Rockape
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Posts posted by Rockape
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Thanks - I was thinking a nut of a suitable size would do the business…just need to make sure I don’t put in too much to put my head over the windscreen!
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49 minutes ago, DanMi said:
The floorpans are the same on mk3 and later. In fact pretty much the whole of the interior structure is the same, so the mk4 seats should fit without issue
9 minutes ago, Peter Truman said:On both the Vitesse and Dolly Sprint the slide issues was down to the guides being bowed over time, straightened and they are great now, daughters Mk2 Spit slide great, but I did strip a anchor nut thread with it getting carpet bound, so I burnt the loose carpet with a bit of old gal pipe around the mounting holes to ensure no repeat & heli-coiled the damaged nut!
I do need to watch for that when I install the new carpets ….
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15 minutes ago, NonMember said:
No, Mk4 seats fit a Mk3 perfectly well and slide nicely, as long as you use the Mk4 runners and drill the extra holes for the fittings (as the runners are more widely spaced than the Mk3 ones). If they don't slide it's almost certainly down to one of two things:
- the runners are rusty (extremely common!)
- They've been fitted on top of thick carpets without the necessary spacers, and the runners are thus bent (even more common!)
Lack of spacers could be the issue - any suggestions what dimension they would be?
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Well - that’s what one would think. However the facts are these seats are two wide …..so
perhaps they are not Mk4 seat at all? Potentially I guess the floor pan is different - but nothing else is out so am pretty sure that’s not the case….would need to find some dimensions of the original pan to check I guess - the key one being width between transmission tunnel and inner door sill.
it’s annoying …..
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25 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:
You could always try a cheeky offer....
Interesting- thanks for pointing this out….
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So - having perused the forums it seems I have unwittingly joined the fraternity of Spitfire owners with challenging seats…in the car that is….
My ‘68 Mk3 is in great condition following its complete rebuild. However, I am told the seats are off a Mk4.
they were very hard to slide when the carpets were in, and now I know why. They are too wide by quite a margin.
( I am fitting new carpets and sound deadening )
Given that Mk3 seats appear to be as rare as the proverbial, what are my options?
Fit MX5 seats and remove some seat foam (which year MX5 though?)
Would it be possible to strip down the existing seats, modify and re-foam/cover? (They need new foam anyway)
any ideas greatfully accepted….
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6 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:
It's an offset; the column comes through the bulkhead very close to the gearbox tunnel and then angles outwards to more or less the centre of the drivers area. Very cleverly done in that most of us never realise that it's not completely flat in front of us...
Yes _ when you look vertically down you can see the steering wheel is not quite parallel with the dashboard. The only way I can see to get the wheel centred and square would be with two UJs in the column assembly….. and that aint gonna happen!
Funny thing is I just dont recall the offset on the ‘69 Spit I owned when I were a lad…..memory does funny things. (I don’t recall the noise and draughts either!)
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Question for the hive mind….
The steering wheel in my ‘68 Spit is sitting about 2.5cm to the left of the driver Centre line.
looking at the steering rack, bulkhead penetration and the dashboard brackets I can’t see how it can be anywhere else than where it is.
so - is this a bug or a feature? The car has had a complete restoration and in all other mechanical respects it appears to be correct and nothing is out of alignment that I can see…
any thoughts ?
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17 hours ago, Adrian Cooper said:
Hi Rockape,
Attached are some pictures, with measurements, which may help you if you decide to make your own bars. I have just finished restoring my hardtop and I made the headlining using some very high quality fabric supplied by our own Pete Lewis. He may still have some if you want to go completely diy.
Adrian
Fantastic information- this should help. I have ordered some tie bars from Chic Doig for a Herrald and propose to try to alter them to fit the Spit….
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Am about to start fixing my Spitfire hardtop.
Removing the existing headlining reveals a layer of foam and what appears to be a simple “glue it all together” technique. There are some holes in inside edge of the top which I presume are for the original headlining stays to allow a headliner with loops to be attached?
Apparently (according to Dave at Spitfire graveyard) the staybars are as rare as hens teeth…Which might explain why the old headlining has been glued into position. Interestingly Newtons don't make them because “ everyone has the originals with their hard tops”! They may be missing an opportunity ….
but - the stay bars can’t be that complicated can they? Sprung steel at the right length would do it … does any one know where I could get hold of some staybars?
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Thanks - just sent them the info…..
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Interesting… might need to go that route if I can’t source a key.
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1 hour ago, Patrick Taylor said:
Heralds used FS keys at that time; I'm not sure about Spitfires, but the key code should be on the barrel: FS Keys (moss-europe.co.uk)
The barrel of the lock ? That would make sense - I can remove that and have a look … thanks
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1 hour ago, DanMi said:
What plastic casing? the MK3 ha the ignition switch in the dash and was metal. Where is the ignition switch, someone may have converted to the mk4 column switch with steering lock
I refer to the plastic surrounding the head (?) of the key.
the ignition switch itself is mounted on the dashboard just behind/left of the steering wheel.
the key has a four digit code 🤔
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28 minutes ago, Patrick Taylor said:
Heralds used FS keys at that time; I'm not sure about Spitfires, but the key code should be on the barrel: FS Keys (moss-europe.co.uk)
Yup - I have removed some of the plastic casing - i might just bite the bullet and strip it all off….
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17 minutes ago, PeteH said:
Just about any Key Place can cut them from a Pattern. Some of the most widely used key series. I have a Biscuit tin part full of keys from that era.
Pete
I thought so too - but went to our local Timpsons who had a pattern book with various old car keys listed - but not this particular blank
grrrrrrr
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Looking for suppliers of replacement ignition keys for a 68 Spitfire.
I have one key - Which has a four digit code but no letter codes.
Any suggestions where I could source a duplicate
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Thanks very much for all the useful responses
on to a different part of the forum now to talk about hoods !
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Apologies if this is a repeat post - had a look through and couldn’t see anything
I have a 1298cc Spitfire Mk3 1968 with original distributor and other ignition components
has anyone fitted the electronic ignition components as sold by the TSSC shop.? Seems a reasonable price but does it actually make any difference (ease of starting, reliability etc and so on)
thanks
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Interesting discussion. My ‘68 Mk 3 Spit currently has an MoT and I am inclined to renew it next year.
a mate of mine has a 1913 Model T……it wouldnt pass any kind of MoT …
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My first Spitfire PUO 758 G I bought from my mum (really!) . My.Dad bought it new for her, and when I got my licence I bought it from them. Of course, now I regret selling it in 1976. Although, interestingly, the car is still registered and running in Cheshire.
meanwhile, my fiancé (now wife) had a 1500 Mk4 - KDP 892 L - which I cannot find.
fast forward to today…. We decided to own a Spit again so have bought TGU 955 F…as featured in Classic Restoration magazine. Great job by Chris Hart…. Now we need to figure what to do with it.. electronic ignition? Source and fit original seats? New mohair hood?
first up though is to refurbish the hard top…
looking forward to meeting other owners in NE Scotland, and being a part of keeping our motoring heritage alive…
cheers
Mk3 Spitfire Seat Width
in Bodywork & Fittings
Posted
Here are a couple of photos that may shed some light.
on the floor pan, the four holes in Green are I believe the original holes . The red ones are the ones in use on the left hand side rail(this is the passenger seat)
does this look like the original penetrations . It’s a little odd as the one bottom right is a clearance hole and requires a washer and nut. The others have captive nuts or are threaded.
also shown is a photo of the seat