So many people love asking 'why is this build taking so long', and 'simple' jobs like fitting a couple of seats shows how much extra work a quality custom build takes. Coming together nicely.
Haha, you speak from experience buddy!! Great stuff going on with the Alfa, I'm very excited to see how much will be done on it this year! All the best to you and the Mrs 👊✌️
I was most of the way through the vid when I realized I have the same B&D adjustable work table. I obviosly don't use mine nearly enough. I've spent many hours keeping my Triumphs running (incl. GT6+) but nothing like what you've done. Truly wonderful work you're getting accomplished!
Haha, it's seen some action! Believe it's about the same age as myself ... an invaluable tool through this project, but I do wish it was a big taller as my back pays the price! Thanks very much, glad you're enjoying our antics 😊
Thank you for satisfying my fix! I am always (impatiently) waiting for the next episode because I love this series and this build. Like any good drug, there will never be enough soon enough. Maybe I need rehab...🙄
Excellent progress.... very happy to see another upload on this project with the same attention to detail you have employed from day 1. I absolutely LOVE this project and I'll be hanging on the edge of my seat as you continue to churn out these episodes.
JDM goodness at last! Yes, a racing seat, roll cage and 5-point harness would be good, but this is supposed to be a road car don't forget! Special thanks to our Patreons and donators for their support! www.patreon.com/FanatikBuilds
That seat back adjuster looks perilously close to the door & sill bulkhead. I am wondering what room you'll have after the Dynamat, carpet and door cards are installed.
Lovin' it, had the same kinda thing putting Recaro's in my Starlet, ended up side to siding them with the back adjusters in the middle over the tunnel.
Another Spielberg-esque production with practical solutions to problems of a biblical nature. Well done guys, great progress and I was thoroughly entertained!
😂 Let me think, where have I seen this before, a Japanese seat sneaked into a BL car by cutting off a lovely new floor... I am really curious how this will all go, keep it up!👍
The original seats you have are actually pretty rare I think. I've only seen a couple of spitfire/gt6 with them. I have a 71 Spit and my seats were in a similar state. I had a local shop recover/pad in vinyl for about $300CAD I think? That would have been around 2004 maybe. Essentially what I'm saying is don't throw out those seats. Most have the adjustable headrests, and I almost guarantee someone could be looking for a pair of the non adjustable ones.
Oh they're definitely not getting thrown out... we'll find a new owner eventually 👍 ... if we could have repaired them (ourselves even) for $600 total, I'd have been all over that. Wasn't an option sadly!
Rarely have I seen such dedication, motivation and erm….improvisation to make a pair of 2000ish seats fit a 1960’s car! Words fail me. But hey…..if you can fit a v8 under a bonnet that was originally designed for a 1300cc four banger then anything is possible!
Cool project, just discovered it! I love those seat brackets. They look factory and are lighter then the usual solution, which would be chop off a piece of square tubing and weld it on. It works, but I still like your solution better.
Welcome John, glad you found our "little" project! 👋 Appreciate the kind words, my tendency can be to overbuild things, so I wanted to try a different approach this time! Glad it worked out 😊
The GT6 is a fantastic choice for an upgrade. Back in the late 70’s early 80’s I had a TR4 and a friend from work had a GT6 with a 327 in it. I am envious and will be looking forward to seeing it finished.
That's awesome! Our 5.3 LS works out to ~323ci ... so very similar to what your friend had displacement-wise! Cheers Tim, hope you'll enjoy what's to come 👍
Great solution to the seating problem. Your attention to detail and workmanship....and presentation are the best I have seen. Keep up the good work. The steering wheel in your hand reminded me.... make sure you use the uprated bushings in the steering column. They are not cheap compared to the stock ones...but are more substantial and last much longer and keep your wheel tight. I just did mine... and what a difference.
Thanks sir, it's nice to finally be able to sit in it again after all this time! Appreciate the tip, we've got a completely different setup in the works though which will be discussed in due course, fingers crossed it all works out how I am planning! 🤞 Take care, and all the best from Ontario!
It may not be done, but between the care that goes into this and the "cool factor" it's near the top of my "if I could have it" cars. Guess my NC Miata will have to do for now... Cheers!
Sweet seat foam! Now you get to do what you want! On my XJ the seat foam was old, and kinda smooshed but not coming back. So I pulled the covers & cut new foam (from couch cushions). I also "reinforced" the bolsters by adding rolls of cloth on top of the foam, under the covers. (I also removed the OE sliders, dropping the seat ~4", then added 1" spacers to the front of the seats. They didn't move, but they were comfy!) Hack job from random junk, in less than a day (d&p, rear deleted), for almost no $$, that lasted 5 years before my jeap got T-boned. (2dr, 2wd xj w/4.0&ax15)
Remove a floor. Add a floor. Repeat… Ps I like “the cup of tee” your projected drawing indicates. Thinking out of the box seems to be the only thing you do. And do well.
I finally realized why I like your channel so much. You do your episodes like Ronald Finger does his. The same great type of content is presented very similarily. You should take a minute and look at his Fiero rebuild series.
Ironically enough, Ronnie and I follow each other! Didn't know about him till just a few years ago, but it is funny how we both have similar styles... guess we're just both goofy dudes 😉😂 Cheers Michael
VERY common - and sometimes done extremely poorly (like this!) ... we're going to fix it up and try to keep as much headroom as we can still 🤞 Cheers Sean!
Nice work!!!! I would have rebuillt and reupholstered the original seats. A tub large enough to hold a dismantled seat, a gallon of Rust 911 (which makes a total of 16 gallons by adding water) and then powder coat all the parts and reassemble. The original seats could be padded the way you need/want and covered with any color naugahyde. Sailrite has a lot of options for sewing as well. (I am not associated with them). Since the new seats do not have provisions for a shoulder harness, that is the route I would have taken. My dad used to be an upholsterer and then went to work for Fisher Body in 1935. Watching him lay a piece of material over a seat, chalk it where cutting was necessary, take it to the bench, cut, sew, ant then have a complete seat cover to install was amazing to watch. Tony Nancy made a business of upholstery doing many a magazine showcased car. Sewing is not just dresses and blouses or house related. I wish I would have paid more attention when he was alive and able. Youth is wasted on the young to paraphrase a saying.
Thanks Paul, reworking some metal is more up my alley than reupholstering the original seats! I'm happy for the higher headrest, and more modern styling ... so all's good in the end! 👍✌️
I agree with him, you only need to see stuff that's in front of you. On my car, I made the passenger side visor permanently down, because passengers would fold it up. Now they can't, but they didn't need to, anyway! Check out some lowrider dash prism things, that might help see traffic lights.
You and your dad do very nice work! In British Leyland's defense I'm sure they never expected the car to be around 60+ years after it was built. Many didn't last 10 years before rust took them away.🇨🇦👍
British Leyland did not care one way or the other. Their predecessors did but that's water under the bridge now. My dad had a nice blue triumph dolomite that had rust around the windscreen in year 1.5
Once again, Miata Is Always The Answer. In an effort for more head space whilst using stock Miata seats, a common seat modification is to remove seat foam from the seat pan area. Considering you already dissect the seat, you have already figured this out.
Miata is definitely, always the answer! Glad we finally have some pieces from one in our project, it would have been incomplete without them! Yep, very common, and often done to standards not much different from this. Going to have a go at putting things back together better than they came apart! 🤞
@Fanatik Builds The lads from Binky sent me here to start so its only appropriate to compare you to them. They could see a fellow master bracketmaker!!👍👍
Someone did a "foamectomy" to your miata seat. Pretty common and a good idea if done well. It makes the seat a lot more supportive and lowers the seating position.
Fanatik, on most content, your "inner Blackhust" glows pretty often, but not here. It BLAZED! Send Nik a thumbdrive- I'm sure he'd be well chuffed! The frame and like that- that was all mere welding and fitting- this, this was Bracketry! Awesome- and worthy of the car. ON a similar vein, have you seen the ArcDroid" yet? Go see some Grind Hard Plumbing Co on YT- Ethan is a spectacular self taught welder fitter- the ArcDroid took him three levels up in an afternoon. Dad is lookin' good! And back in the shop with you- double the awesome sauce! I can't wait to see how you resolve the drive shaft tunnel- for your next trick you get to try "rapidly shrinking brackets"! FR
Very kind of you Frederic! Means a lot 😊 I do occasionally catch some of Grind Hard's videos, and agree he does beautiful work! That ArcDroid looks awesome, and any CNC plasma table would be amazing someday, but we just don't have the space here sadly... one can dream though! Hope all's well with you these days ✌️🙏 Cheers!
@@FanatikBuilds Go do Robert Dunn's "Under Dunn"- he just got one and has space problems too- he has an install that might just be what could help! The ArcDroid is an arm on a block- it will work nearly anywhere there is room for the arm to swing and then be put up on a high shelf- it's hat small- it wouldn't be for anything bigger than about 400mm x 400mm, but many brackets are really made of many pieces carefully stitched together. And FWIW, I want to see you dream bigger and bigger- the GT has stretched you out and taught you many things you didn't know going in- watching that continue is the making of this channel- that and the strange twin; I'm still not sure about him; is it al a make up job or is he really identical?FR
I had a 1969 Triumph GT-6+ when I was stationed in Hawaii, in 1971. It is quite the eye catcher.😎😎😎 A 19 years old sailor in Hawaii, with no ship. Party. A couple times a week we’d drive up Farington Hwy, up north of Makaha, and pick a spot to park. I’d park it backwards and put the rear wheels elevated on a sand dune so the rear is elevated. Flip the seats forward and put sleeping bags to fill the gap. Open the back deck lid, climb-in and drink some good wine, enjoy some pakalolo, and watch the sunsets.
Ahhh, the Miata FOAMECTOMY. Gotta get those tall people to fit! Best to use an electric knife, but some don't. Great build, can't wait to see more progress!
My head fits without the foam removed (passenger seat) but I do think fixing what's here and doing a better job of it again (ourselves) is likely in order ... the extra height is definitely noticeable!! Cheers John 😊✌️
A suggestion for doing bends in small pieces of sheet is a Grizzle P/N H3244 tool. It is a set of press brake dies that fit into a bench vice. About $60 US. I have a set and they are very handy. Excellent work and good that your father is doing better.
Thanks for the tool suggestion, that would be very helpful! The Grizzly brand is ~$180 CAD on Amazon, but it looks like it's a common tool that goes by different names, so I found another listing for a more comparable price. Bookmarked! Cheers 👍
I love your problem solving and re-engineering, coupled with your workmanship, skills, and attention to detail. Those Miata seats are nice, but known for weak bolsters on exterior sides. I think your seats show some of the leather cracking in those positions...waiting to see how you re-imagine that!
Thanks very much! Our driver seat has a couple areas where the topcoat has been worn, but there's no cracking of any kind. They're really in very nice shape, once we address the foams! The weak bolstering is true though... just keep in mind that in a car this small, the door and your passenger keep you from moving too much! 😉
As someone who's been there, done that, and is still doing that - something to consider is getting the original seats re-foamed to add bolsters and such rather then a whole new seat.
In this case, that was going to be WAY more expensive! Quite happy with how it turned out, and we only had to modify the rest of the car to make it work 😂
What a fantastik way to start off my weekend. How to turn fitting seats into a great watch. Always fun, and inspiring to see your progress. Those bracket skills, do require an musical accompaniment, as they are certainly next level. Similar to, say "Funk", but not the same. Someone has probably done that ;). Well I'm off to change a brake master reservoir and fit new wipers, so the Volvo 244 passes re-registration, so I can take it off the road, to start the 1JZ swap. Cheers
Haha, I'll leave "getting the funk out" to the professionals! 😉 Thanks Brendon, it's appreciated! Best of luck with your project there, sounds great! ✌️
Nice job fitting those in there. The great thing about the stock seats is how low they allow you get in the car. Seat swaps tend to leave you higher in the car which is rough in such a small cockpit.
I have Miata seats in my 67 Sunbeam Tiger (the available width is wider and less challenging than your project :) Years ago I installed Fiero seats in my wife’s Triumph Spitfire, they were also a big improvement! Love your fabrication efforts!!
Nice! I quite like them, maybe not the most supportive seats ever ... but in such a tight car, it's not a big deal. As I'm sure you know, your door and passenger prevent you from moving! 😂 Cheers Bill, appreciate it ✌️
The Miata driver seat “foamectomy” is a common mod for tall drivers. I’d make sure you fit properly in the car before repairing it, which would exacerbate the top of windscreen visibility issue. In fact, I’m a bit surprised you didn’t drop the floor pan a couple inches to give more headroom.
Can't drop the floor as there's a frame in the way (now)! The foam will likely still be modified over factory, but it's been done so poorly, that we've got to do something here!
When you get the seats recovered you should try a more dense and sculpted foam that can drop the seat surface a few inches and give them more bolstering.
Forget Saturday morning TV, sit back and enjoy Saturday morning TH-cam with Fanatik Builds! 👍 Excellent episode, Love the no compromise attitude of the build.
I’m sure when this car is done it will be the baddest and best GT 6 ever built. But holy cow dude, it’s been nine years, it seems to me you don’t want to finish this project, you just want to keep it going forever. I know you want to keep your channel going, but you shouldn’t be afraid to finish this one and start another one if that’s what your motivation is.
Thanks for putting the saga together. It’s inspiring me to try to squeeze a pair of Audi TT seats into my spitfire, which has the same floor pan. The Audi seats are nearly double the weight, and a few cm too wide, presumably designed for a wider Teutonic rear end, so I can see a fair bit of welding coming up. Removing and making safe the bags was a lot of fun, maybe a modest recompense for the impending fun.
Sounds like a fun project John, best of luck getting it done! I have yet to "make safe" the airbag from the steering column we got... will have to get around to that one of these days! ✌️
@@FanatikBuilds 12v across the terminals is enough, I was shocked at the deformation of the steel backing pad, glad I was 10m away. Bonus is the moulded cover was not damaged, as I cheated and removed it first.
Since you started this project you have become Master of many skills , from picking up a welder for the fist time , to metal fabrication , and Car Geometry you doing a great job young man always a pleasure to watch your video's stay safe dude 😎😎🤘🤘🤘
I really love this build! I checked this morning to see if you'd uploaded and was sad there wasn't a new vid yet. You made my day when I got the notification that a new vid was available on this awesome build!
@@FanatikBuilds yes it does at that a little of every vehicle on the road lol but if it works hey all good. I'm doing a 66 chev half ton with a stroked old school 350 aka 383 with some good flowing heads and a custom Cam that will produce 560hp and 490 toque on pump gas naturally aspirated. No boost . Trying to do a video on it but no go pro just a phone and a computer. So who knows how that will work out. Lol. But having watched what your doing has given me some ideas on a flip front end . Not sure but may give it a go . Did a 88 two door s10 jimmy with a flip flop front end and it did 10 second quarter mile with the same engine 383 stroker and a 700r4 old version no electronics . And a Ford nine inch . It was super quick and was a two seater tubed . The wheelie bars kept it from raising the front end to high . A father and son bought it and are still racing it to this day ten years later same motor and trans and rear end . Dependable ride wish I would have kept it but they offered a good price so money talks and takes your favorite ride as well. Lol hope you and your dad are well and your family as well . Nice to see car building is not lost . Keep up the good work Lad. Can't wait to see it do it's first burn out . 😎👍🏎️
Sounds like a fun ride for sure! On the video creation topic, don't let only having a phone and PC deter you ... Go Pros are nice, but sometimes not the right tool for the job. Smooth footage and good audio are way more important! 👍 ... all the best to you and yours as well! Cheers ✌️
@@FanatikBuilds Thanks Lad . I see how you are doing your videos and I don't see or should I say hear the noise that many channel's have like hammering and shop noise.your videos are really easy on the ears and have no outside noise . That makes watching your videos easy and pleasant to watch. I watch Fitzee's fabrication Halfassed custom just to name a few ya they have noise but not as bad as many. I wait to see your channel and find it very informative and your technical is excellent. Keep in touch and I will keep you updated on my progress and maybe you can help me keep my videos in such a high standards that you have. I have been doing builds since I was a very young Lad first car I built I was 15 years old . I'm 58 now and still love building cars and trucks . I work as a body man now at a small shop now and still love it.
I was not a fan of the original seats in my GT6s, so I am glad that you made the upgrade to something that you are comfortable with! This car is so much fun to watch being transformed and see improvements made on the factory “not so good” engineering!
I must admit to having a chuckle when I saw the MX-5 (Miata) seats having been down the Rabbit hole in fitting modern seats into Mk1 Triumph Vitesse. MGF seats work(ish). Then 'Foamectomy' commonly used to drop the driver height in MX-5's. But more power to you, you got them in there.
Automotive designers/engineers rarely fail to surprise and often succeed in disappointing. Such as you discovered with this part of your project. But, that's why our hobby/obsession is so much fun! Fanatik Builds 1 (add one to the win tally) / Car manufacturers - globally ~0 Nice work guys 👍
Sounds like Nik's being ... well... Nik! 😂 Really missing the series too, they're so close, I just want to see it through! Glad our little project can help fill the void to a degree though, cheers buddy, enjoy the summer for me! 😊✌️🇨🇦
@@FanatikBuilds LOL - I'm in the US these days. Had wind chill of about 40 below a little while back. Still, not so cold as living in the frozen wastes of Hoth...ahem...I mean, in Canada. 🇨🇦🤣 As for your "little project" (for a given value of "little", anyway) - I am really enjoying your methodology and how clearly you explain it all, along with that dose of humour to keep everything flowing and fun. Such an ambitious build...I would have thought it a bit _too_ ambitious at first, but you've really shown your ability to think around a problem in a logical manner. Now I'm really looking forward to finding out just how well the vehicle handles once it's basically finished...especially chassis flex. There's still plenty of interesting stuff to come. Cheers, mate! 👍🤓
Great work as always! I usually run into these sorts of problems as well. I discovered the hard way after buying them that 1971 250 seats do not fit in a 1974 230. Good times. I have ordered a 10x20 minibarn and everything in the garage that is not project/automotive related is going in the new building. Then hopefully I can get back to my project. Great to see a new video!
Engineers like to keep us on our toes, don't they Matt! Haha, your new minibarn is about the same size as our garage - oh how I long for more space! 😂 Have fun with your project(s), and take care man! ✌️
I so admire your patience. As much as I’d love to take on a project build I think mine would run thin very quickly. Good to see the progress. Onward and upward 👍
Coincidentally, Fitzee's Fabrication is also about mounting a seat in this week's video. (He had to make huge hacks in the chassis.) You have nearly as much engineering in those seat mountings as ther was in the original Triumph chassis.
Another great video! I know it’s a day late and a dollar short, but Pontiac Fiero seats with Mr. Mikes seat covers. He would do it in the colors you want, and embroider the GT6 in I bet. It would be less expensive than that $2100 you mentioned early in the video. Just an option to get more front vision and a little more room for the muffler.
Thanks for the advice! We picked up these leather Miata seats for about $500 if my memory serves, so it's pretty hard to beat that nowadays! Fitment may be tight, but we're kind of used to that and it should all work out 😊 Cheers man!
So many people love asking 'why is this build taking so long', and 'simple' jobs like fitting a couple of seats shows how much extra work a quality custom build takes. Coming together nicely.
Haha, you speak from experience buddy!! Great stuff going on with the Alfa, I'm very excited to see how much will be done on it this year! All the best to you and the Mrs 👊✌️
@@FanatikBuilds you really need more brackets, though.
Nice build. ! You're throwing a lot of sparks near those rags!!!
I was most of the way through the vid when I realized I have the same B&D adjustable work table. I obviosly don't use mine nearly enough. I've spent many hours keeping my Triumphs running (incl. GT6+) but nothing like what you've done. Truly wonderful work you're getting accomplished!
Haha, it's seen some action! Believe it's about the same age as myself ... an invaluable tool through this project, but I do wish it was a big taller as my back pays the price! Thanks very much, glad you're enjoying our antics 😊
Thank you for satisfying my fix! I am always (impatiently) waiting for the next episode because I love this series and this build. Like any good drug, there will never be enough soon enough. Maybe I need rehab...🙄
Haha, luckily there's plenty more to be done on the project! 😉 Cheers man, thanks for the encouragement!
Excellent progress.... very happy to see another upload on this project with the same attention to detail you have employed from day 1. I absolutely LOVE this project and I'll be hanging on the edge of my seat as you continue to churn out these episodes.
Really appreciate it Tyler - thanks very much! 😊 Hope you're keeping well!
Your cleverness speaks to my soul..
I know we could be the best craftsman the world has ever seen..
Thanks Johnnie - means a lot ✌️
JDM goodness at last! Yes, a racing seat, roll cage and 5-point harness would be good, but this is supposed to be a road car don't forget! Special thanks to our Patreons and donators for their support! www.patreon.com/FanatikBuilds
That seat back adjuster looks perilously close to the door & sill bulkhead. I am wondering what room you'll have after the Dynamat, carpet and door cards are installed.
Roll cage... 😂
Where?
On the outside?
Lovin' it, had the same kinda thing putting Recaro's in my Starlet, ended up side to siding them with the back adjusters in the middle over the tunnel.
@@Paul_VanGo ROCK CRAWLER EXOSKELETON.
At what point were you tempted to just restore the Triumph seats?
Your video editing keeps getting better by each video. And I love your effort to do your best with what you have.
Thanks Jude - always trying to improve myself! Not always successful, but the effort's there 😂
Your dad instantly puts his elbow on the door window frame! There's a man that knows how to measure up a seating position!! 😅
It's a very natural action in such a small car! 😄 Got some ideas to hopefully make it comfortable when the windows are up though, we'll see! 🤞
Another Spielberg-esque production with practical solutions to problems of a biblical nature. Well done guys, great progress and I was thoroughly entertained!
That means a lot, thanks Andrew, glad you are enjoying our antics! 😊👍
BOM would be proud of those front seat brackets, well done.
Thanks man, that means a lot!
Well, this has made my week.
Awesome, have a great weekend Marvin!
@@FanatikBuilds You too !
😂 Let me think, where have I seen this before, a Japanese seat sneaked into a BL car by cutting off a lovely new floor... I am really curious how this will all go, keep it up!👍
😬 if it ain’t broke!… thanks man! Will give it our best! 🥳🤞
The original seats you have are actually pretty rare I think. I've only seen a couple of spitfire/gt6 with them. I have a 71 Spit and my seats were in a similar state. I had a local shop recover/pad in vinyl for about $300CAD I think? That would have been around 2004 maybe. Essentially what I'm saying is don't throw out those seats. Most have the adjustable headrests, and I almost guarantee someone could be looking for a pair of the non adjustable ones.
Oh they're definitely not getting thrown out... we'll find a new owner eventually 👍 ... if we could have repaired them (ourselves even) for $600 total, I'd have been all over that. Wasn't an option sadly!
It's the 1000s of little things that make this build special
It's the 1000's of little things that edge me closer and closer to insanity!! 😉 Cheers Paul
Rarely have I seen such dedication, motivation and erm….improvisation to make a pair of 2000ish seats fit a 1960’s car!
Words fail me. But hey…..if you can fit a v8 under a bonnet that was originally designed for a 1300cc four banger then anything is possible!
Blind stubbornness has it's merits eh! 😂
Looking good!
You're also getting good at 'getting the funk out while you make brackets' 😁
Cheers man 😄 Life's better with a good bracket montage!
Dude... did you just get the funk out? I believe you did. Nice work.
👉👈 Maybe! 😊
Cool project, just discovered it! I love those seat brackets. They look factory and are lighter then the usual solution, which would be chop off a piece of square tubing and weld it on. It works, but I still like your solution better.
Welcome John, glad you found our "little" project! 👋 Appreciate the kind words, my tendency can be to overbuild things, so I wanted to try a different approach this time! Glad it worked out 😊
The GT6 is a fantastic choice for an upgrade. Back in the late 70’s early 80’s I had a TR4 and a friend from work had a GT6 with a 327 in it. I am envious and will be looking forward to seeing it finished.
That's awesome! Our 5.3 LS works out to ~323ci ... so very similar to what your friend had displacement-wise! Cheers Tim, hope you'll enjoy what's to come 👍
Awesome problem solving!
Cheers 😊👍
Binky standard brackets for the seats!
That really means a lot, thanks Martin 🙏
Good problem solving. Shorts and hosta in full leaf...This must have been peak summer.
I believe it was ~40c with the humidity at the time! 😂
Thank you for such a great build series.
You're most welcome Geoff, glad you're enjoying it and thanks for the feedback! 😊
Like how you modified the seats and tracks to fit your car.
Thanks Craig!
So much work just to mount seats. I have 1000 hours in my 1979 Merak restomod so I can relate. Great work.
It's the million little things that can take the longest sometimes! Thanks Jeff ✌️
Lovely bit of fabrication on the seat brackets.
Thanks Mitch, appreciate it 🥳
Nuts. Sucks about the hacked up foam. I'm sure you'll come up with a good solution.
Going to give it our best shot Brian!
@@FanatikBuilds maybe the previous Miata driver wanted to sit lower….
👏👏👏👏👏👏 Great work as always. That old B&D Workmate just didn't know what it was in for.
Oh it had no idea!! 😂 Thanks man, appreciate it!
It’s good to see the occasional bit of the old car sneak its way back in, even if it is just a pair of seat rails. Amazing fab work!
All about keeping things original around here! 😉😂 Cheers Alastair!
Ah Brackets don't you just love them, cars coming along great have a great New Year from Liverpool England
Thanks Denis! A good bracket just makes the day better don't you think! 😉 All the best from Ontario, Canada! 🇨🇦
Great solution to the seating problem. Your attention to detail and workmanship....and presentation are the best I have seen. Keep up the good work. The steering wheel in your hand reminded me.... make sure you use the uprated bushings in the steering column. They are not cheap compared to the stock ones...but are more substantial and last much longer and keep your wheel tight. I just did mine... and what a difference.
Thanks sir, it's nice to finally be able to sit in it again after all this time! Appreciate the tip, we've got a completely different setup in the works though which will be discussed in due course, fingers crossed it all works out how I am planning! 🤞 Take care, and all the best from Ontario!
Another Fantastic episode your engineering skills are awesome. Total respect
Appreciate it Jay!
Woop! Always the best notification!
Thanks man! Always great hearing from ya 😊🙏
Thats the best car restomod on a thriumph gt6r 👍👌🤙
Thanks Daniel ✌️🙏
That's some BOM project Binky level of bracketeering there!
That means a lot, thanks man 😊
Nice attention on those brackets to install the runners. I can appreciate the time and effort having added seats to many cars its never easy.
Thanks James, it doesn't sound like a big job, but the time difference between getting it done, and getting it done right is immense! 😊 Cheers 👍
A very clever father and son team.
Thanks Tom, appreciate it 👍
It may not be done, but between the care that goes into this and the "cool factor" it's near the top of my "if I could have it" cars. Guess my NC Miata will have to do for now... Cheers!
Means a lot man, cheers 😊✌️
Sweet seat foam! Now you get to do what you want!
On my XJ the seat foam was old, and kinda smooshed but not coming back. So I pulled the covers & cut new foam (from couch cushions). I also "reinforced" the bolsters by adding rolls of cloth on top of the foam, under the covers. (I also removed the OE sliders, dropping the seat ~4", then added 1" spacers to the front of the seats. They didn't move, but they were comfy!)
Hack job from random junk, in less than a day (d&p, rear deleted), for almost no $$, that lasted 5 years before my jeap got T-boned. (2dr, 2wd xj w/4.0&ax15)
Please have a moment of silence for the last bit of the original floor 🫡😬
Good bye English floor, hello Canadian seat supporter🙃
Remove a floor. Add a floor. Repeat…
Ps I like “the cup of tee” your projected drawing indicates. Thinking out of the box seems to be the only thing you do. And do well.
Aww! Come on! The body isn’t the only part of a GT6 that deserves to be saved. The engine may be gutless but it sounds great! 😅
Oh, poop!!! Frames are looking lovely though, buddy!! Cheers. Leigh.
Haha, thanks Leigh! Glad we were able to get it all squeezed in there! 🥳 All the best to ya!
@@FanatikBuilds Hope all is well with you too, buddy!!
I finally realized why I like your channel so much. You do your episodes like Ronald Finger does his. The same great type of content is presented very similarily. You should take a minute and look at his Fiero rebuild series.
Ironically enough, Ronnie and I follow each other! Didn't know about him till just a few years ago, but it is funny how we both have similar styles... guess we're just both goofy dudes 😉😂 Cheers Michael
It’s called a Foamectomy. Very common mod to Miata drivers seat so you can fit a taller person or a helmet.
VERY common - and sometimes done extremely poorly (like this!) ... we're going to fix it up and try to keep as much headroom as we can still 🤞 Cheers Sean!
I've done a foamectomy on my MX-5, it works. Highly recommended.
It's the bottom of the foam, hack or clean, your bottom shouldn't be able to tell the difference.
@@a7i20ci7y I used a serrated breadknife, worked fine.
Nice work!!!! I would have rebuillt and reupholstered the original seats. A tub large enough to hold a dismantled seat, a gallon of Rust 911 (which makes a total of 16 gallons by adding water) and then powder coat all the parts and reassemble. The original seats could be padded the way you need/want and covered with any color naugahyde. Sailrite has a lot of options for sewing as well. (I am not associated with them). Since the new seats do not have provisions for a shoulder harness, that is the route I would have taken. My dad used to be an upholsterer and then went to work for Fisher Body in 1935. Watching him lay a piece of material over a seat, chalk it where cutting was necessary, take it to the bench, cut, sew, ant then have a complete seat cover to install was amazing to watch. Tony Nancy made a business of upholstery doing many a magazine showcased car. Sewing is not just dresses and blouses or house related. I wish I would have paid more attention when he was alive and able. Youth is wasted on the young to paraphrase a saying.
Thanks Paul, reworking some metal is more up my alley than reupholstering the original seats! I'm happy for the higher headrest, and more modern styling ... so all's good in the end! 👍✌️
I agree with him, you only need to see stuff that's in front of you.
On my car, I made the passenger side visor permanently down, because passengers would fold it up. Now they can't, but they didn't need to, anyway!
Check out some lowrider dash prism things, that might help see traffic lights.
Found you guys by happy accident glad I did T hanks guys Im hooked !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Welcome Rick! Glad you found the project and hope you'll enjoy the rest of the series! ✌️
Your patience and determination is palpable . Even l would be pulling my hair out on this one ......if l had some 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Terrific skills as always .
Lol thanks John, it can try my patience at times but getting frustrated really doesn't help ... so we soldier on! 😂 Cheers!
@@FanatikBuilds l agree !
You and your dad do very nice work! In British Leyland's defense I'm sure they never expected the car to be around 60+ years after it was built. Many didn't last 10 years before rust took them away.🇨🇦👍
You're absolutely right Brian - I think any car that old is going to need some love! Cheers 👌👍🇨🇦
British Leyland did not care one way or the other. Their predecessors did but that's water under the bridge now. My dad had a nice blue triumph dolomite that had rust around the windscreen in year 1.5
Beautiful build 👍,cheers from California
Thanks Keith, appreciate it! All the best from Ontario Canada 🇨🇦
Once again, Miata Is Always The Answer. In an effort for more head space whilst using stock Miata seats, a common seat modification is to remove seat foam from the seat pan area. Considering you already dissect the seat, you have already figured this out.
Miata is definitely, always the answer! Glad we finally have some pieces from one in our project, it would have been incomplete without them! Yep, very common, and often done to standards not much different from this. Going to have a go at putting things back together better than they came apart! 🤞
Keep posting video ,can't wait to see it done. As a welder / fab guy myself it's nice to watch your build and I've always loved the GT6 .
Once again, an Outstanding solution and execution. NIce job!
Really appreciate it Eric, thanks 🥳
Ah yes!! A new video❤️❤️
Almost Binkyesque bracket fabrications skills there gents!! (8:00) 👍👍
Means a lot, thanks Lemmy 😊🙏
@Fanatik Builds The lads from Binky sent me here to start so its only appropriate to compare you to them. They could see a fellow master bracketmaker!!👍👍
I saw the Patreon message and totally forgot to watch it, and you thought you were nearly finished. 🤣👍
Ha! I'm beginning to think the car is actively scheming against our efforts! 😂 Cheers Steve, hope all's well!
Yes this is the best project on utube
If your having a problem seeing the lights use a prism from a Fulton visor.
Just a hole through the roof and a periscope! 😂 ... your idea is much more likely though 👌
Someone did a "foamectomy" to your miata seat. Pretty common and a good idea if done well. It makes the seat a lot more supportive and lowers the seating position.
Fanatik, on most content, your "inner Blackhust" glows pretty often, but not here. It BLAZED! Send Nik a thumbdrive- I'm sure he'd be well chuffed! The frame and like that- that was all mere welding and fitting- this, this was Bracketry! Awesome- and worthy of the car. ON a similar vein, have you seen the ArcDroid" yet? Go see some Grind Hard Plumbing Co on YT- Ethan is a spectacular self taught welder fitter- the ArcDroid took him three levels up in an afternoon. Dad is lookin' good! And back in the shop with you- double the awesome sauce! I can't wait to see how you resolve the drive shaft tunnel- for your next trick you get to try "rapidly shrinking brackets"! FR
Very kind of you Frederic! Means a lot 😊 I do occasionally catch some of Grind Hard's videos, and agree he does beautiful work! That ArcDroid looks awesome, and any CNC plasma table would be amazing someday, but we just don't have the space here sadly... one can dream though! Hope all's well with you these days ✌️🙏 Cheers!
@@FanatikBuilds Go do Robert Dunn's "Under Dunn"- he just got one and has space problems too- he has an install that might just be what could help! The ArcDroid is an arm on a block- it will work nearly anywhere there is room for the arm to swing and then be put up on a high shelf- it's hat small- it wouldn't be for anything bigger than about 400mm x 400mm, but many brackets are really made of many pieces carefully stitched together. And FWIW, I want to see you dream bigger and bigger- the GT has stretched you out and taught you many things you didn't know going in- watching that continue is the making of this channel- that and the strange twin; I'm still not sure about him; is it al a make up job or is he really identical?FR
I had a 1969 Triumph GT-6+ when I was stationed in Hawaii, in 1971.
It is quite the eye catcher.😎😎😎
A 19 years old sailor in Hawaii, with no ship.
Party.
A couple times a week we’d drive up Farington Hwy, up north of Makaha, and pick a spot to park.
I’d park it backwards and put the rear wheels elevated on a sand dune so the rear is elevated.
Flip the seats forward and put sleeping bags to fill the gap.
Open the back deck lid, climb-in and drink some good wine, enjoy some pakalolo, and watch the sunsets.
A tiny GT6 in Hawaii must have been amazing! 😊
@@FanatikBuilds It was, and the tourist girls changed out twice a week :) :)
Ahhh, the Miata FOAMECTOMY. Gotta get those tall people to fit! Best to use an electric knife, but some don't. Great build, can't wait to see more progress!
My head fits without the foam removed (passenger seat) but I do think fixing what's here and doing a better job of it again (ourselves) is likely in order ... the extra height is definitely noticeable!! Cheers John 😊✌️
All your redesigning and bracket making would get a big thumbs up from Bad Obsession Motorsports i believe, awesome!
Haha, that means a lot Hans, thank you 😊
A suggestion for doing bends in small pieces of sheet is a Grizzle P/N H3244 tool. It is a set of press brake dies that fit into a bench vice. About $60 US. I have a set and they are very handy.
Excellent work and good that your father is doing better.
Thanks for the tool suggestion, that would be very helpful! The Grizzly brand is ~$180 CAD on Amazon, but it looks like it's a common tool that goes by different names, so I found another listing for a more comparable price. Bookmarked! Cheers 👍
Amazing work!
Cheers Scott!
I really have enjoyed your creativity for the GT6 conversion - I look forward to seeing episode 32!
Work on Ep32 is in progress - thanks for the support!
I love your problem solving and re-engineering, coupled with your workmanship, skills, and attention to detail. Those Miata seats are nice, but known for weak bolsters on exterior sides. I think your seats show some of the leather cracking in those positions...waiting to see how you re-imagine that!
Thanks very much! Our driver seat has a couple areas where the topcoat has been worn, but there's no cracking of any kind. They're really in very nice shape, once we address the foams! The weak bolstering is true though... just keep in mind that in a car this small, the door and your passenger keep you from moving too much! 😉
As someone who's been there, done that, and is still doing that - something to consider is getting the original seats re-foamed to add bolsters and such rather then a whole new seat.
In this case, that was going to be WAY more expensive! Quite happy with how it turned out, and we only had to modify the rest of the car to make it work 😂
Nice work fellas!! The car is looking good.
Thanks man, appreciate it!
Crickey! those multi dimensional seat brackets would put Binky to shame! Nice work!👍👍
Don't know about that, but nice of you to say 😊🙏 Cheers man!
A problem is only a solution we haven’t found yet! Love the work.
Well said! Thanks Gary, appreciate it!
Those seat track put up a fight but outstanding work on them too and a victory to you as well.... 🙂👍🙏
Thanks buddy, good to hear from you! ✌️😊
What a fantastik way to start off my weekend. How to turn fitting seats into a great watch. Always fun, and inspiring to see your progress. Those bracket skills, do require an musical accompaniment, as they are certainly next level. Similar to, say "Funk", but not the same. Someone has probably done that ;). Well I'm off to change a brake master reservoir and fit new wipers, so the Volvo 244 passes re-registration, so I can take it off the road, to start the 1JZ swap. Cheers
Haha, I'll leave "getting the funk out" to the professionals! 😉 Thanks Brendon, it's appreciated! Best of luck with your project there, sounds great! ✌️
Nice job fitting those in there. The great thing about the stock seats is how low they allow you get in the car. Seat swaps tend to leave you higher in the car which is rough in such a small cockpit.
I'd say (with the foam removed) these don't put us much higher than the factory ones ... but either way, it's certainly a small car! 😊 Thanks Mallen
I have Miata seats in my 67 Sunbeam Tiger (the available width is wider and less challenging than your project :) Years ago I installed Fiero seats in my wife’s Triumph Spitfire, they were also a big improvement!
Love your fabrication efforts!!
Nice! I quite like them, maybe not the most supportive seats ever ... but in such a tight car, it's not a big deal. As I'm sure you know, your door and passenger prevent you from moving! 😂 Cheers Bill, appreciate it ✌️
The Miata driver seat “foamectomy” is a common mod for tall drivers. I’d make sure you fit properly in the car before repairing it, which would exacerbate the top of windscreen visibility issue. In fact, I’m a bit surprised you didn’t drop the floor pan a couple inches to give more headroom.
Can't drop the floor as there's a frame in the way (now)! The foam will likely still be modified over factory, but it's been done so poorly, that we've got to do something here!
When you get the seats recovered you should try a more dense and sculpted foam that can drop the seat surface a few inches and give them more bolstering.
Definitely couldn't hurt! ✌️ Not planning on fully recovering them though, more on that in due course!
Forget Saturday morning TV, sit back and enjoy Saturday morning TH-cam with Fanatik Builds! 👍 Excellent episode, Love the no compromise attitude of the build.
Thanks my friend! Really means a lot 😊
Great car work and video production.
Thanks Lewis, hope you're well 👍
Awesome!
I enjoyed the episode very much.
Greetings from thee norse!
Thanks my friend! Hope you are well! 🙏
I’m sure when this car is done it will be the baddest and best GT 6 ever built. But holy cow dude, it’s been nine years, it seems to me you don’t want to finish this project, you just want to keep it going forever. I know you want to keep your channel going, but you shouldn’t be afraid to finish this one and start another one if that’s what your motivation is.
Thanks for putting the saga together. It’s inspiring me to try to squeeze a pair of Audi TT seats into my spitfire, which has the same floor pan. The Audi seats are nearly double the weight, and a few cm too wide, presumably designed for a wider Teutonic rear end, so I can see a fair bit of welding coming up. Removing and making safe the bags was a lot of fun, maybe a modest recompense for the impending fun.
Sounds like a fun project John, best of luck getting it done! I have yet to "make safe" the airbag from the steering column we got... will have to get around to that one of these days! ✌️
@@FanatikBuilds 12v across the terminals is enough, I was shocked at the deformation of the steel backing pad, glad I was 10m away. Bonus is the moulded cover was not damaged, as I cheated and removed it first.
Kudos to your fabrication skills, especially using simple tools!
Thanks John!
Since you started this project you have become Master of many skills , from picking up a welder for the fist time , to metal fabrication , and Car Geometry you doing a great job young man always a pleasure to watch your video's stay safe dude 😎😎🤘🤘🤘
Thanks Karl, always appreciate hearing from you! Hope all's well and do take care! 😊🙏✌️
I really love this build! I checked this morning to see if you'd uploaded and was sad there wasn't a new vid yet. You made my day when I got the notification that a new vid was available on this awesome build!
Glad to hear it Pablo, thanks for the kind words and encouragement! ✌️👊
Love the work and determination
Thanks Yishai ✌️ Means a lot!
Quality work.
your doing it right Lad . keep up the good work . should be a rocket.
Thanks very much, I think it has every ingredient to be just that! 😊
@@FanatikBuilds yes it does at that a little of every vehicle on the road lol but if it works hey all good. I'm doing a 66 chev half ton with a stroked old school 350 aka 383 with some good flowing heads and a custom Cam that will produce 560hp and 490 toque on pump gas naturally aspirated. No boost . Trying to do a video on it but no go pro just a phone and a computer. So who knows how that will work out. Lol. But having watched what your doing has given me some ideas on a flip front end . Not sure but may give it a go . Did a 88 two door s10 jimmy with a flip flop front end and it did 10 second quarter mile with the same engine 383 stroker and a 700r4 old version no electronics . And a Ford nine inch . It was super quick and was a two seater tubed . The wheelie bars kept it from raising the front end to high . A father and son bought it and are still racing it to this day ten years later same motor and trans and rear end . Dependable ride wish I would have kept it but they offered a good price so money talks and takes your favorite ride as well. Lol hope you and your dad are well and your family as well . Nice to see car building is not lost . Keep up the good work Lad. Can't wait to see it do it's first burn out . 😎👍🏎️
Sounds like a fun ride for sure! On the video creation topic, don't let only having a phone and PC deter you ... Go Pros are nice, but sometimes not the right tool for the job. Smooth footage and good audio are way more important! 👍 ... all the best to you and yours as well! Cheers ✌️
@@FanatikBuilds Thanks Lad . I see how you are doing your videos and I don't see or should I say hear the noise that many channel's have like hammering and shop noise.your videos are really easy on the ears and have no outside noise . That makes watching your videos easy and pleasant to watch. I watch Fitzee's fabrication Halfassed custom just to name a few ya they have noise but not as bad as many.
I wait to see your channel and find it very informative and your technical is excellent. Keep in touch and I will keep you updated on my progress and maybe you can help me keep my videos in such a high standards that you have. I have been doing builds since I was a very young Lad first car I built I was 15 years old . I'm 58 now and still love building cars and trucks . I work as a body man now at a small shop now and still love it.
Thks again for video
You're very welcome Peter - hope you're doing well! 🥳
@Fanatik Builds no but thats life
I was not a fan of the original seats in my GT6s, so I am glad that you made the upgrade to something that you are comfortable with! This car is so much fun to watch being transformed and see improvements made on the factory “not so good” engineering!
Yeah they're quite comfy, very pleased with the decision! Thanks Brad, glad you're enjoying it, and I appreciate the words of encouragement! 🥳✌️
I must admit to having a chuckle when I saw the MX-5 (Miata) seats having been down the Rabbit hole in fitting modern seats into Mk1 Triumph Vitesse. MGF seats work(ish). Then 'Foamectomy' commonly used to drop the driver height in MX-5's. But more power to you, you got them in there.
The Miata seats are small ... but the Triumph is smaller! 😂
Automotive designers/engineers rarely fail to surprise and often succeed in disappointing.
Such as you discovered with this part of your project.
But, that's why our hobby/obsession is so much fun!
Fanatik Builds 1 (add one to the win tally) / Car manufacturers - globally ~0
Nice work guys 👍
Haha, it's my bad for just assuming! 😂 But thanks Mac, that means a lot! 🙏
Nice bit of bracket there. This is fast becoming my main fix, as Binky's gone dark for too bloody long lately. 😛
Sounds like Nik's being ... well... Nik! 😂 Really missing the series too, they're so close, I just want to see it through! Glad our little project can help fill the void to a degree though, cheers buddy, enjoy the summer for me! 😊✌️🇨🇦
@@FanatikBuilds LOL - I'm in the US these days. Had wind chill of about 40 below a little while back. Still, not so cold as living in the frozen wastes of Hoth...ahem...I mean, in Canada. 🇨🇦🤣
As for your "little project" (for a given value of "little", anyway) - I am really enjoying your methodology and how clearly you explain it all, along with that dose of humour to keep everything flowing and fun. Such an ambitious build...I would have thought it a bit _too_ ambitious at first, but you've really shown your ability to think around a problem in a logical manner. Now I'm really looking forward to finding out just how well the vehicle handles once it's basically finished...especially chassis flex. There's still plenty of interesting stuff to come. Cheers, mate! 👍🤓
Great work as always! I usually run into these sorts of problems as well. I discovered the hard way after buying them that 1971 250 seats do not fit in a 1974 230. Good times. I have ordered a 10x20 minibarn and everything in the garage that is not project/automotive related is going in the new building. Then hopefully I can get back to my project. Great to see a new video!
Engineers like to keep us on our toes, don't they Matt! Haha, your new minibarn is about the same size as our garage - oh how I long for more space! 😂 Have fun with your project(s), and take care man! ✌️
I so admire your patience. As much as I’d love to take on a project build I think mine would run thin very quickly. Good to see the progress. Onward and upward 👍
When everything takes so long, patience just seems to be natural ... or maybe I'm numb to it after all this time!! 😂 Either way, thanks Jason!
Great work! Always a treat to see a new episode.
Thanks Toni, good hearing from you! ✌️
Coincidentally, Fitzee's Fabrication is also about mounting a seat in this week's video. (He had to make huge hacks in the chassis.)
You have nearly as much engineering in those seat mountings as ther was in the original Triumph chassis.
Haha, thanks man, that means a lot 😄
Another great video! I know it’s a day late and a dollar short, but Pontiac Fiero seats with Mr. Mikes seat covers. He would do it in the colors you want, and embroider the GT6 in I bet. It would be less expensive than that $2100 you mentioned early in the video. Just an option to get more front vision and a little more room for the muffler.
Thanks for the advice! We picked up these leather Miata seats for about $500 if my memory serves, so it's pretty hard to beat that nowadays! Fitment may be tight, but we're kind of used to that and it should all work out 😊 Cheers man!
Alright, the Fiero option would have been about $150 more with new leather seat covers, $50 more with leatherette.
Lots of work! Very nicely done... as usual! Good show guys!
Thanks man, appreciate it! 👍👊
See if the seat foam is still available from Mazda. I was surprised at the parts still available for my 1991 Miata.
It is available, but only along with the steel pan, and leather cover ... making the price totally unreasonable! We'll fix this up somehow 🤞😊