Triumph GT6 vintage race car part 3 - fifteen years later

A 15 year update on the GT6 Mk3 vintage race car. It has been a long time since I posted the first videos about this car!
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[@bernardwarr4187]

Great to see the car again, thanks for the update

[@user-gh2vm9fc1i]

Great to hear from you again! I watched your videos about ten years ago. It was a superb build and I'm surprised you sold it. That GT6 is a beast, for sure.

[@Porsche9elfer]

Yea, it all got to be too much for me with all the other automotive interests I have - I was spread too thin, racing takes a lot. However I am planning to resurrect my street GT6+ with a performance engine, just not to this extreme. I learned a lot building this car and I will apply it to that project. Thanks for watching.

[@AJ-vp8sj]

Great to see the car back again, it's what brought me to your channel and your products. I'd be keen on a video about that oiling system. Take care!

[@Porsche9elfer]

Also notice that the external oil line to the rear of the head has been removed. Deemed unnecessary due to the increased oil pressure, we will see how that works out.

[@RobertEHunt-dv9sq]

great car and video. Thanks for posting. I own this cars smaller brother, a race prepped vintage 1971 Spitfire Mark IV as well as a Cobra. Great cars and lots of fun on track. Very interested in a video on that oiling system. May be just the device to save the crankshafts in the cars. I have a strange piece of kit from when the Spit was first built as a race car back in 1971, I believe it may have to do with some external oiling system for the crank. Cheers from Texas

[@Porsche9elfer]

Greeting Texas! I've seen some very fast Spitfires in my time, on some tracks quicker than much more powerful cars. The oiling system is very simple: it taps pressure directly after the oil pump and feeds it into the main oil gallery right beside each of the main bearings farther away. The main oil gallery is left intact as well. People say this prevents pressure drop in the bearings far away from the oil pump, essentially equalizing pressure in the main oil gallery. If the oil gallery were large enough in diameter it would not be necessary, nor desirable, to have all these extra lines.

[@tb7977]

love these cars, last drove one in 1978

[@peterturnham5134]

I owned a GT6 back in the 1980s. Power to weight was OK for the time. The most important modifications to make are to the rear suspension. When you broke loose the back end the rear wheels tucked in and you were off for a spin difficult to recover. It died one cold icy night with a triple pirouette. It hit curbs, fences, everything. Every panel in the car was smashed, unrepairable BUT I walked away unhurt, however my pride has never recovered from driving like a Dork. If I had that GT6 in my garage now I might have as much fun on a Sunday morning as I do with my Mercedes SL.

[@Porsche9elfer]

Yes, the swing axle GT6s can be handful. Triumph fixed that with the MK2 rotoflex suspension, but then for some strange reason ($) reverted to swing axle with the late MK3. This race car has two U-joints and a slider in the half shafts to replace the rotoflex.

[@bernardwarr4187]

SL are fab, but a GT6 is definitely more fun, particularly on a Sunday morning

[@fixer1972]

What is the purpose of the tray underneath the intake manifold? It is a gorgeous six cylinder I have watched the first two just now and it is a beautiful six cylinder engine. Do the current owners have a KZbin channel with videos of the car? Thank you.

[@Porsche9elfer]

It serves as a heat shield from the headers underneath, also if there is a fuel leak it keeps the fuel from leaking directly onto the headers. Mostly it is a heat shield. I don't think they have a youtube channel

[@fixer1972]

@@Porsche9elfer Thanks, makes sense.

[@racketman2u]

A hot GT6 would be a great little car; I see you changed the axle to u-joint, did you change the diff? the stub axles are quite weak, and I have seen Nissan diffs put in.

[@Porsche9elfer]

The diff in this car is welded, other than that it is stock. No problems so far. The GT6 sun gears are definitely a weak point, but that problem goes away when welded. Even though they are identical it is important to never reverse the stub axle sides when disassembling an old rear end. It may sound like an "old wives tale", but doing this is considered a cardinal sin among race mechanics that I've talked to. The grain structure of the metal takes a set over many years and may even twist a little, if you reverse the main torque load they will snap!

[@bernardwarr4187]

Any information on the anti roll bar set up would be appreciated?

[@Porsche9elfer]

I believe the front sway bar is the larger one used by later Spitfires and the rear one is aftermarket made for a GT6 and is 5/8 " diameter (not 100% sure on the diameter). Right or wrong the car handles fairly well although it is nose heavy.

[@ApporKrapp]

What is the radiator / fan setup? Currently running a 70’ GT6 with a performance cam and could use some help keeping it cool here in the Las Vegas summers.

[@Porsche9elfer]

It is from a VW Sirocco. See the part 1 video from 15 years ago for more details. We have never had overheating even racing at 95F like in this video weekend. Also there is an oil cooler. Sometimes just having a new or completely cleaned out GT6 radiator will solve overheating. My street GT6 used to always overheat until I had a new core put in the original radiator. Your performance cam will not add much to overheating unless you are pushing the car hard.