As I get started...

This fall and winter (before the shop just gets too cold) I will start on my GT6 project. If you look at reader rides you can see that it is red right now but I want to bring it back to the dark blue that it was. I want your opinions on how to proceed.

Here is what needs to be done and how I am thinking about doing it. If you see a flaw in my thinking please chime in. Or if you have a better way of approaching the task - don't be shy!

What needs to be done, besides paint: Rust areas fixed (minor, amazingly!!!); new seals for all the glass; new door seals; new hatch seals; new carpet; new wood dash; suspension R&R'd; carbies fitted (redone by PO - thanks Hans!); new tires; new fuel line; new wire harness; new battery tray...

So here is what I am thinking on how to proceed. I don't know if this will be a full frame off but at this time I don't think so. So... Pull bonnet; pull radiator; pull engine and transmission; pull all hydraulics; pull front suspension; without going on for every detail I will work my way back so all I have is the shell. I was planning on stripping the car myself and then taking it to a body shop for repair. I am still up in the air if I am going to paint it myself or not.

I guess I will have to renew the suspension and get it to a rolling chassis... or should I get it down to a shell take it to the body shop, then strip the suspension?

I might be opening a can of worms, but I want to do this one right the first time... what have you all done and in what order?

Thanks, Tad

Don't replace the tires, until you are nearly ready to hit the road. Especially, if you have a family. Sometimes projects take longer than you expect and tires have a shelf life.

Jack

Jack, that was one of my mistakes on my Land Rover project! I got new wheels and went out and got tires right away... now they are starting to check with very few miles on them.

That's just about what happened on my TR8. I have some nearly new, but old tires.

For what it's worth, I nearly always try to do rolling restorations, where the car is down for the winter only, not for years. I say nearly, as the TR8 was on jackstands for 4 years; suspension, floors and megasquirt. If you don't have a lot of body/frame work, this could work for you. You get to enjoy the car a lot more early on, as well as figure out what really needs to be fixed and what work you have done that could have been done better.

Then again, some folks like to just do the frame off, full restoration at once.

Jack

Now days its a good idea to hold off on all the suspension bushings as they seem to have a shelf life(short) as well... a friend did the chassis and the two years he spent on the body/interior/etc, the bushings all had to be replaced again???