1969Mk3Spitfire

I’m trying to make the horn work. I’ve tracked down that the wire contact attached to the steering wheel switch ring had broken and I’ve re-soldered it on. I touched a jump lead from the ring to the steering column boss and the horns sprung into life. I reassembled everything but, disappointingly, it didn’t work. The push switch works fine and the spring loaded contact from switch to ring also seems ok. A multimeter shows that the steering shaft does not appear to be ground, hence the switch can not complete its circuit. The new to me car has only recently had a restoration. I’ve finished working on the car for the day and I’ll look again tomorrow. Any ideas! Thanks in advance.

Many thanks, much appreciated. I've (now) read comments that the kits do not include detailed instructions. Has anyone written-up the procedure and, if so, is there a way to obtain a copy?

I'm getting used to my new-to-me Mk 3 Spitfire. The car has just been returned to the road after many years. The last MoT expired in 1987. It has 54,000 miles on the clock and this is in line with it's service records. The gearbox is full with fresh oil. Gear selection is quite a hit and miss affair. Reverse takes a bit of finding, first requires a bit of force. Second and third aren't too bad but sometimes third will embarrass me and finding fourth takes patience. Is this normal? Is it indicative of a problem? Is there anything that I can do to improve it? Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge and experience.

Any (clearance) issues in using a pair of readily-available car ramps, front and rear, on a Mk3 Spitfire? I seem to remember reading, but can't find it again, to be wary of ground clearance/body fouling. Experiences and specific recommendations would be most welcome, thanks in advance

Please forgive a newbie for jumping in on this, very interesting, thread. I've yet to learn forum protocol 😁 I have the original handbook for my new-to-me Mk3 Spitfire. It gives quite a detailed service schedule and there are many places where bolts etc need to be removed and (temporarily) replaced by oil/grease nipples. Do all of these have the same thread? Is there just one service nipples or is there a range required? Are they commonly available / good source? Many thanks

I also have a horn problem; mine is blowing the fuse. Off the car, connected directly to a 12v battery it clicks and the wires get quite hot, quite quickly. Is there a way to access your Sept 16 article?

The seats on my Mk3 Spitfire aren't particularly good so I'm probably going to have them refurbished. Before doing so, I'd like solve a soft top frame chafe problem. The frame seems to chafe with the seat at all times, with the top up or down. The process of putting the top up and down also seems prone to damaging the seats unless it's done by two people taking a great deal of care. Is there a knack for doing this that I've yet to learn? The attached picture shows the frame proximity to the seat from a couple of views. Many thanks in advance. Edit: added pictures

At one point mid afternoon, I was convinced that the "nuts and bolts" comment was a new member initiation ceremony 😁 It took me ages to figure-out how to rotate the tank to get the nuts and bolts back into the upper most baffle. I've now flushed it twice with caustic soda. The emptied liquid looked like filthy engine oil and had a lot of suspended matter. I'll flush it out one more time tomorrow and then a final flush with Machine Mart Rust Remover. Before I put it back in the car I'll flush it one more time with some of the drained petrol. The new fuel pipe is exactly as described above by NonMember, as it should be. I put a foot pump on the pipe at the tank end and covered the engine bay rubber hose with a clean, white rag. The pump built up quite a head of steam and then "pop". The white rag looked like it had been shot at close range with a 12-bore filled with iron filings. I put a bit of fuel in the tube, using a model aero engine primer bottle, and pumped it through until the rag (clean one each time) stayed clean. I didn't remove the pump from the block, just the top housing as far as the diaphragm and gave it a good clean and blow out. I'm assuming that it shouldn't be necessary to remove it completely? The suggestion to add an in-line filter just prior to the pump seems to be a good idea. All in all a good day, my third day of Triumph ownership. Many thanks to you all for your advice. Doubtless more posts to follow.......😃

Many thanks to all for the replies. My tank has now been removed and I plan to clean it first with caustic soda, then phosphoric acid, both with a (counted) handful of nuts and bolts. The fuel line, which is new, seems fairly blocked as I can't blow it through. I'll try to use a foot pump. I don't have access to an air compressor. Next job will be the pump. Is it likely to have damaged the valves, should i buy a service kit or clean it first to check?

I've just bought a restored Mk3 Spitfire. The car has done less than 5 miles since it was MoT'd in December. Sadly, it appears as though the fuel tank has been untouched. I managed to breakdown a mile from home during my first drive 😒. Fortunately, my wife was following me in my Audi A3 and I had the foresight to bring along a tow rope. Back at home, I removed the cover of the brand new looking fuel pump and it was absolutely full of rusty/crud. What's the general consensus regarding cleaning the tank? I've searched the Forum and I've seen suggestions of 2-3 flushes with caustic soda and a final flush with Machine Mart Rust Remover / phosphoric acid. Is any form of painting required or desirable. If so, what's the best paint and how is it best applied? Hopefully I'll be able to remove and clean the pump. I've not yet looked at fuel pipes or the carbs. Many thanks for any input/advice.