Follow-Up Visit at Dave’s Place

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After closing off so many of the projects on my list at Dave’s Place a few weeks ago, it was time to go back for the more critical issues we identified, namely replacing rubber motor mounts (probably original ones) and the rubber knuckles in the steering coupling (also probably original), both of which were very deteriorated from 55 years of use, grease, weather, etc.

Below are lists of the items we intended to tackle on this trip.

Engine Compartment

  1. Replace both motor mounts (new replacements)
  2. Replace steering linkage flex coupling (sourced used, in very good shape)

Steering Column

  1. Fix horn, which stopped working after last trip
  2. Install plastic clamshell escutcheons that cover steering column, modify if needed to allow pull-to-flash lights

Instrument Panel

  1. Troubleshoot secondary gauges (fuel, temp) which appear to be working only intermittently
  2. Troubleshoot the light switch, which has a short that causes instrument panel lights to flicker
  3. Replace windscreen washer pump handle (sourced NOS replacement)
  4. Convert to LED bulbs, but need to test them for brightness first — the supplier’s web site makes them look way too bright

Other

  1. Find key code for rear hatch (boot) so I can get a spare key for it
  2. Troubleshoot engine run-on
  3. Determine strategy for addressing interior carpet (needs to be affixed to the interior of body)
  4. Determine strategy for converting firewall surface rust (minor, not pressing, but looks bad)
  5. Determine strategy for restoring dashboard (restorative interest of mine to make it look like it did originally)

The drive to Dave’s Place was cold. It was very cold. The low that night was 24, and I think it may have gotten to 28 by the time I got on the road. Thankfully, I had tested the heater control valve a couple days earlier to determine if the heat would come on or the cable would pop. Fortunately, I had heat.

We kicked the day off strong, with Dave’s assistant getting the car lifted and pulling the engine bolts out. Dave and I started with the steering column, where I mounted the new clamshells and tested the light selector. We made a minor adjustment so that it was wired properly and then decided it would make the most sense for me to come back home and use my Dremel to scale back the clamshell that is restricting the light selector from pulling back enough to flash.

Light Selector Configuration

The vertical function of the selector switch, as we now understand, has a power supply from the light switch in the dash, that lights only the side lights in the top position, main beams in the middle position, and dip beams in the lower position. As also now understand, main beams in England are what we call high beams, and dip beams are low beams. On the pull-to-flash function, the power supply comes from a different line that is always hot, and pulling the selector flashes the high beams regardless of what vertical position the selector is in, or whether the light switch on the instrument panel is in the OFF, LIGHTS, or LIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT PANEL position.

Moving on to the horn, we discovered that the problem wasn’t the horn push in the steering column or the horns, but the relay switch on the firewall. A few minutes later, I had a working horn. The lack of one is very stressful when driving a small British sports car that nobody sees and everybody pulls out in front of.

While Ozzy continued working on the engine to replace the motor mounts, we tackled the instrument panel next. We replaced the windscreen washer, which is essentially a manual vacuum pump that pulls water from a reservoir, through a couple feet of rubber tubing, and spits it out through the jets aimed at the windscreen, which is what we here in the U.S. call a windshield. Dave had sourced a NOS part that looked wonderful and had a working diaphragm to create a vacuum. Honestly, I would have been OK with just looking great (albeit for a lower price), but during testing we realized that there is a break in the tubing somewhere. So, I’ll order tubing to replace what is probably the original lines from 1967, test it, and then install the new water bottle since the current one (also an original) is broken.

While we were the in the dash, we replaced the wiper switch — this was a cosmetic desire, and the NOS part we found was really nice since it was unused. I hate paying the premium cost these rare switches command these days, but it really does look good in the dash. We also discovered that the short in the headlight switch, which caused the instrument panel lights to flicker, was not a loose connection, but a failing switch. We managed to find another NOS part for it.

The LED bulbs were not really something I was particularly interested in using. I had looked at the vendor’s web site and they looked bright. I mean really bright. Dave assured me that I would love then if I saw them, and since we were in the instrument panel, it would be silly not to throw a couple into the gauges and see how they look. They are truly amazing. While I’m sure new incandescent bulbs in the gauges would probably be better than the aged once currently in there, the LED bulbs really were crisp and not at all over-the-top. They are about $8 each (as opposed to maybe $2) but given their lifespan and the fact that my eyes are getting old, it made sense to come back and order LED bulbs, and I’ll change them myself in the coming days.

Other than some topics to talk with Dave about, the only real item remaining that I wanted to get addressed was the lack of a spare key for the rear hatch. Dad only had a spare ignition key, but the door key had a Triumph key code on it, so I was able to order a spare door key. The hatch key was a copy made on a non-original blank and I couldn’t find a key code inside the lock on the barrel. Dave compared the key I had to his stash of keys hoping to find a match, but after a few minutes, he got frustrated, walked off, and returned with a bunch of lock wafers (what people think of as tumblers). Within 3-4 minutes, he had rekeyed my rear hatch lock to use my door key. Man, that’s an improvement.

Now I just need to find someone to decompose my ignition key into it’s key cut codes so I can order a new key if I ever need to.

The drive back to Raleigh was as painful as the last time — stressful with the tail end of rush hour. People drive like such jerks these days. I got back around 8:30 and got to sleep, exhausted like last time.

I have a few remaining task to do to close out most of the projects I wanted to prioritize. I have some less-urgent ones to start on in the coming weeks, but I feel good about where I am with the GT6. When I’m driving it, I find myself wondering if my grandfather would have ever guessed that the little sports car he was about to give to his son-in-law would still be around nearly four decades later and driven by his grandson.