AlanT

Agree. Leave the manifolds on, carbs off. Recruit labour... I use a smear of blue hylomar on gaskets. Key thing is absolute cleanliness AND following the correct torque up sequence (or it will deffo leak). Having cleaned the old off, I wipe down with meths to be sure there is no oil residue.

Thanks @dougbgt6

Hi @dougbgt6 When's the next meeting? Where? I'm in Caversham and may be able to wander over in my recently (home restored) Spit 1500. Thanks.

Is it performing with a bit more energy as well? Less 'old car' as you put it.

I don't like the high gloss look either. I used 800 grade wet & dry to sand them before using a bit of T cut. It gave them a great look (pics are at the end of my resto in this forum '1980 Spitfire Revival'

It's coming together. Can I ask what type of slot mags you have? Size? I had 5.5J SuperSlots and they had a tendency to rub (175/70s). I love the look of mags so wonder if there are others that are a bit less sticky out. Thanks.

Stick with points. Electronic is an upgrade you don't need to make. Access is so easy in a Spitfire that occasional checking the gap is a doddle. Plus...carrying a spare set, condensor, cap & rotor means roadside fix is always easy (if on a long trip...personally I never bother)

I cut off the connector & soldered the two wires together; tightly covered in electrical tape. The mid point connector has no value and is an obvious candidate for getting lose over time / damp.

At least you've found it. I had a very similar issue. The same cable had a spade connector, mid point. It would be OK at idle, start missing after a few miles. Replaced with a soldered joint and bingo!

My suspicion is that replacement 'standard' springs sit lower than originals, probably in response to most owners preferring this look. What @Mark B says is true. The Spit I had 30 years ago sat far higher than my current car (it looked a bit odd because of this, like the Gaydon one does). I've also been surprised at how 'soft' the current 'standard' Rimmer springs are vs. my memory of originals (and also relative to many modern cars). Perhaps they know most owners are no longer teenagers...OR they want to sell more expensive upgrade springs to anyone wanting other than standard tyres/rims.

Standard wheels? I fitted new, standard, springs (Rimmer) and 175/70 rubbed on 5.5J slot mags (just on bumps). Returned to standard 4.5J and 155, now no problems. My car rides sits low, despite being entirely standard. The one at Gaydon looks too high. 175 could have worked for mine but with stiffer front springs.

Mine is set to 14 degrees. Standard points etc. I’ve had loads of old cars and never found well maintained points to be an issue (re-set gap annually).

No way flat running is just ‘old car’ in a decent 1500 Spit. They feel lively, albeit a bit ‘all or nothing’ on the accelerator (which is what makes them exciting). If compressions are good and even (north of 150psi) then flat running is tuning. Often it’s timing that’s the issue. Mine runs far better 4 degrees out of specs marked than set to spec. premium unleaded is essential to decent performance (at least in my car). Spent ages fiddling before working this out.

Try Spitbitz. They often have sets of wider rims in.

Another vote for Tanya batteries. Have them on both Spit and Volvo without complaint.

I’d take the whole exhaust off, up to the downpipe. It’s not too bad underneath then (assuming same access as a Spit with overdrive).

Thanks All, No fouling issues as the engine is in great health. Just appears to have been a straightforward failure.

Just tried it and no misfire so far. Think a spark plug had failed after 400 miles. Time will tell. Thanks all. You saved me spending on another coil to try it!

And no wax stats.

I’ve now checked the leads/cleaned and changed plugs (colour is good). Have also checked valves and gaps are perfect. It’s points and not a rivet arm. Points gap is good. Going to drive it now and see what happens.

Once the cut out starts to happen it does so with increasing frequency. Deffo feels electrical. I’ve put a full tank of the posh petrol in to count that out.

Thanks All, It’s a momentary engine cutout. Only happens once warmed up. Good point @johnyre the lack of a rubber boot. Will check the rec counter @Josef Going to check valve clearances as well since I’ve not idea if the engine is lead free or not. It’s in such fine condition I’m just I running it.

Thanks @Pete Lewis Yes. Brown to dizzy. All of which means something else is a bit dodgy once warm. I’ve got spare plugs to try and, failing this, will swap condenser, cap again. The car starts and runs really well. Just a bit of sudden cut once warm.

Hi Experts. Do you know what coil should be fitted to a 1980 Spit. Think I’ve cocked up by using a coil I had on my recent resto. It say’s ‘use only with ballast’ which I’ve noticed after getting an intermittent electrical cutout once warm. Have already checked all the other likely culprits. I don’t recall seeing any ballast on the wiring loom (whilst out). Thanks Alan