Triumph GT6 recommissioning - Mig parts help needed

[HillmanImp]

Evening all. Before I get to the begging part here is the story so far.

 

I have taken this week off to tackle the GT6.

 

This is what the sill looked like to begin with:

 

It had be patched up (badly) by the previous owner. I had noticed this but could not be arsed doing the whole thing so just *improved* his patchwork so it passed another MOT but was aware that it was in desperate need of repair.

 

You can see there are several layers of metal on top of one another here.

 

So I proceeded to take off the entire sill. There was still a sill strengthener in there but when I took the sill off it was evident that the goon who had looked at this last had just bunged a bit of metal behind the rotten strengthener and put a few blobs of weld on it.

 

 

Throwing caution to the wind I decided to remove the strengthener and hope that the body would not buckle (its on a chassis but without outriggers) and put a new one in. All good so far. My driveway is like a wind tunnel though. Its REALLY difficult to weld as even the slightest bit of wind turns into a hurricane by the time it gets to me and blows the gas away so its like welding gasless, but I carried on.....

 

 

......and was replacing all the rotten gunk with new metal (I am almost certainly selling the car I want to illustrate I have done it properly) when my welder suddenly won't stop feeding the wire. I switch it off, bash the handle on the floor and it wont feed any wire.

 

I open up the handle and am confronted with this:

 

 

The piece of metal to the left of the blue wire that completes the circuit to make the wire feed has snapped. Fucksticks.

 

I ring up Machine Mart and they don't do spares so I ring up Clarke. Got one order (£1.04 plus VAT but with postage over a fiver - bastards, plus I forgot to order 2 double bastards) but it is not getting posted until tomorrow.

 

So I decide to make one of my own using an old hacksaw blade.

 

 

I cut it down to the same size and shape but this is much thicker and more brittle than the metal its replacing but I get it in and the welder works, just with A LOT more effort.

 

 

I carry on like this for about half an hour but I have had to stop 3 times as the metal kept slipping and causing the feed to carry on incessantly so I eventually gave up.

 

So my question is does ANYONE have a Clarke MIG that I can borrow the little metal bit that plugs into the brown wire in the handle? Please please please can I borrow it for a couple of days to get this badassmuthafucka back on the road? I have the next few days off work and don't want to waste them. I can even give them the new one when it arrives so its a well good idea to lend me the old half knackered one as you will get a new one.

 

HOW IS THAT FOR VALUE!!!!!! A NEW PERISHABLE PART FOR YOUR PART WORN ONE!!! YOU DON'T EVEN GET THAT KIND OF OFFER AT DF-FUCKING-S. LIVE THE DREAM! YOU CAN OFFICIALLY CALL YOURSELF A PLAYA MOFO!

 

Really, help would be appreciated.

 

 

PS I know I forgot to disconnect the battery, I always forget to disconnect the battery......

[wackywacerwill]

I always forget to disconnect too

 

Miles away with different sparkler but... Don't machine fart have these in stock, would they not hold a spare you could pick up on the day?

 

Some of whatever your welding the 6 up with *may be better than the hack blade. Nice work on the bodge chasing by the way, looks like it's coming on a treat.

[HillmanImp]

..Don't machine fart have these in stock, would they not hold a spare

 

Good thinking that man. I will see if i can borrow the part out of their display model. They probably wont let me but i will give it a shot.

[HillmanImp]

I also left the Autoshite Facebook group the other day as i was sick of receiving notifications so i can't post this on there. Can anyone pop a post on there for me. I need my request to rejoin approved.

[KruJoe]

No help on the mig, but I do know of a mint GT6 rolling shell available, not far from here in North Yorkshire...

[240gl]

Give these places a bell, they might be able to help you with spare parts.

 

Pennine welding supplies, Leeds - 0113 2380898.

Eng-Weld, Bradford - 01274 549090

Weld-Ac supplies, Halifax - 01422 346536

[M'coli]

Get yourself out to Stourton mail centre at 10:20-ish tonight, and I can let you have the bit from my welder.

[HillmanImp]

Get yourself out to Stourton mail centre at 10:20-ish tonight, and I can let you have the bit from my welder.

 

Will do. Hopefully the new one will arrive tomorrow but typically won't and another day will be written off. Top work that man. Will see you later.

 

If its a different size etc (would be typical of them to make them different on every model) I will try those other places tomorrow 240GL. It might be worth me speaking to them to get some for the future too. What a pain this has been.

 

And KruJoe, where is this shell and how much is it? This one does not need much by the looks of it but I might be interested at looking at it.

[KruJoe]

As mentioned in this post...

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=16179&start=30#p440835

...it belongs to John, a long time friend of my father's. His place is right on Edd's manor - Leyburn, Wensleydale (not far off the A1, Leeming Bar).

 

 

There's probably the complete car. I know the engine is in bits in his workshop, but it seems to be at the bottom of a long list of projects he has on the go. It's not being advertised for sale or owt, but he lost heart in it after the re-spray reacted, so I'm sure he'd let it go.

Should I dig his number out and ask him for a price? It's probably going nowhere fast if you want to persist with yours for a while...

[HillmanImp]

As mentioned in this post...

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=16179&start=30#p440835

...it belongs to John, a long time friend of my father's. His place is right on Edd's manor - Leyburn, Wensleydale (not far off the A1, Leeming Bar).

 

There's probably the complete car. I know the engine is in bits in his workshop, but it seems to be at the bottom of a long list of projects he has on the go. It's not being advertised for sale or owt, but he lost heart in it after the re-spray reacted, so I'm sure he'd let it go.

Should I dig his number out and ask him for a price? It's probably going nowhere fast if you want to persist with yours for a while...

 

That is interesting. I am selling mine as I need the money. I will get this done and sold on but if I can get that as a project for a keeper once the Imp is on the road I would be very interested. Put it on the back burner for now and if I get to a stage where I am able to take something on I will let you know.

 

I have just been to pick up the part from M'Coli who is a lifesaver. So hopefully there will be progress on the car tomorrow.

[KruJoe]

That's cool. I'll not make a special call, but I'll mention your interest to John next time we talk.

Good luck with getting yours zipped up in what's left of the week!