Peter Truman

Interesting my Mk2 Handbook pg44 wiring diagram doesn't have a separate purple wire for a flasher from the battery fuse in the fuse box (2 fuses only). attached is my Mk2 Handbook and there's no mention I can find re a headlamp flasher! Our Mk2 is an Australian CKD Spit & there may be differences it could depend on what part was grabbed during assembly!! Spitfire Mk2 Handbook.pdf

attached is the Spit Mk3 Handbook which on pg 35 advises there is a headlamp flash function is sourced and protected by the bottom of 3 fuses in the fuse box ie a Battery supply always live. Pg 42 the wiring diagram shows the flash function being supplied from the LH battery fuse via a purple (P) wire to the brown (N) wire on the column light stalk to top rh terminal ie a direct battery supply for the flasher to the headlights only illuminating the dip and main beams simultaneously. Sorry about the quality of the print Spitfire Mk3 Handbook.pdf

Our 66 Spit Mk2 doesn’t have flash by pulling the column light stalk forward but the 68 Vitesse Mk2 does?

Sean Connery drove a Stag from Dover to Amsterdam whilst impersonating smuggler Franks in Diamonds are Forever.

Maybe the Stag ( was it diamonds are forever) could be the cheapest nowadays!

A bodge I have used several times is to solder the olive onto the pipe it’s fixed any fuel leaks I’ve had as said by others watch for the pipe being too long into the fuel pump body

Not all the 2000/2500 had the separate earth spade terminal on the individual bayonet fittings nor did the Dolly Sprints I got some from a friend who had the early 70's big saloons. Replacing all the Sprints rear lamps to the earthed spades & a DIY earth loom between all the 6 bayonet fittings sorted my Sprints dubious operating rear lights.

I replaced my Vitesse Mk2 saloon sun visors when I converted it to a convertible with similar to 1960's aftermarket tinted perspex but made locally here in Melbourne using the original Triumph brackets the visor back hinge is actually the original soft/foam that was stapled to the thin hardboard the foam was attached to, the trim screws are from stationary file front/back covers. The original vinyl sun visors foam had totally disintegrated, the covers were ok but had to be cut off. See Pics

I brought my Superflex from a UK supplier and even with UK to Aus postage it was cheaper than buying direct from Superflex here in Aus GO FIGURE! Make sure you get the bolts that tighten the splines tight there located into a groove halfway along the spline and a bug$$r to tighten with access limited by the front suspension turrent the Spitfire took a couple of attempts to tighten up hard you could feel some slack but it was safe it wouldn’t slip round on the splines or pull out just felt like the steering wheel was loose ie pulled up/down a little. I would use the Superflex insulators again a lot more professional than my DIY rubber grommet originals

Me too after living in Canada twice, it's a Trash Can & Trunk, but there again I might be just plain awkward!

My mate and I used to do a moisture test on brake fluid with a similar electronic pen when a club member required their club permit renewal. Club permit allows a 25 year old classic car cheap registration for club and social use only it’s actually not a registration but a permit permitted by the State Govt here to use the car on the road.

I had a balancer in the 60's that had two needles that you replaced the screw in cap and damper with a push in rod/wire into each carb which looked like a paperclip at the top you then pointed these towards each other and could see the respective rise and balance of the twin carbs. I wonder what happened to them?

If I remember correctly some cars in the 60's had an air filter inlet trumpet which was and recommended to be rotated to different positions for summer and winter to optimise the combustion air temperature. I remember cold foggy nights driving home across the York moors and the car ran beautifully with the dense air.

After gapping the doors Don't forget to look at how the body aligns with the rear wheels I did all that and found the body was pulled to one side ie the outside of the tyres was slightly inboard on the drivers side and directly vertical with the wheel arch on the N/S or passengers ie 1/2in skew so I had to slide the body over 1/4in to centralise it! I also used screws on the outside of the front to rear body tubs to initially align the two tubs and door gaps.

Well done great longlevity happy new year it was 32C here today but heavy rain tonight not as picturesque as snow

I've just replaced my daughters Mk2 Spit type 12's with type 14's and that was a 30% piston upgrade and I thought I was doing good I also used a Vitesse master for the increased volume? must look up the BCC 4 potters, what rotors did you use to dissipate the heat?

You have to be even more careful if you have a Dolly Sprint with the alloy wheel nuts easily stripped with a rattle gun, the early models only had the 3/8in stud later increased to 7/16in, as the earlier ones were known to shear with enthusiastic cornering.

Same here for Vitesse I gave up the on the spin on conversion fitment angles are all wrong and sold the Mocal to a big saloon guy. My local club here brought the old Triumph type stock of air and oil filters from GUD a wholesaler supplier (Ryco Filters) so I stocked up with 10 original fitment oil paper element filters that keeps me going! Ryco is a good make. GUD we’re going to dump the filters as slow moving stock we had an in to the boss’s Sec so put in a ridiculous low offer and the deal was sealed aad everyone was happy! To stop the old cold start bearing rumble I’ve fitted an electric fuel pump with switch so after a lay up I turn the pump off spin the engine for 15 sec then turn pump on let it prime then hit the high torque starter and Vroom NO rumble oil pressure to 95psi immediately.

I've fitted bonnet locks to both the Vitesse & Spitfire that stops the catch's unlatching, the easy or bodge solution I could never get the right tension on the catch and cones! Anyway it's added security .

My daughters 66 Mk2 Spit has a small vent hole incorporated in the Bowl Lid one of the carbs is covered with a removable clip to stop ingress of dirt which any vented fuel bypass's, the others missing. Maybe similar is incorporated in yours and could be enlarged to take a small 1/4in copper pipe to deflect leaking fuel away. My Dolly Sprint some 10 years younger had proper vented pipes which were I think piped to the carbon canister, See attached photo of the vent hole

Have you looked at the plastic/nylon drip irrigation tees and elbows that is what we use here for the breather pipes

Araldite when repairing large wrought iron mains under pressure tapered timber perf pegs are impailed into the hole and then when watertight a patch is welded over the area Around 25 years ago I was called out to a century old 36in main where the patch coupon had just blown off and the water spout was going around 60 feet into the air drenching a house but there was no sign of any weld, closer inspection revealed a whitish hardened paste on the main and steel coupon we reckoned someone in the early 60’s had tried this wonder glue Araldite! Well it did last 20 plus years!

well done, looks like a (good) plan

The thin locking nut is a good idea to stop throwing away the old original all 5/8in 18TPI threaded tube with the old filter, as Colin L has done I've done that a couple of times.