[Spit 1500: Seatbelt stowage plastic covers]

https://m.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/triumph-spitfire-gurthalter-plastikkappe/554486213-223-8382

[Trunnion Top Seal]

In march I fitted new trunnions etc and a new top seal.

After 1,5 month 1 was cracked.. 

The previous replacements where still good after 6 years of daily use.

 

Oh well.. I do got some NOS (in Unipart bags) ones to fit.

[Spit 1500: Seatbelt stowage plastic covers]

Hi all.

Seems someone in Germany remakes the plastic covers for the seatbelt stowage for the spit 1500's.

Bought some and they look and work great.

 

Top pic: left is original, right is new.

[Fox turning 42 years]

Well.. today 42 years ago (28/06/1978) my Spitfire named The Fox was build in Coventry.

2 Days later she arrived at 'British Leyland Industries Belgium' in Seneffe - Belgium (got documents from Seneffe).

Normally every year that I can , I take her back to BL.

We took for once no motorways... ok,ok.. 3min

but found very nice roads !

 

so.. Happy Birthday Fox !

[Spitfire carb needles]

Hi all.

My daily driven Spitfire 1500 with sport exhaust manifold and k&n's has AAR needles.

But seems it should be AAQ by the moss europe site..

What are people using ?

 

 

[Modified wiper parking switch]

For years I've been having problems with the parking switch on my wiper motor.

Normally lasted 6 months.. 

 

Now I had bought another one and fitted it during our lockdown.

It already failed after 2 weeks (and only put my wipers on once to clean my windscreen) 

Opened it up, cleaned it all up inside (burned contacts) & it was working again... until the first rain shower last week..

So... 

I've now put in a microswitch.

But its very very tight !

Last 2 days been testing it and works great.

I do need to make another one, as i need to remake it a bit to be even better.

 

Original vs. prototype no.1

 

[Greasable top ball joints... aren't!]

Even new regular ones I open up first to grease them.

 

Bought greaseble ones and fitted in march.. already the gaiters are cracked like they are 30 years old..

[Lockdown jobs on Fox]

Took the rear bumper off as it had some rust inside.

Sandblasted the inside as far as i could.

One of the bumper mounts was cracked/ rotten away, quick weld made it solid again.

Sprayed rust convertor in it, red oxide primer & and grey paint.

 

Fox does look good without a rear bumper !

[Lockdown jobs on Fox]

Lockdown is nearly over in Belgium, schools re-open tomorrow.

Here are some more things that i've done... 

Fitted new wiper spindles, old ones didnt turn freely and had play.

Now they seem to work good after some problems with the parking switch (hatefull things..)

[Spitfire - models/years with twin or single line systems]

Only Spitfire's with Tandem/dual brake systems have it.

 

That 'evil' valve ! 🤣

 

Indeed I had problems with it.

Every year the o-rings failed and leaked..

Even after buying some at a hydraulic specialist (lasted 1,5 year).

 

Around november 2016 it failed again and removed the valve.

Fitted 2 new brake lines and since then I always had good brakes !

[Electric Fuel Pump]

After buying 3 new fuel pump (last one survived 1 MOT 😔

 

Fitted a electric pump in sept 2018.

Still going strong all that time and I drive my spitfire daily (115.000miles in 6,5years).

What i bought:

-Facet posi-flow (low pressure)

-Decent fuel regulator

-Adaptor for a pressure gauge + gauge (only for testing)

-Used Peugeot/Citroën fuel cut off switch

-Some connectors and a extra fuse installed.

[spitfire 1500 number plate effecting cooling]

I've fitted mine here.

Made 2 brackets from the through the grill, to the front crossmember.

Using a wide rad and no problems since then (the narrow rad was getting old abd temp went up).

 

[1978 Spitfire 1500 Upper Steering Column Sideways Movment.]

Found pics.

 

First pic is how i first solved the problem 🙄

 

Second is what ive done now.

Seems to work very well now.

(You can also see the spring clip sitting around the column in the back of the pic)

[1978 Spitfire 1500 Upper Steering Column Sideways Movment.]

Hi, 

I had always got some movement on my top clamp (also a 1978 spit 1500)

2 Months ago i rebuild the steering and found a clip in there.

But found it wasnt gripping enough.

So i put some rubber seal between the clamp and the column, got it tight and now no play at all. 

 

Will have a look if i got pictures somewhere..

[Measurements needed (Spit 1500)]

Hi all.

I want to know a measurement from (mkIV &) 1500 between windscreen frame (gutter) and rear wing.

Spots where to measure are in the pics.

 

[Cold air to filter]

6 hours ago, yorkshire_spam said:

@wimpus, out of interest, which version of the original air-box did you start with? Standard 2 tube 1500 spec. ?

Yes an original 1500 hs4 one, got maybe 4 of those !

I've cut the center section out.

2 Pipes at the front i got off and filled those in.

Then fitted a round piece of pipe at the spot i wanted.

And finally welded the top back shut.

 

Was harder then it seemed ...

[Lockdown jobs on Fox]

After finding the U-clamp on Car Builder Solutions, I ordered 2 to have a spare.

 

What i found.. 

 

Carb linkage i got a spare (but cant get it due to lockdown.

Otherwise maybe looking for a new one.

 

Throttle thingy I got several spare, but the holes are still pretty good.

 

[Lockdown jobs on Fox]

Found the the throttle cable (parts of spitfire and from bicycle shop) connection a bit wonky and worn.

So after all these years and +110.000miles, time to have a look at it.

 

Cable was replaced 3 years ago and cable before that lasted also 3 years.

 

 

[Cold air to filter]

Testfit.

Bought a filter that turned out to be ... as big as the engine

(the pipe in the pics is just for testing)

Will try and test it in a few weeks, after our lockdown is done..

[Cold air to filter]

I've just modified an old air box to fit on my Spitfire.

Pipe will run to the front with a cone filter up front.

[Lockdown jobs on Fox]

A few more jobs done.

Mostly repainting wiper motor and horns + brackets

Also fixing an exhaust leak I had at the front (lucky i needed to to an intervention at work, so could use the lift).

Noticed wiper wheelboxes are getting very worn.

Ordered new from the UK, but I guess it will take a bit of time to get here now.

 

 

[Lockdown jobs on Fox]

Another thing I wanted to do was change the propshaft.

UJ was bad and CV joint had play to

I bought one a few weeks ago.

And i also bought a spare 2nd hand exhaust (not so loud and can hang higher up !).

Normally can use a car lift at my work, but because of the lockdown I needed to make something.. 

[Lockdown jobs on Fox]

Another big job i've done was de-rusting the rear inner wheelarches.

Mostly the seam where the panels meet.. 

 

The original seamsealer fell out.. 

So sandblasted the seam, new seamsealer, brunox (rust convertor/primer, red oxide, stone chip, and body color.

Yes the one wheelarch has seen a lot of attacking of a angry welder.. and yes it now needed some 2 by 2cm patches each side.

 

[Lockdown jobs on Fox]

Fitted the valances to the car.

Also took the chance to swap over front bumpers.

One of the previous owner hit something, made the bumper bend and became wider.. 

 

Noticed some rust at the front crossmember (whole front crossmember and hingeboxes where new 7 years ago).

So stripped the front end and fixed the (surface) rust etc.

 

[Lockdown jobs on Fox]

Hi all.

Since a few weeks we have been in lockdown here in Belgium.

I drive a Spitfire 1500 (1978) as a daily car, 114.000miles in 6,5 years and now just done over 187.000 miles on it (yes original engine, pistons and head never been off).

 

Engine needs another head because of oil use, but will be done on another time.

 

I had some rust on the front valances (where new 7 years ago).

As i know that they rust away at always the same spot, I bought 2nd hand fibreglass ones.

Fixed them, repainted them etc