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** ON TO THE NEXT BIT ** Nose to Tail - 1972 Spitfire MkIV restoration upgrades!!


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30 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

so you have to admire  us , blue tack  , velcro    , gorilla glue  ...............and Now Self tappers  !!!!

what more could we do 

You forgot the chewing gum. fairy liquid bottles and sticky backed plastic.

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So, here we go with the slightly more sensible bit of the thread (for the time being, that is).  

This is the beast in question

Gearbox-Tunnel-Cover-01.thumb.jpg.1291e907b80d2ffe7d8015d4590cc354.jpg

At first glance it's not in such bad condition, certainly better than some that I have seen.  The firewall end is a bit ragged and has been cracked somewhere in it's history, plus the bits where the spire clips push on are missing in places..

Gearbox-Tunnel-Cover-02.thumb.jpg.63631a040bc4fc6b040f2e81245d16f3.jpg

At least with this being, in real terms cardboard, it should be fairly easy to repair. I am going to try simple bostick/evostik for the time being.  This is the worst area...

Gearbox-Tunnel-Cover-03.thumb.jpg.82f0a8ed95792ab8d4def675204a842a.jpg

..around the gear-stick hole, where someone (not me) has cut out a chunk to allow fitting. This has been made worse by the professionals' attempts to fit the cover when I let them loose to free off the clutch when the car was recommissioned at the start of this thread, oh so long ago.  I am going to initially make good using some thin hardboard, rebuilding from underneath and then making good on the outside.

I have, as you can see, stripped off most of the sealers, glues and other crud, ready for work to start, along with the bag of insulation from inside.  I did find a rather intriguing little plate underneath what I suppose is the 'coin tray'.

Gearbox-Tunnel-Cover-05.thumb.jpg.d848dfcc49e1743ac5dbfd0cfb8cafc4.jpg

This is held by a single self tapper (Pete will be pleased)

Gearbox-Tunnel-Cover-04.thumb.jpg.5153904ad25ac15fa13279c437f9df3d.jpg

..but two unused holes which match those in the plate.  I have no idea what this is for and must have been there when I first got the car. Any ideas please. I have started the repairs, more to come if anyone is interested!!

I know I have more important work to do but, after the gear-stick replacement which was urgent, thought that I would do this fairly easy (!!??!!) job, with modifications, then at least I can get her back on the road.

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The three holes are for radio fitting - they are the fixing for the bottom of the cage/bracket that holds the back of the radio.  Basic rule when fitted is 'don't undo the centre screw if the others aren't fitted@ as you then lose the plate.  There are threads on here about radio fitting.

C.

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  • Badwolf changed the title to **TUNNEL COVER REFURB & MODS** Nose to Tail - 1972 Spitfire MkIV restoration upgrades!!

 

1 hour ago, Pete Lewis said:

ive always managed 4cyl slaves from under the car  (when i was younger ) 

 Brother was contemplating an extension pipe to the slave cylinder so he could bleed it from above. He thought a flexible pipe he could attach to the bulkhead, but too expensive! Tight wad.

Doug

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On 12/03/2022 at 16:34, Pete Lewis said:

cut and measure to make new access points 

the gear stick remote bolt is almost done already

speedo drive

oil level filler plug 

when done there will still be some tunnel left 

but it save taking the blasted thing out for silly jobs 

Pete

Don't know if it is relevant to your model of car, but the day after I refitted my steel one in place someone on the TR forum, someone piped up to suggest I cut an access hole for the starter motor's top bolt.   Now he tells me !

Pete

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On 12/03/2022 at 16:09, Badwolf said:

This is the beast in question

Mine was similar when I started. Hardboard was used to replace any missing sections and then it was stabilized with epoxy resin and glass fibre.

I used an external covering of Dynamat and lined it internally with aluminium foil tape. Omitting the original 'insulation in a plastic bag' allows more airflow.

Ian

 

DSC_0075.JPG

DSC_0076.JPG

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Started with the fiberglass resin today. I am going to do it in stages and have gone over some cracked or damaged bits with brown wrapping paper so that I don't increase the thickness too much. It probably won't be strong enough but with the resin as 'bonding paint' along with the Silentcost stuck on the inside we will see. I had forgotten just how pungent fibreglass resin is and have made the mistake of leaving my vapour mask elsewhere. I must retrieve it before doing anymore.

Wiped everything over with panel wipe to degrease but I have run out. Is gun cleaner as similar liquid or is the 2k thinners that I still have more suitable for degreasing?

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49 minutes ago, Ian Foster said:

Mine was similar when I started. Hardboard was used to replace any missing sections and then it was stabilized with epoxy resin and glass fibre.

I used an external covering of Dynamat and lined it internally with aluminium foil tape. Omitting the original 'insulation in a plastic bag' allows more airflow.

Ian

 

DSC_0075.JPG

DSC_0076.JPG

Almost a shame to put carpet over that it’s so neatly done!

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  • 3 weeks later...

As a slight diversion (again!!), prompted by AlanT's thread (https://forum.tssc.org.uk/topic/9765-spit-1500-seat-belt-stowage-hooks/#comment-146261) about seatbelt stowage hooks, here is my solution to the parking of inertia reel seat belts. 

As you may remember, I have been trying to find a decent example of one of these.....

20200629_165435.jpgPhoto courtesy of Wimpus

Then I realised that my replacement Securon seat belts, had a different latching plate to that on the original belts...

1580039502_SeatBeltAnchor01.thumb.JPG.5f601b6060a6f97aaefe025c47a86241.JPG

..and probably wouldn't work with the original 1500 fitting assuming that I could get one in decent condition or even at all.  Everything I have seen has been either too expensive or a 3d re-engineered plastic cover with no spring innards.  So, how to do something that suits, is easy and cheap.  Firstly where to put it... attach it to the hood frame bolts....

850918173_SeatBeltAnchor02.thumb.JPG.41f4df1ff4c869ab22c258181d67caed.JPG

Remove the bolt.....

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.. and from my box of plumbing fittings select a length of microbore pipe of the same internal diameter as the bolt and cut a piece about 1cm long...

170756134_SeatBeltAnchor04.thumb.JPG.9378e41af12c154ee972ed3a842eb183.JPG

Spray with black paint and assemble.

104005586_SeatBeltAnchor05.thumb.JPG.b468830ee8bc73192a6b021127028682.JPG

The slight distortion in the tube was due to over exuberance in test fitting, it's only copper after all! 

Fit the assembly

515383072_SeatBeltAnchor06.thumb.JPG.af5bb20f6299072832229c39a56d950e.JPG

.. a slightly longer bolt would have been better but I didn't have on to hand at the time. (Don't overtighten, like I did!!!)

Then, just hook the plate over the tube...

1937100333_SeatBeltAnchor07.thumb.JPG.e080c99654136b99529d3c566a5152ba.JPG

and release the clothes peg that I was using to keep the tension off the belt for the photos...

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Job done. No more scrabbling around under the hood bag trying to find the seat belt.  Total cost, well nothing but a half an hour of time, a bit of scrap tube and a squirt of black paint.  No, it's not concourse but it's practical and amazingly it works.  Cheap and cheerful, my sort of job.

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  • Badwolf changed the title to **ANOTHER DIVERSION FROM USEFUL WORK!!!** Nose to Tail - 1972 Spitfire MkIV restoration upgrades!!

I would have thought the hood-frame bolts need to be good n' tight, so perhaps it might be prudent to find a piece of steel tubing instead ..that will take the compression. ?

Pete

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