Any Gordon Keeble Owners Out There?

Any Gordon Keeble Owners Out There?

Author
Discussion

darylharris32

58 posts

152 months

Sunday 12th July 2015
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neill said:
Hello,
Just caught up with the Keeble posts, after a long gap.
I used to own #19 and #91, and was the first owner to attempt a body off restoration in the mid '70's.
I worry about the rear radius rods shown in the posts of 5th March.
All the new ones shown just have the eyes for the bushes welded on to the square tube, without the wrap around strap.
This leaves the weld in tension which is not good, whereas with the wrap around there is a larger amount of weld in shear, which is much stronger.
It may be that the photo is of unfinished items, but could someone reassure me.
I don't like to think that anyone is driving around with them as shown.
Regards,
Neil.
Hi Neil,

Apologies for the late reply as I've been out of the country recently... Here goes with some reassurance reference the rear radius rods.
Bit of background, my dad (Terry Harris) has been a mechanic some 50 years now along with my Uncle (Dennis Harris) who has been doing it some 45 years, working with him. At the age of 16 my dad built his first full contact Chevy powered Stock Car (not Bangers), still racing and building to date. Myself (Daryl Harris) who does a fair bit of welding (taught by my dad and uncle) helping my dad out have been racing and building my own race cars from the age of 21 (now 37). These cars if you look back through the very early posts, are no sheds but out and out full contact thoroughbred race cars powered by 400-460bhp small block Chevy engines. The suspension is fully adjustable coil overs and is made up of 1/2" x 5/8" rose joints with inserts welded into steel tube link bars (radius rods) of various sizes dependant on where used in the car, these have always been hand built by ourselves. Along with the full contact nature of the sport we have never torn an end out.

Sorry I diverse, back to the GK's... I think this is the fourth body of restoration which my dad have been involved with not to mention the body on foot well resto's. The original radius rods (square box) where made from 14 gauge (2mm) where as the new are now made with a stronger 3.2mm thus doing away with any additional flex creating the possibility of rear steer under torque. The end tube was made with a 16 gauge (1.6mm) sleeve before using a 14 gauge (2mm) strap for re-enforcement, the new end tubes are now using a machined/bored out piece of a solid bar using a stronger grade steel, inner dimensions to match the original but with a wall thickness of 5.5-6mm. This in turn allows us to apply a good weld penetration creating a stronger end product, this is put together on a jig which we made to original radius rods specifications. Funnily enough all the radius rods we have removed have rusted through the strapping end or from the inside out on the bar length.

I hope the above helps, we are pretty damn good with suspension and not too bad at Gordon Keeble's... Ha ha not to mention other classic cars and American powered vehicles.

My dad professes never to be a 'specialist' as of the 22 x GK's that have passed through the door know... He is just an original mechanic who know a hell of a lot about how cars operate and what will cause a part to break thus actually fixing the problem... Not a 'fitter/specialist'...

Regards Daryl.

sussexkeebler

41 posts

130 months

Monday 13th July 2015
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Mellow Yellow said:
But I have been selected to appear on the Grid for the Goodwood 'Thoroughbreds' Breakfast club on 2nd Aug smile
So, I think, has 77. Got the you have been selected for the grid email but the attached "pass" was just for site access. What does your pass say?

Mellow Yellow

Original Poster:

885 posts

261 months

Tuesday 14th July 2015
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sussexkeebler said:
So, I think, has 77. Got the you have been selected for the grid email but the attached "pass" was just for site access. What does your pass say?
Both email and pass say the same as yours so we'll see when we get there.

Thanks for the re-assurance Daryl, I'm in no doubt that they are a lot safer than what was there before.

neill

28 posts

213 months

Tuesday 14th July 2015
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Hello Daryl,
Thanks for the comprehensive reply - appreciated.
I am not criticizing the welding techniques - I'm sure they are superb, I only have to look at the chassis restoration.
It's just that you have strengthened the tube, and the eyelet, and then just welded the two together - no doubt perfectly.
However, you have now got a cast steel joint in tension, which is not good practice.
The strap that Jim Keeble put over the ends, puts a great deal more weld in shear, which is much better and a lot stronger.
I'm not even sure that the radius rods were too weak at all, since they have lasted 50 years, and only failed through corrosion.
Mind you, Jim was not perfect - think of the front suspension geometry........
Regards,
Neil.

Mellow Yellow

Original Poster:

885 posts

261 months

Sunday 19th July 2015
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Just got back from a great Show at Ameberley Working Museum on the South Downs and bumped into Ch52 yet again. Great to meet the new owner, Tim, think I’ll be bumping into 52 again at Goodwood in a fortnight.




Anyone at Silverstone next Saturday?

Mellow Yellow

Original Poster:

885 posts

261 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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A while back somebody offered some seatbelt hangers for sale, either here or in the club magazine. These attached to the central pillar and had a loop to allow the front seatbelt to pass through whilst it was being worn. Ch76 has clips on the top of the seat to do much the same thing but they are a bit of a nuisance when folding the seats down, you either have to unclip them or the seatbelt acts as a tripwire for anyone getting in the back. Does anybody have a any pictures of the hangers?

keeble kid

116 posts

170 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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Hi Mellow,
any luck with the seat belt holders? One of 99 sorted me a pair out some time back have you asked him? Plus GK 76 looks great. Now can anyone tell me what weight/size trailer they used when transporting their GK? Having a towbar fitted next week and then want to try and pick up a good 2nd hand car transporter trailer. Any info appreciated.

Mellow Yellow

Original Poster:

885 posts

261 months

Friday 31st July 2015
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keeble kid said:
Hi Mellow,
any luck with the seat belt holders?
Yes, OneOf99 doesn't have any but he came up with the parts numbers and I've now managed to find out what they are from. Have you fitted yours? I had a look at 76 last night and came away none-the wiser as to how to fix them to the pillars. I was hoping to get a look at Ch81 to see how they've been fitted to it. Do you know if the pillar has any reinforcement or is it just thick GRP?

GK52

154 posts

139 months

Friday 31st July 2015
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Does this help?

thunderbelmont

2,982 posts

223 months

Tuesday 4th August 2015
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Mellow Yellow said:
thunderbelmont said:
I've just spotted an advert on eBay for a Peerless which claims to have GK Chassis 75 under it.

Can that be right? I thought 75 was a complete pretty car.

As an aside, does anyone here have moulds to make body panels? I want to build a Special Saloon racer "Gordon Keeble", and therefore need to make a body - which will get dramatically modified. I don't want to butcher a genuine car, that wouldn't be right. So only need a body (or the panels to make) to do the job. I have a chassis that I think will do the job with little or no mods, and is very capable. Running gear would be Chevy with a a Jerico NASCAR box, and Winters quick change rear axle. All basic and simple, but effective!

Hopefully Oneof99 will enlighten us as to the Ch75/Peerless mystery either here or in the club mag, Ch75 is certainly a complete car. Not sure that anyone has moulds, no spare panels available, you could try the club but short of buying a complete car and making your own I don't think you'll have much joy.
OK, I did wonder whether one of the many enterprising GK restorers out there may have taken body moulds while carrying out a body-off resto. In that case - is there anyone (on here) that's got a car in that state that might be willing to allow it to be used as a "plug" to make moulds?

Huntsman

8,026 posts

249 months

Tuesday 4th August 2015
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thunderbelmont said:
OK, I did wonder whether one of the many enterprising GK restorers out there may have taken body moulds while carrying out a body-off resto. In that case - is there anyone (on here) that's got a car in that state that might be willing to allow it to be used as a "plug" to make moulds?
Even if you did that, you'd still need a huge pile of Keeble parts, if you bought all the Rover, Cheverolet, Daimler, Humber, MG parts and made a body and chassis you'd still be missing a great deal.

I suppose if it was to be a Keeble-esqu track car it might be doable.

Mellow Yellow

Original Poster:

885 posts

261 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
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GK52 said:


Does this help?
Thanks GK52, Oneof99 actually sent me the most comprehensive set of photo guidelines anyone could wish for so I'm ready to go when the parts arrive. I keep bumping into 52, last weekend it had pride of place at the Goodwood open day (I'm not bitter...much!), before that it was at Amberley and at Le Mans, new owner is only about 10 miles from me.

How's progress Huntsman?

sussexkeebler

41 posts

130 months

Sunday 9th August 2015
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Better late than never.... Thought last weekends Breakfast club at Goodwood good and very well attended but perhaps not as many cars as last year(and not as an eclectic mix as last year?). Three Keebles in all attended.


Can you spot two keebles?

phj

29 posts

173 months

Saturday 5th September 2015
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I see #52 is on the Stewart Miller / Peter James stand at Goodwood next Saturday. I have voted ! I shall be in the Revival Car Park with #48 over Goodwood weekend - hope to see a few more.

Mellow Yellow

Original Poster:

885 posts

261 months

Monday 7th September 2015
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  1. 76 will be there on Saturday, planning on arriving around 7:30 so should be near the front of the classic parking. Last outing before going in for re-upholstering, Richmond and James who did a lovely job on #81.

phj

29 posts

173 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
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GK gets an honourable mention on the Goodwood Revival website.

https://grrc.goodwood.com/goodwood-revival/top-fiv...

oneof99

63 posts

146 months

Sunday 13th September 2015
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phj said:
GK gets an honourable mention on the Goodwood Revival website.
SO... How Many G-Ks Attended? { Well Done Ch48 'Top of the List' }

Mellow Yellow

Original Poster:

885 posts

261 months

Monday 14th September 2015
quotequote all
phj said:
GK gets an honourable mention on the Goodwood Revival website.

https://grrc.goodwood.com/goodwood-revival/top-fiv...
I only counted 3 on Saturday, 48, 76 and 73? but car park was half empty by the time we did the rounds. Did anyone else find a German business card on their windscreen? At first I thought it'd been left by one of the Hampshire comedian owners (you know who your are!) as I read the note on the back as "If you ever want to sell for 6K, get in touch", then my friend pointed out it actually said "If you ever want to sell your GK, get in touch".

GK52

154 posts

139 months

Friday 25th September 2015
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http://www.mirbach.de/Expose/EN/510

Looks like Ch55(?) for sale in Germany. You might not get your 6K James!

Mellow Yellow

Original Poster:

885 posts

261 months

Friday 25th September 2015
quotequote all
GK52 said:
http://www.mirbach.de/Expose/EN/510

Looks like Ch55(?) for sale in Germany. You might not get your 6K James!
With the re-trim I'd want at least £6.5k wink

Fascinating airbox arrangement on 55.