Badwolf

Looks like a reinforcing support for a boot luggage rack

Wire brush on a drill, stripping disc, they all work well. Make sure your eye, face and other protection is good. Some wire brushes will leave you looking like a metal hedgehog so shorts and tee shirt are not recommended.

The floor definitely needs as much protection as you can give it. Especially as it's under the carpet in a soft top. When I recomissioned mine 4ish years ago I lifted the carpets to clean them. The 1" thick underlay on the passenger side had disappeared into dust and the floor was showing signs of light rust. The carpet had got wet, not surprisingly, and held the damp against the floor for years. I was lucky, I had treated the floor and painted it with old style hammerite, but even so there was some damage. Give your floor the works. Wire brush, rust treatment and several top coats. Then hide it all under the carpet knowing that it should be a lot safer.

KYB shocks have had an excellent write up on here.. if you can get them. Ended up putting a set of cheap 'Munroes' on the rears then finally got a KYB set after waiting for stock for ages. Still in the boxes. Another job on the list.

Just ordered some Comma. Gets good write ups from several people.

That's great Josef. Thanks for taking the trouble. The clock that I have my eye on should fit. Hope no one here beats me to it!!!

I can almost smell the old leather from here. That is going to look so good when you finally get it all sorted.

Looks lovely.

Yes, the header rubber holder rivets to the hood header rail after the hood has been glued around the main rail. It will be important to make sure that the 3 pieces are in a straight line when fitting as there will be no sideways play in the head seal rubber when you come to fit it and if they are out of line, the rubber seal will be dreadful to fit.

Josef - No, I believe that the metalwork is used on several models and the hole along with that on the driver's side, are used for air vents on other models. I think that the Spit 1500 came fitted with a clock and fag lighter utilising the holes on the passenger side.

Alex - I don't know if this will work.... 10990378_881688741874846_1381567633_n.mp4

Alex - I'm sure that between us all we can guide you through it. I fitted mine on my own just using the instructions that came with the hood but that was in the 80s and the memory has faded. I did find some written instructions from Prestige hoods if they might be any help. The main thing to remember is mark (use marking tape on the hood and mark on that) and measure. Measure again and make sure things line up before you make any holes. Assume nothing..like I didn't. My main mistakes were assuming that the poppers on the body were symetrical, they aren't. I didn't center the top windscreen retaining bar properly so it's slightly out of alignment. Others will advise, I'm sure. Prestige link.... https://prestigeautotrim.com/uk/triumph-spitfire-carhoods-1971-1980-original.html Go right down to the bottom for pdf link.

This is not the site that I was thinking of, but it's pretty much the way that I do it....but with a right hand drive!! https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=881688155208238&id=100001011850470&_rdr There is also this one but not filmed as close... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iMoiyVabWNk there will be others who may do it differently. The important thing is not to crease the windows in any way or stress the zip to much

Alex - Somewhere on here is a guide to correctly folding the hood once fitted. If I find it I will add the link. It could actually also be on your previous pages.

Now, I am looking a fitting a clock (mentioned earlier up the thread), purely because there used to be one in the wooden dash. The hole had been filled before I got it but I veneered over it years ago. Now the veneer is starting to bubble over the filler, so rather than re-do the whole dash I put in a fag lighter, but now think that a clock might be a nicer option if I could find one. Now one has come up and the question is, does anyone know what size the hole is in the metalwork behind the dash. Yes, I could just take off the front and look, but that means the heater control knobs, the centre panel and the left dash panel...and I've only just put them all back!! So if any kind person out there has a 'naked' dash panel at the moment could you let me know the diameter of both the hole for the clock and the fag lighter.

Maybe if a few more enterprising judges, instead of offering compensation to miscreants, offered them large fines for trespass, criminal damage and the like, society could in some way get back to what some might discribe as 'an even keel'. Fell though the fragile roof - shouldn't have been up there, it's there a weathershield not a play area. Fell off a wall - it's there to keep the likes of you out. Knocked off an illegal off-road bike/got hurt on a railway line.....!! It goes on and on. Common sense fails when compensation lurks and there is always someone else to blame.

Hi Dom. Welcome to the madhouse. Don't fret about your storage system. My MkIV Spit was stripped and stored in exactly the same way. 30 odd years later I am still finding strange 'assembly methods'!! Enjoy the forum, ask the questions, use the search facility. Don't be shy there are no stupid questions, we all had to learn and those like me will, continually, thanks to the wealth of knowledge, good will and talent here.

Neil - Nice to know that we agree. We can go on to list our favourite rust converters and paint!!

Doesn't look much worse than mine was on re-commisioning Unless you find any really thin or frilly bits good rub down with a wire brush, rust proofing solution or your choice and nice coat of rustproofing type paint (not hammerite).

I have enquired about this 'get out' with Peter James. I don't suppose much will be done but it is worrying that cars left with the roof down are not insured for theft etc. I had not idea until Josef mentioned it.

Josef - I was interested in you comment quoted above so, having just renewed my insurance checked the documents and was horrified to find and clause confirming this. This now means having to put up the roof everytime I leave the car or no insurance!! Is this normal for all policies and does anyone else take precautions like this? Page copied below, relevant section in red

This all makes my 4 car garage with no space really insignificant, and I thought that it was large. Oh well.

Rite of passage eh.Took me 30 years for mine then again after only two years. Hope it's right now.

Well spotted chaps, I knew that I could count on someone picking that up.

Maybe "Does the car smoke more than the driver?"...... Hey, pass the joint..man! (Can you say that these days?...In my defence I quote from the 60s or was it the 70s.. I don't know, I was out of my skulls for most of the time.