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Post by Jeff Troy on Aug 17, 2010 20:16:28 GMT -5
Hi, panther,
Takes awhile to get used to the position of the GT seats.
I add an extra 2 inches of foam rubber under the seat back panel, and two to three additional layers under the seat panel. Where it's needed most is at the front of the seat bottom, right where it contacts the middle of your upper legs.
Warmest...
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Post by Jeff Troy on Aug 17, 2010 20:10:28 GMT -5
Hi, Webfam,
What you're looking for is precisely why I created the Bradley CD's.
The GTII (and GT) CD has all the original manual pages and their upgrade pages, all scanned at hi-res and formatted to print on 8.5x11 paper.
The advantage of the CD is being able to reprint whatever you like, anytime you like, without subjecting an original manual to shop chemicals, tears and creases. Kill one, print another.
I bought a couple of interior pattern sets from GTII Pete when he had them available. If he is no longer producing or shipping, I may have a set left. You can easily do without the interior patterns. They only cover the flat areas, and you can easily use each one the pieces you will cover as a cutting/outline guide. The seats and dash panel are sewn and supplied by the factory, and are not part of the pattern set.
I also have an original GTII manual, complete with the original Bradley shipping box. It's in very good condition. You can have it for the same $75 that I paid for it. Make it $100 and I'll add the pattern set.
The smartest bet is still the CD.
Regards,
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Post by Jeff Troy on Aug 17, 2010 12:45:52 GMT -5
42flatbed,
The white stuff is micro-balloons, offered into the the hobby industry by (K&B Mfg. - now defunct), Hobbico and a few others. Micro-balloons are actually very tiny glass beads, so tiny they appear powderlike.
It's great for wing and tail surface fillets, but you need to be very conservative if considering MB's for full-scale automotive applications. Micro-balloons detract from the strength of the resin compound -- the more you add, the weaker the cured compound. This is one of the key reasons that polyester or epoxy resin and catalyst with micro-balloons added sands so much more easily than resin/cat alone.
The vibration level in a fiberglass body is probably higher than in a steel-body car, so I'd be very prudent about the level of MB's I added, if any at all.
Warmest...
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Post by Jeff Troy on Aug 16, 2010 15:47:03 GMT -5
Beautiful work, as always.
From your planning and design to your professional execution, I'm truly impressed.
Warmest...
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Post by Jeff Troy on Aug 14, 2010 22:07:12 GMT -5
Hi, Guys,
Here are the missing items:
$35 PayPal to jefftroy@aol.com, or mail check to Jeff Troy, 759 New Holland Ave., Lancaster PA 17602. Cell is 717-917-3670.
Warmest regards,
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Post by Jeff Troy on Aug 9, 2010 20:34:49 GMT -5
Congratulations!
GT or GTII? Big differences in what to watch out for.
Going out of town for the week, but if it's a GT, you should consider the following improvements, all shown in detail on my CD:
1. Modify the gas tank filler tube and relocate the gas tank filler assembly to the center of the rear deck. Without this, it can take up to 10 full minutes to fill the tank. This really sucks in the rain or the dead of winter.
2. Consider my straps & snaps method of window catches instead of the GT spring clips. The clips rust and rattle, and can tear your clothing when you get in and out. Changing to my snaps makes a cleaner, noise-free installation. Note that making the change after you've installed the original clips will leave holes in your upholstery.
3. Check my bumper tube modification (and almost every other Bradley's crooked front bumpers). This change keeps the front bumpers aligned, and replaces the suggested wooden spacers with 1/4-inch steel spacers welded to the tubes.
4. Install plug blocks on all electrical components so they can be replaced or serviced without cutting into the wire harness.
5. Install wooden blocks (glassed in) at points where the harness will be attached to the body, then use screws and wire clamps to secure the harness to the blocks.
6. Soundproof the floor, walls and engine compartment.
6. Drop the pan.
7. Relocate the air-co registers unless you only want to cool your kneecaps.
8. Mount the stereo head unit in the driver side wall.
There's a lot more, but that's why I made the CD. Sure can't type it all here.
Good luck with the car, and warmest regards,
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Post by Jeff Troy on Aug 9, 2010 12:12:54 GMT -5
Hi,
I run at 32 pounds. Anything less and my tires squeal around corners.
It's a bit bouncier than I'd like, but the handling is nice and tight. No drifts or spinouts around corners in the rain, and no negative handing of any kind.
Warmest...
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 29, 2010 22:43:46 GMT -5
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 29, 2010 12:16:24 GMT -5
Hi, Fords,
Just curious: "Pushin" Fords as in 1) to promote them, 2) easy way to get one off a cliff, or 3) a good way to get them started?
Kidding (kinda) cause they're a lot better now than when I had a few.
Stainless fasteners of any and every type, including carriage bolts, are available through Totally Stainless in Gettysburg PA. No Web site yet, but you ca call 717-677-881 for a catalog.
Warmest...
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 28, 2010 17:22:56 GMT -5
HI, Guys,
All the above posts are correct in the difference between the GT and GTII pan drop.
Please note that the GT drop is not a "Jeff" item but a Bradley Automotive original.
Bradley offered a 3-inch pan drop kit for approximately $25. I used it it on my original build. I had no access to another kit when I replaced my pans in the 1994 ground-up restoration, but made a close-enough home-brew copy of the original for my 2000 rebuild.
It's all on the CD, including the original installations instructions from the original 1976 GT manual, and a step-by-step install from the 2000 addition.
The Bradley 3-inch pan drop will POSITIVELY NOT WORK with the GTII.
Warmest...
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 23, 2010 16:15:05 GMT -5
Hi, geebee,
Bradley put the stock marine hinge in a vice (jig), taped two hacksaw blades together and created a slot to accept that set screw. The screw did as Doug explained -- prevent the door from coming unhinged.
Left and right hinge assemblies were the same, so one gull would slide rearward to disengage while the other would slide forward. Accidental unhinging was the result of forward or rearward pressure on the gull as it was raised or lowered. The set screws kept the gulls from sliding at all.
I no longer use the set screws because years of driving my GT have taught me to always apply pressure when raising or lowering to prevent the doors from disengaging. When I did use the "locks," my upgrade was to hit the hinge barrel with an 8-32 tap, and replace the set screws with thumbscrews. No hex key (Allen wrench) is needed and thumbscrews are much easier to remove.
Mystery solved.
Warmest...
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Hello
Jul 18, 2010 9:20:32 GMT -5
Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 18, 2010 9:20:32 GMT -5
Hi, Charlie,
From what I can see of your car, particularly the engine cover, which BTW is mounted upside-down, I'd put your Bradley GT body at a 1976, as long as no owner upgrades were added or removed after the kit was assembled..
Pre-1976 cars had a wider lip between the license plate recess and the lower recess. The license light mounted below the license plate on this lip. All 1976 and later engine lids had a wider plate recess, like yours, and the light mounted in there above the plate.
Late in 1976, Bradley added red and orange side reflectors, and rubber bezels around the tail lights, none of which are on your car. That puts off anything after 1976.
I can't tell if your gulls are cracked, broken or in good original condition, or whether you have the long fastback rear window or the shorter Sundowner "Convertible" removable window. The Sundowner was also a post-1976 option.
You do have the original window handles, and assuming the electrical system is functional, your car appears to be in easily restorable condition.
I always like your combination. My own kit was delivered (in 1976) in that same root beer metalflake with the buckskin interior. Like the other Jeff advised, you're due for a full paint job at the very least.
Stay on the board here. You'll get a lot of knowledgeable help.
Good luck with the car, and warmest regards,
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 15, 2010 21:34:03 GMT -5
Hi, Guys,
I had an interesting conversation with Ray Tierney last week. He has received countless calls about his Sport Pack ground effects option for the GT, enough that he is seriously considering going into production again.
We discussed price and the number of potential buyers, and he will do his best to reduce the price from the original $895.
Don't rush to order because there is no current inventory, but giving him a call or sending a post card might help Ray over the edge.
He's closer than you think, so if you're serious about the Sport Pack, it might become a reality for you.
Warmest...
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 15, 2010 21:25:40 GMT -5
Hi, Push,
Tires are Dayton 195/70R14.
Regards...
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 12, 2010 11:36:48 GMT -5
Hi, Guys,
If you have a GT without air conditioning, best of luck to you -- especially if you get caught in a summer rain shower with the gulls in the car.
The GT is absolutely unbearable in hot weather with the gulls and rear window in place.
I've had air since my original build in 1976, then thought that I could do without it when I planned my 2000 rebuild. That flash of brilliance got this stupid ass less than a few months before I popped the body and put the AC back where it belonged.
Even if you don't mind smoldering inside your rolling terrarium, the air-co is a much-needed accessory for getting rid of early morning (or any other time of day) fog or clouding on your windshield.
Air-co -- don't leave home without it.
If you're on a budget and need a make-do when the gulls are on, try this.
Engage the rear clip on the driver gull. Leave the front clip hooked but unlocked. Slip a cigarette pack (or something of similar size) between the front corner of the gull and the body. That will let "some" air enter the car.
Do the same for the passenger gull, but at opposite corners. Engage and lock the front clip but don't lock the rear clip. Put another spacer between the rear corner of the gull and the body. That will provide an exit for the air.
Still no picnic, but this method will help a little when traveling above 25 or 30 MPH. This is about the only way to get some flow-through ventilation to the coc*pit.
Sorry guys. If you want survival in a closed GT, it's pay for air or die.
Also sorry about the cigarette reference. It's kind of TPT now, but I used to do 4-1/2 packs a day in my rock & roll days. If you think that a GT in summer with the windows on and no air is a problem, just try adding a pack or two of cigarette smoke to every day's mix.
There were several years when I was on the road and used the GT as my main vehicle. Doing 80K miles a year in a GT will teach you a lot about what a car does and doesn't do well.
If you only drive your car when the sun is shining, our perceptions of what an automobile is and does have little in common.
Warmest...
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 10, 2010 22:38:02 GMT -5
Hi, Shawn,
Make a post in the Classified section. Sooner or later, you'll score.
Warmest regards,
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 10, 2010 22:36:36 GMT -5
I'm impressed -- no sh*t!
Warmest,
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 9, 2010 17:39:07 GMT -5
Hi, Super,
Looks great. Black is one of the best possible colors for a Bradley -- GT or GTII.
Enjoy it, and everyone else, please pay attention to the simple advice that the other Jeff (jspbtown) gave you.
Drive it. Come to understand it. Then decide what it really needs (if anything) after you've figured out exactly what you have.
Warmest...
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my gt
Jul 7, 2010 16:38:34 GMT -5
Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 7, 2010 16:38:34 GMT -5
Hi, Ryan,
Latches are non-original, as are the scoops. The GT had no such scoops.
You'll find images of all the original Bradley catalogs and sales flyers on the CD.
BTW, now I get the "UN Monkey" tag. Very cool.
Used to live in Atlanta, and played a lot of rock & roll in Columbus -- too long ago to remember where!
Warmest,
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 7, 2010 16:35:23 GMT -5
Gee Bee as in "Flying Milk Bottle" racers, or something else?
Warmest...
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locks
Jul 6, 2010 16:58:50 GMT -5
Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 6, 2010 16:58:50 GMT -5
Hi, CV,
Not trying to correct you my friend, just helping the guy get the right lock.
Hi, Gary,
Always nice work!
Unmonkey,
Burn it? Good luck. The way a Bradley works, you'd probably burn your house down and the car would only get damaged enough to add a few more fixits to your list.
Warmest...
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locks
Jul 6, 2010 7:34:51 GMT -5
Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 6, 2010 7:34:51 GMT -5
The driver side GT lock is actually a mailbox lock, not a window case lock. A case locks has a one-way ratcheting blade that passes through the barrel; not the same at all.
You can find mailbox locks at Home Depot, Lowe's or any hardware store. You might have to re-engineer the engagement tongue to fit your striker plate, but that shouldn't be too difficult. If you have the original parts, you may be able to use the tongue.
Whatever you decide, you'll probably do best by using the interior spring clip arrangement or my snap button system on the passenger door, and limiting the lock to only the driver door.
You'll find it very annoying to have both clips and a lock on the passenger door. You'll inevitably always have either both or the wrong one engaged when you want to enter the car from the inside or out. Kinda like trying to pick the right grocery store line; no matter which one you choose, the other one moves while you get the blue-haired bat with the coupons, change purse and checkbook who can't find her gasses.
Good advice: 1. don't leave valuables in the car 2. only use locks when you're parked in a hi-vis area 3. never park the Bradley in an unsafe spot; if you can't do that, make that trip with your other car. If you have no other car, you should consider buying one. The Bradley is fun, but not exactly practical in every situation.
Best advice: When the windows are on, only park your car in an area where where you would feel safe parking with the windows off.
If you leave the car unlocked, the windows will be broken when the thief tries to close them without knowing how to release the door prop catch.
If you lock the window(s), the thief will break them to get into the car.
Warmest...
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jul 3, 2010 14:54:33 GMT -5
Your car.
Sit in it, and mark where you like the seats.
Drill.
Bolt.
Drive.
Warmest.
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jun 29, 2010 15:09:54 GMT -5
I use the stock VW Freeway Flyer transmission, which has a higher fourth gear.
My engine is a mild 1641, fly-cut heads, dual Kadrons, Berg dual quiet pack exhaust, Berg rocker shafts, Pertronix ignition, coil and wires, and a bottom-mount oil sump. Stock rods, crank, cam, rocker arms and lifters.
Turnpike at 3000 RPM is 65 MPH. 3200 is 70. 3500 is 75.
My car has more than 630,000 miles behind it, and the greatest contributor to longevity is not the equipment; it's the way the car is driven.
Let the oil circulate. Let the engine idle for two-or-more minutes after the first start each day before driving.
Don't drive like a drunken teenager. No jackrabbit starts, no peel-outs.
Shift at approximately 3,000 RPM. You don't really need the tach; listen to the engine.
Don't bog the engine down in a higher gear than you need. Downshift when you should.
Treat your car like a friend. The VW sedan was designed as the world's least expensive family transportation. It isn't a race car. If you drive it like a race car, it will f*ck you where you breathe.
My mileage is high, but understand that almost all my miles are highway miles. Highway driving is very easy on brakes, shocks, suspension and transmissions, and at 3,000 RPM, the VW is like to last a very long time. I did only one rebuild on my engine, and that was at 340K. The engine was still running fine when I tore it down.
Warmest...
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jun 28, 2010 15:06:48 GMT -5
Excellent tutorial. That's about as clear as anything I've seen, and will become immediately understandable as soon as the follower begins to work.
Regarding "bubbles," "pinholes" and "blisters:"
Air between laminates, or areas where resin hasn't penetrated thoroughly, can cause blistering (bubbles), so be sure to work "wet."
Pinholes are from one thing and one thing only -- contamination. This means that your hands, tools and anything else you work with should be spotlessly clean before laying cloth or resin.
Wash your hands and all surfaces to be coated with lacquer thinner or alcohol. Many shops recommend Prep-Sol, but I do not. It has a slippery, grease-like content all its own, and I wouldn't trust it.
Again, my compliments on a great -- and sorely needed -- tutorial.
Warmest...
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jun 23, 2010 17:13:11 GMT -5
Hi, Don,
If your state works like PA and most others, you will submit receipts for all your parts, including the body, engine and chassis, then the state will issue a "reconstructed" or similar title with a newly issued VIN from your state. If the state has a required location, they will tell you where to mount the VIN plate.
Keep your receipts. The sales tax you pay at registration/title time is based on these.
Warmest...
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jun 23, 2010 13:30:42 GMT -5
Here's my previous post with all the information you need:
Ray Tierney at SunRay Products is the only commercial producer of genuine Bradley GT replacement Plexiglas parts. He is ready to take your orders and ship new gullwing doors and rear windows for the GT (GTII moon roof panel to be available shortly).
These Plexiglas parts are available in clear (originally called "bronze") and smoke.
If you own a GT, you either need Plexiglas parts now or you certainly will in the very near future. My car has had no fewer than a dozen pairs of doors and at least four rear windows since it went on the road in 1976. No one could possibly imagine the many ways there are in which these parts can be broken or damaged.
If you need 'em, get off the fence and get 'em. I already have a Gull Wing two-pair stash on hand, and have just ordered a second backup Sundowner Rear.
Ray is often hit-or-miss, but he's hitting right now. Take advantage.
Plexiglas prices are as follows:
Gull Wings: $250 each, driver or passenger side Sundowner (short) Rear: $280 Fastback (long) Rear: $330 GTII Moon Roof: $100 each Half-Gull: $100 each, driver or passenger side
Prices do not include shipping, and please note that because of its size, the long rear window is a very costly item to ship.
Ray can be reached at:
Voice: 763-780-0774 Fax: 763-780-0775 raytierney57@msn.com Sun Ray Products Corp. 8017 Ranchers Rd. Minneapolis MN 55432
If you call, be prepared for a lengthy and friendly conversation. Ray knows more about the GT and its quirks than anyone I've ever spoken with, and he loves to yak about all of them.
Warmest regards,
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jun 23, 2010 13:24:47 GMT -5
Hey, MJ,
Glad you're here.
I May have raised an eyebrow lately, but it's always entertaining.
Warmest...
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jun 22, 2010 15:26:03 GMT -5
Not a problem for me. Never was.
It's always nice to have someone around who can keep with my own crap. Gotta love him!
Right or wrong, in John's defense, I'm of the opinion that in many cases, if you're not pis*ing someone off, you probably have little-to-nothing worthwhile to say. John almost always has something worthwhile for all of us.
Safe may suck, but it's wise to remember that humor can do a lot to make irreverence more palatable.
Warmest...
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Post by Jeff Troy on Jun 22, 2010 15:18:57 GMT -5
Hi,
There is no "factory" antenna, and there is no factory radio. Sound equipment was optional in the Bradley, and not standard with any of their kits. Without consulting my own CD, my memory says that Panasonic or Audiovox equipment was offered.
My car has had several systems installed, and since 1994, it's all Pioneer. The power antenna (house brand from some auto parts store) is a nice addition, and prevents bending and breaking issues of any kind.
In short, install whatever you like. That's the nicest thing about a specialty car. It's all your own.
Warmest...
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