dougbgt6

I was looking for paint colours, you might find this interesting. http://www.tr-register.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/46556-valencia-blue/

Yeh! Timing by ear! I've also got a vacuum gauge and you can use your eyes instead of ears! Twist the dizzy for maximum vacuum and then back a gnats. I've read lately than biscuit is not the spark plug colour to strive for. Greyish light brown is the new colour, due to modern fuel and what's in it, apparently. My own plugs went pink due to fuel additive! I've stopped using it now as I'm told the valves have the memory of lead and will last longer than I will! I also have a colour tune somewhere but I can never get it right. Maybe that's down to the fuel as well?

Just had lunch at the Land's End Pub, it's not strictly land's end but right next to a river ford. There's a pole thoughtfully marked in height levels, unfortunately, not clearly marked as to feet or metres! The foolhardy frequently mistake 1.5 for feet!

How about a high projectile wheel nut thrown off a lorry wheel traveling at 60mph in the opposite direction? I thought you'd jump on the heat issue John! Is it radiation?

Damn! Another must have item!

As you say , it looks like something else is damaged. Any chance of borrowing a dizzy? That would be the easy way to diagnose it.

You did re-do the timing didn't you? You don't say so. When I put my electronic ignition on the timing was only slightly out and needed only slight readjustment. Others won't start at all. Presuming you did adjust the timing, you did it by slackening the bolt and twisting the dizzy? Has it come loose? Sorry to point out the obvious but we've all done it!

They have one of the moon capsules in the Science Museum in London. I don't remember tiles on it, the thing that struck me was how small it was.

Richard, Do you not have any "this is how I did it pics" of your most impressive 2.5 PI spitfire (No power bulge required!)? Doug

As far as I could see, (by the light of the ignition courtesy bulb! ) the nut that holds the switch in place is massive and the plastic thread does not protrude through it. So with the pedal at rest the plastic plunger is pressed flat to the top of the nut and the pedal rests on the nut rather than the plastic threaded outer sheath. Also the plastic thread appears to be tapered so it gets harder and harder to do up the nut. A safety feature so that the nut won't come undone? Cunning, these Triumph design chaps!

Friday, failed the MOT. No stop lights. They were working when I checked on Thursday. Bugger! Bulbs OK, earths OK, no current drain when peddle depressed. Brake light switch! Where is it? Never seen it these 40 years! On the brake pedal, fool! Head in footwell, arms at full stretch, got a finger on it. Ping! 6 pieces on the floor. Today, new switch. What a pig of a job! Would be easy with two extra joints in my forearms. Got it on! And, the MOT is mine! Just thought you should know.

I siphoned off my old fuel, a galleon or so at a time and added it to my modern's tank, it didn't seem to mind. So save disposal costs. I'd get a siphoning kit else you're bound to get a mouthful of fuel at some point! Rimmer Brothers and Canley Classics are the two big suppliers, both do carb repair kits. The TSSC shop is also first stop for most items. Modern condensers can be poorly made so don't get one from E-Bay. Electronic ignition is a good and worthwhile upgrade but, already I'm advising you to spend your cash!

Ditto. Some extensive downloading today I think. The UK membership liaison officer is Phil Bancroft. Some new pics of the members and their cars and, it seems a bit faster.

I have polybushes on my rear shockers. They were a pig to get on! People recommend a G cramp to pull them on, I didn't have one big enough so, took my vice off the bench, dragged it round the car and used that! I've read other threads were people say the polys they've been given are the wrong size, too big etc. You're another one for the list! You've got to squish them up, but they don't tell you that!

Don't agree with that. With the valences air flow is from the front, along the sides off the engine and down past the gear box. Without, the flow is not directed over the gear box. Valences are missing from a lot of cars because they are made of cardboard and fall to bits or some professor of thermodynamics thinks removal is an improvement. My rule number one is, Triumph put it there for a reason, so keep it there!

On one occasion I was on there and wondered who exactly had written the carb stuff so looked at the membership list. As you know they're in USA, Ohio I think, but there is apparently a British Membership Registrar! I think this might be a joke, a British relative, friend or visitor but I recognised the name! Can't remember it now but if you're out there tell us what's going on. I told a guy about the site on 29/6 it was up that day. Tried again on 30/6 and subsequently, down.

I recently recommended the Buckeye triumph web site to someone. It was there on Monday, now it's gone! www.buckeyetriumphs.org Anybody know what's happened to them?

I couldn't reach the ignition when I had a static belt on, had to start then buckle up, panic stations if I stalled! I must be a funny shape! (Insert rude joke here)

Mine's separated from the bulkhead and dangling at the moment, so yes, there's plenty of slack in the loom to work on the back of the fuse box. I intend to go a step further, rather than a direct replacement, a larger box with more fuses. 3 (on mine) is not enough! I'm going to split the wires out into separate circuits. The head lights are famously not fused at all! Also, all the current for the headlights goes through the switch. I've bought an addition loom (from China) with fuses and relays for the headlights but you might prefer to include headlamp fuses in a new fuse box. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H4-9003-Headlight-Booster-Wire-Harness-Connector-Relay-Fuse-Socket-/390938014554?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5b05b8b35a Suspiciously cheap, you couldn't buy one relay here for this price, but I bough it and it looks robust enough. I'm going to have to extend the battery feed and remove and replace the headlamp connectors to get them inside the headlamp cowling.

I had to Dyno Rod out my fuel lines with nylon strimmer cord to get the sludge out. An unpleasant task, but effective.

You've got rid of the heat problem by insulating, so why do you want it? If you want open top motoring get a spitfire, a sun roof won't do it for you! Why butcher a classic!

Organiser's TR6, winner's Riley Elf, old man in a hat and my GT6.

Hurst county fare and car show, day one yesterday. 30 odd cars, 1 GT6, 1 Spitfire, 1 Stag, assorted MGs, Astons, Jenson, minis, nice Austin 7, Sunbeam Tiger, some Americans and many others. Yesterday's winner, voted for by the punters was a Prussian blue Riley Elf, second a red American MGA and third a white Thunderbird. The Elf was parked next to mine, I'm sure they confused the two, he only came because I told him about it! I'm not bitter. Actually the bitter was excellent, Bingham's Twyford Tipple. Going back today to get a look at the Sunday offering.

When I did mine, 20 years ago, I did dot to dot, made sure I wasn't 360 out and the tappets were at the top. None of this sophisticated 1/4 of a tooth stuff. I sense a sleepless night coming on. Where's my worry beads?

Just by coincidence spotted this on B-Flay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dribbler-Engine-/281732419184?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item41988f8e70 I've got one of these! Much better nick than this one. They're great fun, you have to set light to the burner to make it go! Not allowed on the carpet, unfortunately.