BritishV8 Forum

i've got a '70 gt6 i'm doing a few mods on,and it was pretty much a basket case when i started on it.while most of the interior stuff was there,it was mostly piled into the back,and the electrical system was non-functional.
i won't be able to make the interior exactly like it was stock,but would like to get it as close as i can under the circumstances.so i have some questions about what goes where,my searches for information have not turned up much.

first,just below and at either side of the heater controls there is a red indicator light of some sort.any idea what these are for?

next,there's a rectangular switch at either side of the fuel/temp guages.could someone please tell me what these are for?

i'll have other questions about where things go and what does what,but i'll start with those.

any help is much appreciated.

Hi Tom,

I have never owned a GT6 but I'm a Spitfire man and Triumph fan, so I'll hazard a guess for you.

The red indicator lights will be Brakes (Hand brake/Parking brake) warning, and possibly seatbelt warning although this would depend on whether you have an illuminated hazard light switch between the main Speedo and Tacho.

The vertical switches either side of the fuel and Temp guages will be main exterior lights and interior (roof ) light.

from your description I guess that your instrument/switch layout is like the bottom one in the photo.

Hope this helps.

Graham

thanks...that helps a lot,and yes...the bottom panel is the same as mine(but that one is way nicer-i still have to replace the wood on mine)

while most of the car is custom,i'd like to have it so anyone familliar with the gt6 will feel at home behind the wheel.

there's another thing i can't figure out where it goes,though the description from victoria auto's catalog should narrow it down some-that's the 'knee pads'.i don't see anywhere obvious that these things would go.

any ideas?

Tom,

That's an easy one, they go either side of the transmission tunnel between the centre tunnel cover and the H shaped dashboard support.
The fat ends of the knee pads being at the front. The fat ends should have a thin lip which tucks inbetween the tunnel cover and the H section.

I have attached a couple of photo's of mine. The one from the drivers side is difficult to see as the wheel is in the way, but the passenger side knee pad can be seen at the bottom left of the second photo. In this photo you can also see the centre tunnel cover which the thin ends of the pads tuck under, and the handbrake cover/armrest which complete the centre trim.

Your GT6 sounds incredible with a 5.3L V12 Jag in it - I would love to see a photo.

Graham

thank you much.i figured it must be somewhere around there,but nothing seemed like they just fell into place.

on mine,space is a bit tighter,but i may still be able to incorporate them.as for the pics,i have a build thread in the project journals.it's still under construction but is taking shape nicely.should be on the road by spring.

Tom,
You started this post with "i've got a '70 gt6 i'm doing a few mods on" - I've just had a look at your project journal - more than a few mods there! That is fantastic work.

This winter I am thinking of getting rid of my air scoop on the hood and fitting a Mr Gasket Air scoop 6658 with butterfly valves to poke through the hood. Problem is they want £375 ($591 USD) for one in the UK wheras they are listed at $272 in the USA on http://www.summitracing.com.

Your project journal has inspired me to have a go at building my own.


Graham

Tom your project is pretty amazing.  I have one question for you, when it is done how are you getting it out of your basement?

Cheers

Byron

graham,i'm flattered that you were inspired to try fabricating your own scoop.if there's any tips i can give you,let me know.i'm pretty familliar with aluminum fab.

bwa,that's a question i get all the time.
you see,at this point i'm fitting everything but just tacking it all for the most part.once all the fitting is done and i have an essentially complete car,it all must be disassembled to do all the finish welding and painting before i do the final assembly.it is at this point that i'll take it out to my work shed a piece at a time,weld,paint,and assemble.

then i'll drive it!

Hey Tom,
I don't often check out the project journals. But after seeing your post about a few mods, and the fact that you are a left coaster, I thought I had better check it out.
I was absolutely blown away!
What a cool car.
Your casual demeanor compliments an impressive talent!
I can hardly wait to see the finished project.
By the way I worked up there when I was a teenager. You live in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Cheers
Fred

thanks,fred.

i love it here-been on the islands for 6 years now after leaving the vancouver area.it's so peaceful,i can get to my projects with little disturbance and when the conditions are good,the boat launch is about a minute from my house so i can take advantage of some of the best salmon and halibut fishing in the world.
just wish i'd come up here twenty years sooner.

the people here are getting used to crazy machines emerging from my little hideaway,this one may cause a bit of a stir:)

here's my daily driver-

VERY impressive build indeed! How long have you been working on it?

JB

just over a year.i started on it sept 2,2010,then went pretty steady with it till about may.i get pretty busy working on sport fishing boats about that time so i set it aside till this september.it's good to be back at it,and the break actually helped clear up my mind on the project.
i'm looking good for a spring unveiling...before the boats start taking over my time again.

Spectacular build, brilliantly documented!

thanks curtis.the build post is getting pretty long(i think there's actually more than 100 photos on it now).
how do i know when it has to go to a second page?i've still got some photos to put up to get it up to date.

Tom, since you're linking-in "photobucket" images they don't count against the 100.

Apparently the message board software limits the number of characters typed (or maybe it's the amount of memory used) per post, but I don't even know what the limit is let alone how to increase it. Others have found that the system seems to max out, at which time it won't accept further updates. Easy work-around: "part 2".  With the Project Journal section, we're using the message board software for something the original programmers didn't envision - but the journals include some of the most exciting content on this website, so I'm reluctant to make changes.

excellent.

i'll carry on,then.

Tom, for one about year's work that's just phenomenal.

The guy who gave you the engine... wouldn't be Chris would it?

JB

no,his name was pat doyle.

he passed away about four years ago...i wish he could be around to see his engine isn't being wasted.

i had no idea he was dying when he gave it to me,i only found out when the obituary showed up in the local paper,then got some more information from his best friend afterward.he figures pat would be pleased with what's being done with it,i'll be putting a small plaque on the cowl under the hood in his memory.

he was also a builder of unusual machines,and worked as a millwright in a local sawmill.

he was a stickler for maintenance-the inside of the engine looks like the day it came out of the factory.

Tom just got done looking at the write up on the GT6. Looks like quite a project and you appear to have more than a few talents. Very creative. Thanks for sharing.  John

thanks to you,sir.

i figured if anyone would appreciate what i'm up to here,it would be the patrons of a site such as this.i've been going through some of the other builds and articles,and from what i've seen so far there are many talented individuals displaying their wares here.

i feel priveleged to be counted among them.

Oh you definitely fit in here Tom. I was wondering though if you don't mind... What  year and model BMW did you get your hinges from that you used for your bonnet?

JB

it's the one pictured in the journal,which also donated the front suspension parts.and that would be a '97 328i.
and for those that think i butchered a perfectly good bimmer,don't worry.what the picture doesn't show is all the damage to the rear,and the fact it sat in a haida gwaii impound yard for two years with no back window.
let's just say that if it were only the body damage,it may have been saveable...but the water and mold damage to the interior made it a hopeless cause.

still runs good though...anyone need a good bimmer motor?

actually-i have the gt6 motor/trans still.it's a good runner(needs carbs rebuilt)and i would let it go to anyone willing to spring for the shipping.i'd hate to have to scrap it.

of course,being on an island off the remote north coast of b.c. won't make for cheap shipping,either.