Colin Lindsay

It does! I've so many old or early WSMs that don't even show the early disc conversion, and have only illustrations of either drums or later uprights / shields, but managed to find a supplement from 1962 on my shelf that shows the brake caliper adaptor facing downwards into the hub, so I've trial fitted that and the clearance for the calipers, both 12 and 14, is good. I'm assuming the disc shield fits with the recess against the upright so that the shield sits proud and so closer to the disc, as in the photos below, rather than the other way round which still fits but leaves the shield sitting further back, if you understand what I'm trying to illustrate. I'll see how it looks once the discs themselves are fitted. In any case the stainless covers are wrong and will need to be trimmed. If it all goes really pear-shaped I've got a complete set of later uprights, shields and calipers that are a straight swap.

Anyone have a set of these lying about, maybe from an early to late upright conversion? They're used to convert early uprights to disc brakes along with an adaptor. Different from the later Herald or Spitfire versions, but also different from the GT6 / later Vitesse versions too - see photo. From left to right: early Herald, GT6 / Vitesse, late Herald / Spitfire. As you can see the aperture on the GT6 / Vitesse version is larger plus it's also angled so that although bigger, it's on a different area of the disc edge so fouls the Herald brakes. I had a set of stainless ones made but on fitting it appears they've been cut incorrectly. Part numbers are 208718 and 208713 LH and RH (they are handed) If anyone has a set they can spare or no longer need, or knows of any, let me know. Thanks in advance! Colin.

I'm now trying to reassemble the front steering uprights, sadly entirely from memory as I dismantled the four sets I have to blast and clean them, and select the best or at least, least worn, and have completely forgotten how they reassemble. Early uprights are visibly identical to each other, there are no identifying marks whatsoever other than the steering arm, which once removed removes any clues as to which side the upright goes on. The only way of telling is to fit a trunnion and if the trunnion marked NS fits, then it's nearside, and the other one should take the trunnion marked OS. This seems to work. Once I've got that worked out I can fit the adaptor to convert from drum brakes to calipers. First problem is that I've forgotten which way round the caliper mounts go. Do the mounts go to the front, as pictured, or behind, with the two raised bolt lugs pointing down, not up? All my early manuals are for drum brakes only, so I'll need to find a good exploded diagram online and try to work things out from that. Second problem is that the lovely stainless steel laser-cut disc shields that I had made a few years back are also causing fitting problems. Do they fit with the recess against the upright, as pictured, or away from it? Either way, the shield appears to be very very close to the trunnion and the wheels will not turn to full lock without fouling. Even if I fit them the other way round, recess against the upright and the disc further out, as in the photo, they still seem very close. I decided to trial fit an entire assembly, and measured up the type 14 calipers I'll be using. They don't fit. They're bigger and so fouling off the edges of the shield. I tried the type 12s that originally came off the car and they fit perfectly, but the bigger calipers are no go against the new shields. It appears my super-duper laser precision cut discs are not the same profile as the originals; in fact put back to back there's a considerable amount of metal in the new ones that is fouling the larger calipers. Not good. I'd go back to the original steel versions but I sent one off to have it copied in stainless, and the guy doing it... lost it. He sent me back the stainless versions but kept the original, and when I asked for it he claimed the factory had lost it. It's strange but when I spoke to him recently he denied ever making these for me, too. His memory must be worse than mine. So: I'm going to have to trim these back in order to use them, since I can't just blast and replace the originals of which I only have one. Wonder if anyone has any spare? Note: these are NOT the same as Vitesse or GT6 shields, unless possibly early Vitesse; the GT6 shields are markedly different. Off I go to check online, both for replacements, and a good parts diagram to confirm how everything goes back together. Just in case.

I can lift and carry Herald engines, no bother, as the bare block is almost featherweight once the crank is out. Six cylinders are a different matter, I value my back too much.

It's just me being picky as usual Rob, but if the bolts are available I always wonder why the suppliers never stock them. I have quantities of nuts and bolts that suppliers have sent, and I've replaced them - often quite easily - with better or more suitable items that were readily available. If a supplier charges me, say 25p for a bolt, and I can buy the 'proper' version elsewhere for 30p, why doesn't the supplier simply charge me the 30p for the better item? We had this debate a while back about suppliers substituting metric parts for Imperial, so that they were an approximate fit, yet the correct Imperial sizes are available to anyone that searches online. And I frequently have to!

You were just being like me, talking out loud to get the problem focused in your mind before sorting it out. I do it all the time. The joys of being a Triumph owner!

It appears to be a policy from some suppliers too. It's not that the bolts aren't available, it's just whatever they decide to supply. The bolts for my TR7 rear suspension had too much thread and insufficient shoulder, so not being happy with that I went online and very easily found the proper length with a shoulder that completely cleared the mountings. I believe that a threaded section through a metal panel is bound to wear much more quickly than a full shoulder, either wearing the mounting or the bolt itself, as the threads will wear more quickly than the solid metal thereby allowing movement.

If they're red poly they'll be solid enough; far more so than the blues. I'm interested in giving them a try on the convertible which certainly won't be raced or rallied.

You just beat me to that - two large wooden blocks, under the front and rear faces of the block; soft enough not to damage the metal faces but strong enough to support the block three or four inches off the bench.

Only 350kg? I've had my Weetabix.

£872.5.0 for the saloon, and £918.5.0 for the convertible; that's an F-reg so 1968. Purchase tax included.

Who did you buy the poly from? I might invest in two for the latest project.

The Northern Ireland Assembly is positively criminal.

Long time since I've seen that query, the magazines used to be full of them but there must be few positive earths left by now. Converting to alternator was always a very common query too. Just as a thought, Pablo - DO NOT change the wiring on anything else, as Pete has said, especially neither the heater nor the wipers. It's a common misconception that the heater blower will now run in reverse ie suck instead of blowing, and the wipers will work back to front. It doesn't make any difference so keep them as they are, otherwise you could end up melting the loom. Been there, and sadly, twice...

The long shaft pushed the wheels outwards, so if you imagine the upright hanging on the spring, it will be more of a negative angle. Theoretically you should get less tuck under as the wheel will be more negatively angled, out at the bottom. The springs are all the same length throughout.

There used to be this thing called the MOT...

I would worry that any kind of non-setting additive would come out via the gun, which may cause problems when spraying paint. That's why I had thought of liquid Jenolite, it would cure the rust and dry hard, so wouldn't affect any usage.

Mine's been in use for almost twenty years now; I too neglect to drain it after every use but there is quite a quantity of water pours out the bottom even after two or three uses. Thankfully it's clear and not rusty brown. I always wondered if removing one of the pipes off the top and swishing a quantity of Jenolite round the inside would do any good?

Neither complaint nor criticism from me, Ian... I'll keep looking, usually over coffee, but it may take a while. I've trawled through almost every issue of Practical Classics from the 1990s, they were renowned for strange trips, but no results yet. I love the challenge and the detective work, so will keep trying.

Nearly as old as I am, and almost as pitted... but the sandblasting didn't help, either.

They did? I know the brackets have a flange for the bolt head, which is machined into the side but never knew the wishbones had weld.

Wonder who Paddocks get theirs from? Herald seats for example are £70 cheaper than Newton.

After only 15 hours since posted! I replied to a post on another forum earlier in the week, it was the top posting on that section, and I only realised after I had replied that it was posted in 2019 and no-one had replied to any of the topics since before that... so this forum is positively frantic. Online searches for GT6 / MG / Alpine comparison test and phrases like that have drawn a blank so far.

Nice. Wonder if it will feature on the TV Show? They sold a GT6 MK1 a while back and I'm still waiting for that to appear on TV.

Toe in first, then toe out, then in out in out shake it all about.