DaveH
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Posts posted by DaveH
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I became the new (11th) custodian of this Nov 1970 Mk3 Sapphire / Royal Blue (not sure - up for debate, but history shows it as being White originally) Spit back in March this year. Originally registered in Luton - Bucks (BH), I bought it in Devon, it's now with me in SW Essex.
I've always fancied one, and having seen some of the lovely beauties that others have restored & given new life to, wanted to get involved. I'm hitting 50 this year, so felt it appropriate to have a mid-life crisis project to keep me busy! 🤪
My Spit (not landed on a pet name for it yet) is in reasonably good nick from what I know & see, but does need some TLC to get it where I want it to be. Plan is for a slow & steady resto-mod, upgrading & adding where needed, so I can enjoy it once retired. Should have plenty of time whilst the body is still willing & able!
With that in mind, I thought I'd keep track of it all in here, as I'll undoubtedly have many more questions along the way. I don't have much experience in this field, but come with an Electrical Engineering background. I'm very much from the Hard Work Beats Talent school, and more than willing to get hands on give it a go!
So what have I done so far?
First up was replacing the track rod ends, which was an MOT advisory due to perishing rubber seals. Whilst at it, I also replaced the top ball joints & all the front suspension bushes for Poly ones.
Next up was sorting the fuel gauge. This didn't work at all, so I thought it would either be down to the voltage stabiliser or fuel sender unit. I pulled the sender unit and noted the float armature had seized.
Once I had cleaned up all the muck & corrosion, the arm was free to move and the gauge now correctly reports the fuel level. No need for the wooden fuel dip-stick anymore!
Glad that worked as it's the original Smiths sender unit, and saved me resorting to a new Chinesium plastic float one.
I noted the steering was quite noisy when turning, with a horrible screech coming from the interior. After some investigation I found that the horn pencil within the steering boss was inverted. A nice quick fix, put it the right way and steering is now silent!
Re-balanced the carbs yesterday with a flow gauge, which sorted a lumpy idle when cold. It's now done an easy 50 miles without issue, and starts first time, every time.
Next on the list is to fix the door internals as the windows are sloppy / loose, and I can see some hardware lying on the bottom of the inner door, then to add the factory hard-top, which will need re-glazing & re-lining (I have the glass!). Also dig into the steering rack as it seems there may be some wear in there that needs sorting. Oh, and then reinstate the heater, as it currently has a push-button engine start in place of the heater fan switch. Though I do like the push-button start, so will relocate that.
Some minor welding to be done here and there, so I've got myself a Mig welder and will do this myself once I have had some practice!
Long term, it will be a body-off restoration to get the chassis cleaned & powder coated, address a few pieces of minor cosmetic work on the tub, and sort the bonnet & door gaps out etc.
It'll also be stripped & repainted in a deep metallic blue pearl much further down the line, but for now, I'm just going to enjoy it for the summer, with all it's little cosmetic faults & blemishes.
Thanks for the bits of advice & pointers I've had so far, no doubt I'll have more questions in time.
Cheers!
Dave
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Welcome on board fellow Mk3’er!
They are beautiful cars, and great to drive (when all works as it should).
Sounds like you have a good project on your hands, and these cars are relatively easy to tinker with. This welcoming community (and others) have a whole wealth of invaluable knowledge, which has certainly helped me!
Good luck!
Dave
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Yeah, I’m not really sure to be honest, and it really depends on the light! I think the car was originally white, going by what I’ve found. In any case, it’ll get another respray down the line as a) it needs it, b) I fancy a metallic blue that ‘pops’ a bit more, like Honda’s Monte Carlo blue.
I’ll have to start a thread in the ‘projects’ section to keep tabs as I work on it. Discovered a new gem I hadn’t noticed before where a PO has fitted rear quarter repair panels that lip over the rear wing! Christ knows what I’ll find underneath, so it feels like a bit more body repair than I anticipated. Still, I’m enjoying it though. Night class in Mig welding next I think!
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Well, having checked all suggestions, I’ve come to the conclusion it’s not from the Spit. Still, good game for a while eh! 🤪
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😂 And now I find myself tea in hand, leafing through the workshop manual. Must be the novelty of it all.
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Oh, not many, 2k spirited miles per year.
Im not definitely doing it, just researching. My mind often wanders off down deep rabbit holes! 🤪
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Oh, I don’t, was just thinking ahead if I ever do a trunionless conversion. I’d either have to reuse the stubs I have or get new.
Cheers
Dave
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It was the ‘don’t really know what I’m doing, so get everything in bits on the workbench’ method! Apart from the shock, didn’t touch that in the end.
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Not sure why I picked this as my first newbie job, but after several hours spannering hammering and swearing, I managed to get to one of the trunnions.
Packed solid with black grease, which might explain the stiffness. Cleaned it out, inspected the vertical link (looks good), and shoved it all back with a new grease nipple & big dose of ep90.
Other side will have to wait as I noticed a few things I wasn’t prepared for (mostly bushes), plus looks like the inner hubs need some tlc as I think there’s a rubber or felt seal missing.
Will likely go trunnionless if I rebuild all this properly, but how do you remove / install the stub axle? Seems a solid bugger.
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Oh maybe! I did fold it down last weekend! I’ll go look.
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Cheers chaps, I’ll rest easy knowing it’s likely not from the Spit. I had my doubts, especially as it’s Alu.
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Spitty part or not. Wifey found it on the drive, now it’s got me worried that something has dropped off the Spit! Or maybe she put it there to drive me nuts.
its light, so must be Aluminium. What the heck is it?! 🤔
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Righto, thanks chief!
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Mileage is a bit of an unknown. Speedo states 13k, but that could easily be a replacement speedo. Not many historical MOTs to give the real truth.
Ball joints & TREs only being replaced as the boots flagged as an advisory, so I thought I’d replace the lot just to be safe.
Shock bushes may be okay, no issues driving, they just look grimey, so swapping them out for SupaFlex ones.
I suppose I’m quite risk adverse (comes from working in insurance) so just playing safe. May just go trunnionless at this rate! 😂
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I have TRE’s, upper ball joints & lower shock bushes to change out at the same time, but is there anything else worth doing whilst I’m at that level of disassembly?
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Righto, cheers!
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Do we have a preferred choice of trunnion / supplier, or are they all much of a muchness?
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Busted out the EP90 to oil the trunnions as first port of call. No joy, couldn’t get anything through the grease nipples so took them off. Gunged solid with grease. Couldn’t get anything in the trunnions with the nips off either, so I’m guessing they are packed too.
looks like I’ll be stripping or replacing those then when I do the TRE’s.
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Thanks chaps, I'll start working through those suggestions & let you know what I find out.
I have to replace the TRE boots anyhow, so a good overhaul of the steering comes at the right time, if there ever is one! 🤪
Cheers, Dave
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I think there’s a lug / pin on the steering column that’s supposed to engage at the 3 o’clock position. If it’s in the right place, then I guess the indicator stalk is another issue. But if not at 3 o’clock, that might point to the column having been fiddled with.
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Not had the car wheels up yet, but will check at the weekend.
i know something isn’t right as the indicators don’t self cancel either.
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Steering on the Spit is not as light as I’d expected, and really stiff as I approach full lock. No noises, clunks or play, apart from a bit of a squeal from the steering column area.
Any suggestions as to what the likely suspects might be?
Cheers, Dave
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Spit has now made the (trailer) journey to its new home here. I used the services of Car-Go Vehicle Movements https://www.cargovehiclemovements.co.uk/ based in Exeter and would happily recommend Amy who did the run.
10 mile shakedown drive done, all seemed okay, no scary moments. Looks like the first job will be stopping the exhaust box from knocking somewhere at the rear, then sorting that passenger door latch, then the boots.
I can see how this is going to be addictive and take over my weekends!
What have I done?! 😂-
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Makes sense. My Granddad died of oesophageal cancer, worked in a rubber factory cleaning out rubber crumb from plant equipment.
Project Blue - 1970 late (Nov) Mk3 Spit
in My Triumph Restoration Project
Posted
Indeed, I’ve picked up so much already from just browsing through the forums! Such a great knowledge base!