rolyberkin

Can anyone advise Where is the horn relay meant to be on a Mk3 Spitfire please and what does it look like? Many thanks!

I feel your pain, I am prepping my car for MOT this week (even though it doesn't need one!:-) and the horn isn't working and I checked fuse box and there were no cables going to it or from it!? Found them all behind the glove box birds nest stylee with inline fuses,another job to add to the list!🙄😀

I am after an original Mk3 Spitfire bootlid if anyone has one they wish to part with, I am sure they are as rare as hens teeth but if you don't ask you don't get!

Unfortunately no, too much work and am currently trying to sort out a few pre MOT electrical problems!, will let you know when I have fitted it and post some pics!

I have bought some walnut varnish, see how it goes!?

I enquired with GB Springs the other day about having springs refurbished (which they didn't recommend) and they stated that they could supply a spring with bushes inc VAT & delivery for £100. https://www.gbsprings.co.uk/ I had already bought a second hand spring for £45 (don't know what I was thinking) but it looks okay!😂

I just had these completed, they were acid cleaned, sandblasted, primed and painted and then clear powdercoated. I have polished up my centre caps and the chap who did these said as long as you are careful putting them on and off you shouldn't damage the clear coat? I am really pleased with the result. I haven't put the caps back on them yet as just about to have the suspension overhauled so was going to wait until all finished rather than keep taking them on an off.

Picked up my wheels yesterday, 4 wheels acid stripped, blasted, painted and lacquered, my tyres fitted new valves and balanced for £200! My usual tyre fitter was going to charge me £15 a wheel just to take the tyres off and put the new ones on! Very happy with results TD wheels in Braintree, Essex.

GB Springs no longer refurbish springs as they states it makes them brittle? New spring from them is £100 inc delivered.

So I now have a big box of suspension parts sititng in my hallway (much to my other half's disgust!:-) I don't know what I am doing with them but am hoping that with the aid of a few youtube videos and the workshop manual will be able to find where they all go, wish me luck! I have also had a phone call today saying that my steel wheels have now been refinished, they have been acid dipped, blasted, undercoated, painted and clear powdercoated and fitted with new tyres. Will post some new photos soon.

I treated it with just wax but far too light, will post a picture of the dash when I get home.

I have stripped a wooden steering wheel and it is now much lighter than the dash. Can anyone advise of a stain/wax with a similar colour to the original dash colour please?

Will do.

Pete If you buy a Mk3 spring kit from Rimmers do you still have to re route the brake pipes?

If the sag is potentially due to the spring would it be best to get the spring refurbished by GB springs? Out of interest I have sent them an enquiry to see the price difference between buying a new spring and having the old one refurbished? If the spring has had a lifetime of weight primarily on one side it would surely not be unreasponable to assume that the leaves may have a memory to that side? The next poll is do I stick with a standard spring or change to a swing spring, heard so many arguments for an against? I have ordered new shocks all round and front springs so whilst everything is apart I am tempted to do it all in one hit and hope that it comes down looking good!.

Thanks for the advice Pete The car is Spitfire MK3, I will take a look tomorrow at your other pointers tomorrow. KB

Had a day off yesterday and started to jack my car up from the front to see where the possible lean was, I got the front jacked up and there is a definate lean to the back back drivers side so think the starting point has to be the shocks and play with the rear spring. At that point I got a call from someone who needed my services urgently so had to close the garage door (again!) taking the wheels off tomorrow to go in for powdercoating so will have a look at what the front is doing.:-)

Pete I have a slight lean to one side (drivers side), is wear on the rear leaf spring likely to be contributing to this issue? I know I have to jack up the car to look at the front and the rear to see where the problem is but was in the process of replacing the front shocks and springs and rear shocks in any case so was waiting to see if that has a positive affect. KB

My car is 50 this year, so I am looking at her suspension, I am about to replace the shock absorbers and front springs, should I be replacing the rear leaf spring or refurbishing it by repacing the rubber thrust buttons, is it the kind of thing that needs replacing due to losing it's 'spring' or am I just making work for myself and just leave it alone?

I have ordered everything from Park Park Lane Classics including the boards and straps, didn't want to spend out of leather covers and not do everything properly.

Eight months after I posted the first post on this and with the sunshine and a bit of leave I have appeared to get my enthusiasm back. Today I have 1. Ordered new leather seat covers. 2. Sorted a price out for the out the wheels to be blasted and powdercoated (not so keen on alloys!) ordered new tyres, the old ones are 19 years old and although look fine are obviously past their best! 3. Bought 4 x new axle stands to remove said wheels & parts for a service to be getting on with whilst wheels are away. 4. Spending rest of day considering suspension again, swing spring vs replacing old spring, new shocks and springs. Apart from that not much happening!:-)

I have ordered and joined the waiting list!

I have been looking at the seat covers from Park Lane Classics in leather, anyone have any knowledge of the seat covers and how well they fit, seem good value at £360 a pair, I know I will need to replace the foam on top of this cost etc. KB

Colin What lift have you got and what is the specification of the steel channel which you have used, I am looking to get a lIft fOR my Spitfire so would be interested in your experience in this area. I am wondering whether the Tamar lift as bvelow could be used with a similar piece of channel and rubber blocks? https://sm-t.co.uk/product/tamar-2-7-ton-mobile-scissor-lift-manual-release/ Or has anyone used a Tamar scissor lift or similar to jack up a Spitfire? KB

Haven't been here for a while as have been absolutely manic at work so the Spitfire has sat in the garage gathering dust for a few months! Santa however bought me some new spanners, a colortune, a carb balancer and some gucci cleaning kit! Do you think this was some kind of hint, work less and get on with the car!;-)