First Classic - Spitfire Mk2

[Casper]

Quote

one of the team there is Will Chignell 

and onother is Adam, his dad.  Fount of knowledge

C.

[Adrian Cooper]

I'm with Dan and Rob on the engine mounts. I fitted a pair 2 years ago and they introduced a really unpleasant engine vibration. I retrieved the old ones from the bin, glued the rubber back onto the metal on the broken one and refitted them. They have been fine ever since.

If you do choose to get a set of wire wheels then do buy new, especially as they are now tubeless (I didn't know that, thank you Neil) and the splined adaptors are stronger. I made the mistake of buying a second hand set and then had to replaced every part of it within 2 years.  25 years and well over 100k miles later they are still going strong. 

Adrian

[DanMi]

19 minutes ago, Adrian Cooper said:

I'm with Dan and Rob on the engine mounts. I fitted a pair 2 years ago and they introduced a really unpleasant engine vibration. I retrieved the old ones from the bin, glued the rubber back onto the metal on the broken one and refitted them. They have been fine ever since.

If you do choose to get a set of wire wheels then do buy new, especially as they are now tubeless (I didn't know that, thank you Neil) and the splined adaptors are stronger. I made the mistake of buying a second hand set and then had to replaced every part of it within 2 years.  25 years and well over 100k miles later they are still going strong. 

Adrian

only the more expensive 5.5j are tubeless (just checked on MWS), but yes if you do buy them get them new as the hubs on the wheels do wear out and originals are now very old but not cheap at £1600 odd for the set. I remember my brother getting a second hand set in the 80s, we left the shop drove down the road and when he put the brakes on the hubs just span, went back and taken straight off.

I would get it running well and drive it for a while before spending any money, I personally like the look of the steel wheels with hub caps but would hunt out a set of 4.5j rather than the narrow 3.5j. I have gone back to the standard exhaust, which I think sounds great on the MK2 (my car had a 1500 for many years hence twin exhaust now back to 1147) but it is personal choice

[RichTeaBiscuit]

Oh they look gorgeous, thanks for posting photos.

 

[Pete Lewis]

wires need fairly regular trueing up  if they are tubed and you get  a puncture  its a instant flat and head for the ditch,

adaptors are a swine to remove as the nuts restrict the use of any socket 

the splines wear and you get all the knocks and grunts .

all wheels will distort on cornering but go find a video of a wire wheel its horendous  if you like flexible handling fine but if you want it to go where you point it  stick to steels 

we have a couple of locals  swapped wires for alloy and it transformed  both cars 

and as for cleaning you will join the tooth brush brigade 

Modern tubless are obviously better but  ....really      you need to get to know your car for a season or two first before the must have gremlin bites your bum (wallet) 

Pete

 

[Josef]

I echo the drive it for a bit first comments! It’ll give you stuff to spend money on, you won’t have to go looking

[DanMi]

51 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

wires need fairly regular trueing up

yep just look at the amount of lead on Adrian's back wheel, nearly enough for my scuba dive belt

[Neil Clark]

3 hours ago, DanMi said:

only the more expensive 5.5j are tubeless (just checked on MWS), but yes if you do buy them get them new as the hubs on the wheels do wear out and originals are now very old but not cheap at £1600 odd for the set. I remember my brother getting a second hand set in the 80s, we left the shop drove down the road and when he put the brakes on the hubs just span, went back and taken straight off.

I would get it running well and drive it for a while before spending any money, I personally like the look of the steel wheels with hub caps but would hunt out a set of 4.5j rather than the narrow 3.5j. I have gone back to the standard exhaust, which I think sounds great on the MK2 (my car had a 1500 for many years hence twin exhaust now back to 1147) but it is personal choice

Dan - you're absolutely right, well spotted.  The 4.5's x 14" on my B GT are tubeless so I had assumed that they all are.  But I see that the 13" x 4.5 and are not tubeless.  I had to have one wheel assessed by MWS for safety after the accident.  The wheel was fine.  But I had to buy one new tyre when i got the car and it's 155/80R13 79T Toyo NanoEnergy 3 which is the right tyre.  But they didn't fit an inner tube or band according to their invoice despite the tyre removed being badly torn.  I'll call them in the morning to follow up.

[DanMi]

3 minutes ago, Neil Clark said:

Dan - you're absolutely right, well spotted.  The 4.5's x 14" on my B GT are tubeless so I had assumed that they all are.  But I see that the 13" x 4.5 and are not tubeless.  I had to have one wheel assessed by MWS for safety after the accident.  The wheel was fine.  But I had to buy one new tyre when i got the car and it's 155/80R13 79T Toyo NanoEnergy 3 which is the right tyre.  But they didn't fit an inner tube or band according to their invoice despite the tyre removed being badly torn.  I'll call them in the morning to follow up.

well actually no the correct tyre is a 5.20*13 crossply. Not sure when they became available but there was the option of a 145 80 13 radial. The 155 was the standard for the mk4 and later. I am not sure what was fitted with wires

[DanMi]

I like these wheels, this was taken some time ago when my car still had a 1500 engine with the twin exhausts, 

[Neil Clark]

Beautiful.  

[RichTeaBiscuit]

That looks absolutely gorgeous! I take it you removed the twin exhaust?

[Peter Truman]

1 hour ago, DanMi said:

I like these wheels, this was taken some time ago when my car still had a 1500 engine with the twin exhausts, 

Snap yours is a later door handle,  the daughters 66 Mk2 photo taken in 63 @ her wedding (she was sat on a cushion on the back ledge to get the dress and train in), wheels subsequently upgraded to Minilite replicas, car still owned by her. Wheels were 5.5in reversed rim.

[DanMi]

8 hours ago, RichTeaBiscuit said:

That looks absolutely gorgeous! I take it you removed the twin exhaust?

yes put back to standard, I still had the original engine and I kind of like the revvy 1147 better than the more torquey 1500 suits the car better. Twin exhaust adds nothing really but hard to get enough ground clearance and I think they stick out too far, probably designed for the square tail cars

[RichTeaBiscuit]

I'm not sure what the light stick does on the left of the steering wheel. I get it goes up and down for dipped/full/side lights, but it also seems to go forwards and backwards and not sure what that's for, doesn't seem to make a difference to the lights.

[1969Mk3Spitfire]

6 minutes ago, RichTeaBiscuit said:

I'm not sure what the light stick does on the left of the steering wheel. I get it goes up and down for dipped/full/side lights, but it also seems to go forwards and backwards and not sure what that's for, doesn't seem to make a difference to the lights.

Main light switch is on the dash, left hand side. Pull it and it will (should) energise the column switch. Let there be light 😁

[DanMi]

the column switch pulls towards you for flashing the main beam. If it doesn't flash when pulled towards you, there is a single fuse holder behind the left hand glove shelf for this function

 

this should work even with the main light switch off

[RichTeaBiscuit]

Got that far but I mean does the forwards and backwards movement of the stick do anything? Or is it broken 😄

[Adrian Cooper]

Probably the screw is loose

[Peter Truman]

On my Vitesse it is a headlamp flasher all 4

[Pete Lewis]

  would a Mk2 would have the flash facility on the stalk ????

just the up down side dip main   no flash   maybe 

Pete

[DanMi]

yes it does Pete or at least it should have

[Neil Clark]

4 hours ago, RichTeaBiscuit said:

I'm not sure what the light stick does on the left of the steering wheel. I get it goes up and down for dipped/full/side lights, but it also seems to go forwards and backwards and not sure what that's for, doesn't seem to make a difference to the lights.

It's worth taking the cowl off on the steering column to check if they are faulty.  I was told when I got my car that it was perfectly possible that the stalks may have been changed.  Also the members on here were amazing at helping me decipher the problem.  In my case apparently the stalk on the left doesn't work in the sequence that it should originally have done.  Mine is I think (the car isn't here just now) top position side / then dipped then full at the bottom.  

If I remember correctly the column cowl screws also hold the stalks in place.  Have you got the wiring diagram for your car?  I know now that the Haynes Spitfire book has it's flaws, but it's not a disaster and I've found it enormously useful as I learn my way around the car supported by the forum.  Things like the wiring diagrams for each model are very useful when sitting staring at wiring!

[Adrian Cooper]

2 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

would a Mk2 would have the flash facility on the stalk ????

just the up down side dip main   no flash   maybe 

Pete

I'm sure you're right Pete, mine doesn't flash.

RTB It will just be loose screws giving the fore and aft movement. Just undo the two screws on the top and bottom of the black metal cowls (might be plastic on the later cars) and you will see that the light stalks are attached with two screws, one on top and one underneath. These often work loose.

Adrian

[DanMi]

2 hours ago, Adrian Cooper said:

I'm sure you're right Pete, mine doesn't flash.

well it should some heralds didn't so maybe your column switch has been replaced but if you look near the fuse box there is a plastic in-line fuse that is for this flash function. Plus just checked the parts catalogue which definitely lists the headlight stalk as 3 position plus flash.