Todd,
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS on your purchase!! May it give you and
your wife many years of driving pleasure!
Yes, you are definitely in the right place. This list may be called
Spitfires, but it really covers Spitfires, GT6s, and Heralds and
Vitesses too. There's no shortage of
The US Spitfires were down on power in comparison with the European
variant, and the Stromberg carb is a large part of why (fitted to get
through US emissions regs.). One replacement option is to revert to the
twin SU carb set-up used for the European models.
Another, more extreme, is to use 4
If you don't want to cut the rear panel you can buy speakers with their
own box, and just sit them on the rear shelf. Some sticky-back velcro
should hold them in place. Or you could easily knock a box up out of
chipboard yourself. You mention you've been to Jeff McNeal's site, he
found some
Larry,
As I understand it, the whole point of changing from the fixed spring to
the swing spring is, effectively, to remove almost all roll stiffness
from the rear suspension (the lowest leaf, which remains fixed, is all
the roll stiffness there is). The front roll bar is beefed up to
Doc, Larry, and all -
Yes, the swing spring was implemented to minimise the inside wheel tuck.
But how did it achieve this? Think about the difference in the systems
- the fixed spring resists both wheels travelling in the same direction
(thus supporting the car), and also resists one wheel
Joe,
Should have known you'd chime in on this one!
You suggest ...it will have another more positive effect. since the
wheel tuck only becomes a problem when the unloaded wheel is allowed to
drop and suddenly becomes loaded when the turn is reversed, the swaybar
may actually help solve wheel
Not complicated - there should be two terminals on the horn. Use a
spare 12V battery or your battery charger, connect one terminal to each
side of the horn. If it goes beep it works. If it doesn't go beep you
might try connecting the terminals the other way around, not sure if the
horns mind
...Any reason why you would have to unlatch it to unzip the rear
window?...
I should think the only reason is that, when you unlatch, you reduce the
tension in the whole thing, so the zipper will be easier to move. Even
more so when zipping it back up again. Depends on how taut you get it!!
I guess there are certain properties essential in brake fluid that other
oil-based fluids don't have. A brake fluid needs to be particularly
incompressible. It needs a very high boiling point. I suspect the fact
that it can absorb water is important, so any water that makes it to the
caliper
Oh, and on the subject of brake fluid, I remember seeing a program about
motoring in Cuba (Motorworld, with Jeremy Clarkson). Due to the
unavailability of brake fluid there they make their own - I seem to
remember shampoo, and possibly brown sugar and alcohol, being principle
ingredients! That's
Nice work Paul - keep that CoG towards the centre of the car!!
Is there anywhere to put your legs now???
Richard
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WEIRD - I cannot believe that photos 2 and 3 can be of the same car!!
Richard
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For all UK members (and anyone else who wants to join in!) -
This Sunday (and the 23rd April for every year from now on) has been
declared by the FBHVC (Federation of British Historical Vehicle Clubs)
as Drive It Day, one day when as many as possible will get their
historic vehicles out and drive
...If you're at a loose end on Sunday, drive your Triumph to
Brooklands, it will be an experience...
Well, thanks for the invitation Bill, I'll consider it, but it's a bit
of a hike from Aberdeen... ;)
Richard
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For UK listers who would like cheaper fuel (i.e. all of us!) - I've just
come across a new scheme that hopes to save members 5p - 7p per litre.
It's not operational yet, but they need as many people as possible
signed up in advance to boost their negotiating power. Register now, and
they are
BTDT, exactly the same problem. I'm 6'2.
I too used Paul's method, which seemed to me to place the seats as low
as they could go. In they end they were too high for me, and I found
myself looking through the top couple of inches of the windscreen while
driving. With either soft or hard top
I'd say the motor in the fan has died. There's no break in the internal
wiring 'cos the continuity tester says there's continuity. But
attaching a battery to the terminals makes nothing happen.
Time to go shopping (IMHO).
Richard
Yep, pretty common scam this one, happens almost whenever you list a car
for sale on the internet and you give your e-mail address. In the UK
they commonly claim to want to ship the car to Africa, which is where I
suspect most of these scams originate, particularly since the quality of
the
Jamie,
I haven't heard about this mod (but I know little of racing), and I'm
not an expert on suspension at all, but my engineers gut instincts are:
Removing leaf 3, or any leaf, will reduce the spring stiffness. This
will result in a softer spring, and a lower ride height.
Turning leaf 4 over
Jerry,
I went the Mazda MX5/Miata route, and I was not too happy with the
result. They fit in width-wise, but the bottom of the seat base is
significantly higher than the original seats. This is partly because
the base is deeper, but also because the underneath of the base of the
original seats
Yeah, Paul, I used your instructions to mount the seats, as that seemed
to put the runners as low as they could get compared to other peoples
methods. But I didn't do any foam mods; maybe if I had I'd have been
happier with the results.
Oh well, Daffy is old history now, so too late to try and
Greg,
I'd agree with Joe. There's no need to use the clutch when switching
the overdrive, but if nothing else, lifting the throttle slightly when
you engage overdrive will prevent you getting a slightly jerky thump in
the back!
Feel free to switch the O/D on and off as often as suits you, they
David,
You said that, because of the scarring on the cylinder wall, that it
Looks like I'll have to have the cylinders bored one size bigger
because of that - you are planning to bore out all 6 cylinders then?
Any cylinders you do bore out oversize, you'll need oversize pistons for
too, so if
Hi Mike,
Sorry to hear that Crunch Time has finally come for Daffy's twin sister!
I remember you umming and ahhing about what to do about this a while
back...
My experience with selling Daffy's rusted remains is that I made more
selling the spare parts that the buyer chose not to take on eBay,
Richard (now driving Sammy the Black Tulip '73 MG BGT)
NOOO! Talk about going over to the dark side! g
Yeah, well, I love Triumphs and MGs. I appreciate the friendly rivalry,
but don't subscribe to it myself. I had a Black Tulip BGT before I got
Daffy, that was the car I had
Sounds very much like the noise Daffy made a couple of months after I
got her. Banging in time with engine RPM, got MUCH louder with revs.
Car would still run. Cause - a conrod big end failure. By the time I
limped her to TRGB the engine was pretty much toast, so they fitted a
re-con unit for
Re-building hydraulic cylinders is neither particularly hard nor
expensive (the biggest faff is getting them off the car to start with!).
If you're going into the clutch hydraulics, might as well do them both
while you are at it. Also gives you the opportunity to switch to DOT5
silicon fluid, if
It is not uncommon for these pins to fall out completely - as originally
designed, they are only held in by friction. Several owners have
replaced them with long bolts (unthreaded except at the end), to stop
this happening again.
A metal drift is really any long metal thing that you can put one
OK, the obligatory British comparison - this week the price just came
DOWN to the equivalent of $6.35 per US gallon (was $6.78 a couple of
weeks ago). We pay effectively about 400% tax on road fuel...
Richard Gosling
Completely whips that Peugeot 205!!!
Richard
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My (UK-spec) '78 had black mirrors when I got her, although I can't
personally guarantee they were there from new. A friend who had an
identical model (a '77 I think) was very keen on originality, and I
think his door mirrors were black too. At least, his was a twin of mine
(same colour), and
The car that replaced my Spitfire (I'd better not mention its name, but
it is a 70's coupe by a well-known British manufacturer with a
two-letter name...) came with wing-mounted bullet mirrors both sides.
Pretty, but pretty useless, as the actual mirror was so small I could
see very little (also
Without the sills, there is nothing to stop the car sagging in the
middle - and you don't want that to happen! So
A) Finish one side before you start cutting anything off the other side
B) If you have a hard-top, fit it, to add stiffness
C) Particularly if you don't have a hard-top (and
If the rear is sagging overall, then yes, the rear spring needs to be
replaced.
If the main problem is a lean towards the drivers side, then (on a
swing-spring car, i.e. square-tail) the problem HAS to be at the front -
there is not enough roll stiffness at the rear either to cause or to
correct
Doc,
Your misunderstanding is in assuming that the angle of the wheel is
related to the angle of the suspension upright, that connects between
the hub and the spring eye.
The suspension upright will change angle depending on the spring length.
However, this has no (well, a negligibly small)
...My 76 Spitfire 1500, my first Triumph, has suffered the dreaded
drivers side lean for most of it's life. As I said, three spring
changes in the rear has only resulted in a need for a forth...
I hate to say this, but I think you've put a lot of effort into the
wrong fix. As I mentioned
My bet - nothing to do with alcohol or drugs, everything to do with the
half-shaft UJ. I assume this has to be a Spitfire 1500, as the TR6 was
out of production by '78 and the convertible version of the TR7 wasn't
out yet (I think).
I've had one of those disintegrate at speed on a dual
Brook seems to have problems posting to the list (although he receives
OK), so I'm passing this message on. Any replies to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Richard
I have been sending to spitfires@autox.team.net with no success. Is
there a delay between time you send it and when it appears? Here was my
Depends entirely on:
How many other items you decide to do while you've got everything
apart
How much spare time you have
How much money you have.
My random guess is anywhere between 2 months (for someone who works
short hours, and has no family, no friends, no other outside life, and
does no
Is the cable or mechanism that's attached to your temperature control
broken or disconnected somewhere, so you turn the knob but that doesn't
actually adjust the temperature? I'm assuming this car has a simple
mechanical temp control knob and not some clever climate control
electronic whizzbang
Yes! But it's been a bit quiet for a few days...
Richard
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Hmmm... That whirring sound doesn't sound good to me. My guess would be
a worn throw-out bearing. But to replace that you'll need to pull the
whole gearbox out :-(
Richard
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Suzie,
I've got no idea about your heater box, I'm afraid - just wanted to say
Hi, good to hear from you, it's been a while!!!
Hope you get your issue sorted, anyway.
Richard (no more Daffy)
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Just use a standard grease gun, but fill it full of engine oil rather
than grease.
It can be a bit messy, but it works.
Richard Gosling
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privileged. If
I believe that you should use 90W EP gear oil in the them, not Engine
oil
Thanks - I was a bit hazy on what oil to use, it's been a while! Thanks
for clearing that up.
Richard Gosling
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The rear wheels will fall off.
The rear wheels are held rigidly to the driveshaft, and are
perpendicular to it. If you remove the diff, the inner ends of the
driveshafts are free to flop around wherever they want to, thus allowing
the wheels to adopt serious camber, and point left/right/wherever
An e-petition on the Prime Minister's website recently asked for the
classic car tax exemption to be extended - it used to apply to any cars
over 25 years old, but when the current government took power it froze
the exemption at 1/1/1973, where it has remained ever since (5 months
too early for
Re-assemble with plenty of grease/copperslip so that it comes off more
easily next time!!!
Richard Gosling
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Jeff McNeal has done this - find out all about it at
http://www.totallytriumph.net/spitfire/projects2.shtml
Richard
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Bill,
I'm 6'3, so I appreciate your problem! One thing, DON'T GO FOR MAZDA
MX5/MIATA SEATS, they will have you sitting appreciably higher in the
car! BTDT, I ended up almost peering over the top of the windscreen,
rather than through it, to see where I was going...
I was happy enough with my
I found with my hard-top that, with the rear edge lined up and resting
in the right place, the front edge didn't sit properly on the
windscreen, it rose up a bit, because the windscreen was a bit too far
back. By leaning my weight on the hardtop, while pushing FIRMLY
forwards on the top of the
OKCSpitfire - sounds like you are getting a little frustrated! I'll
avoid the temptation to get into a slanging match on the relative faults
of British and American cars ;-) I have no idea why Triumph chose such
a random size for their pulley nut.
One method for loosening the nut is to remove a
British auto design and manufacturing collapsed years ago, especially
after the Japanese auto industry rose.
Not really true. British car design is alive and well, car
manufacturers from around the world use the services of British
consultants such as Lotus, Perkins (both of whom I've worked
Sounds very much like the starter to me too, I've replaced a couple in
my time. Rebuild starters won't break the bank.
Richard Gosling
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Matt,
I'm the same height as you, and I must admit I found the legroom in my
Spitfire to be fine with the seat moved right back. Getting in and out
was a bit awkward, but once in I was always quite comfortable. Fitting
a 13 steering wheel helped. I was just over 30 when my Spitfire
finally
It's a pattern that is not that common, unfortunately, so it is not easy
to find wheels off other cars that fit. Apart from the obvious (Triumph
Herald, Vitesse and GT6, and possibly also TR7 but I could have
remembered wrong) I think some 60's Lotus cars had the same size (used
some of the same
The inside of my Spit rocker cover has never looked too bad, but I recently
had to replace a head gasket on my 1.1l Ford Fiesta (also a pushrod engine
like the Spit), and under the rocker cover in there was absolutely packed
with this thick, sticky, tar-like substance, practically everywhere there
Fred,
Try Newton Commercial www.newtoncomm.co.uk - they are the actual
manufacturers that supply the kits which are sold by most of the dealers,
but they also supply direct. I'm pretty sure that they sell original-style
and leather covers for every model Spit.
Richard Daffy
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Fred,
What is more frustrating - having the car but not the weather to drive it
in, or the weather to drive it in (which we've been having in Scotland, and
that doesn't happen often), but your car is stuck in the garage because you
can't find the time to sort the badly-running engine?
Richard
Anyone watch Top Gear (by far the leading car-based TV-show in the UK, for
the benefit of those outside of our island) last night?
Great feature, where they were discussing how all convertibles were girly
cars, particularly the latest ones like the Ford StreetKa and some funny
Daihatsu that had
...I would not think of doing it any way other than pull engine and tranny
as a unit...
If you are just doing a clutch, and are not fortunate enough to own an
engine hoist, pulling the whole engine/gearbox unit I would have thought
much more of a chore than pulling the 'box alone, which can be
...I just wonder why, if Spitfires are 'effeminate', so many 6 foot plus,
250 pound guys are driving them??...
I agree - just reporting what the presenter said. Although, I would have to
agree with the presenter that in a direct comparison between Spitfire and
TR6, the Spit looks delicate to the
I never had any great plans to modify Daffy, but a friend (well, my wife's
friend's husband) mentioned to me yesterday that he had a 2500 saloon
sitting on his farm which he is going to scrap - the body is shot to pieces
but he says the engine looks good. Of course, even the most destroyed engine
Somebody mentioned GT6 front suspension uprights - how are they different to
Spit uprights? Are they essential for a 6-cyl engine swap?
Richard Daffy
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Bill,
Thanks for that. Your advice, and that of Terry Thompson, has confirmed
what I suspected would be the case - there's a lot more to this than
cleaning up the engine, whipping out the 1500 and slinging it in, even if I
did promise myself that I would upgrade the front brakes soon after.
Too
Jeff, and anyone else who's lost the link:
http://www.team.net/archive/spitfires#browse
Richard Daffy
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For those like me in the UK who have been long confused when Americans
suggest flushing with denatured alcohol - they are talking about what we
would call Meths (methylated spirits).
Yet another word to add to the UK / US automotive English dictionary.
Richard Daffy
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My daughter, about the same age as Tom, is obsessed with Daffy - she's been
known to refuse to go out unless she can go in Daddy's yellow car from
before she could talk, and she has a (very vague) idea what an overdrive
does. But I haven't got her changing oil filters yet, so you got me beat
Steve,
Wheels off the following cars will fit without modification:
Spitfire
GT6
Herald
Vitesse
TR7
Morris Marina
MGF / MGTF (that's the new MGTF, not the '50s one!)
There may be others (such as MGB/MGC and MG Midget?), but I'm not sure. I
guess on your side of the ocean you don't bump into
Back onto the subject of hot cars (rather than hot weather)...
Spitfires have a Voltage Stabiliser which takes the rather variable voltage
at the battery/alternator/generator and outputs a fixed 10V to supply the
gauges. If this dies then it will output the full 12-14V and the gauges
will read
Ward,
The voltage stabiliser only controls the voltage to the temperature and
petrol gauges, it does not supply the tacho or indicator. Furthermore, a
duff voltage stabiliser usually results in a high reading on those gauges,
not a zero reading (unless the wire has fallen off ;) ).
I'd check
Once upon a time (in a mysterious land that may never have even existed
except in our rose-tinted memories), these places employed people who knew
about cars. But, that takes experince and training, and monkeys who know
how to tap a make and model into a computer come cheaper. For 99.5% of
Bob,
The temperature transmitter is the same for all Spitfires (and indeed the
TR7 and no doubt others), so the one at NAPA should be fine. My guess is
that they don't bother stocking stuff for cars before 1980, so they only
list 80-81 as the relevant years for Triumph, even though the cars go
When I had a small collision a couple of years back that dented my front
bumper, TRGB advised me that a re-chromed old bumper tended to be better
than a brand new bumper - thicker metal and thicker chrome plate. I vaguely
recall hearing that elsewhere too. So that's what I went with.
Having
...No need to worry, in this rather odd isle we work on both metric and
imperial...
A building suppliers I used to go to occasionally would sell you a 2 metre
length of 2x4- that always cracked me up. I'd be surprised if they don't
still do that, although with the nonsense regulations we have
It could be because cars are, relatively, cheaper now than they used to be.
While it may have been economical in the past to produce things in
relatively small numbers, the car makers have now got making things cheaply
in large numbers down to such a fine art that there is a much bigger step up
in
No such thing as 'inventory tax' over here as far as I know!
Richard Daffy
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Kevin,
Well, my 1500 has the no-relay layout for O/D, and it works just fine. Once
the solonoid is activated it should draw very little current, you only get
current flowing significantly in the short moments between flicking the
switch and the solonoid completing its movement. There's no
How sure are you that the timing and carbs are all set up right? I've found
that no amount of amateur fiddling myself can get Daffy to run half as well
as taking her to someone who knows what they are doing. Yes, it can cost
the wrong side of GBP100, but that's cheaper than new carbs, and has
Solution to the One Car Per Household dilemma - have a range of old
Triumphs (say TR6, Spitfire, Stag for family outings), but only register
one. Fit them all with the same number plate - the authorities wouldn't
know one from the other anyway...
Richard Daffy
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I tend to agree with Mike - the weather just doesn't get hot enough here to
shatter a screen, at least not one that isn't already seriously flawed or
stressed. But I'm at a loss to come up with another convincing theory...
I had no idea tinted windscreens were available for the Spitfire!
Steve,
I don't know where you live, but in the UK many tyre shops (e.g Kwik Fit)
will check your wheel alignment for free - they then charge you for
adjustment, if it's needed. This is a service I take frequent advantage of,
and I recommend you and all other listers do the same!
Richard Daffy
Well, it has to have a bit of a bend in it, so that it can go slightly
beyond the highest point so the weight of the bonnet will hold the prop in
the right position - until a slight gust of wind blows, pushing the bonnet
open again then releasing it onto your head... (if that is at all clear).
But
Adam,
You are right, there is no drain plug for the diff.
I have never tried to drain one, I guess the only options (without removing
it from the car!) are to syphon or suck it out with some sort of pump. Most
Spit owners (I assume) just top up every now and again - that's all you are
supposed
James,
Unless the diff is locked, or a super limited-slip-type one, I would not be
at all surprised if your wheels spin at different rates while off the ground
- the chances that the drag from bearings and brake adjustment is absolutely
identical on both sides is low! I would guess that your
Mike,
I can't see WD40 doing any harm, so spray away, but I wouldn't count on it
to alleviate the symptoms either! It might, it might not...
I would suggest doing some diagnostic work, bouncing the car up and down
while you listen carefully to see if you can identify where the squeak is
coming
Good choice! Viewers of Top Gear (the only major TV program about cars in
the UK) just voted the Land Rover as the Greatest Car In The World Ever. I
hope you've got somewhere mountainous to play once it is finished...
Richard Daffy
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Doug,
Does no oil on rubber mean that my suggestion of Vaseline is a bad idea
for bushing installation? I don't want anyone to wreck their bushes on my
bad recommendation!
Richard Daffy
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Fred,
What happens if you loosen the bleed nipple, then press on the brake pedal?
Does fluid come out? Does the brake pedal feel just like it would if you
were driving? Have you tried removing the nipple completely, not just
loosening it?
Just trying to narrow down options here!
Richard
George,
Do you have a shroud blocking off those parts of the radiator not covered by
the fan? Apparently this greatly improves the effectiveness of the fan.
I'm passing on hearsay here - living in Scotland I find the stock set-up
more than sufficient!
Richard Daffy
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Latty,
I can't speak for certain for all years, but the 1500 used the same diff
whether the car was overdrive or not. I *think* this is true for all years
- different Marks used different diffs, but for a given year all cars that
year used the same diff whether O/D or not.
Richard Daffy
This
Well, if you want space to park 9 Spitfires (closely packed) that should
just about do it!
I thought I had a big one, but I'm starting to feel a little inadequate now
(workshop, that is!).
Richard Daffy
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You could well be right about the tipping valve - you're heading out of my
area of knowledge, I've got single circuit brakes (they kept fitting them to
UK cars much later than US cars, so even my '78 has single circuit).
Richard Daffy
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Yes, Mark, I think it is very possible that the pump would sieze - although
I doubt many people have deliberately tried it to find out!
Adding grease may help, but I don't know how long for - I wouldn't rely on
it as a long-term thing without regular re-greasing.
What is more intriguing to all
...I was hoping to help the situation by adding a vent to where the
mechanical fuel pump was located and then teeing it into the hose from the
valve cover to the carb
If the connection to the carb is not providing enough vacuum to suck the
crankcase pressure from the valve cover, then I would
Nolan,
Things are different in Europe to the US - the older American style of
having one light to perform brake, tail, and indicator light functions is
not allowed here. A separate orange indicator light is required, although
brake and tail lights may be combined.
Richard Daffy
This email
Barry,
Yes, I see your point - our combined tail and brake lights use dual filament
bulbs as you state. But the indicator must be completely separate to the
brake - and orange as well - so John couldn't combine as you suggest.
Richard Daffy
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If you want to get the top on at short notice, you can get away without the
brackets to the B-pillars (if you are missing those right now). In that
case, all you need is a pair of 1/2-head bolts (can't remember thread size,
but it's whatever UNC thread normally comes with a 1/2 head) to hold the
John,
AFAIK, the MkIII frame has a proper folding mechanism, unlike the MkII which
is more of a dismantling thingy. The MkIII frame won't bolt straight up to
a MkII body, but should be able to with a few mods.
There was a recent discussion on the subject here:
I like the over-all look (a bit like a smiley face!!). Only comment is that
the word 'AMPS' seems to be placed a little too high - it might look better
if it was more central? Just an opinion!
Richard Daffy
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