Another new member also Saving GT2

Thanks for the links jspbtown. I don't have a large wallet, more like a medium size wallet as long as my wife doses see how much I am spending.

I really don't see a problem with the front end holding up. My front end only weighs in at 600 pounds even. That is not enough to stress anything. If I recall correctly, it weighed in at less before I moved the battery to a location in front for the torsion bar housings.

Please post pics....titles here are getting confusing.

Don't worry, the back end will break loose WAY before the front end does. the only exception is if you install a disc conversion in the front. Then it tends to lockup while braking in turns. Rear discs are (still) in the plan for the future.

these things really have a poor weight distribution. 580 on the front and 1020 on the back axles. At least that is what mine weighed in at. It is a real challenge to get the ground pressure the same front and rear with starting numbers like those.

Of course mid engine conversions would help the weight distribution then the 'A' arms would help the handling but at that point a cheap Corvette would make more sense moneywise.

Wow I really need to learn how to resize the pic.

What mess, have you looked at my thread? Now that is a mess.

I would also like to point out that I am doing my best to make this project a all family thing. If you have small children at home please print out the above Pic.

Tell them to find the hidden objects.
A Giraffe, A Rake, Engine Stand, Colman Thermos, Red tool box, a silver ladder and fishing poles.

See fun for the hole family.

If you drive a Bradley where the sun is, you really should have air. There is little-to-no cross-flow ventilation in a Twoie, and none at all in a GT. Those two screw-vents up front are worse than a bad joke, and they bring in more bugs, dirt and pebbles than fresh air.

Worst air-less condition is a summer rainstorm - hot, humid and no relief. The sliders do little to bring anything into the car with enough volume to cool you, and removing the sun panels in rain is not a viable option.

The GT is even worse than the GTII because nothing opens while you drive. The up side to the GT is that the gulls and (Sundowner) rear window are removable. Unless you're stuck in rain, the GT is much "cooler" sunshine car than the GTII.

I had air in my GT from the day I built it, but in my 2000 (fourth) rebuild, I thought that I could do without it. Three months later, the body was off and air went beck in.

I had an air-co kit for my new-in-box GTII kit, but decided that I'd much rather build my Fiberfab MG-TD than the Twoie. I had the GTII kit for seven years without drilling a single hole, but I did a ton of research and collected a lot of nice optional parts. Building the car without air was unthinkable

Short story -- ABSOLUTELY air - in ANY and EVERY Bradley car.

Regards,

Not having a GT2, I can't give any advise on it. I do have a GT w/o air and it is not nice. I did find a way to provide a little ventilation, by snapping open the front clip on the window, and sticking a wedge in it to funnel the air into the car. The wedge was my foot. :-). I have since taken the doors off of the car and have installed snap on plastic and now unsnap the back corner of the "door" and let some air in. I also have half windows to snap on the bottom and leave the top open like a sun roof open.

Here is the progress I gotten so far.






As you can see there is a lot of rust. I am in the process of unbolting the front section of the car. I have to pull the bummer off and unhook a lot of ground wires.

I think a previous owner did this to get access to the motor. The spark plugs are easy to reach from inside the hatch. I don't know if I am going to fix this opening or leave it and put a hing on it.

I am so glad to see someone else doing what I am about to start myself. ;D

I too am also brand new owner of a few Bradley GT's 2 which are GT2's (me and my father went in on them). Nothing will be the same after I am done on mine though (ie. suspension, chassis, engine, trans, or the rearend) basically just the GT body on a chassis.

I'm not sure how far you plan on going with your Bradley but I plan on using a IFS front suspension www.fulltiltstreetrods.com/frontsusp.htm like this on a tube chassis I am going to build. **I think this is a better and cheeper alternative than the expensive alternatives above especially if you are able to do the work yourself.

I'll start a thread here soon then start posting more when I actucally start on my Bradley projects (about a month or so from now because I need to finish my Jeep project first).

Good luck!!! I am looking forward to watching your progress maybe I get more ideas.

I've said it before....the way these need to be reclined makes them not that great for this car.

In the side by side comparison you can see how the original seat offers some head support in the laid down position. Without it your back is laid down but you need to keep your head lifted forward.

Thats fine for a 5 minute drive, but your neck is gonna be sore after any distance.

I chose to go with the 3 inch lift. With the roads we have here in WA state - potholes the size of Rhode Island and rocks all over the road every morning from the crumbling hillsides, dropping the pan for me just wasn't an option.

Good luck.

Matt