Marcus,
I have completed a few spit to Gt-6 conversions in the last couple years.
The first one was a "stock" bolt in conversion. This is a pretty good way
to go. You'd want to use your spit tranny if possible ( if your spit is a
75 or newer), because the main problem with GT-6 boxes is the small pocket
bearing design which destroys the mainshaft. This is a direct carryover from
the early spit/herald boxes. The 1500 box has a much larger pocket bearing,
so it doesn't suffer the same problem. Try to get a non-O/D GT-6 rear end,
3.27:1 ratio, so you'll have a useful 1st gear. Swapping the frame is a
good way to go, just find a donor GT-6 '71 or newer so the hood will look
somewhat right.
2. Slight modifications-type conversion. This is the type I did just over
a month ago. My 67 spit's motor was getting a little tired, so I put in a
72 GT-6 with O/D trans. The P.O. of the GT-6 motor/tranny was a customer
of mine, (before he wrote the car off in traffic :-( and I had rebuilt the
tranny and O/D just a year ago. I moved the motor back 3 in and down 1.5 in,
the steering rack forward 1 in. This enabled me to use the stock hood.
Mostly for the lower CG and better weight dist. but also cause'n I got's low
cash.
However, Triumph got just about everything wrong on the GT-6, from poor
cooling, to weak trannys to weak diffs, so you might consider doing some fab.
and graft in a ***anese 5 speed and appropriate diff. I'll probably end up
with a 5-speed and bigger diff in my '67 one of these days.
3. Major mod conversion. This one I will complete in a few weeks, it has
been 3 years in the making. The owner is getting antsy. Glassfibre hood and
rear fenders, Built 300ZX V-6, Weber downdraught six-pack, custom space frame,
tubular A-arm susp. 5-speed, nice big diff and new rear suspension... you get
the picture. This is an EXPENSIVE way to go, but solves all the problems of
underdesigned drive train components. It's fun to drive too :-))))
All of these cars I have built with the GT-6 front vertical links, calipers,
rotors etc. It's pretty much a must do thing. The conversion is easy and
bolt-on, except for the brake pipes, which come over the other side of the top
of the shock tower.
Write back if you want more specifics.
Greg Meboe MEBOE@wusvm1.csc.wsu.edu
Dept of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Washington State University
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