Colin Lindsay

Last time I fitted a Herald bonnet I put an old quilt over the engine and rested the bonnet on that, sliding it about until the gaps were good, and only then bolted it on and tightened up. From your post the rear tub may be the same idea! Gap first on jacks or other support then slide pads or shims into the gaps and tighten afterwards...

He can be slow to answer e-mail; like most restorers he's on the phone constantly or out in the workshop so keep trying or - next time I'm on the phone with him I'll ask him to check e-mails! BTW I got the part number from an old parts manual, not a current supplier.

They're rubber ends that close off the channel and prevent glass to metal contact. I've had them on other Heralds; if you need them at all it's to prevent the glass damaging the paintwork on your quarterlight when fully wound up ( don't know if excessive winding would chip the glass) so not a necessity but handy to fit if you can get them.

That's always a great feeling. I just came back from a week away to find a pile of parcels from stuff I bid on; I bid £6.99 on a DVD drive for the Mac (RRP £39.99) and got it for that, so am well pleased. Almost as good as selling something for about ten times your starting price, which is what you reckoned it was worth in the first place.

A good link to bookmark. I have the SIP Migmate 130 Turbo since 1995 and am only now getting round to using it myself! Rollers and wirefeed were badly rusted and needed serious cleaning but all else seems to be working fine; just the gas to sort out. It's good to know that other bits like that are available.

It went for £38.80 in the end. Any member buy it? I was tempted, but sadly at 261MB it was too large a download for me...

So it's hitting the edge of the disc, and not the side? Got ya now. Where did you buy your discs? They may be a slight bit too big. Can you try another set for size, or have those skimmed slightly? I'm assuming the caliper is correct but I'm wondering if there would be any problem with grinding this edge down slightly if all else is right, and that might be the easiest option unless you want to try another caliper too...

Was it you programmed my Sat Nav just before the International in August???? Sent me right round Chester on my way to Stratford!

... and we'll have to hop back to the original topic...

Welcome Paul - don't worry about the Spitfire not being on records, it's very easy to put right - I've done it twice in the last few months for members who have bought Heralds and it's only a matter of form filling. I also supplied photos to prove the car was complete and had a V5 back within a short time.

I had that on a Herald, and I think the problem was that the hub was not properly tightened over the oil seal. The felt seal hadn't compressed enough so the hub seemed tight, but I removed it all, greased the hub seal, replaced the assembly and tightened fully this time, and the brake disc was now central to the caliper and rotated freely. If everything is mating, or spaced, correctly it should all line up. One other point in case that isn't your problem - do the calipers require any kind of spacer? Maybe a thin washer will shim them out sufficiently to avoid friction (assuming it shims them in the right direction and doesn't affect any of the other geometry.) That's all looking good and making me wish I could get on with some restoration or other in the garage!

They sure don't last long...

Does the Rimmers kit really need 20 shims? Incidentally the Paddocks kit is short of rubber mountings... off the top of the half-awake head (even with the clock going back!) six for the front half and ten for the rear... or 14 plus two solid mountings. Or are those just 'body' as in tub, and not bulkhead too?

Never had any problems with the original terminals, cap fitting and self-tapper, but then my battery goes in and stays there for a year or two. I don't remove it so much that I'd ruin the terminal with repeated refitting. The screw is just a light fit to stop it jumping off; not to bolt it down tightly - plus on the GT6 it's only on the short earth strap; the positive terminal is a clamp.

It's usually only soft lead so use a very thin drill, a hand-held Dremel-type drill will do it. Just make sure it doesn't damage the terminal, and that the self-tapper is also of a size that will fit but not distort or split the terminal. Other than that, it's a simple job.

Those are quite long with a very coarse thread, Peter, so you may be right. I have some somewhere and can supply a photo if need be.

+1 for Chic, part number 612245 is hopefully the bit you mean.

HU0703 is a bolt, 1/4 UNF x 3/8. These may be the four that go under the rear overrider below the rear light. UL2704 is a 1/4" by 1/2" hexagon head ACME thread screw of which 14 are listed in the Herald Parts Catalogue for the rear valence to boot floor. 8 across the back and 3 each side? For most, particularly the side valences to the underside of the rear wing, it's just whatever length is needed to hold securely with suitable spire clips; you don't see them once trims are in place. On my 1200 estate I used bolts and nylocs right across the entire length of the rear valence, and rivetted the overlap between the side and rear valences underneath. The jack strap screws are quite a coarse thread, and hexagon headed.

Possibly one either or both, Dave - they were set at the factory but after so many years you never know what a previous owner may have felt necessary. I checked whilst out and about today and both of my local tyre fitters - the two I use out of quite a number in the area - have laser / computer set four wheel alignment and have told me they can adjust my GT6 geometry easily enough, both front and rear, if I bring the car over. I don't think they're anything unique or upmarket so it appears many tyre fitters these days can do it.

The original MK1 motor was a square Lucas type ( a two-speed version similar in shape to the Herald version), the MK2 had the round type. I'm assuming that as the round version used in other cars, like the TR range or Spitfire, is essentially the same then you would expect it to be readily available. My own GT6 Mk1 has closely spaced wipers - see photo - but the windscreen surround ends at the rubber strip and not below the wipers, so even replacing screen surrounds, assuming they were interchangeable between models (and I know some aren't) wouldn't affect the wheelbox spacing. Is it possible a replacement tub has been used, or even just this section from a donor vehicle? You can buy the MK3 wiper motor easily enough (new) so I'll have a quick look to see what's available - in fact Rimmers are showing the same motor for Mk2 and Mk3 in stock for £48, part number 517621, and there are plenty on eBay. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-LUCAS-14W-2-SPEED-WIPER-MOTOR-MINI-SPRITE-MIDGET-MGB-SPITFIRE-LAND-ROVER/202778002937?fits=Car+Make%3ATriumph|Model%3AGT6&epid=7017014114&hash=item2f3682c5f9:g:sZAAAOSwp6tde6er The motor won't affect the position of the wiper blades; your chrome insert on the surround appears to be quite high on the side that I can see but on my car the wiper stops short of the finisher, although it does raise up slightly due to the curvature of the glass. If your wiper is going down over the chrome at the bottom, just move the wiper arm around on the spindle slightly so that it stops further up. If you can find similar arms with a more pronounced 'crank' in the arm they'll also help keep the blade at a better angle.

So good, you posted it twice? The bit of Paul's post that gets me is why it spins when out of gear, but engages when in gear. I know Doug's right in that the teeth aren't lining up properly but I'm wondering if the simple act of putting it in gear is enough to rotate the flywheel a fraction, and engage the teeth?

Clive's right; removing the old one sufficiently to get a new one into the correct position would be fiddly; but with care yes it could be done. (Says Colin who can't fix bodywork to save his life...)

I'm keeping that hydraulic system on my early Herald - I know many owners advocate using a later pedal switch and I do have that option, but I like the original setup. The only downside is that the new loom is cut for a pedal switch so will have to be lengthened to reach the in-line switch terminals.

Got it sorted; I've used the original system as (for now) I'm keeping the rear drums. I've remade the pipes in kunifer and had immense fun with a vice-mounted pipe flarer that makes superb flares in seconds with no effort whatsoever. If I could work up the enthusiasm to rust-proof the underside I'd have had the axle refitted weeks ago.

I always found it was better to buy the rubber seals separately from the boxes, especially if you could get NOS original versions. Better rubber and a better fit. (I've no idea of the Spitfire requirement but am I right - 32 teeth - for the Herald?)