Triumph Sports Cars

Good morning everyone.
I took ownership about 4 years ago of a 1970 GT6 that came with no driveline, except for a rear end. It was raced in the 70's and last registered for street in 1978. The seller, a friend gave me a Rover v8 along with it. Shortly after I found a LT77 from an SD1 in Sacramento and my destiny was set. I wrote to a fellow in Canada who pulled off a 215 swap and got it under the bonnet and off I went. I have been friends now with Al Gunnerson for over three of those years, and he has been amazingly generous with his time and knowledge.

Now I have a GT6 with a rebuild Rover 3.5, a rebuilt LT77 5 speed, and a Subaru R160 LSD rear end with a ratio of 3.545. installed - and that clears the hood without cutting.

I have a few items to figure out yet, but the big hill has already been climbed.

I'm now figuring out :
1. What radiator I can fit - that will cool the v8 - here in California - and clear the hood - any recommendations with company and measurements are appreciated.
2. Coupling my trans output shaft to my cut down LT77 remote - I'll probably have to weld together something - but it certainly won't be the first time on this car.
3. Possibly a fuel cell - to provide more than 9 gallons for a thirsty engine with 4 barrel.

Thanks so much for having me - I'm looking forward to discussing with you all and gaining all the knowledge I can.

David Link
Alameda, CA

Car looks great and like a fun project. I've always liked GT-6's. For the radiator, just measure to figure out the largest you can fit, then go shopping. If necessary, mock up with cardboard to confirm fit. All else being equal, aluminum dissipates heat better than brass, cross flow is more efficient than vertical flow and each successive row is less efficient than the previous but 3 row is generally good if you have the room (thickness wise).

Also puller fans (fans that go on the engine bay side and pull air thru the radiator) are more efficient than pushers. And if you can make or fit a shroud that has at least 1" gap (more is better) between the radiator core and the fan, that will help too. I use a fan from a 90's era Volvo that moves WAY more air than any aftermarket fan I found.

Not sure what you mean by "Coupling my trans output shaft to my cut down LT77 remote"?

Thanks for the info Rob,

I will make a cardboard radiator for sure to start. I kept the electric fans I took from a v8 Mercedes Benz that move a ton of air, and also have a remote oil filter and 10 row cooler I can use.

The LT77 issue is just hooking the shifter to the selector shaft coming out of the rear of the trans. SD1 LT77 transmission parts are a pain to find and currently the items I have don't pair up - yet...

Welcome to the forum David.
I live on Vancouver island and I have visited Al.
He is the consummate car guy and very helpful.
He took me for a ride in his GT6 and it is a very nice car.
I was shocked at how small the interiors are in these cars.
I have a 76 TR6 that has a GM 3400 V6 in it.
Keep us posted on how things are progressing.

Cheers
Byron

Thanks Byron,
Next time you see Al, give him a warm hand shake for me - he has been the enabler for this build and such a generous fellow.

It's nice to be part of this group no doubt.

Here is a decent shot of how the engine sits in the car. Thank goodness for block hugger headers. I set the motor back enough to give myself some space to park a thicker radiator in there with fans.

The critical issue with radiator installation is to seal off the grille area from the engine compartment so that all air entering the front of the car has to go through the radiator and not around it. Air passing around the radiator pressurizes the engine compartment and prevents air flow.

Thanks Jim - I'm going to put real effort into a proper shroud that brings it all in through the radiator.