First Classic - Spitfire Mk2

[johny]

ooh hope our diagnosis was correct then! Wait a minute though something doesnt look right in the photo - the spring shouldnt be visible there....

[Clive]

21 minutes ago, RichTeaBiscuit said:

There is play, not much though

It looks like the big plastic ball is missing! That will make it unpleasant to drive...

Get the kit from Canleys, it has a better than most ball.

[johny]

This is what should be there👍

[Neil Clark]

I second and third the view that the full seal kit with keyhole plates is a complete waste.  The sealing strip material that is included with it was actually the best solution for my new tunnel.  The new tunnels we can get don't quite fit the early cars without butchery.  After several false starts with the heavy rubber version from one supplier and trying several other materials it worked the easiest of all.  If the club will sell you the strip on its own that might work. 

Preserve your tunnel and hopefully the insulation.  And I wish you unskinned knuckles getting it back in!

[NonMember]

43 minutes ago, clive said:

It looks like the big plastic ball is missing!

Yes, indeed. This is one of the known failure modes - my GT6 did it - where the ball disintegrates and falls out without trace. The gearstick then becomes incredibly vague and wobbly and needs to be lifted and held with two hands to find any gear,

[johny]

Must be almost impossible to drive! Hope theres no damage been done in Richtea's gearbox....

[Josef]

6 hours ago, Badwolf said:

Josef - I was interested in you comment quoted above so, having just renewed my insurance checked the documents and was horrified to find and clause confirming this. This now means having to put up the roof everytime I leave the car or no insurance!! Is this normal for all policies and does anyone else take precautions like this? Page copied below, relevant section in red

All mine have been like that. I’ve only ever bought through Lancaster or Peter James, though I don’t expect it’s the brokers who dictate this condition. It’s why I’m still not really using my Spitfire as I’m (still) lacking a hood. I have parked it up for a few minutes outside shops, and taken the rotor arm in with me on occasion. 
 

I have always wondered how kit / scratch builds and similar that have no hood at all are treated. I suspect a chunk of the owners just haven’t spotted that particular clause though. 

[Pete Lewis]

there are bushes  in the intermmediate pivot too that need a look at  all in the kit 

and the through bolt at the base of the stick is wrong way round  the end of the bolt will be fouling the alloy casting in 3rd /4th  needs turning around 

in the kit will be some 0 rings    forget them  they fit inside the shaft bore if its not puking oil leave alone 

 

the intermeadiate pivot need the remote rod rotating one way to access the nut do this before conncting the rod to the gear stick 

Pete

[Josef]

4 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

on some there is a requirement if above a certain value it must be garaged overnight 

Pete

Or postcode! I have a ‘bad’ postcode and that clause, despite it being pointless given how far from anywhere we live. 

[RichTeaBiscuit]

When it comes to removing the rust - I'll wire brush, clean up and then use Jenolite rust converter spray. Can I then use Jenolite rust shield? I wasn't planning on painting it as it's under the carpets.

Also - my gear shifter is tarnished (it's usually covered by a sleeve but I'll change that in future), any products you recommend to get rid of the rust on it and make it shiny again? Was thinking Autoglym super resin polish.

[Josef]

If it’s a chromed shifter then you’ll want a metal polish. I’ve used Autoglym’s version, it’s fine. The super resin polish is OK for new chrome but not for anything really tarnished. 

[Badwolf]

The floor definitely needs as much protection as you can give it. Especially as it's under the carpet in a soft top. When I recomissioned mine 4ish years ago I lifted the carpets to clean them. The 1" thick underlay on the passenger side had disappeared into dust and the floor was showing signs of light rust. The carpet had got wet, not surprisingly, and held the damp against the floor for years. I was lucky, I had treated the floor and painted it with old style hammerite, but even so there was some damage. Give your floor the works. Wire brush, rust treatment and several top coats. Then hide it all under the carpet knowing that it should be a lot safer.

 

[Clive]

I reckon Truck Bed Liner paint would be ideal on a floor. The stuff is so tough, though I am unsure if it is available in small quantities. 

EDIT. yep, you can buy a litre via ebay etc. 

[Paul H]

43 minutes ago, RichTeaBiscuit said:

When it comes to removing the rust - I'll wire brush, clean up and then use Jenolite rust converter spray. Can I then use Jenolite rust shield? I wasn't planning on painting it as it's under the carpets.

Also - my gear shifter is tarnished (it's usually covered by a sleeve but I'll change that in future), any products you recommend to get rid of the rust on it and make it shiny again? Was thinking Autoglym super resin polish.

Check out www.rust.co.uk they offer a range of products together with lots of info about treating rust . 
Paul 

[Paul H]

33 minutes ago, clive said:

I reckon Truck Bed Liner paint would be ideal on a floor. The stuff is so tough, though I am unsure if it is available in small quantities. 

EDIT. yep, you can buy a litre via ebay etc. 

https://www.buzzweld.co.uk/u-pol-raptor-1k-multi-use-bed-liner-aerosol-black-405g-da6650.html?

Paul

[Clive]

9 minutes ago, Paul H said:

https://www.buzzweld.co.uk/u-pol-raptor-1k-multi-use-bed-liner-aerosol-black-405g-da6650.html?

Paul

I would buy the 2k version, it will be tougher. No reason it can't be put on with a brush or small roller, in fact I notoced buzzweld sell Raptor rollers. That method would mean the health risks of 2K disappear too.

Buying aerosols is expensive compared to buying the "neat" paint. 

[Colin Lindsay]

On 08/08/2022 at 16:44, Neil Clark said:

I second and third the view that the full seal kit with keyhole plates is a complete waste.  The new tunnels we can get don't quite fit the early cars without butchery.  

I'll have to be a dinosaur with that first bit; I used the keyhole plates on the Herald tunnel - which was new and fitted perfectly - and found them easy to use. Tighten the screw about 90%, slide the keyhole plate under it to the preferred position, and tighten fully. On the vertical faces I just used large washers. I had intended to knock up metal strips for the sides but time got away on me.

[Neil Clark]

Interesting Colin.  I had hoped that that would be the case when i bought the kit.  I imagine that the new tunnel is universal.  It may be that the floor holes to secure it and which I inherited from the previous owner / builder are incorrectly placed.  But also the new tunnel incorporates the trinket tray on the the rear part and that gets in the way of the dash support frame. I had to file the inner sides of the dash support frame, which is original, to get it to sit on and bridge the tunnel and then cut back the trinket tray and remake it. 

[NonMember]

44 minutes ago, Neil Clark said:

But also the new tunnel incorporates the trinket tray on the the rear part and that gets in the way of the dash support frame.

All the gearbox covers included that tray. The Spitfire one was actually a carry-over early Herald part (later Heralds had a different bulkhead to be common with the Vitesse). The tray should not interfere with the dash support unless it's either fitted wrongly or a very misshapen tunnel.

[mark powell]

Anything polished can be sealed with this..  https://www.everbritecoatingsuk.com/product-page/small-protectaclear-flask

I have treated all the polished aluminium and chrome on my Midge. So far so good after nearly 2 years.

[RichTeaBiscuit]

3 hours ago, Badwolf said:

The floor definitely needs as much protection as you can give it. Especially as it's under the carpet in a soft top. When I recomissioned mine 4ish years ago I lifted the carpets to clean them. The 1" thick underlay on the passenger side had disappeared into dust and the floor was showing signs of light rust. The carpet had got wet, not surprisingly, and held the damp against the floor for years. I was lucky, I had treated the floor and painted it with old style hammerite, but even so there was some damage. Give your floor the works. Wire brush, rust treatment and several top coats. Then hide it all under the carpet knowing that it should be a lot safer.

 

Any issues with using a wire brush attachment on an electric drill? Am I being too lazy? 😁

[RichTeaBiscuit]

Much better and very different that it was before! If it looks like I'm pushing quite hard it's because I didn't have the knob screwed on the end and it was stabbing me in the hand

[Badwolf]

Wire brush on a drill, stripping disc, they all work well. Make sure your eye, face and other protection is good. Some wire brushes will leave you looking like a metal hedgehog so shorts and tee shirt are not recommended.

[Neil Clark]

1 hour ago, NonMember said:

All the gearbox covers included that tray. The Spitfire one was actually a carry-over early Herald part (later Heralds had a different bulkhead to be common with the Vitesse). The tray should not interfere with the dash support unless it's either fitted wrongly or a very misshapen tunnel.

That makes sense.  The one that was in when I dismantled the car was poorly, in places distorted and trimmed by an inch or so on the corners up at the bulkhead end and sealed with mastic so I discarded it and can't compare them.  The new one is a bit taller as well as being "fatter" but it does fit and seal well at the bulkhead.  It has a "flange" all the way round and the seal strip is supposed to go within that.  The shape doesn't really match the floor panels either, which are standard.  It needed a lot of forcing to get into shape.

[RichTeaBiscuit]

What is the white thing in the boot lid?