JonLow

I am in Chatham and as far as I have ever found out, or been informed there are no "Triumph" workshops left in Kent. Searches and online requests only show general classic car facilities, usually very upmarket prices, fine if you have Jags or such like. So any leads would be of great use to me also.

I looked at Canleys, because they used to be known for their quality spares. However, the picture of their stainless steel nuts do look a bit grainy and dull. Maybe I should ring them and ask them if they are really good finish.

Just brought the Spit 1500 out of the garage and noticed the chromed wheel nuts are flaking off the very thin layer off chrome plating. Now I bought a new set from Rimmers less than 2 years ago and have only 600 road miles and yet half of them are peeling off the chrome plating already, complete rubbish quality. I would have expected a copper plate coat on the steel to make sure the chrome bonds well, but no chance, just cheaply produced items. Can anybody recommend a quality supplier, presumably stainless steel is the only answer these days. I am worried but looking at the usual suppliers and the items they show are either not the same shape as the originals, or the picture shows the stainless as very pitted. Anybody happy with there replacement wheel nuts they have purchased? Thanks.

I looked closely at the all the usual suppliers, including James Paddock and also Wins International, where I bought mine from. All of them look identical in suppliers pictures, all seem to have longer type grease nipple. Seems a call to the manufacturer had them stating they do not balance them. Maybe they are more accurately assembled these days.

I have had a bad propshaft that vibrated like heck at higher speeds, (not UJ's), admittedly a couple of decades ago. All the balance strips were still attached, nothing lost. I had that balanced by a firm 25 miles away, but they have stopped doing props now. However, just had a definitive confirmation from my supplier: "I have just spoken to Manufacturer , and apparently they are not balanced . Having said that , i have sold many of their propshafts , and no one has complained about being out of true". Guess I will just give it a go and see.

I have a late O/D Spit 1500 that had the CV joint/gaiter type propshaft. The gaiter/boot is by now perished and weeping grease, also movement in the splines/UJ. These types of props have not been available for some time, so I did buy a used example stated as very good on Ebay, but that turned out to be not so very good. So looking at the replacement props they all look identical, generally same picture used. It looks to me there must be only one manufacturer that supplies all the parts suppliers. However, the price varies wildly with the top two big supplies up to almost £100 more than some. I contacted couple of suppliers and was assured that the props are balanced, so I bought one from a good parts supplier. It looks good and feels good, but there is no sign of any balance marks, or weights. So my question is has anyone bought one of these universal props in the last few years and how did they find them? There is no one near me that balances props, so I am trying to get a feel of whether I can expect this prop not to have balancing problems. Thanks, Jon Low.

Hardhatharry, This has been well covered by a previous topic: https://forum.tssc.org.uk/topic/7101-windscreen-seal-spit-1500/ I have had many issues trying to get a good seal, so see my two entries in the above topic pages. COH Baines seal was excellent, proper vulcanised join and they mould it into a frame for a few days to shape properly. As far as the absolute rubbish screen seals that everyone seems to sell, I gave up with it, left it off like just about everyone does. You will pay a stupidly expensive price for a bit of cheap silvery plastic coated insert trim that does even look like it will follow the curvatures. I had mine fitted by two guys that do the Stag windscreens for Faversham Classics. They struggled for ages but eventually got it done. But the plastic insert does not lie down that flush and in the corners it lifts off a bit. I took the insert out as it just didn't look right. Nobody much seems to notice there is no trim on mine, or a lot of Spits, looks fine without it. Some people have managed a miracle by finding an original good condition screen insert, that is the only way to get a proper fitment I believe. Jon Low.

Chris, Thanks for the reply. In the light of no other suggestions help from you would be appreciated. I think maybe as you say if you could measure the boot seal from the edges that should be easy enough. For the front and maybe the bootlid also a picture, or two would help as I can scale the placing from the decal positions. Thanks very much, Jon Low.

Thanks all for the thoughts so far. The Spit 1500 was my wedding car, bought back as a rotten garage find. I have restored it and had many crying fits and temper tantrums over the two years refurbing it, mainly over the repro spares being either just plain wrong, not fitting, or rubbish quality. Trouble is I have this thing about trying to maintain the car's soul, by keeping as much of it as possible as original parts. The car did make it's new maiden voyage to Malvern and back recently. So I think I will add the door pin replacements to my every growing list of "things to redo properly over the winter." I will chance buying replacement pins from one of the best possible sources, Chic Doig. Any more thoughts, or observations are still much appreciated. Jon Low

Just completing a full restoration on my 1500 and I have some original bonnet and boot lid stickers from way back when. I wish to use these as they seem to be better clarity than current offerings. However, I am determined to get them exactly perfect as per original placement. I could not take pictures of the placement before I started restoration, as the car had been resprayed, (in Mazda red!!!!!) and also different font stickers made up. Anybody have the exact placings dimensions, or photographs that I can use to scale out where they should go? Many thanks, Jon Low.

Any have any advice on replacing small Triumph door hinge pins? My door gaps are quite good, but the doors drop when opened, appears to be wear in the pivot pins. I have read in some of the American forums that various people have bought pins from the two big UK suppliers and found that they are not a good replacement, requiring a little of machining to get them to fit into the hinges. Various pins also offered on Ebay. Anyone replaced such door pivots? Any recommendations, or warnings, please?

Anybody able to inform me how I can decipher the electrical plug and connector symbols shown in Haynes manuals and similar. I have searched the book and cannot find any sort of reference to work out what the symbols mean. Thanks for any info.

Going to need a new hood for my 1500, assuming I get the refurb sufficiently done to get to the car to the club Malvern Weekend in August. My plan was to stop off at Don Hoods at Birmingham on the way and get them to fit whichever version of hood I decide upon. However, just rung them to see if this would be possible and it seems they are taking bookings for fitment from November onwards! Can anybody please recommend any other really good hood makers/fitters that might be on the way up from Kent, or in the midlands vicinity? Although I fitted the last hood to the car (20 years ago), I wish to have this done once and have it looking/fitting the best it can and so be a job that will last me out and not need doing again. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Jon Low.

Anybody replaced their boot back board that covers the fuel tank with a remanufactured item? I purchased a new unit from the biggest parts supplier, (no names!). The new unit was not made from hardboard, as per original unit, but from thinner compressed paper material, similar that may be used in shoe boxes. I duly fitted the back board last October. The car is near full restoration completion and stored in a new, insulated double garage. However, upon opening the boot in April this year I was dismayed to find the back board is warped and has mould or spores spots on it. Rather odd as no moisture of any sort seen anywhere on the car or in the garage, nicely dry. I did buy a new light unit to go in the board, but unsurprisingly, the light unit did not fit the board cut-out hole. The light unit was so poor quality I could only use the contacts from the new unit in the original light unit and cut the board to allow fitment. Having spent thousands and thousands of pounds on spare parts and found maybe 25% of them I could not, or would not use, my question is, can anyone recommend a more substantial, or satisfactory replacement back board from any supplier please? Thanks.

I rang Faversham Classics, near me, who specialise in Stags. I asked them about screen sealant and they do not have anything in their screens, no mastic/sealant and they seem to think there have been no issues reported. Maybe I will just leave the screen in as it is and see how it goes. I think I will remove the new, poor fitting aftermarket screen surround as it does not satisfactorily follow the screen surround and in fact it holding the outer rubber off the screen in a couple of the corners. These small buckles will invite dust and water in around the glass, so hopefully it will settle onto the glass better with no plastic surround. Any more observations, chaps?