Neil Clark

Thanks Pete. I like red too as it happens - my 66 MGB GT has a red interior. I'll try Newton.

I've seen a 1963 Mk1 in the same colour as mine on eBay with red seats, white piping and red cockpit back panel. It looks much friendlier than my original black with white piping. Any suggestions for a supplier please?

May to December - no progress until last week. The "new" bonnet arrived, went to the bodyshop and they promptly had to shut down. When they re-opened in the summer they had to deal with a rush of accident repairs and the Spitfire bonnet was sidelined. Then they had to shut down again. It's now stripped, up on a stand and the few dents and several rusty bits (that weren't supposed to be there when I bought it on eBay unseen in the first lockdown) are nearly done. A few new bits of metal have had to be fabricated for the corners beside the sidelights and on one side panel but it's progress. Perhaps soon after Christmas the car and bonnet can be married up but I'm not promising myself anything!

I bought a used replacement recently from SpitBitz in Woking. Do insist that the one they send is fully functioning because the first one they sent had a jammed thread, the same problem as mine - but replaced immediately and without argument nor cost to me.

Bleedin amateur! I hadn't nipped up the n/s rear hose to the brake drum tightly enough. Thought I had checked and re-checked. Must have seeped slowly and just enough to empty the master cylinder. Found it by tracing with my finger around all the connections and it was just a minute smear, but enough. Vizibleed I love you.

Worn rear shock? Bushes?

Saw a yellow F registered Spitfire Mk4 with GT6 bonnet and badges near me in SW London today. Nice looking conversion.

We're common as muck!

Thanks Doug

I read the box instead of guessing. Mines a solo bleed, not an easybleed. Changing the subject, if the rear wheel brake cylinders are leaking I've a dilemma. Were the drums interchangeable between the early and later cars? There are two cylinder sizes listed in the Moss catalogue and my rear axle is the later swing axle.

Haven't been called young for a while! Peeing with rain here today and work is suddenly busy so it might be Friday earliest.

I've got a solo bleed. I'll try again.

It's the nut turning. But I have no idea of the condition of the thread underneath although the tiny bit I can see looks viable. It's not loose laterally, as Pete says. I might put this in the "waiting - too difficult" tray on my desk and ponder - and have another fiddle soon with the screw drivers and possibly my junior hacksaw.

Pete why does the catch jar have to be above the nipple?

Tried levering - will do so again but I'm so ham fisted. I think I'll leave it until it's ready to go for it's MOT (paint shop says they are starting the bonnet but no idea when the body will be finished though) and get them to do that and check for my other bodges as part of a safety check ahead of the MOT.

Oh! I hadn't used anything like half a litre. I'll do it again and see where we go.

Yes mine did too. One issue was that the fuel tank rusted halfway up and leaked badly, at the seam, so capacity was down from I think 4.5 gallons to 2.25 gallons, but there were lots of petrol stations in those days. Anyway on £13.00 a week I could only afford two gallons. Oops - I had never thought about the petrol sloshing onto the exhaust pipe until I wrote this!

The bottom nyloc nut securing one of the Koni's on the rear of my car seems to have stripped its thread, or the bolt thread has stripped, I can't tell yet. Do I ned one of those nut cracker things or is there a trick to getting it to grip enough to come off?

I had bled them on my own using an easy bleed and hadn't moved the car for a few weeks. I started on the furthest away brake, o/s rear and worked my way back via n/s rear, o/s front and n/s front (which looked closest to the master cylinder). Today the master cylinder is completely empty and I can't see any drainage marks on the drive nor damage to paint etc. I had tried to check every union when I did it and looked for seepage, they certainly seemed firm and dry enough. Does brake fluid evaporate easily? Is there a way for me, on my own, to bleed and check for seepages simultaneously? Can anyone advise how much brake fluid should go into a Spitfire Mk1 system? Can't be that much can it? Thanks

I started with a 1963 Austin Mini Woody. They are part of our DNA these Mini's.

So is it wholly incorrect in my case that the PO's restorer put the plate back on the drivers side when replacing and restoring the bulkhead panels? Should I just leave it?

A few years ago I bought a wonderful Mini Clubman that had been laid up in 1985, and forgotten about in an elderly lady's garage until 2016 covered in gunk and junk. In that case the fuel had evaporated and left a solid tarry deposit that gummed up the fuel tank, fuel lines, carbs etc, that I did not spot in my excitement at getting it (it only had 8500 miles per the MOT's and was rust free). When I immediately and stupidly added new fuel it semi-dissolved the gunk and it took a lot of work to clean it out. But John is right I think that if fuel hasn't actually solidified, all you lose is some volatility. (I sold it a year or so afterwards - I just hated what was happening to it every time I added a few miles and the thought of it deteriorating. Here it how it looked after a simple machine polish. )

Just a caveat Dave, it's a push to fit 5" wires on an MGB, especially early ones pre-Rostyle - mine are the original 4.5 inch on a MK1 but those who changed to 5" often complain of sidewall rubbing so if coming with tyres do check those. I think decently specced wires of the right diameter and offset would look great on a hairy Vitesse! My Mk1 spit came with almost new chrome wires. I'm beginning to like the look against the conifer green but they are a bit brash!

No ideas on physical fit, but based on my short term Triumph acquaintance and my longer term MGB acquaintance, stick with Triumph and tune the wotsit out of it.

Thanks. The n/s front of the chassis took the real thump and the wheel kissed / scuffed the firewall although didn't dent it. Amazingly the alignment of the bits checked out and front bushes are replaced, also all front nuts and bolts etc but trunnions are a dark art for me. It all slotted back together like a Meccano set so can't be bad. Will see what the piggy bank has to offer when the bonnet gets back from the paint shop.