Colin Lindsay

Just ordered three of those; I like the look of them already. Couldn't do that, Roger, they weren't UNF. Even my old brass nuts that came off other Heralds wouldn't fit the threads. I've gone for the ones that BW has linked to, they look very solid. I'll need two sets but not committing until I see the first one.

Old studs are out, no problem - it's refitting the new. They were too stiff for finger tightening alone so a hand-held stud puller was employed to fit them, just hand pressure but the threads went flat almost immediately. I tried a brass nut and spanner but the brass was so soft the nut just stripped once any resistance was met. I can't tap out the manifold as they're not UNF so have tried my best to have clean threads lubricated with copper grease. It appears these are just cheap repro studs, so am currently checking Paddocks for replacements I was just wondering what everyone else uses.

I'm not using alloy on this setup; it's the original cast manifold to a stainless downpipe. I've already got stainless manifold studs rather than original copper / brass whatever. Whatever threads these are, none of my other brass nuts will fit but they fit the originals, which are too corroded to reuse.

Just tried to fit new exhaust manifold studs to my Herald cast manifold and not had great success. The manifold has been shot blasted and the old studs removed, but on fitting the new ones (bought from an eBay supplier) I found that the socket-type stud puller I was using to fit them damaged the metal very easily - the studs seemed very soft and the threads just flattened. I decided to try using a nut and spanner to seat them but the threads didn't fit anything I had, I suspect they're not UNF, so used one of the brass nuts. It went on very easily, in fact too easily - no Gorilla hands needed - and continued right down over the unthreaded section of the stud with very little pressure required, so has stripped the threads clean out of the brass nut. I can't believe they distort that easily. It would never have tightened sufficiently to hold an exhaust against the gasket. So: before I order replacement studs and nuts, who do we recommend? Are there any alternatives ie stainless?

I replaced a ceiling yesterday and halfway through realised - I can't do this on my own any more! I eventually got it finished late last night, back wrecked and legs aching but this morning I'm still sore. It's not the work, but the recovery that seems to take longer. I raced the brother-in-law up a huge flight of steps a while back, okay so he's ten years younger, but at the end I was still fighting fit. Fighting for breath and fit for nothing.

Dented as in the little half-moon shape of the end of a bolt?

That reminds me that I torqued down the Herald head last night and have not yet fitted the waterpump housing or the equivalent pipe to yours in the Herald; I'm hoping I've remembered correctly that the tab on the pipe goes over the head nut and is held in place by a second nut on the same stud, but on thinking back, the stud does not seem long enough. I also forgot to fit the engine lifting eye but sod it, I'm not intending to lift the engine out again...

Was talking to a great Gentleman and Herald owner on the phone recently, he was telling me he was getting too old to work on the cars these days. When I tried the usual 'you're never too old' he replied: 'well, in another three years I'll be 90.' That shut me up.

Just listen for hissing and watch for steam at junctions. I've been out looking for a thermostat for the Herald in my stash of parts... and seem to have everything but 82. Quite a few 88s, one 70, one 72, one quite rusty 82 and the highest so far has been 94. I know I bought the 70 as an early thermostat advertised for a Herald - yes it fits but the vendor never mentioned the temperature! - but no idea where the others came from over the years.

Not if you're struggling to stop...

I used Dodomat, £29 off eBay for 20 sheets; I reckon that would do the entire floorpan and sides etc of one of our cars. Very easy to use and the shiny silver side looks neat.

No you didn't; that's all water under the bridge and long gone. We've all done it (I still cringe over my first Spitfire....) Now you get the chance to learn, to set it right, and enjoy it knowing that it's been done properly. That's priceless.

Post a photo so we can all admire! When I added extra gauges to the GT6 I just painted the hands in the correct shade of Humbrol enamel paint, it looks exactly the same as the two original gauges and has lasted years.

Did he just close down? I dealt with him in 1993 when I had just bought a Spitfire, and blew the alternator replacing the battery back to front. In those days I just looked at the ads in the magazines, so if the alternator was £20 plus £5 delivery I sent off a cheque for £25... never mind VAT or carriage to NI... so lo and behold the alternator arrived with a short note: "you forgot to add VAT plus extra postage for islands etc so we have sent this at the basic rate and if it arrives it means Christmas has come early." I sent him back a Christmas card with the message: "The alternator arrived. Happy Christmas." In June... I often wonder if he realised what it was all about...

That's solved your initial worry, then. Pipes shouldn't slip off that. I'd fit as per BW's instructions above but tighten the olive nut last once all else has been settled into place. Swage was the word I was looking for earlier, Frost have a tool for doing it but as usual well made and so massive money.

Gt6 Mk1 shouldn't be all that different; in my case I fitted the screen frame first and tightened down onto the seal, then fitted the dashboard afterwards. So: in my case at least the dash cover was not under the seal which is what it says: a seal between the two metal surfaces so presumably should be left alone to do just that, with nothing underneath or above that may prevent a seal. It's really up to yourself as to whether it matters, or with regards to the excess; can it be folded round behind the dash rather than trimmed? I'm always thinking of the 'just in case' scenario... but if it was me I wouldn't put it either under or above the seal.

I bought one, found it wasn't just as simple and straightforward as I had hoped, and it too went on eBay.

Reducing the shims will pull the front edge inwards.

That's enough for any day. A few jobs well done!

Timing should be the last thing set, after the points are adjusted, if I'm right. That note of mine in the Haynes manual would be easier read if I'd written it as 42 - 45 AND 8 degrees BTDC. I've just found this during a quick search on Spitfires: Contact points: Gap 0.015in. (Mark 2, 0.020in.) corresponding with dwell angle reading of 36 +/- 1 degrees (1967 and earlier cars), or 41 +/- 1 degrees (1968/69 examples), or 39 +/- 1 degrees (Mark IV), or 51 +/- 5 degrees (1500).

42 - 45 at 8 degrees BTDC. I think.... or is that Herald 1360 only?

The silver one was bought new by me, it's been trial fitted to the 1200 estate but hangs very low - however totally rust free and will be used. The other two came off a 1200 (the convertible I'm working on) and the other possibly off a 948 but neither was 12/50, although the longer 12/50 manifold does make sense. It won't clear the bellhousing on a 1200 manifold but the downpipe is very narrow even compared to the others. They're solid enough, silencers are good so I'll see which is the best fit on the 1200 convertible and use that. I'm missing one rear box, though, unless it's salted away in the roofspace - must look in daylight. I'd never have the gall to claim on the warranty... was just checking to see if they covered the unit, or was it the lifetime of the original car. Edit: found the silencer; nice stainless rear box in good nick. Happy Days.

I stopped one night with a motorist broken down at the roadside; he was on his way to perform an operation at the Royal Victoria in Belfast. When I asked he told me that he was a Gynaecologist, then added: "it's not as much fun as everyone thinks..."

RAC, AA and Sky TV - all the same; they try to autorenew membership, you complain, they drop by an amazing amount. They'll suck you in easily enough - from £5 per month! amazing! - but see how soon that price rises to triple or worse. Both my modern and classic policies have recovery built-in and it doesn't count as a claim.

That company is American, so postage would be higher even than what Canleys usually charge. I don't have a long enough camera to get it all in one shot so: It's the lower one in both photos with the centre expansion box. The other one is the mild steel version. I suspect that the rear silencer for the non-Bell version is almost a foot longer when fitted, so may make up for the shorter main pipe.