Although the GT6 is a characterful car, it is quite small (or snug) so if you are very tall or well built you may find it a little cramped inside. Luggage space is not too bad – I frequently carried a lawn mower and a Labrador-Retriever in the back under the tailgate. However there is no privacy so any valuables can be plainly seen – I once lost some tools when I ran out of petrol and left the car to walk to a petrol station.
The first pitfall in buying any mid to late 20th century British car is rust. However, although my GT6 turned out to be a “rust bucket” it did have a sound chassis. Many thorough restorations involve removing the body from the chassis and ideally mounting the body onto a carousel (as below)
However that wasn’t an option for me as I had only a small garage so nowhere to keep both the body and chassis in the dry.
Also, if the body is in poor condition (as mine turned out to be) there is a chance that it is only kept straight by the chassis on which it is mounted! So unless this is an option a good chassis is essential. Mechanical parts are by and large readily accessible as are body panels. A bad chassis will almost certainly be best rectified with the body off.
Unless a comprehensive restoration is desired, there are many parts of the body more prone to rust than others to look out for:-
- The floor. Ingress of water from a leaky windscreen can occumulate under the front carpets so this is the first area to look out for. The windscreen frame itself may have been compromised.
- The rear wings. As mud can be trapped inside the rear wings they can rust, particularly around the wheel arches.
- The floor over the rear differential. This area is also hidden under carpets, and in my case I decided not to “patch” but to replace with a sound floor from a scrap Spitfire or GT6.
- Doors. Door skins are easily replaced as water can accumulate in the door bottoms leading to corrosion.
- The Bonnet. This is not structural but can rust particularly around the front wheel arches. I was fortunate to find a brand new damaged front bonnet. Some may have already been replaced by fibreglass bonnets so test with a magnet!
- The front floor where it meets the front scuttle.
- Rear Wheel arches. These are important as the rear shock absorbers and seat belt mountings rely on the integrity of them.
Mechanically there are also lots of items which suffer from age, wear or both.
- The Engine. This can suffer from various ailments. As the oil pump as originally fitted tends to empty of oil when the car is stationary there may be some bearing knock on start-up. This may not be a problem in itself, but after a reasonable mileage bearings do need replacing. Another area to watch out for is crankshaft end-float which can be detected by looking at the fan mounted at the front when the clutch is depressed. Movement within norms should nor be detectable so if some is apparent the thrust washers may need replacing – an engine-out job unfortunately.
- Gearbox. This takes a lot of punishment from the heavy crankshaft and usually the synchromeshes wear. Jumping out of second is a common fault.
- Suspension. There are lots of items which wear out. The most important is the front uprights. Poor lubrication of the trunnions can lead to breakage which can cause catastrophic failure. Suspension bushes wear out leading the crashing over bumps. Rubber bushes go soft and eventually need replacement. Polyurethane is a popular alternative although this can be a little harder than the original rubber. The rear shock-absorber mountings can rust also.
- Steering. Ball joints can wear on the steering rack as can ribber bushes.
- Electrical. The wiring loom can perish and lead to failures and short circuits. Instruments and switches can fail – all need checking.
- Other items. Clutch, brakes and tyres all need checking. Seat belts can fray.
