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

[Badwolf]

Never throw anything away... the mantra of the classic car owner! While waiting for the deivery of the new bolts for my suspension spring eyes, I remembered that 30 years ago I bought a complete pack of bolts to renew those on the suspension. On routing them out, yes I find a pair that will fit nicely. Just the job. Then for some reason, I tried the nut from the new bolt on the remaining thread of the knackered bolt... it doen't fit easily. When fitting the new spring the garage appears to have used a metric bolt and managed to get a unf nut onto it. Probably got it started by hand and zip gunned it on. No wonder that when I try to torque it to 38lb it gave up!! If I am correct it may be worth while reminding any garage doing work for you that this car is imperial not metric.

[Pete Lewis]

thats the joys of dealing with high labour rated professionals ....best avoided 

Pete

[Badwolf]

Just had and interesting afternoon fitting the new shock absorbers properly. All done now torqued up etc but not check toe in etc yet. Need to make one of Uncle Pete's patent measuring gadgets!!  This was the first time that I had seen both shocks together and was a little concerned that one is longer than the other!!!

I was also amused that the Lockheed, which I assume was

the original factory fitted one, bears a label saying that shock absorbers must be fitted in pairs. These certainly weren't and have been on the car since I got it. The shocks are shown photographed in their fully 'retracted' state.

[Pete Lewis]

So thats the long and short of it then

Even the colour doesnt match pair

 

Pete

[Anglefire]

On 06/04/2019 at 16:10, NonMember said:

When I went on a tour of the Longbridge factory quite some years back, there was a guy on the Metro production line whose job was to make the doors fit right. Each car that arrived, he would close the door, look at the window frame gap, open the door, put a knee against the trim panel and yank the frame. Then he'd close the door, now a perfect fit, and go on to the next one. A real craftsman 😉

I'm from the midlands - not that far from Lode Lane or Longbridge and the guys that made the doors fit were known (So I believe anyway) as "Door F***ers" 🙄

[Badwolf]

Is that 'door fetlers'  !!! 😁

[Anglefire]

Officially, no doubt. 😂😉

[Pete Lewis]

in  general mass production of the day engineers would design adjustable thingy whatknots and production would want everything pre set 

this way parts like gear remotes  and steering where set on a jig to a fixed length and then things never worked as it always should have half a turn this way or that to align parts . doors especially 

Pete

 

[daverclasper]

I wouldn't mind one of those "body snaggers?", doing half a hour on my car. Maybe quite skilled?.

Dave 

[Badwolf]

Dave- I would love one too!!

Those of you who have been following my trail of disasters will know that I have had fitted a new leaf spring by my local garage, and then I fitted new ujs, polybush bushes on the radius arms, spring eyes, and on the new shock absorbers. Everything torqued up under load etc. I now notice that the off side is 3 cm higher than the nearside. I never noticed this before, so it may be that it has been like that for years and that having done ths work, I am now much more aware of it. The car handles well and everything should have settled down after a 30mile run with passenger yesterday. Any thoughts anyone?? Should I stop looking for trouble and get on with the paint job? I really would like to sort out these annoying niggles before I get on with the paintwork.

[Bfg]

Tidy the paintwork if you're selling the car,  do the niggles if you're keeping the car.  

if you do the paintwork first and then the niggles - then you're just going to upset yourself when you inadvertently scratch that new paintwork. !

But also you don't need to look for trouble, it will find you ...if it really is an issue.

[Badwolf]

Hi BFG. The niggles keep finding me.. no problem. I am trying to sort them out (such as the mis-match in heights) before I do the re-paint for the very reason of not damaging the new paint. The re-paint is essential. If you look back over the pages of this thread, especially to the state of the bonnet and hard-top (page 11 - I have been working on this for a loooonnng time!!), along with the problems I have mentioned with the paintwork blistering you will understand.

[Badwolf]

I have been reading here several comments about the pros and cons of wing/door mirrors. I have been looking for convex versions which do appear to be fairly scarce and also bullet/rectangular styles.  I plan, as part of the repaint to fit them on the doors (if I ever get them to fit!!) and will drill the necessary holes, rust proof them etc before painting.  So this is the forward planning bit.

What is the general feeling as to the best type of mirrors and the best place to buy them. The club shop only appears to do the flat types but, I suppose, I could always get the wide angle, stick on, additions if they are still made, to give a wider view in part. I note that some of you have obtained new convex glasses for the mirror units which would be an alternative if a complete convex unit is difficult to find for a reasonable price but are they all a standard shape?  Over to you!!

[Pete Lewis]

cant advise where from but be sure after much this way that way when you decide on a position when screwed down will be wrong 

its classic rules here and they always win ,

doug got some convex ???

Pete

[Badwolf]

Thanks Pete - Yes I remember reading Doug's post about getting the convex. He has bullet wing mirrors but I don't know where he got them from and if they are all a standard size. Hopefully he will pick this up.  I looked at some at the NEC last month but wasn't sure of the best type for fitting. I remember many, many years ago having some that were a single hole with a nut inside the door frame which bent the door skin alarmingly. When the Spitfire was originally restored, I made a conscious decision not to have mirrors or a radio aerial due to the dangers of rust. However I have got used to door mirrors on my modern and find that when driving the spitfire I miss them and feel that these days not having them could even be very dangerous. Of course rust prevention is much better these days, so not so much of a worry on that score and with repainting it will be better to do the holes and treat the inside before applying the paint.

[mark powell]

I've been hoping for another ARCA door mirror, (Broke mine, hen's teeth apparently) so fitted Tex, matt black to suit my special. Available with either flat or convex glass.  There are other makes out there, but I wanted black...

 https://www.texautomotive.com/classic_exterior_mirrors.html

[Badwolf]

Thanks Mark. These look exactly what I'm looking for. They also look very much like the ones that Moss are doing. Typical, first you can't find something, then spoilt for choice. Now... bullet or rectangular!!??? What is the correct design for a '72 1300 Spit?

[Badwolf]

Here's a strange one for all of you with old cans of .. well, whatever is in your garage or shed.

When an aquaintance heard that I was preparing to repaint the Spitfire, he gave me a can of what he described as 2k thinners. The can is very rusty and says that it is Sikkens 363 Autocoat BT thinners. Have any of you come across this in the past, what is it, is it only useful for cleaning tools or just lighting the bonfire!! I can't find anything in English on the internet, but it is made by AkzoNobel, but nothing with them as yet

[poppyman]

If the can is rusty, i would only use for gunwash or tools...... Good fun on the bonfire to scare the neighbours  

Tony.

[Clive]

2k thinners is fairly gentle compared to celly thinners, so no use as a gunwash. I use it for thinning 2k paint (!) but also as a panel wipe before spraying. It will also be ideal for degreasing components and so on, probably similar to white spirit in terms of how volatile it is.

[Clive]

On 16/04/2019 at 16:00, Badwolf said:

Thanks Mark. These look exactly what I'm looking for. They also look very much like the ones that Moss are doing. Typical, first you can't find something, then spoilt for choice. Now... bullet or rectangular!!??? What is the correct design for a '72 1300 Spit?

I believe the same as Mark has, but probably stainless rather than black. But your car, like me fit whichever you want.

Those missors are very good in use. Mine are flat, but this year I may fit a small stick-on convex mirror (maybe even cut in half) as I will be doing a lot of miles in Europe, and they help with driving on the "wrong "side.

[Badwolf]

Thanks Clive. If the thinners really is 2k I was thinking of using it for cleaning tools after using filler, 2k primer (brushed), and other 2 part stuff. The writing on the can doen't give much of a clue about exactly what it is and the AkzoNobel site is useless. The only web references are written, I think, in Russian!!

[68vitesse]

Вы могли бы использовать Google Translate.

С уважением
Павел

[Badwolf]

Paul (68V) - Ha Ha.  Brilliant and clever. Yes, tried Google but not very good. It goes refer to use with hardener from what I can make out so gives the impression that it is 2K.  I will find out when I try to use it. As long as it doesn't start dissolving other things. Mask and gloves to start with I think.  May just send the Russian link to Akzo and ask them.  Just though someone might have a similar solution on their garage shelf.

[JohnD]

I'd be careful with that stuff - doesn't 2-part paint have a risk of cyanide poisoning?  Certainly you are supposed to wear full PPE and an air-fed mask to use it!

John