p7rider

Today I went to my post office to try to tax my 41 year old spitfire. I've been reading about what to do since this time last year as I thought it would be tax exempt last year. But looked as if I needed to wait a year. So I wanted to get the ball rolling in case of any hiccups. I printed off the 112 MOT exempt form and took my log book , insurance and printed instructions from the DVLA. Post office say they couldn't do it and I need to send V5 to DVLA and apply for historic vehicle . Telling me their computer screen can only change a vehicle to tax free if it's for a disabled car or emission changes. So even though I stood there with DVLA instructions they couldn't help. Anyone else had similar problems? I know there's lots of answer on here about what to do , but I'm looking for people's own experience of obtaining free tax . Thanks

Thanks will have a look soon

You may have read my post about holiday disaster. I've now got the car running. But the 1st time I tried to select reverse the lever just swings round to the right as though there is no reverse gate . If I'm carefull I can find the reverse gate but the gears grind a little before engaging. I think the breakdown people must have forced something trying to find reverse . Any ideas of what I need to look for ? Is there a stop that could've been broken , or linkage problem? This is single rail , I really have had enough of this experience.

It's been a few years since I've driven the Spitfire on a French holiday, but it was off to Biarritz this year. I won't go in to the driving or holiday , but i will say what happened after breaking down .1st point to know on a motorway you have to use the French contracted breakdown as the motorways are privately owned. I did change all electrics 1st but no luck. At the garage a nice man said "for you your holiday is over" , and pointed at cylinders 3 and 4 . I had been thinking maybe a burnt valve. An afternoon spent at the garage phoning my breakdown cover eventually agreeing to transport the car home and us in a rental car. 1st thing I haven't read in my policy is the repatriation mustn't be more than the cars value. After about 3 hours they confirmed all was good . The hire car was a saga on its own. I changed the date of my return Eurotunnel crossing and covered from Bordeaux to Eurotunnel in 2 days . I was not allowed to complete the holiday but had 2 days to get home . The most upsetting thing was we had booked the Hotel De France, where the Le Man's spitfires stayed and my wife was very upset when we arrived in a hire car. It really is worth a stay. I tried to change my dart crossing online for the new car but it wasn't possible. So we returned home dropped the car off and went home worrying when I would see my car again. The next thing I forgot to inform dart of change of car until 12 hours after the dead line to pay. Looks like a hefty fine. End of the week and a call from breakdown truck driver with the news that my car will be back tomorrow. About a week earlier then 1st thought. Good news , but then at a French Police drugs check a sniffer dog jumped on my bonnet and has put several nice scratches across the bonnet. Fantastic but not to worry he has a stamped piece of paper from the police admitting fault. I phone breakdown company, haulage company non of them will claim responsibility. My insurance says it will be hard if not impossible to chase authorities for damage and then I will be left with excess to pay and a claim on my insurance for an incident totally out of my hands. So if anyone has any ideas how I can proceed would be welcome. Oh and the breakdown after checking timing , rockers and compression I started the car ,it ran rough pulled out the choke and it ran better. I now think it was a fuel blockage. So an easy fix

If I put the rear of the basket under the rear tabs I end up with a large gap to the upright back of the seat. It's daft because the passenger side seams to have gone back okay

This might be obvious but when fitting the seat base to the rear of the frame should the basket go under or above the 2 tabs on the rear of the seat frame ? Trying hardctonfit drivers side but it keeps popping out and up at the front.

I've just fitted the Revotec kit and the best place for their supplied sensor is in the bottom hose. I don't think you'll have the space to fit it in the top hose. I then ran the wires along the supplied mounting frame and fitted the relay on the left side of the radiator support frame , using a hole that was already there. This kept all wires and supply running along the left hand side. I bought some of the braided mesh sheathing 6mm I think to protect all my wiring . This matches What Revotec supplies.

The hard way I expect

OK I've got it fitted and happy that I get a full reading range. Looking forward from the boot I've got it going myside of the fuel feed pipe. Then a slight bend inwards to stop it rubbing , and another one up to obtain a zero reading.

yes I am now going out to the garage with a wire hook to do exactly that

thanks Anglefire, I was thinking in front of the tube as the original design doesn't project so far into the tank as pattern ones. I wish I had kept the original for a pattern (which stopped working) Just didn't imagine it would be such a pain.

After having trouble with after market sender units I finally got what I think is an original . It looks the right design came in a box and has Wipec marked on it. However when I fitted it ,in I hope the only position it will go, an empty tank still reads 1/3 full. I realise I can bend the arm slightly to set this or it might be catching somewhere. But I can fit it with the arm and float either behind or in front of the petrol feed pipe going to the outlet of the tank . Any advice on which side it should be would be welcome.

so do most retailers get their stock from Newton?

reading Newton commercial info I am thinking smooth Stag grain. so I may've answered my own question.

I'm looking to find what the original vinyl trim was, on a 79 1500 spitfire. I've read this ,but still unsure of grain on houndstooth seats. my car at the moment looks to have a mix of trim finishes. Vinyl Grain: There were two grains used on Spitfires: a small, smooth grain called Stag and a larger, rougher grain called 1290. Mk1-3 used a smooth grain "Stag" vinyl MkIV (70-73) used smooth grain "Stag" MkIV (70-73) used coarse grain "1290" 1500's to comm FH113677 used a coarse grain "1290" 1500's comm FH113678 on used a smooth grain "Stag" Cloth Inserts: At commission number FH100020 (FM60006U) the cloth inserts were became available. The cloth's houndstooth insert was available in two colors: black (C11 or RAC) or tan (C74) with matching vinyl colors. At comm # FH113678 the houndstooth pattern changed to a slightly smaller pattern.

i believe the uj to get is for a MK11 Escort . buy a rally speck one . Though others on here have given an order number

That said I will now be using the higher octane stuff now I see that most people use it.

I've never had pinking issues with timing set to standard,( assuming the marks are correct). 4 star is such a long time ago I can't remember if I've lost performance. sometimes use an additive if doing long trips. car runs at a good temperature until I hit queues.

mine runs fine on 95 . perhaps I should try 97 or 99 for a longer period to see if I notice an improvement

be good to know where most people have mounted their relays ? been doing some googling but found nothing conclusive.

Thanks for confirming. I thought the top hOse would be a bit short to cut. I'm changing from a kenlowe which as mentioned had a capillary sensor in the top hose . The kenlowe has seen a good 25 or more years service .

Good to have proper screw in fittings . Also at the bottom where the water will be cooler ?

I WILL BE FITTING A REVOTEC ELECTRIC FAN KIT TO SPITFIRE 1500, THEY SUGGEST PLACING THE TEMPERATURE SENOR IN THE BOTTOM HOSE. TO ME THIS SOUNDS A GOOD IDEA AS YOU ARE THEN MONITORING THE COOLED WATER TEMP. BUT I SEE THAT MOST PICTURES I'VE SEEN OF PEOPLES CARS WITH E FANS THEY'VE PUT THE SENSOR IN THE TOP HOSE. IT HAS AN ADJUSTABLE HEAT RANGE SO I SUPPOSE I CAN SET TO A TEMP I'M HAPPY WITH . WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PEOPLES OPINIONS..

Yes as I've found . Taken it out so many times . Unfortunately I can hear it clanking around when I have the roof up

I've had so much trouble trying to fit a new sender, without it rubbing or reading either full or empty. unfortunately I haven't got the original to copy. can anyone help with either a photo of an original or the shape they bent a new one to and which way round was best to fit in the tank . It's so difficult to see into the tank I've been bending it refitting then with a piece of string attached lifting it through the filler cap and watching the gauge to see if it reads full/empty