rlubikey

So, here we go. This is what you chop out of the firewall to fit the engine back and low down, i.e. without the bonnet bulge. Sorry about the rust. It was all shiney and we'd just welded in the late brake stuff from my old blue Spit, when would you believe it, there was a quick shower! It all disappeared when the shell was acid-dipped. The clutch was moved over away from the engine, and a jog added to the pedal level to put the pedal back in the standard position. This just gives an extra inch or two to clear the PI plenum. So, I couldn't find any gearbox pictures of new red Spit, but here's the old blue one which was identical in this area. You can see the chopped gear-lever remote. ... And the gearbox cover. All simple curves, welded together and covered in heat resistant matting. And finally, when all the carpet's in, it looks pretty standard at a glance. There's no H-frame as I was fitting that double-din radio. You can see the handbrake is completely standard but the vinyl covering on the tunnel is somewhat higher than usual. The gearbox cover is also wider at the back, but the original carpet has enough to cover it. Let me know if you need any more information or photos, and I'll see what I've got. Cheers, Richard

Ha ha! Me and my mate from Dartford on the back of his Lambretta (or something), through the tunnel and round to Westcliffe to visit "Mappers". Happy days! I think being "green" is about not consuming things. Well, not when you don't have to anyway. There's nobody likes new gadgets & things more than me. But I really HATE things breaking due to built in obsolescence (or crap/marginal/cost-engineered design) - especially when they're designed to be un-fixable. Of course, we're all experts at keeping old things working aren't we! You're dead right. I've known about particulates for years. The newer filters remove the larger particles, but it's the smaller invisible particles that do the most damage to our lungs. It was VW-gate which bought nitrogen-oxides to my attention. Cheers, Richard

Well Nautam, each van delivers to several people. If each of those people went into town, and a percentage of them drove, then you easily get more vehicles on the road. It's one the good thing coming out of the death of the high street.

Good for your son-not-quite-in-law Clive. When I were a nipper, we all did electronics projects building all sorts of things. From school right the way through Uni. and on to the present day. I wonder if people doing electronics courses do that sort of thing now? Talking about all the things I made got me my apprenticeship way back when. Funnily enough I was reminiscing yesterday at the, now long gone, electronics shops in Reading we would pop in to on our way into town. Chiltmead (later called Stuart's), the Shop on the Bridge, the one with the off-hand old bloke in, the one in Oxford Road. And of course Tandy & Lasky in the centre. All long gone.

Yes, if you want high streets, you have to pay for them. You pay by buying stuff at high street prices. If you always buy the cheapest, don't come crying later that you've lost quality/choice/service/high street shop/{insert another thing you value here} Shame about Maplin. Gone the same way as Tandy & Laskys. (remember when Laskys sold electronics stuff? I'm pretty sure my old Russian multi-meter came from there.) Remember the old 70's & 80''s Maplin catalogues with the Sci-Fi front covers? Happy days! Cheers, Richard

Mike, I'll see what I can dig out. Will be Thursday evening before I get a chance to look. Cheers, Richard PS: My avatar is what you chop out of the firewall when you do this. I must have more/better pictures somewhere at home.

Hi MikeK. Have you got overdrive and did you shorten the remote gear stick extension (I'm assuming a 3-rail gearbox)? Shortening the remote helps a lot with keeping a largely standard-look interior and saves you moving the handbrake and reversing the gear stick bend to get a sensible position! If you've done that and you *don't* have overdrive then it's simple to shorten your existing tunnel and chop down a standard carpet. But, as you're asking the question, I'm guessing you either didn't shorten the remote or you have OD (or both). I have OD + short remote and the tunnel was made by welding up "simple curve" sections of steel. The shape is similar to the original tunnel, but wider at the rear to go over/around the OD. Even so, the standard moulded carpet has enough "give" to go over this area and look quite good. Not quite original, but then I've *never* had anyone stop at a show etc. and say "Hold on; that's not right - what's going on?" if the bonnet was down (i.e. they couldn't see the engine)! Cheers, Richard

Had the hard top popped down over the rear lip of the cockpit? I seem to recall on my old blue Spit that I would fix the front bolts loosely first, then socked feet on the top of the screen frame and push forward till the back popped into place, then put the rear bolts in and find the thread. As Anglefire says, easy to mash the threads if you're not careful. One more thing (it's ages since I put the hard top on my red Spit - memory failing!) but aren't the nuts of the floating captive variety? Try putting a finger underneath the lip of the cockpit and pushing the nut upwards to meet the bolt as you turn with the other hand may give you the extra mm you need. Cheers, Richard PS: Be careful not to tighten the bolts so hard the hardtop meets the deck.

Pete, I don't know if the gutter stuff is non-setting, but if not I would recommend Arbomast Autograde or a similar "skins but doesn't set" sealant. Makes things so much easier next time you have to do this. Taking the old screen out was a cinch with your "socked feet on the screen" method. Useful elsewhere too - the chromed strip along the top of the screen just peeled off 20 years after I'd put it on. Cheers, Richard

Euan, don't get rid of the old rubber until you're sure the new one is a good fit! Cheers, Richard

OK, I think I may have something here. I've searched through my photos and found this one I took outside his workshop in 2014. Zooming in on the front valance, you can see the little cut-aways and what I think were the hinges that he used. It all looks completely non-standard (this vaguely rings a bell), but it moves the hinge far enough forward that the bonnet tilts clearing the valance etc. while still being (almost) hidden. Hope this is of some help. Cheers, Richard

Colin, the Green Spit bonnet does pivot open in the conventional (tilt forward) manner. He did show me but it's so long ago I don't remember the explanation. The handle-less doors I do remember, they open from a pull-cord inside the door frame. Cheers, Richard

Here's the David Picton green spit mentioned above. How he did it, I don't remember. Image harvested from Triumph Experience forum. Cheers, Richard

... and those who can do neither become university lecturers. Well, he is a professor! Cheers, Richard

Hi MikeK. Yes, David Picton did mine and it makes for a really neat & tidy package - but not cheap! You need to cut away the shelf behind the engine, so the engine can be moved back about 6" or 7". This means it misses the steering rack and can be about 1.5" lower - the same height as the 4-cylinder and easily clears the Spit bonnet. So as Clive says, you simply use the 4-cylinder front plate and it bolts straight onto the suspension uprights. It's best to change the whole front suspension for GT6 so you have the stronger vertical links and GT6 brakes to cope with the extra weight & power. Then you re-build the firewall and, as the gearbox is 6" further back, fabricate a new tunnel & shorten the propshaft. By the way, Triumph's PI fuel injection works best for this as the carbs stick out further and foul the master cylinders. Are you getting an idea of how much is involved? But you do end up with a really terrific car - well worth the time & money! (Well, that's my view, but then I would say that ... !) Cheers, Richard (East Berks)

"High Efficiency" Cheers, Richard

Nice one Angelfire. Hope it all goes smoothly, but be prepared for some scraped knuckles, reaching round the back to get at things. Hi Doug - yes, no nadgered alternator or foreign trips to keep me away from the Shire Horse this month! The choke is a pain, especially on a PI, and particularly on an engine-back PI Spit as there's not much space between the engine, firewall & footwell. Cheers, Richard

Ahah! Only the earlier cars. Thanks Colin. I suppose I could get a suitable knob for a TR6 which looks similar (square front), but the cable needs to be quite long to reach over the engine to the metering unit - about 1.3m, but 1m might do at a pinch. I'm thinking a LHD cable might be long enough, but I'm also looking out for S/H TR5/6 cables. Are the cables replaceable? Thanks Badwolf. Yes, I've put LEDs in the dash, all except the ignition light. Cheers, Richard

Remove the black foam strip along the bottom. Undo the four screws of the centre section. You'll need a 1/16" allen key for the heater knobs but I find a 1.5mm does mine OK. Now the centre section can tip forwards and you can remove the connections to the gauges & light switch. Label them before you remove the wires. Now the LHS dash screw is exposed and there's two hidden nuts holding also holding it on - one about 3" from the LHS, the other just above the cigar lighter. Now comes the difficult one. Remove the speedo cable - should be just a push on the side of the fitting. Then, if you're lucky, you may have a choke with removable knob (little hole in the side - push in a probe to remove) but if not, you'll have to undo the cable from the carbs!!! Withdraw the knob & cable then undo the decorative nut - the fitting now withdraws behind dash. Now you should be able to pull the dash forwards and label the cables before removing as before. I've probably forgotten something! Re-fitting is the reverse procedure, etc. My Nearest & Dearest has re-varnished my dash recently - 12 coats of Rustins Plastic Coating!!! However, I haven't put it back in because I'm looking for a choke with removable knob. It really is a pain - especially on a PI - removing the choke cable. It's all a bit congested behind there and getting everything back in without scratching is scaring the willies out of me Does anyone know if Spits & GT6's had removable knob chokes and does anyone know where they're available - new or S/H?

Yes, seems like you have GT6 doors. Did you buy it with those doors and do the engine yourself? Cheers, Richard

NEW PAIR SPITFIRE 1500 SEAT COVERS - TAN. One Pair - NOW GONE! Thank you TSSC. That'll spruce up my tired looking seats. Cheers, Richard

When you open the box, if the constructor was old school, and if you're very lucky, you might even find a circuit diagram! Cheers, Richard

There's a chap over at the TR Register who repairs them. He did a really impressive article in the Register Comic several months ago, analysing why all the repro angle drives are so poor. He's tooled up to repair the original Smith's Industries ones. Might be worth a go? Just mosey on over and search for "angle drive" and "AlanT" Someone else at the TR Register recommends a company called Speedograph Richfield Ltd who don't attempt to copy the original, but make a CNC machined equivalent. However, he warns that they're £95 a pop! No connection with either, but thought it might be useful. Cheers, Richard

With modern radial tyres, the default profile is 80. So original fitment would have been 155/80 R13. I don't have a brand recommendation - speak to 10 owners & you'll get 10 different recommendations! Cheers, Richard

Well done Roger - you're an absolute inspiration! We were in the south of France on holiday and happened to discuss maybe taking our Spit ... to Brittany. You've gone half way round Spain and Portugal (only small exaggeration) *and* Triumphed over adversity! Mind you, with your experience, the club's super-amazing half-shafts seem quite an attractive proposition!!! Cheers, Richard PS: I couldn't get as many cases of wine in a Spit