Are cars less characterful than they used to be?

[Yertis]

I changed my voltage stabiliser week before last. Fiddly job isn't it. Stupid Triumph putting it there. Also had that same problem with the overdrive wiring breaking in the stick (on the way to a David Lee Roth gig in my case). One other wiring thing I strongly advise you check carefully is the plastic unit that takes the wiring through the bulkhead. Actually that is the fusebox isn't it. In my case it became unclipped from the bulkhead, and he bulkhead quickly sawed its way through the big fat brown ignition live wire, to cause smoke and exasperation in the cabin. So check that it's securely clipped in place.

Amazing that this GT6 stuff is all so fresh 30 years later. Loved that car, and vicariously enjoying yours

[Turbobanana]

Yertis said:

I changed my voltage stabiliser week before last. Fiddly job isn't it. Stupid Triumph putting it there. Also had that same problem with the overdrive wiring breaking in the stick (on the way to a David Lee Roth gig in my case). One other wiring thing I strongly advise you check carefully is the plastic unit that takes the wiring through the bulkhead. Actually that is the fusebox isn't it. In my case it became unclipped from the bulkhead, and he bulkhead quickly sawed its way through the big fat brown ignition live wire, to cause smoke and exasperation in the cabin. So check that it's securely clipped in place.

Amazing that this GT6 stuff is all so fresh 30 years later. Loved that car, and vicariously enjoying yours

Thanks Yertis, great knowledge again there. I'll be back in the garage next week so I'll check the extensive(!) fuse box when I do.

Future projects include retrimming the seats (well, rebuilding the seats) and re-veneering the dash. Watched a few videos of the latter and some of the results are astonishing. Also need to get some grommets into the bulkhead: my aquatic experience on the drive home has soaked the footwell carpets, which I didn't notice until last night.

Also, I removed the radio / CD player: it was modern, and looked crap in the dash. I'm no fan of radios in cars anyway.

[Turbobanana]

Alright, been a while, and although not really a "Readers' Cars" thread yet, here's an update.

It seems I mistook "character" for "pain in the arse".

The parts arrived for the rebuild / rewire of the gear lever, however nothing appeared to fit so most has been abandoned and only the wiring and switch were eventually used. I now no longer get an electric shock when operating the overdrive. That said, the overdrive now doesn't work: I can hear it trying but there's no drop in revs when driving. I've been using it a bit anyway: the lack of overdrive for short commutes is less important than it would be for longer runs. No apparent repetition of the fuse blowing, so I assume the voltage stabiliser replacement was worth it.

Some friends had an accident in their car, which has now gone for repair, so my wife kindly (?) offered her Ford Fiasco as a replacement, meaning the 6 would be needed as the second car for a week or two. No problem - I'll give it some time on Sunday to sort a few issues: driver's door window tricky to operate, check oil & water, tyre pressures, give it a clean etc. You know: common sense stuff that will keep it functioning for a week or two.

All went well: oil & water levels good, fixed the window by installing the regulator correctly (!), cleaned the windows inside & out and put some RainX on the 'screen because the drought appears to be over. Toddle off to Tesco to check the tyre pressures. All seemed good... until I went to replace the dust caps. I heard hissing.

Now, Milton Keynes is not known for its indigenous snake population, so hissing at a service station can only mean a tyre deflating. Sure enough, the nearside front was losing pressure through the valve. Rapidly. Replacing the dust cap slowed it down but didn't stop it. I uttered a few words that shouldn't be repeated here, inflated it to well past its recommended level and drove swiftly home - only half a mile or so, fortunately.

Once back on the driveway the car sat so low I couldn't get my trolley jack underneath it, so I put some more air in the tyre from a plug-in compressor and drove the car onto a small pile of wood. It was tempting to ignite the wood at this point, but I resisted. Instead I jacked it up and removed the wheel.

Of the 4 wheels & tyres that came with the car, the best tyre was selected and offered up as a temporary, it'll-look-crap-but-keep-me-mobile measure. Naturally the wheel nuts used to secure the unidentified slot-mags wouldn't fit the standard steel wheels, so feeling as deflated as the damn tyre I reassembled, shoved the whole lot back in the garage and retired to beer and a roast dinner.

I have ordered some wheel nuts (best part of £70!!), in a pre-emptive move ahead of fitting a set of steel wheels eventually. Upon arrival I will change the flat, take it to a local tyre fitter to see if they can do anything with the weird, angled valve and then refit as I hate cars with non-matching wheels. End goal is a set of 5.5J steelies, as already mentioned.

So, apologies for the long, rambling post (rant), but I wanted to get the frustration off my chest. Ahhh, that's better.

Ultimately, once we get the Fiasco back, I think I'll have to get the car to a classic-friendly local garage to have a go at the overdrive: it really needs to work but it's beyond my abilities. The further I get into this, the more I think the car resprayed (badly) and just thrown back together with no attention to detail. There is no sound deadening - anywhere (I've ordered some). Overspray is rife. The exhaust catches on the chassis. Lots of little things - but they all add up. Last night I was ready to torch it.

On a positive note - it clears the speed bumps on our estate. That was one of the reasons I was put off a TVR.

Onward...

[C70R]

I think we've at least answered the "why" part of the thread title...

[Turbobanana]

C70R said:

I think we've at least answered the "why" part of the thread title...

There wasn't a "why" in the thread title, but funnily enough "why" was one of the words I used frequently last night.

Others were f**k, t**t, s**t, b******s, b*****d and w****r.

But I take your point.

[Yertis]

Turbobanana said:

Typical Triumph stuff

Have you purchased the official workshop manual yet TB? It'll make things a lot easier. With re the overdrive, IIRC there's a relay in the circuit. Worth finding that and checking the contacts. The solenoid on the D-Type overdrive is a known weak-spot and that would be my next port of call. Not that expensive or difficult to change.

Sorry to hear it's turning into a chore

[Turbobanana]

Yertis said:

Turbobanana said:

Typical Triumph stuff

Have you purchased the official workshop manual yet TB? It'll make things a lot easier. With re the overdrive, IIRC there's a relay in the circuit. Worth finding that and checking the contacts. The solenoid on the D-Type overdrive is a known weak-spot and that would be my next port of call. Not that expensive or difficult to change.

Sorry to hear it's turning into a chore

Thanks once again for the support, Yertis. "Chore" is probably a bit harsh, but the focus for this week is on getting it back on the road in some usable form,however scrappy it looks.

Will definitely look at the OD relay when I get a chance though

[QBee]

I too am disappointed for you. Ok, we know that when you buy a 50 year old car you run the risk of niggles being tricky to fix, but you deserved better luck.
They were much simpler cars back then, but this one seems quite complex compared to the 1967 Mini that I used to pull apart and spanner myself back in the day (perish the thought now).

Good luck ongoing wth your GT6 adventure. I should be getting my TVR back from an engine rebuild any day now. I will think of you when I finally get to drive it again, both of us in characterful cars. And yes, cars are less characterful than they used to be.

[Turbobanana]

QBee said:

I too am disappointed for you. Ok, we know that when you buy a 50 year old car you run the risk of niggles being tricky to fix, but you deserved better luck.
They were much simpler cars back then, but this one seems quite complex compared to the 1967 Mini that I used to pull apart and spanner myself back in the day (perish the thought now).

Good luck ongoing wth your GT6 adventure. I should be getting my TVR back from an engine rebuild any day now. I will think of you when I finally get to drive it again, both of us in characterful cars. And yes, cars are less characterful than they used to be.

Thanks QBee, appreciated.

I always knew that going from a "youngtimer" 31-year-old Saab to a proper classic would involve some shenanigans, so I'm not too disappointed. It's more a sense of frustration and, with the acquired knowledge of the intervening 50 years, a feeling of exasperation and "why did they do it like that?"

In other news, my cherished plate application has made it through the postal strike and is safely in the hands of the DVLA for processing - I never realised historic status cars had to be done by post. Luckily the previous keeper had it MoT'd in July - about the only thing he did right, I think. It's nothing special, just a 3 x 3 dateless plate I acquired years ago with a free Volvo 340 attached, but it makes it more personal to me. Perhaps I'll love the car a bit more once that's on it.

Enjoy what's left of the summer in your TVR.

Onward.

[Yertis]

These are in essence very reliable cars, I ran mine as a daily for five years and drove all over the country in it.



I think they always look much bigger in pics than they actually are.

[Turbobanana]

Yertis said:

These are in essence very reliable cars, I ran mine as a daily for five years and drove all over the country in it.



I think they always look much bigger in pics than they actually are.

5.5J steelies...

Agree they look bigger in pics. Look good in white, too. Mine is apparently Wedgewood Blue, according to the tin of paint that came with it. Not an original GT6 / Spitfire colour, but at least from the BLMC stable at the time.

[P5BNij]

Turbobanana said:

Yertis said:

These are in essence very reliable cars, I ran mine as a daily for five years and drove all over the country in it.



I think they always look much bigger in pics than they actually are.

5.5J steelies...

Agree they look bigger in pics. Look good in white, too. Mine is apparently Wedgewood Blue, according to the tin of paint that came with it. Not an original GT6 / Spitfire colour, but at least from the BLMC stable at the time.

There used to be a pair of them I saw regularly round here in the '90s, both on K reg' plates and both immaculate, one was a very similar shade to the Bahama yellow that Aston Martin and Porsche used to use, the other was in BL black tulip, which really suited it. They sort of disappeared and shortly afterwards I found out from a neighbour that they both belonged to the same bloke and he used them alternately on different days.

Best of luck with yours TB, keep us posted on your progress

[Turbobanana]

P5BNij said:

Turbobanana said:

Yertis said:

These are in essence very reliable cars, I ran mine as a daily for five years and drove all over the country in it.



I think they always look much bigger in pics than they actually are.

5.5J steelies...

Agree they look bigger in pics. Look good in white, too. Mine is apparently Wedgewood Blue, according to the tin of paint that came with it. Not an original GT6 / Spitfire colour, but at least from the BLMC stable at the time.

There used to be a pair of them I saw regularly round here in the '90s, both on K reg' plates and both immaculate, one was a very similar shade to the Bahama yellow that Aston Martin and Porsche used to use, the other was in BL black tulip, which really suited it. They sort of disappeared and shortly afterwards I found out from a neighbour that they both belonged to the same bloke and he used them alternately on different days.

Best of luck with yours TB, keep us posted on your progress

Thanks Nij. I've just learned that Wedgewood Blue was in fact a standard GT6 colour, but under mine I suspect is the original French Blue. And some red. And...

[Gemaeden]

I have happy memories of Historic Rallying in a GT6. What rear suspension does it have? I think some of the late cars used the Spitfire swing spring, but am not sure. If not, it might be an idea to check the rear suspension where the wishbone meets the upright. The long bolt frequently seizes, so if it can easily be removed it would be an idea so to do and apply plenty of copper grease when you reassemble it.

[Duke Caboom]

Low gearbox oil can stop the overdrive working, I think. Could be an easy fix. Also I think there is an inhibitor switch which you may disturb fiddling with the wiring.

Its been over 30 years since i had my last overdrive car, so maybe I've miss remembered.

[P5BNij]

Duke Caboom said:

Low gearbox oil can stop the overdrive working, I think. Could be an easy fix. Also I think there is an inhibitor switch which you may disturb fiddling with the wiring.

Its been over 30 years since i had my last overdrive car, so maybe I've miss remembered.

I had a similar problem with the overdrive switch in my '73 S2 XJ6 a few years ago, the Jag specialist who was working on the car at the time sorted it by removing the switch from the gear knob renewing the wiring and refitting it. Using the switch in fourth was a joy and with a very slight dip of the clutch it was seemless. (I miss that car).

Turbobanana - that wedgewood blue is a nice shade, it might even be the same one used one used on series one Rover P6s, it's probably not that far off iris blue that was seen on early MGBs. There's evidence of two previous resprays on my '68 Cooper, there are still traces of metallic red and island blue in one of the voluminous door pockets

[Turbobanana]

Duke Caboom said:

Low gearbox oil can stop the overdrive working, I think. Could be an easy fix. Also I think there is an inhibitor switch which you may disturb fiddling with the wiring.

Its been over 30 years since i had my last overdrive car, so maybe I've miss remembered.

Thanks Duke, another simple thing to check.

[QBee]

I'll be collecting the TVR on Saturday by the sound of it, and if the fuelling is not too rich (which would involve a remap first) I will be driving it from collection onwards. I need to do 1000 miles running in, in just 10 days, so I am busdy working out "essential business trips" . Well that's what I am telling the domestic goddess.

Then it's the TVR Car Club track day on the 21st at Cadwell Park. There will be TVRs there from the 1960s to to last cars in 2006, so quite interesting. Free entry to watch, and my car is quite recognisable, so if you come along do come and say hello.

[sideways man]

TB, if you do get fed up with it, I’ll take it off your hands

Only joking; these really are mechanically simple, if infuriating as any old car.
Stick with it;spend a few months fettling and next summer will be glorious.
You were spoiled by owning that Saab, not a ‘70s Brit!

[niva441]

Turbobanana said:

Duke Caboom said:

Low gearbox oil can stop the overdrive working, I think. Could be an easy fix. Also I think there is an inhibitor switch which you may disturb fiddling with the wiring.

Its been over 30 years since i had my last overdrive car, so maybe I've miss remembered.

Thanks Duke, another simple thing to check.

My B GT's gearbox runs a total loss system, the overdrive being slow to operate, or not engaging, is a reminder to check the level.