AlanT Posted October 30, 2022 Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 You’re brave!!! I decided to stop counting after a while. Truth is that a decent resto, even self done, can run to +£10k. But it’s fun, right? And you know what you’ve got afterwards. I’m already missing welding… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan.gilbert_6384 Posted October 30, 2022 Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 When I brought my Spitfire it had a full history with it. One rainy day I decided to add up what the previous owners had spent on it, truely eye watering 21k between 1999 and 2009 (which included a full restoration to concurs), than another 9.5k and I've spent just over 1k total 31.5k this is not a cheap hobby, but good fun. You certainly don't make money restoring classics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pettifordo Posted October 30, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 2 hours ago, AlanT said: But it’s fun Yea I really enjoy it - and as you say I know what I have now. The feeling of achievement - when the car chassis first stood on wheels, the time the tub fitted, the first fire of the engine and of course the time the windscreen fitted 👍👍👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pettifordo Posted October 30, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 23 minutes ago, alan.gilbert_6384 said: good fun Yes good fun and I’ve learned loads Welding Suspension set up How carbs work Wiring looms Car Trim the list goes on and on If only I could get the brakes to stop binding !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pettifordo Posted October 30, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 2 hours ago, AlanT said: missing welding I miss it as well - started to make plant supports to keep my hand in 🤣🤣🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanT Posted October 30, 2022 Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 Brakes…same problem…look at heavily filed leading and trailing edges…no prob now (only got pic as stripped again to sort a bearing!) Also planning garden ‘sculpture’ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH Posted October 30, 2022 Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 One of life`s lessons. I learned the trick to file brake shoe leading edges, trying to get Triumph TLS front brakes not to "grab" and throw you off, on greasy roads, on a 1950`s Tiger T100 Motorcycle. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pettifordo Posted October 31, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2022 On 30/10/2022 at 09:33, AlanT said: missing welding I miss it as well - started to make plant supports to keep my hand in 🤣🤣🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pettifordo Posted October 31, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2022 We have an oil light 👍 I check the bulbs and they looks ok - k then swapped the LED bulb for a classic one and it all came to life. The Brake light also lights up until I start the car and the goes off ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted October 31, 2022 Report Share Posted October 31, 2022 13 minutes ago, Pettifordo said: then swapped the LED bulb for a classic one and it all came to life Did you have LEDs in both oil and brake, or just one? If both, I'm not completely surprised they didn't work as I discovered the LED sidelights on my Vitesse do nothing if the battery is down to 9V (as it was when low on charge and running the headlights). There's no real reason for an internal one to be like that - it's a result of having several LEDs in series, I think - but it could be the case. If only one, I'd have expected the LED one to work but the filament one not to. They're in series and the LED won't draw enough current to heat up the filament one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pettifordo Posted October 31, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2022 16 minutes ago, NonMember said: LEDs in both oil and brake It was just the oil light - I swapped the ignition, full beam and oil to LED, I’ve now just replaced the oil light with a classic one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josef Posted October 31, 2022 Report Share Posted October 31, 2022 The ignition light might actually need to be an incandescent bulb, or at least an LED with a resistor. The original style alternators require some resistance through the ignition light to actually charge. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pettifordo Posted October 31, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2022 The front brakes now work - I had put a pad on the brake pedal as the brake lights were always on as the brake pedal isn’t come high enough to switch it off - seems like my “fix” was too large a pad and was preventing the master cylinder for releasing pressure - doh So now my brake lights are always on but the brakes work - just need a thinner pad it think. @Josef - noted on the ignition - I will swap it back to be on the safe side. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted October 31, 2022 Report Share Posted October 31, 2022 it is quite common the pedal sizes on its pivot and the shaft then rotates and wears the pedal box the shaft has a flat on to engage in a D hole in the bracket other things to stop full return to the switch/back stop is incorrect pushrod lengths Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pettifordo Posted November 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2022 So I think the wiper blades might be the last thing I needed to make the car road legal (or at least legal enough to get to the MOT station 😥😥😥) I also found this website backed by Admiral which offers insurance by the hour and would quote on the Spitfire (others like this wouldn’t cover it) - https://quote.veygo.com/start So I can even go with insurance….so MOT will be planned for after the classic car show when I plan to get halogen headlights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pettifordo Posted November 5, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2022 Thanks to @Josef for fixing the tacho works like a dream - but didn’t try to get to 6000 rpm !! IMG_5072.MOV Exhaust blowing at a joint (not the one I welded up) 👍 I’ve applied some Joint sealer - will see if that fixes or if in need to take off and “tweak” 😩 Finally some exterior trim on the car which was supplied by Dave at the Spitfire Graveyard 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pettifordo Posted November 24, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2022 Took the car to get it MOT’d and it failed on a number of small things - which I hope to get fixed before my 10 days expires…..one of them was the headlights being adjusted too low - does any one know where I can find out how high they need to be ? All being well I hope to be bring it to the club on the 4th Dec…… I hope to see some of the people that helped me to get it on the road - I couldn’t have done it without this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted November 24, 2022 Report Share Posted November 24, 2022 24 minutes ago, Pettifordo said: does any one know where I can find out how high they need to be ? The tolerance band is pretty wide. I can't say I've ever had one fail on "too low", despite frequently thinking my main beams were dipped. I had one failed (once, many years ago) for aim too high, but that was a Vitesse inner and it was illuminating the tree tops. Find a nice level parking area with a wall. Park up about four car lengths from the wall, facing it. On dip, you should just be lighting up the bottom of the wall. On main, the centre of your beam should be at headlight height. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrishawley Posted November 25, 2022 Report Share Posted November 25, 2022 For the chapter and verse on this see; https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-private-passenger-and-light-commercial-vehicles/4-lamps-reflectors-and-electrical-equipment#section-4-1-2 But (in the absence of special test equipment) it adds up to the same as Non-Member's method as above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josef Posted November 25, 2022 Report Share Posted November 25, 2022 Alternatively if the MoT station is a normal garage you could just ask them to to adjust the lights. It won’t take them more than 5 mins so can’t cost the earth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted November 25, 2022 Report Share Posted November 25, 2022 MoT garages always used to adjust headlights for free. As long as adjusters were accessable. One place just used their hand to wallop the headlight in the right place and get it move in the plastic adjuster. He always got it right too. Haven't had a fail in years on headlights. But I use the garage door, and check the beams are pointing down a little. And sort of straight ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted November 26, 2022 Report Share Posted November 26, 2022 the dip cut off used to be 6" down at 10 yds which i guess is now 150mm down at 10 metres or 75mm down at 5 mtrs if you have a short driveway so just measure the height of the lamp centre and witha flat drive ?? mark the door or wall 57mm lower and set the car straight 5 mts away set the beam flat top cut off to align the mark make markers for lamp width to get the Dip beam leftwards 3" left of centre Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH Posted November 26, 2022 Report Share Posted November 26, 2022 Hmmmm?. Only recent "fail" i`ve had was, Taking the R-V for MOT without removing the "masks" for continental driving, Dohhhhhhhhh!!. ☹️ 15 min later, passed!!. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pettifordo Posted November 26, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2022 I’ve checked them and they seem fine to me based on measurements. I’ve ticked off the other 16 things it failed on so if that’s the only one left…..I can discuss with the chap MOT on Wednesday ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pettifordo Posted December 1, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2022 So MOT was still a fail on the following :- 1) Headlamps too low (I have the “up” as far as I can - will need to remove the outer part to see what can be done to angle them further up) 2) Too much CO2 (My efforts to reduce the fuel mix and replace the air filter made the reading worse ! Was 4.5 now 5.5, should be lower than 3.5 !) 3) Too much movement in handbrake (but it passed the test to hold the car) So the good news is that all the “structural / safety” parts are now ok. So I was planning to bring to the the club on Sunday and hopefully get some advice on fixing 1,2 and 3 but I just took it out to the local village and on the way back I’m getting a knocking from the rear end 😞 I really hope that it is just some bolts that have come loose and not the UJs on the drive shafts (replaced by me) or the UJ on the drive shaft……will only know tomorrow once I can get under her. I shall probably come to the club anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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