New member question

Jeff is here. He will find you. He was just posting in the last few days.

Welcome to the board!
I have one of Jeffs cds and it is great and well worth it.
Jon

Each kit is so very unique on how many bolts there are. You really just have to go around the flange and make sure you get them all.

Predecessor to the Blue ray disk and DVD, Successor to the cassette tape.

Thanks for the info guys!

Hi, Medic,

I'm here, I just get busy with my magazine or traveling and don't come on as often as I used to.

I don't recall getting an email from you about the CD, but if I am contacted directly, I always respond within a day, two at the latest.

There's more to body removal than the bolts, but it's basically just following the manual in reverse. Empty the gas tank and washer reservoir. Disconnect gas line from carburetor. Disconnect heater tubes between body side tunnels and heat exchangers. Disconnect engine wiring, brake wiring at the master cylinder and reverse light wiring from transaxle. Remove nine body bolts on each side. Remove all bumper and bumper tube fasteners, including the U-bolts around the front end tube. Disconnect steering biscuit and (don't have to but should) steering post/column tube. Disconnect speedo cable at wheel. Disconnect all ground wires to the chassis and steering box, and check carefully for non-standard owner add-ons that may be in the way. It's also a good idea to remove the shifter before lifting the body.

Don't lift by the bonnet. Lift under the wheel wells (one "roadie" under each well) for the least stress on the body. Raise the body slowly. If you feel any resistance, STOP and find out what and where it is. Remove whatever is hanging up, then try again.

Best to have at least four big bruisers around to lift the body. It isn't that heavy (approximately 300-350 pounds), but you'll have to get it high enough to clear the fan shroud if the engine is still mounted.

Two can do it, four is better. I've done it alone by tilting the body on its side, but you'll have to have a lot of furniture quilts along the side of the car. Try to avoid that if possible, it can be tough on the rear fender overhang and the unsupported center drop under the side tunnels.

The following is what I send out to people who inquire about the CD...

Hi,

The Bradley GT and GTII CDs hold files of the original assembly and wiring manuals, as well as any official updates. The GT CD also holds roughly 36 years and 645 thousand actual miles worth of useful information.

Ordering is easy. Just send $35 through PayPal to jefftroy@aol.com , or you can send $35 by check or money order to:

Jeff Troy
759 New Holland Ave.
Lancaster PA 17602

Be sure to state whether you need the GT or the GTII CD. The cars -- and the manuals -- are very different.

The advantage of the CD over an original printed manual is that you can take the pages out to shop and not have to worry about dogging them with oil, grease or other shop debris. If you ruin a page, you can just print another.

One of my CDs just may be the best money you can spend on your car. I'm sure that anyone who has it -- and most owners do -- will tell you that it's extremely helpful.

Bradley GT Information for Owners on CD-ROM
Section 00: Text files
Section 01: 1976 Original Configuration - Metallic Brown
Section 02: 1980 First Rebuild - Cream, Copper and Brown
Section 03: 1985 Second Rebuild - White, Blue, Pink and Purple
Section 04: 1993-1995 Complete Restoration – Black with Flames
Section 05: 1995 Shows
Section 06: 1996 The Wreck
Section 07: 1997-2000 Re-Body Donor Preparation – CromaLusion Plum
Section 08: 2000-2002 Re-Body – Flames added
Section 09: Post-2002 Car Shows
Section 10: Bonus Section - Bradley GT Manuals and Literature
Section 11: On The Road
Section 12: Restoration Parts, Literature and Instructions
Section 13: Sun Ray Products - Bradley GT Kits and Parts
Section 14: Reference Materials
Section 15: VW Part Source Catalogs
Section 10: Work In Progress Files (additional files to be edited for all sections)

Bradley GTII Structural Plans & Updates on CD-ROM
Section 01: GTII Structural Plans, Screen
Section 02: GTII Structural Plans, Print
Section 03: GTII Parts Inventory
Section 04: VW Part Source Catalog Recommendations
Section 05: Kit in California 2000
Section 06: Arrival in Lancaster PA 2000
Section 07: Assembling the GTII Full Kit – (never built, so folder is empty)
Section 08: Bradley Automotive Catalogs & Literature
Section 09: Reference Book Recommendations
Section 10: Dropping the Pan

Howzat?

Warmest regards,

Welcome to the family. Although the tires look good, they are most likely over 30 years old. Tires have a shelf life, replace them.

While I’m aware of the 6-year rule, I have also heard that 10 years is the lifespan of a set of tires. Tires degrade with time, use and exposure to sunlight & other elements. Still, I think that 6 years is a conservative estimate. Most manufacturers recommend replacing them before 10 years.

One thing that you should check is the date when the tire was manufactured. There is an identification number on the tire sidewall that indicates the date.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requires that Tire Identification Numbers be a combination of the letters DOT, followed by ten, eleven or twelve letters and/or numbers that identify the manufacturing location, tire size and manufacturer's code, along with the week and year the tire was manufactured.

For tires made after 2000, the last four numbers represent the week and year that the tire was made.

For example:
DOT U2LL LMLR 5107
DOT U2LL LMLR 5107 Manufactured during the 51st week of the year
DOT U2LL LMLR 5107 Manufactured during 2007

The Tire Identification Number for tires produced prior to 2000 was based on the assumption that tires would not be in service for ten years. While they were required to provide the same information as today’s tires, the week and year the tire was produced was contained in the last three digits. The 2 digits used to identify the week a tire was manufactured immediately preceded a single digit used to identify the year.

For example:
DOT EJ8J DFM 408
DOT EJ8J DFM 408 Manufactured during the 40th week of the year
DOT EJ8J DFM 408 Manufactured during the 8th year of the decade

And finally, hold on to your sales receipt. Most tire manufacturer's warranties cover their tires for four years from the date of purchase or five years from the week the tires were manufactured.

I hope this helps.

Jeff: I just paypal'd you money for a GT disk.

Everybody else: Thanks for info!! Don't worry about the tires guys, they're gone, not going to drive around on standard 1970's bias ply tires if I can help it!!

Nice info on the tires Texas! Now i can prove to my dad I'm not making that up, thank you!