1978/79 GTS

[Vinay-RS]

Brilliant stuff! That colour and the attention to detail on the restoration are great to see. Will this car be getting front discs? Looks like drums on that subframe?

[GTSPhil]

Ja Vinay well spotted.

I ran drum brake hubs to tow the car as that was what I had laying around since I sold the disc brake hubs and cv joints to a client with Cooper 7.5 inch brakes.  I have since the strip down started sourced two brand new disc brake hubs and will also include new wheel bearings and ball joints and cv joints.  This car normally runs METRO four pot calipers and vented discs in front and the spacered drums at the rear.  If you have a look further back on the build thread you will see said items.  This is a very powerful car since the last up-grades, I do not want to run out of brakes.

[Vinay-RS]

Ah nice. Those will provide some serious stopping power and will be a nice upgrade from the standard 8.4" brakes.

[Miniac]

I've always had a soft spot for a yellow clubby, it being a GTS makes it more admirable. Keep up the good work Philip

[Minimad]

Well done Phil, lots of attention to detail..... your GTS is going to be a stunner.

[GTSPhil]

Thanks Miniac and Minimad.

It was now onto the lights, the head lights to be more precise.

The head light bowls was not removed on the previous resprays, so they looked like this.

No good   

   


After some time, they looked like this.

   


The head lamp rubber sealing rings, old crusty on the right new shiny on the left.


   



Head light bowl fitted with inner metal headlamp bowl


   

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The head lights and their inner chrome retaining rims was next, the retaining rims needed some serious cleaning....


   


After some TLC

     



Fitted to the car and process repeated for both headlights.....


   

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Next the side lamps.

   


From the rear....


   


The all important plate that separates the two lenses.  Also got cleaned up with the lenses.

   


After some cleaning up and stripping old paint etc off the LH one...


   

I recently brought these with me from the UK,  the seal to the body and the seal to the lens, these have never been fitted to the side lamps the whole time I have had this car.

   

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First the lamp to lens seal.


   


Then the body to light seal.


   


On the RH side this little reflector was missing, so I sourced it from my shed and cleaned it up.


   


Then the next thing I noticed is the silver strip around the inside of the clear lens, top lens nothing, bottom lens has some of the strip left....

   



From the front...


   



All fitted to the car, lekker man.



   

[Vinay-RS]

I love the restoration work on the front lights. The housings for the indicator/park lights and the headlights came out really well. What process did you use to get the metal so shiny and clean?

[GTSPhil]

Thanks Vinay

Some steel wool dipped in thinners and some serious elbow grease and sore fingers.
You have to wipe the excess paint off otherwise you clog the steel wool and keep dipping the steel wool and re-applying on the stubborn paint on the area you want paint-free.

[GTSPhil]

I got some new rubber cones for the rear and poly bushes for the trunnion mounts.


   


Fitted to the trunnion.

   


And fitted.


   

[GTSPhil]

Then the frame was jacked into place.


   


Fitted some new bolts, washers and captive nuts.

   


Had a good time to get all the trunnions to line up, but with a little persuasion (was 3 mm out) and the original front mounting bolts it was all good.



   



New rubber cones fitted with some copper grease to the hi-los.



   


Then some new shocks.....


   

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Next in-line was the refurbished back plates.


   


Fitted with spacers between the handbrake bracket and radius arm.




   


The last item fitted was the hub (I think it will need some wire wheeling on the face atleast).