Clive

I have CV shafts on my spitfire, but the chassis is identical to yours (for this question) And I have spitfire/herald/Mk1 vitesse shocks fitted (Koni of course!) They are fine, the only "issue" is that there is a slight misalignment from vertical in the front/rear direction. This is easily taken up by the shock bushes, though I have std rubber bushes fitted. And having recently had the shafts/spring etc off to change to a subaru diff, I can confirm working on the car is 10000% easier without the rubber rotoflex in there!

I think they are fine, I am certain the Spax I had fitted were the same, and my Koni's. Seems your observation may well be correct about uprated items. One thing, check the adjusters move freely, and keep them protected as they do seize sometimes very quickly. I have used a squirt of chain lube (marvellous stuff for lots of things) and give the adjusters a regular twiddle. As to settings, at the front with stronger springs a few clicks from softest is a good start. So many people set shocks way too hard (especially at the rear which makes the cars skittish)

That is it in terms of available space. I used the pipe to enlarge tge airbox as muchas practicable. Limits the trumpet size about 30mm shorter thank want but no choice. 3" is. Onto well over 200brake.apparently.

patience young one! It is yet to be finished. But rest assured at 7000rpm and foot firmly planted the induction roar is not exactly muted!

And I don't know what is going on with those pics....

Pics of my airbox-in-progress. I must extract my finger! Note the one with the un-cut backplate (has not yet been welded together) can be cut to accept any carb/carbs within reason. Very popular with weber conversions, and now ITB's

Indeed, the garage had to reset the ecu after winding back the calipers. Apparently.... Actually I can't knock them, they charged me a modest sum for an hours work, which was way less than an hour at a main stealer.... As to why, I think it is so drivers become more isolated from the driving experience. Think about it, we have auto parking, auto handbrakes, lane assist and countless other driver aids. Cars no longer have dipsticks (and those that do never get checked, according to the garage bloke, that is where a lot of his work comes from!) and so on. We are becoming passengers, all ready for the impending Apple car..... Its a conspiracy I tell you! As to costs, a motor and all the stuff that goes along with it must be more expensive than a manual handbrake. I read on a forum somebody had retro fitted a manual handbrake and all teh bits cost about £250. I got worried when told the motor and ecu cost £900....

I would be asking about at the local meeting, there is often somebody who has a bit of time and wants to earn a few bob, or otherwise will know a decent jobbing mechanic....

Namricks are good, and 10 minute walk from my house. Not cheap though.... I re-use the old bolts wherever possible, they are black bolts which just seem better, and even though not as pretty initially as BZP, are actually stronger (the BZP process takes a little strength) Also check for correct shoulder length on bolts, I sometimes have to buy longer bolts than needed to make sure there is enough shoulder (this is critical applications, last ones were propshaft bolts) I buy large bags of nuts and washers, so 100 1/4 5/16 and 3/8, probably 25 7/16 and so on. Washers I often use metric equivalents from toolstation, they do some stainless if required but they are a bit thin, many places a thick washer is better. Of course, Canleys and others will sell bespoke bolt kits, and then you should be getting the correct parts. EDIT, avoid stainless for any stressed fasteners, eg suspension etc. They are not rated as high tensile...

Car dropped off at helpful local garage..... had to disconnect the battery, leave 10 mins then reconnect. Turn leccy handbrake off, drive there remembering not to re-apply as it would then lock on again.....PITA Hopefully a zap with a magic ray will sort it. Chap showed me a passat caliper, that has a motor built into the caliper!!! Not cheap....

Now, if my memory isn't playing tricks, it is worth warming the paint with a hairdrier. Helps prevent cracking. I think.

I just bought new pads for my Dads c-max. cheap as chips. Sadly now I have fitted them, and despite following what I thought was the correct procedure, the electric handbrake is having a hissyfit...... But no complaints about ECP! (just electric handbrakes. For goodness sake. WHY?!)

did the 1hr40 drive up to the Bicester scramble show thing (actually rather good, some very very nice cars and amazing workshops there) but nearly 4hrs to get home. I hate the motorways on a Sunday afternoon! Car behaved impeccably, and raised a few eyebrows, on a few clear road stretches, with all the Japfest boys.

Yes, you will have a few mm of play at the edge of the wheel. I aim to get as small as possible, but there .must be some.

Back to what you were saying, I guess I shouldn't be surprised about ebay stuff being more than new. A few years ago a good thermostat housing was a couple of quid at the autojumble.....times have changed.

No reason you can't helicoil the block, and that should be possible without removing the sump. A helicoil will be plenety strong enough. Or my "bodge" was to drill and tap 10mm, that won't strip easily. I reduced the bolt head size, but thinking about it a cap head setscrew would be ideal. means no confusion about which bolts should be used there too...

No Doug, once the bolts are tight the head shears off so they can't be undone. Without ingenuity at least... Couple of suggestions. (1) cut a slot using a dremel/angle grinder/hacksaw blade etc and then a flat screwdriver. (2) get a sharp cold chisel and use that to "knock" the heads around. I have used both techniques (the latter on my Cavalier sports hatch nearly 30 years ago when the ingition barrel went t*ts up in a carpark 200 miles from home. Had to remove the lock as no breakdown/recovery and it was getting late. Then I managed with a screwdriver, somehow. Pure desperation I expect!)

OK, no pic or mention of the bonnet. Deffo no overdrive now I have peered at the pics more carefully. If bought as a donor it may be OK if he tub etc is solid and good. Worrying that is appears to be a K plate in the pics, advertised as L reg and also 1974! I would check the commission plate is there if you have any intention of buying, as if it is missing getting it registered is tricky (understatement!)

So a tub and chassis and doors. No bonnet or bootlid, bumpers etc. Looks like a gearbox is in there, possibly overdrive. Do not underestimate the value of the missing bits, it may seem cheap but a decent bonnet and bootlid will cost a fair chunck, I reckon £1K+ of bits to buy, and that is not new but good secondhand.

Seek out some good ones, the 4 1/2j originals are very common and should be cheap. If you want the 5 1/2j variety (still unsure, there are so many around they must have been fitted by the factory or as a dealer-fit wheel? anybody actually know for certain?) they are getting tricky to find ad sensible price. But they look great on the cars. Or a compromise solution of teh late spitfire 1500 5J wheel. And all look perfectly original.

Normal to a point, but that is bad. Not worth repairing, especially if new available (if reasonable) and good s/h fairly easy to source.

I really like the wide 5 1/2j wheels with hubcaps on the early cars. Sadly they are thin steel and often a bit bent (in case anybody finds a set, do check very carefully) on my Spitfire I have original steel wheels at teh moment, but also a set of 15" alloys (to change the gearing for touring) which give the car a very different look. It is all very personal, I like the slightly "twee" look of early heralds with skinny steels and tyres, but I also like the modded look on cars especially when lowered etc. What I don't like are fat wheel on otherwise std cars, it needs to be part of a "package" for me. Must agree, the minilites on the GT4L are tasty! not often I am a great fan of minilites, but they really suit that 60's style I will don my tin hat. I am no fan of wires except on prewar cars. Wobbly, difficult to maintain and positively lethal if teh hubs/splines get at all worn. Yes, a mate did find out the hard way, his rear ns wheel came off, luckily at low (30ish) speed. Narrowly missed a bloke on a pavement and demolished a garden wall. Could have been MUCH worse. and he did say it took hours to clean a set of wires properly.

Not yet, work in progress! (as in last seen a month ago) It is going on my zetec spit. The sprint (or TR7) airbox is handily square. I cut the flat back panel off it, and cut a bit of 2mm steel to size. That is probably a touch thick, but the original is thick (maybe 1.8mm?) I have not yet cut the intake holes, but should be easy enough with a holesaw. The top part I bought a 300mm length of 3" pipe for a fiver off the bay. But bear in mind my engine will at some point be heading for 180odd BHP, it needs 3". I will see if I can dig it out later and take a pic. Another idea. My old 2.5 vitesse came with a std airbox, but it had K+N filter elements fitted and held in place with silicone. And rampipes. The silicone sounds inconvenient, but in honesty it wasn't. Cleaned once a year (everyday car often doing 10K) Not sure how big the mgb "rampipes" are http://www.mgexp.com/phile/1/306170/MGB_Coopers_Bell_Mouths_Unrestored.JPG but they may well hold a filter element in place nicely. The version I bough were from a (genius) mini tuner called Calver Tuning, I may still have them. Thinking about it, the K+N's may fit inside a sprint airbox. I need to rummage in the garage and take some measurements. And stop rambling.

The mesh filters really screw up the airflow. Best solution is rampipes either inside an airbox (I am using a sprint airbox, modified with a 3" intake replacing the twin inlet pipes, and a big K+N cone on teh end somewhere TBA) or inside K+N filters. Short half-round types from an MGB are very good.

There will be instructions with teh pump. All you need is to cut the rubber hose in the boot, insert the pump (you may require a longer bit of hose to locate the pump to your own satisfaction) and electrical feed, really ought to be via an inertia switch in case of accident. With so many things, specific instructions are impossible to produce, it is a case of fitting where it suits your car best, and that varies as so many cars have had tweeks over the years. Maybe a kit that includes an inertia switch though, maybe a relay. and a length of wire.....but it gets expensive as the switches new are £25ish upwards, but used are a few quid.