Good old GT6 - restore or scrap

"Janet Collins" wrote

It'll never be economically restorable unless you cost your own labour at zero, and possibly not even then. Very few cars ever are. The trouble is that it usually requires as much skilled labour and remanufactured parts to salvage a GT6 - which in immaculate condition is worth, what? - £8 or £9k? -- as it does to salvage an XK140, which is potentially worth £60k.

It follows that most restorers will focus on the XK140s.

So you can't do this for money. You could, however, do it for love.

I've just had a Stag restored. Cost me £25k. It's now worth maybe £15k. It was worth it.

snip

I agree. I don't know much about the GT6, but my Frogeye Sprite rebuild is running up to £4000 for parts and materials. The GT6 is more complex because of the separate chassis. These cars suffer badly from body rattles - a cosmetic restoration will disappoint you. It probably is potentially a nice car but most problems turn out to be 10 times worse than they look. For example, if it's been left for such a long time all the brake cylinders will be seized. Nevertheless it looks as if somebody should restore it. Plan to do it over a long period - the cost won't seem so bad.

Why choose between the two extremes of restoring or scrapping it? I'd do what's needed to wake it up and get an MOT - New brake lines and cylinders, new seals for callipers and master cylinders if reusable, pads, shoes: < 200 pounds. Set of budget tyres: ~ 120 pounds. Exhaust if old one has rusted away: 100-200 pounds. Full service. Assorted hoses, gaiters, bushes, bulbs as required. Total: 600 pounds perhaps? (assuming you're doing the work yourself) Value of sound, useable GT6 with MOT: 1000 pounds?

Then I'd dump the carpets, Waxoyl everything in sight and use it for a year or so. Iron out any problems as they arise and then decide whether to spend more or sell it.

Second that idea. Makes sense, assuming you can live with the current paint job.

We've lived with this car for so long in storage that I now realise I couldn't see the wood for the trees.

No matter how I look at it full restoration doesn't make economic sense but there's no reason not to have a working useable car.

The other point is I realise we do have something special. The car really hasn't had any panels replaced or patches welded on. Even the chassis outriggers don't even have any surface rust.

I stuck an endoscope up the sills, no rust, in the outriggers, no rust.

The other thought of course is that I don't need the car so maybe a longer term restoration is the best bet.

My concern is that I end up getting to the stage where I don't know where to stop.

My last "major" restoration was on a Morgan 4/4. It ended up like Triggers brush from Only Fools and Horses. He had the same brush for 20 years. 12 new handles and 26 new heads but the same brush for 20 years.

The fact remains that it is too good to allow to decay further.

Jan.

In article , The Blue Max writes

Very true, but I would say in this case you DEFINITELY SHOULD do it for love. Sure it may cost as much as a second-hand MX5 but it would be MUCH more distinctive, and much more fun.

I spent about £6000 on having my GT6 restored - not to concourse condition, I wanted to use it. It's probably worth £4000 tops. But mine was a total wreck when I started, and had every single body panel replaced. The one we're discussing here sounds like a bit of mechanical TLC and some minor cosmetic work could bring it to an acceptable standard. Don't try for perfect unless you want to spend stupid money purely in the hope of winning a beauty contest.

Buy all your chrome bits second hand - there are places that break Spitfires and you'll be able to get perfectly serviceable bumpers for a tiny fraction of the "new" cost. And with the quality of some of the reproduction parts, the used option will probably look better three or four years down the line.

Oh, and don't EVER assume the mechanical side is "OK" after a 20 year lay up. You _WILL_ need to replace or refurbish the whole brake system, the clutch, and the cooling system. You will probably need to give the engine significant attention. If it has overdrive you may well need to do something with that, and you'd be well advised to give all the bearings and suspension bits a thorough check over.

Certainly sounds like a nice barnfind.

To good to scrap surely?

You don't have to replace everything with new and there are bargains out there to be had.

Re-price your parts using ebay. Get membership of the TSSC and try a few of the club shows. Stafford is a good one - has a decent sized autojumble. You will find that you can fill your boot up on a Sunday evening with good spares that someone doesn't want to take home - all for a few beers!

In article , Les Rose writes

Nonsense - the separate chassis makes restoration a lot easier. It certainly isn't "more complex". Unless, of course, the chassis itself is badly rotten, but that's quite rare - especially on the earlier ones, the Mk3 chassis is somewhat more prone to rust - and even then you can just replace the chassis.

I thought about buying a new Saab convertible instead of salvaging the Stag. Same sort of money. But the Saab would cost more to keep and in 15 years' time will be at the nadir of its value - basically worthless. The Stag, having been professionally but sympathetically restored, will be 45 years old and appreciating - perhaps not to what it cost, but at least I won't have written off the entire £25k.

Same applies to this GT6. If the owner can live with a mechanical spruce-up to get a driveable budget car, great; if not, think long term and consider what an immaculate GT6 will be worth in 10 years' time. More than the MX for sure.

Not that the value matters. It's the principle. Why have a box everyone's got when you could have something nobody's got?

Indeed - I've previously done substantial bodywork on a 1973 Midget (similar but simlified structure to the Frogeye) and on various Spitfires and GT6s, the latter are far more straightforward to rebuild. The quarter eliptic springs and their associated structure make the Frogeye Sprite quite difficult for a structural restoration. The quarter eliptic rear springs and associated structures put strange stresses through the body. It's the only open sportscar I can think of where the door gaps close at the bottom and open at the top as the rot sets in. Reputedly quite difficult to get straight, though I've not personally restored one. Cheers, Bill.

Do the minimum needed to drive it safety,, enjoy it, decide later.