[Clutch master cylinder size Mk2 Vitesse]

there were various brake master cylinders used over the production run of the small chassis cars. The clutch was always 5/8 diameter as was the brake in most cases (late GT6 was 3/4 I think) Some brakes had an angled reservoir, some didn't, early spits were tall others fat. However so long as the bore is correct and the reservoir big enough it doesn't technically matter

[O/D inhibitor switch bracket (GT6 / Vitesse) D-type]

or is it that the switch is too short?

[MK3 Spitfire carb upgrade]

to get 20-30 more bhp would requiree a full engine rebuild with gas flowed head, high lift cam etc. New carbs and exhaust might give 5bhp. The twin exhaust will probably be more of a placebo as the louder note will make you think it is faster

[Spitfire Mk3 Column Light Switch Connections]

I think that mine is going to one of the mount bolts for the radiator frame but any body earth point will work. It wouldn't earth through the U bolts without a lead as the rack is insulated by the rubber bushes (unless you have solid rack mounts)

[Spitfire Mk3 Column Light Switch Connections]

Is there an earth strap from the grease point on the rack to ground. You may need to make up a lead to go between the 2 pinc bolts on the UJ

[Spitfire Mk3 Column Light Switch Connections]

for the horn check the earth strap across the steering column UJ and the strap from the grease point on the rack to the column, these are often missing

[Spitfire Mk3 Column Light Switch Connections]

6 minutes ago, johny said:

So not the purple to brown connector? It could be the fuse assembly itself even though the same fuse probably supplies other things...

The same fuse supplies the horns so if they work the fuse connection is OK

[Spitfire Mk3 Column Light Switch Connections]

54 minutes ago, johny said:

I think the lights all working ok Dan except flash so brown/red to blue/white good and failure is purple to brown to blue/white....

You are correct, photo is a little confusing as to which wire goes where when they cross. 

If the voltage drops to zero when flash is pulled I would check for loose/dirty connections in the purple feed

[Spitfire Mk3 Column Light Switch Connections]

I would put an ohmmeter across the brow/red and blue white from the switch to test if the switch is working ok

[Spitfire Mk3 Column Light Switch Connections]

14 minutes ago, Peter Truman said:

Interesting my Mk2 Handbook pg44 wiring diagram doesn't have a separate purple wire for a flasher from the battery fuse in the fuse box (2 fuses only). attached is my Mk2 Handbook and there's no mention I can find re a headlamp flasher!

read P9 top right 3rd paragraph and p56 half way down refers to the inline fuse near the fusebox not in the fuseboxno3 p40. Plus it is on the wiring diagram though it has it as brown and brown/black with the fuse no 39 (maybe mk1 colours just not updated)

 

It is also wrong as there is another fuse by the starter solenoid for the horns so I guess they didn't include some updates from the mk1

[Spitfire Mk3 Column Light Switch Connections]

3 hours ago, Jonah said:

The fuse is ok. I tried the glad in dipped and lights off but no flash

i thought the purple wire was the non switched for the flash, but as I’ve got it connected it doesn’t work

The purple is the non-switched for the flash, it comes from the same fuse as the horns so test to see if they work. The main headlamps are not fused. I would test for 12v at the purple wire and the mk3 certainly did have the flash function

[Spitfire Mk3 Column Light Switch Connections]

2 hours ago, Peter Truman said:

Our 66 Spit Mk2 doesn’t have flash by pulling the column light stalk forward but the 68 Vitesse Mk2 does?

It should have, the wiring is there with an inline fuse near the fusebox behind the parcel shelf. Likely the switch has been replaced with an early non flash herald one. Mine didn't have flash either when I first got it, urple wire was just unattached. Oh and it is definitely mentioned in the MK2 owners handbook

[Payen head gasket problems]

15 hours ago, johny said:

Also dont think Spittys got recessed blocks did they?

Yes the late mk4 1300 and all 1500s were recessed

[HS2 butterflies. Spit Mk3.]

also check for wear in the throttle spindles where the pass through the body

[Vitesse 2 Litre Clutch Stuck]

has the master cylinder got fluid in it or is it just empty and full of a sort of powder. If no fluid it is probably beyond saving, mine was like this after a few years laid up

[Vitesse 2 Litre Clutch Stuck]

I would doubt that the cylinder would hold pressure even if it did free it. Trying can do no harm as if the cylinder has seized it really needs replacing

[Vitesse 2 Litre Clutch Stuck]

The clutch plate may also be stuck but the first problem is a seized master cylinder. I very much doubt that even if it could be freed it would hold fluid and the slave will likely be knackered as well. I would just get a load of friends around and push it. Then get new cylinders

[Rebuild Costs on a MK2 Vitesse Engine]

you are quoting £235 for steering rack, that is a new one recon one is £87 of course it could also be perished mounting bushes. Brakes are just service items and I would replace as a matter of course on a car of that vintage where I don't know when they were last replaced. Really apart from the engine it is just standard recommissioning after a few years of not being used

[Rebuild Costs on a MK2 Vitesse Engine]

To be fair most of those faults are pretty minor

Hood from about £200 plus fitting and don't last forever

Brakes. As the car has not been used in a while I would replace all seals and fluids anyway and the issue is probably a seized calliper.

Its a Triumph gearbox and diff leaks were fitted by the factory

Gear change needs rebushing quite regularly and is pretty straight forward

1 minor hole in the body of a 50+ year old car is pretty good

Steering, a new UJ is pretty easy and cheap to fix, steering rack a bit harder.

door probably just needs the grease refreshing and a few bits connecting

Engine is the big one

If the body work is good and the price can be negotiated, those bar the engine wouldn't worry me too much. better to have a few mechanical issues than rust!

[Rebuild Costs on a MK2 Vitesse Engine]

Yes I have had a couple of spit engines repaired after dropped thrusts. If it hasn't gone too far it just requires the bearing cap to be braised as that gets damaged before the block itself. I may be wrong but 3/16 would seem to me excessive wear but not yet dropped. As to cost it all depends on what you find, pretty cheap if it just needs a refresh with new mains big ends and thrusts. But a regrind adds and then a rebore or hone and rings and then cylinder head and cam. so anything from £150 to over £3000

[Spitfire 1500 runs like a bag of nails until it's warm]

Don't forget that our cars are at least 45 years old with technology far older. A modern car is adjusting the timing and fuel mixture many times every second, so will idle far more consistently than our cars did the day they left the showroom. They can be set up to run well but it takes time a modern does it for you.

[1300 or 1500]

my advice is to get the one you like and then drive it before considering any modifications

[Trouble getting a gearbox into a 13/60]

as Trigolf says try the brakers also spitbitz.co.uk (Nr reading) Spitfire MK3 and MK4 are the same as 1360

[Triumph GT6 Water-Pump Housing]

I wonder then if the jiggle pin allows too much through. I found that when I put a pattern stat in my old diesel Jaguar, it never reached the correct temp. replaced with a genuine Ford one, which had more like a one way valve and temp perfect after that, it appeared that the small flow past the jiggle pin was enough to cool the engine.

[Triumph GT6 Water-Pump Housing]

16 minutes ago, SpitFire6 said:

my coolant temperature is less than 80 at a high vehicle speed with an 88 stat

then either the stat is opening too early/ not shutting correctly or the temperature sensor is under-reading (unless the outside temp is very low and rad too big)