear the doorway. Now roll forward supporting yourself on the wheel arch, if you're lucky you make it to vertical, if not you're on the floor. And you're out! Doug ..you do the okey cokey and you turn around .... then, in the case of a Spitfire...you unceremoniously fall out onto the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Truman Posted September 16, 2021 Report Share Posted September 16, 2021 Re the GT heater esp the demisters has the dash top been recovered the early Spit & GT had the same windscreen frame and the daughters Spit had the dash top recovered when we got it on one wet club run I’d shut the cabin heater vents putting all the heater air to the windscreen, there was no effect. A bit of a bugger to manually keep the screen clear on the 200klm home run. When I got the car into the garage and dried out dropped the hood I looked down from the top of the windscreen with a small torch and to my surprise the vinyl dash cover had not been cut under the demister vent. I obviously with great difficulty due to the windscreen rake got a razor style knife thro the demister slot and cut it, Ithen with greater difficulty removed the demister covers and with a seriously bent small electric soldering iron blade carefully melted the vinyl along where I’d cut the slot. The hardest job was yet to come putting the demister covers back all very tight and you have to hold the demister trumpet below the dash in place whilst you put the screws back. In retrospect probably easier to remove windscreen glass or even the full windscreen frame. I’d love a GT6 but at a bulky 6ft 2 once in I’d be in it for life! I drive my mates E Type conv/roadster quite a bit and with the small doors, very wide sills, and ridiculous short leg room that’s quite a challenge, but hopefully his medical condition will improve so I don’t have to continue being a contortionist. By comparison getting into and out of the daughtersMk2 Spit is easy just have to take my hat off and comb my hair every time, and once in the leg room is fantastic, I can easily drive 3 hrs without a break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted September 17, 2021 Report Share Posted September 17, 2021 16 hours ago, dougbgt6 said: You haven't got a GT6 have you? You have to grasp your right ankle and lift your foot through the door, because your leg is no longer flexible enough to do it on it's own. Similarly with the left ankle. You will now be swivelled in the seat and facing the door. NEXT both hands behind your head forcing it down so your back and neck bend just enough for your head to clear the doorway. Now roll forward supporting yourself on the wheel arch, if you're lucky you make it to vertical, if not you're on the floor. And you're out! Doug How I remember falling out onto the ground then levering myself out, after a long run. I used to put my right shoulder against the b-post and lever myself up using that. I still can't get used to the luxury of just stepping into the Herald... however the Gt6 was a very comfortable driving position once in and settled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DVD3500 Posted September 17, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2021 I got to ride in a Spitfire this week for the first time in a long time... felt really good! On the way home we put the top up and I forgot to duck so I have scratches on both sides of my head... once from getting in and once from getting out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DVD3500 Posted March 23, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2022 Reviving this thread a bit... I saw in the this thread: different types of heaters etc. My dash will be pretty custom any way so I am thinking maybe it would be worth replicating the GT6 style dash and just adding ducting to the side of the heater box under the dash after all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjit Posted March 24, 2022 Report Share Posted March 24, 2022 I've done something similar on my Spitfire, but rather than hacking the heater box about I went for adding some plumbing "Y" pieces into the screen vent hoses to feed both the screen vents and dash eyeballs. Takes a bit of squeezing in and the plumbing "Y" pieces needed a bit of sanding to get their o/d down to match the hose i/d but just about fits behind the dash. Only issue is that just highlighted how asthmatic the aging blower is so on to trying to source/fit a modern motor/fan - along with wiring in a hazard switch to the dash and turning into a Covid hermit which means I'm actually back 3 steps and trying to get the starter motor to turn over and bring the beast out of a 9-ish month slumber... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted March 24, 2022 Report Share Posted March 24, 2022 This is a long thread, and I'm sorry, I'm not about to read right through it! But it's strange to hear that a GT6 heater is inadequate! Usually a GT6 is a car so hot inside that people say you should drive it in shorts! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted March 24, 2022 Report Share Posted March 24, 2022 1 minute ago, JohnD said: This is a long thread, and I'm sorry, I'm not about to read right through it! But it's strange to hear that a GT6 heater is inadequate! Usually a GT6 is a car so hot inside that people say you should drive it in shorts! Indeed! Right at the beginning I pointed out that GT6 dashboard vents are cold only, Triumph's solution to getting the temperature down. I contemplated taking the heater out of circuit all together, but patching and sealing the bulkhead makes it almost bearable. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DVD3500 Posted March 24, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2022 The whole thing started with two things happening with the rabbits between my ears moving levers in a violent fashion: 1. Once I bought the hard top I remembered how my windows on my Spitfire would fog up when driving in the dead on a Michigan winter 2. I remember seeing the eyeball vents on the GT6 and thought it might help by redirecting the air to the windows. As I said I plan on using the car year-round and while I doubt I will have to deal with meter high snow here in Southwest Germany we get a lot of cold, wet days and the next worst thing to not being seen is not being able to see! A Smart/Micra fan should be pretty easy to come by. I really want to make it work with the existing switches I highly doubt my motor will create as much heat as the inline 6. 1 hour ago, Mjit said: I've done something similar on my Spitfire, but rather than hacking the heater box about I went for adding some plumbing "Y" pieces into the screen vent hoses to feed both the screen vents and dash eyeballs. Takes a bit of squeezing in and the plumbing "Y" pieces needed a bit of sanding to get their o/d down to match the hose i/d but just about fits behind the dash. Only issue is that just highlighted how asthmatic the aging blower is so on to trying to source/fit a modern motor/fan - along with wiring in a hazard switch to the dash and turning into a Covid hermit which means I'm actually back 3 steps and trying to get the starter motor to turn over and bring the beast out of a 9-ish month slumber... Were these the standard Y pieces seen in the thread I linked? I plan on more or less rewiring everything to make it as daily usable as possible without deviating too much from the standard layout. Crazy things on my list: Rear window defogger for the hard top Heated (and possibly massage) for the seats Front/Rear fog DLR ight (see other thread ) Relays for the headlights LEDs where it is legal i.e. in the dash and for the heater controls etc etc. I won't be putting in a radio so I have that space for additional switches etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted March 24, 2022 Report Share Posted March 24, 2022 dooesnt matter if its a 6 pot or 4 pot the std european thermostat is 82C on both some 1500 went to 88C later in life to aid weaker mixtures for emmision results Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted March 24, 2022 Report Share Posted March 24, 2022 For demisting windscreen and windows, I recommend gutter downpipe angled connectors! Installed into holes drilled in the windows, these are effective by both bringing in, and by rotating them extracting, the air. They are of course hand adjustable, and enable fine control of a balance between ventilation and cooling. I realise they may not suit many, but they work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Twitchen Posted March 24, 2022 Report Share Posted March 24, 2022 4 hours ago, JohnD said: Usually a GT6 is a car so hot inside that people say you should drive it in shorts! 4 hours ago, dougbgt6 said: GT6 dashboard vents are cold only, Very true and a heater was an optional extra on a Mk1. As for dashboard vents that's way too luxurious! Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjit Posted March 25, 2022 Report Share Posted March 25, 2022 20 hours ago, DVD3500 said: Were these the standard Y pieces seen in the thread I linked You mean the seemingly unbtainable standard GT6 Y pieces? No, just some standard plastic plumbing Y pieces from the local DIY store. Not original but hidden out of sight and cost pennies rather than an arm and a leg! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DVD3500 Posted March 25, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2022 Thanks1 I forget, is it possible to close off the airflow on the eyeball vents? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted March 25, 2022 Report Share Posted March 25, 2022 Yes. You direct them by moving the entire ball but there's a twist button in the centre that opens / closes them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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