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Lora, the '67 Spitfire


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17 minutes ago, Piglet said:

Thanks lads! I'm glad it's the later type as they are a lot easier to find.

Alex

I have  a spare late hoodframe. No handles, but otherwise complete. I may have the rear plate section too, somewhere. 

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10 hours ago, Piglet said:

I am interested! None available on Rimmers but I didn't check for the handles. They do sell the soft top but it ain't cheap.

Alex

Drop me a message.

Handles do turn up on fleabay and are the same as the later cars.

The best hoods come from Don Hoods. Best to avoid the budget one though, unless you plan to keep the car only a short time.

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Difficult to talk from your photos Alex but you may also need the locking plates 622240 and 622239. They go under the header rail trim. If you have them you’ll be able to see a bronze coloured plate under the keyhole type holes where the latch handles would engage. Rimmers have them, but I found them nowhere else (when a garage managed to lose my originals…), and MkIV/1500 ones are apparently not the same. 

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11 hours ago, clive said:

I see NM has commented too. I wasn't aware that the hood frame change coincided with the very late mk3 changes, I assumed it was earlier. But it matters not a jot, you have what you have!

The hood latch type changed much earlier, late 67 ish if I remember correctly. I’d guess that’s right for this car too as I think it’s F reg which matches being late 67. Though as you say, what’s fitted is what’s fitted!

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11 hours ago, clive said:

I wasn't aware that the hood frame change coincided with the very late mk3 changes

No, sorry, I hadn't intended to imply that. As Josef said, the hood frame changed earlier than the facelift so there were three variants of Mk3 windscreen (albeit the facelift change is purely cosmetic).

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Last night I loosely fitted the hard top but today looked rather cloudy so I thought it best to bolt it all down properly. And promptly ruined the thread on one of the windscreen bolts. Shazbot. So I thought I'd try Paddocks and yes they have them (cheaper than eBay or Rimmers) and whilst I was there I ordered a replacement choke knob and a new back board (covering the fuel tank). Expensive motoring this, but fun!

Alex

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33 minutes ago, Piglet said:

Last night I loosely fitted the hard top but today looked rather cloudy so I thought it best to bolt it all down properly. And promptly ruined the thread on one of the windscreen bolts. Shazbot. So I thought I'd try Paddocks and yes they have them (cheaper than eBay or Rimmers) and whilst I was there I ordered a replacement choke knob and a new back board (covering the fuel tank). Expensive motoring this, but fun!

Alex

My recommendation would be to cancel that fuel tank cover (assuming the one in the boot?) before they ship it. I just bought one, it’s absolutely not worth the money. It’s just hardboard with a thin coat of black paint, not textured like the original and the paint doesn’t even cover completely on the example I received. With some simple woodwork tools you could make one for 10% of the cost, if that. 

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13 hours ago, Piglet said:

Ah. Not that one Josef, the panelled one that sits behind the seats. But I do know what you mean about the boot ones and I will make my own!

Alex

Oh good. I’m exceptionally displeased I’ve paid £42 for a crappy bit of hardboard…

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4 minutes ago, Josef said:

Oh good. I’m exceptionally displeased I’ve paid £42 for a crappy bit of hardboard…

Send it back. Must be worth paying for the shipping to save the majority of the cost. I returned some very expensive seat boards. They were not only dreadful quality, they would have to have been trimmed to fit. Sure you can get some sort of carrier to take it for under a fiver. Try parcels2go.

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28 minutes ago, Badwolf said:

Send it back. Must be worth paying for the shipping to save the majority of the cost. I returned some very expensive seat boards. They were not only dreadful quality, they would have to have been trimmed to fit. Sure you can get some sort of carrier to take it for under a fiver. Try parcels2go.

It’s actually turned up damaged too so I have just asked for a refund and no replacement. Waiting to get a reply on that though. 

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45 minutes ago, Josef said:

Oh good. I’m exceptionally displeased I’ve paid £42 for a crappy bit of hardboard…

That's all it is. I made my own for the Herald from a sheet of scrounged hardboard (the stuff van owners use to line the inside of vans) and a tin of blackboard paint.

IMG_0289.thumb.jpeg.9d746589d05918ef7fa524fff01e4bde.jpeg

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39 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

That's all it is

The original has some texture on it. I assumed that was what I’d be getting. I made my own for the Herald from some thin marine ply (and rebuilt all the door cards and hood well trims with it too). Fancied a posher finish on the Spitfire though. 

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You can buy a half hide off fleabay for £89 if you really want flash..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265552581989

Tempted myself if and when I ever get all the other jobs done. Probably do the door cards, seat rear panel from that along with the fiddly bits from the off cuts. Work out cheaper than Park Lane, probably not as good but the saving !!!!!

 

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Another action packed day. My goodies from Paddocks arrived. New choke knob and thanks to Adrian I have the correct decal for it! Big thanks to him. However it looks like a dash out job and I really need to get on with that...but I am dreading it.

The sheared bolt in the hard top would not come out so I cut it with a Dremel. It's stuck in there and the only way to remove it is to strip the headlining. Oh well...But with a bit of luck I should have a soft top frame by the weekend. Of course this entails buying a new top to go with it lol.

I also had a trial fit of the new backing board. I would have made this myself but I simply can't find that striped vinyl anywhere. Plonked in the first bit of carpet too and she looks so much better for it!

Alex

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Looking good! You can do the choke cable with just the glovebox out if I remember correctly (I changed mine twice while the car was still on the road in 2018 for not-quite-right ones). The most awkward bit is getting to the stay  on the heater box that holds the middle of the heater and choke cables. Head upside down in the footwell type job.

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